15. Linda
LINDA
Linda stood by the open trunk of her SUV, shielding her eyes against the brilliant morning sun as the intense summer heat began to bake the gravel parking lot of the hotel. She simply couldn’t believe she’d let herself get roped into this massive weekend spectacle.
Today, the archaeological dig site out by the pool was still closed down to ensure the structural supports were fully reinforced after the mudslide, giving the entire hotel crew a second day of freedom.
But instead of enjoying a quiet, restful morning with a cup of coffee, she was actively packing cars for a full-scale athletic invasion.
Michael and Maggie had somehow managed to enter the entire Hearts Hotel staff into the annual Summer Lake Games Festival.
She didn’t know how she had let her brother and her best friend talk her into this.
The massive event took place at Sweet Blossom Bay, a gorgeous, expansive body of freshwater that bordered Pete's diner.
Pete sponsored the festival every single year, turning the entire lakefront into a bustling paradise of smoking barbecue pits, team-building obstacle challenges in the shallows, beachside relays, and intense volleyball tournaments that spanned the entire weekend.
To top it all off, Sunday night featured the highly anticipated grand prize-giving, a massive rib dinner, and a live country dance held inside the diner barn, a rustic, beautifully decorated event space located near the back of the diner, close to the water.
It had been decades since Linda had actually taken part in any of the competitive lake games. But now, thanks to Maggie and Michael, who had been tricked into volunteering by a pack of five eager teenagers, Hearts Hotel officially had a registered team.
Linda’s heart gave a sudden, pleasant jolt when Darius’s luxury black SUV rolled smoothly into the lot, kicking up a small cloud of dust before coming to a halt right beside her sedan.
The driver's side door swung open, and Darius hopped out onto the gravel. He was dressed very casually in a pair of vibrant board shorts and a simple T-shirt, looking far too happy and incredibly energetic for eight o’clock on a hot weekend morning.
"Good morning," Darius greeted her, walking right up to her side with a bright, handsome smile before leaning in to sneak a quick, lingering kiss against her cheek.
"Good morning to you too," Linda smiled, her exasperation melting away slightly as she adjusted her sunglasses. "Why on earth are you looking so remarkably happy right now?"
"I am spending the entire day outdoors with you, my family, and a fantastic group of good friends," Darius said, his voice smooth and deeply content as he braced his hands on his hips. "What is there not to be absolutely happy about?"
"Do you actually realize what Michael and Maggie have gotten us all into today?" Linda breathed, waving her hand toward the stacks of beach towels and sports gear piling up on the pavement.
"A fun, relaxing day of outdoor activities which just happens to feature a couple of heavy championship trophies and a mountain of sticky ribs at the finish line?" Darius asked thoroughly innocently, a playful, boyish grin flashing across his handsome face.
The exact second she saw that competitive glint in his eyes, Linda realized the truth. Just like the rest of the men on the property, Darius wasn't looking for a relaxing day at all. He was looking forward to the aggressive team competition.
"Huh!" Linda let out a soft laugh, a half-smile forming on her lips as she raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.
"You truly have no idea what you are talking about.
Maggie and Michael have already officially taken over as co-captains for the Hearts Hotel team, and they are taking this deadly seriously. "
"Yeah," Darius said with a confident, cheerful nod. "I know they are."
"Huh," Linda said again, her tone dry. "Trust me, that is definitely not a good thing for our sanity."
"Why is that?" Darius’s brow furrowed slightly in genuine curiosity.
"Because Michael and Maggie are incredibly fierce, unapologetic competitors who absolutely do not like to lose under any circumstances," Owen said, walking briskly toward them from the hotel's side entrance.
He was carrying a massive, heavy blue cooler that was sloshing loudly with ice.
"I brought some more chilled energy drinks and water bottles from the main kitchen, sent directly by Rosa to keep the team hydrated. "
"Well, I am even happier that they are our official team co-captains then," Darius said cheekily, crossing his arms over his chest as he offered a confident wink. "Because to be perfectly honest, I really like to win too."
Linda and Owen immediately exchanged highly exasperated, knowing glances.
