That One Summer: A Collection of Steamy Contemporary Romance

Chapter 9

Charlotte rose withthe sun and quickly busied herself in the kitchen. It was always her happy place.

Yesterday, she’d prepped a mountain of veggies for today. Sweet onions and an assortment of peppers had been ready to go when she’d put together two dozen egg-filled burritos for breakfast. After that, she’d assembled two large casseroles, one with chicken enchiladas and the other with cheesy chile rellenos, and they’d been gobbled down at lunch.

Stephanie had sent over the best variety of local peppers. Charlotte had used the poblanos for the classic rellenos and then made the best smelling adobo with dried anchos for an amazing chicken adobo she’d planned for dinner.

She lifted a spoon and took a whiff of the rich-smelling sauce. Oh, so good.

“I’ve never been so spoiled.” Kelly marched into the kitchen with two slender blondes following behind her. The blonde with short tight curls was Amy, and the one with long, loose waves was Jessica. They’d all been in the pool and were wearing swim wraps. “We had lunch an hour ago, and I’m hungry for dinner.” She pinched her lips together. “No, I’m not really hungry, I just want whatever you’re making,” she added, and everybody laughed.

“I wasn’t planning on doing laps in the pool, but if I keep eating—and I don’t want to stop—I’ll need the exercise.” Amy rolled her eyes and made a goofy face.

“I’m glad everyone likes everything,” said Charlotte.

“Likes isn’t the word,” replied Amy.

“But we’re feeling guilty.” Kelly slipped around the counter to Charlotte’s side of the prep area. She gave Charlotte a solid pat on the arm. “You’re slaving away in here, and we’re sunning ourselves in the pool. We know it’s not your job, and you weren’t expecting to feed so many people.”

“It’s not right.” Jessica tightened the belt of her wrap and straightened her spine. “We want to help you with dinner and the rest of the meals.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” Charlotte lifted her hands in protest. It was nice they wanted to step up, but she couldn’t imagine they’d truly be much help. Amy and Jessica possessed long, gorgeous nails they wouldn’t want to ruin.

Jessica noticed Charlotte looking at her hands. “I don’t care about these.”

“You don’t?”

Jessica snorted, a very unfeminine snort, and brushed a finger over her nails. “Not really. Sure, they’re pretty, but I’d rather be in here with you.” She lowered her head then lowered her voice. “I knew I’d seen you before, but I couldn’t figure it out at first. I picked up a cake for my niece at your bakery. It was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. Katie, my little niece, cried when she saw it.” She sniffled. “I told them”—she pointed to Kelly and Amy—“that you were Drake’s Delicious Cakes. I hope you don’t mind too much.”

“No, why would I mind?” Charlotte frowned.

“Fantasy is all about privacy and anonymity,” Kelly spoke up again. “But since you weren’t headed to Fantasy, I told her you wouldn’t care.”

“You’re right, it’s absolutely fine,” she said, her gaze darting between Kelly and Jessica. Then she faced Jessica and smiled big. Nothing made her happier than a happy child. “I’m so glad your niece liked her cake.”

“You have to stop using the word like. Tears of joy were streaming down Katie’s face. She’s going to talk about it for years. And when she hears I met you and cooked with you on vacation, she’ll go nuts,” Jessica gushed as she glanced at the other women. “I used to cook with my grandmother—and she was a great cook—so I’m not clueless in the kitchen. I promise we’ll be a help and not a hindrance.”

Charlotte studied their eager faces. These gorgeous, glamorous women wanted to help her cook? “Okay, then. Maybe you want to slip off those swim cover-ups and put on aprons.”

Jessica and Amy gave each other a look. “We’re not wearing suits,” Amy said.

“Oh, okay.” They were naked and that was fine, perfectly fine. She smiled to herself. Maybe she was getting used to the Fantasy way of things. “Then keep the cover-ups on. While I don’t plan on having anything bubbling that might cause a burn, it’s better to be safe.”

“This is so exciting!” Amy’s bright pink lips spread wide, and she started to clap.

Charlotte tipped her chin forward then glanced over at the recipes she’d planned to make for dinner. “I was going to make red snapper in a green mole sauce. There are quite a few steps. Maybe I’ll switch things up a little.”

“We can do it,” said Jessica. She reached for the aprons hanging at the back of the kitchen, taking one and giving the others to Amy and Kelly. “I’ve always wanted to make a mole.”

Two hours later, the mole simmering on the stove smelled amazing, and the guacamole, tomatillo salsa and black beans were done. They’d need to wait until just before dinner to wrap the snapper in parchment before cooking. But everything was prepped and ready to go.

Charlotte grabbed a bottle of cleaning spray and a roll of paper towels. This had been fun—the cooking and the company. Maybe women who looked too froufrou weren’t too froufrou after all.

“Can we cook with you tomorrow morning?” Jessica wiped her hands on the front of her apron. “Before the big hurricane hits.”

“Sure,” Charlotte replied. They’d been great sous chefs. And they’d been so excited to cook with her.

“Katie will be thrilled when I make her breakfast tacos from the famous Drake’s Delicious Cakes.”

Charlotte put down the supplies in her hands and turned toward Jessica. “If you want, you can bring Katie to the bakery sometime, and I can give you both a tour. Maybe we can make some cookies together.”

“Oh!” Jessica placed a palm on her heart. “That would be incredible.”

Charlotte grinned back at her. “I’ll enjoy it too.” She picked up her cleaning spray again. “Ladies, you did a great job today. I know you probably want to go back to the pool. I’m just going to finish cleaning.”

“No, you’re not going to clean.” Kelly strode toward her and took the spray bottle from Charlotte’s hand. “We’ll take care of it while you get your bathing suit on.”

“I wasn’t going to swim today.”

“We’re not swimming.” Kelly waggled her brows as a suggestive smile crossed her lips. “Just looking good in the pool.”

“Oh, my suit strap broke, so I can’t...”

“You don’t need a suit,” Jessica and Amy said at the same time.

“She does.” Kelly laughed.

“Hey, I have one in my carry-on—and an extra wrap.” Amy lifted a finger then scurried over to the large canvas tote she’d left on a table at the side opening of the kitchen and dining area. A moment later, she held up a bright blue bikini in one hand and a sheer coverup in the other. “I haven’t worn the bikini yet. It still has its tags.”

Charlotte accepted the little garment—the very little garment—and the pretty wrap. “I’m smaller on top than you.” She eyed Amy’s abundant breasts then glanced down at her own. They were fine but not like Amy’s. “I don’t think I could wear...”

“I like to overflow,” Amy said without blushing. “It will fit you fine.”

Not sure what else to say—they were being so nice—Charlotte strode into the nearby bathroom, pulled off her cropped yoga pants and loose tee, then slipped on Amy’s little bikini. Little was the operative word. The top fit okay, but the bottoms were tiny. Thank goodness she’d waxed before the trip. Even so, it showed a lot.

“I don’t know about this,” she said as she stepped back into the kitchen. “I’m not sure it works for me.”

“Are you kidding?” Kelly replied as she and the other women gawked at her. “You look hot.”

“I never thought I could pull off something like this.” She turned around so they could see all of her.

“Well, you do,” Amy said, checking out the front and the back. “It covers all the necessary bits.”

“Barely,” Charlotte murmured.

“You’re totally decent,” Amy replied with confidence. “The blue matches your pretty eyes.”

Charlotte laughed. While she might not call it totally decent, it was decent enough. And it did cover all the important parts.

“Let’s see what Sam thinks.” Jessica’s eyes gleamed as she pointed to Sam. He stood at the other side of the pavilion talking to maintenance staff. “If his tongue doesn’t fall out of his mouth, I’ll be stunned.”

“No, I don’t think...” Charlotte pulled on the cover-up, but it did little to cover her up.

“Are you and Sam still just friends?” Kelly batted her eyes at Charlotte, teasing her.

“Of course, we’re friends.” Her gaze shot toward Sam.

“So nothing happened last night after you two left the party?” Kelly asked, not letting up.

“I was cigar sick—and that was not pretty.”

“I bet that didn’t last too long.” Kelly shrugged it off. “What about after that?”

“All right.” Charlotte rolled her eyes. “We kissed once, but it was nothing... nothing.”

“You’re funny,” Amy chimed in. “I guess we’ll know in a second.” She grabbed onto Charlotte’s wrist before Charlotte stepped away. “Leave the cover-up open,” she murmured.

“Hi.” Charlotte lifted her hand as Sam approached.

“Hey,” he replied, but continued to glance back at workers he’d been talking to moments ago.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Not really.” He kept turning back to look at the men. “Some work’s been done. Some has been redone. They fixed the hole in the ceiling of your casita. I’m not sure...” Then he faced her, and his mouth dropped open. “I...I don’t remember seeing that bathing suit before.”

“My other one broke.”

“Oh...that’s too bad,” he murmured, his eyes moving up and down her body, never leaving her...suit.

“This is a pretty one, but it shows more...”

Sam wiped at his brows as if suddenly perspiring. He tilted his head toward a group near the pool. “It’s really pretty, but maybe you should keep it tied when you’re around other people.”

“You think?” she asked but didn’t move to touch the wrap.

“You know, like this.” Sam reached over and pulled the little belt of her wrap into place and tied it. Then he narrowed his eyes and grumbled. “It would probably be a good idea if you put back on your regular clothes so you don’t get a burn.”

“Okay,” she replied, agreeably, but still didn’t move.

“I’ve got to meet with George in a few minutes. I need to go over another item on the list that I thought had been done. Then maybe you and I can take a walk before dinner.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “I’ll be back soon.”

He walked away, and the women behind her giggled.

“Wow, that didn’t seem like Sam at all.” Kelly rolled her eyes and laughed.

“Yes, he seemed more than a little distracted.” Amy pressed her lips together, clearly holding back a smile.

“He was just surprised. He’s never seen me like this before.”

“Yes, we know.” Kelly placed her palms on Charlotte’s shoulders and gave her a little shake. “But maybe it’s time.”