"Oh, just let him have his little masculine moment before the games begin," Martin joked, joining the small huddle by the cars. He was dressed remarkably similar to Darius and Owen in comfortable summer gear, holding a bag of canvas chairs. He paused, his eyes locking onto Owen’s outfit, and he slowly pulled his sunglasses down past the bridge of his nose to stare in total disbelief.
"Geez, Owen. Are you genuinely trying to get an alien spaceship's attention with that incredibly loud, blindingly yellow shirt?
" He leaned forward, squinting at the fabric.
"Are those actual toucans printed all over your chest? "
"I absolutely love this shirt," Owen said, not offended at all and thoroughly used to Martin's constant, brotherly teasing. He proudly patted the bright yellow cotton fabric. "It is very summer island, Martin. It sets the perfect festive mood for a lake festival."
"You have the completely wrong island, my friend," Martin told him with a broad, teasing grin. He turned and pointed a finger sharply out toward the vast horizon. "Hawaii is thousands of miles that way, Magnum."
"You are just deeply jealous that your pale wealth-manager skin tone can't pull off a bold, adventurous color choice like this," Owen scoffed, adjusting the straps on the heavy cooler as he set it down by the trunk.
Before the men could trade any more playful insults, the five kids suddenly joined them, spilling out from the porch stairs in a chaotic, energetic wave.
They were all carrying various water-sports gear, with thick beach towels draped over their shoulders, and they were fully dressed for a long day of swimming and sunshine.
A loud, overlapping chorus of cheerful morning greetings filled the parking lot as the teenagers immediately started handing Linda their extra dry bags, sunscreen bottles, and life vests to pack into the trunk of her car.
"You guys are going to have to start putting some of those bulkier things into my SUV," Darius told them, pointing his key fob toward his vehicle to unlock the rear hatch. "We are running out of room over here."
"Sure thing, Uncle Darius," Emma said, instantly pivoting toward his car with a bundle of snorkel gear.
"Oh, wow, that is an awesome shirt, Owen," Jake said, walking up beside his cousin. He was wearing an equally bright, wildly colorful tropical button-down shirt that practically matched Owen's energy. "It looks like we definitely shop at the exact same clothing store."
"Is that specialized store called Temu Magnum?" Martin asked with a massive, delighted grin, leaning his shoulder against the car frame.
Jake rolled his eyes dramatically, completely unfazed by Martin's commentary. "It is still a hundred times better than shopping at the basic, corporate four-for-three T-shirt bargain sale," the teenager countered, pointedly eyeing Martin’s plain, solid-gray T-shirt with a cheeky grin.
Owen let out a loud snort of amusement as Jake quickly rushed off toward the SUV to secure his bellyboard, eager to get the small padded board down to the shallow water so he could go paddling along the lakeshore.
Twenty minutes later, the convoy of SUVs pulled into the festival grounds at Sweet Blossom Bay.
Pete had kept his word, reserving a prime, expansive picnic spot right at the edge of the lake, featuring a massive heavy-duty wooden table and long benches that could easily accommodate their entire party.
Isabel and Penny arrived just as they were starting to unload everything from the cars.
As the group began to organize, the sheer scale of the festival came into focus.
Across the water, large, colorful inflatable obstacle courses were being tested, bouncing wildly on the surface of the lake.
Two volleyball courts had been meticulously mapped out in the sand, and designated areas for the three-legged race, the egg-and-spoon dash, and the swim race track were already buzzing with anticipation.
The aroma of charcoal smoke began to waft through the air as the barbecue grills were lit by families who had poured in from both Sweet Blossom Bay and the neighboring town of Sanibel. The air was thick with the sound of children screaming in delight and the rumble of adult laughter.
The Hearts Hotel team—Linda, Darius, Owen, Martin, Penny, Isabel, and the five kids—immediately went to work.
They unpacked the vehicles, setting up a large, sturdy pop-up canopy tent to provide shade for their food and coolers.
They arranged several fold-out tables laden with drinks, snacks, and pre-prepared supplies.
While the men checked the positioning of the grill Pete had reserved for them, the atmosphere was light and joyous.
Then, a shrill, piercing whistle blew right near their table.
They all turned to see Maggie and Michael marching toward them. They were dressed in matching navy blue T-shirts sporting the Hearts Hotel logo. Across the front of both their shirts, the word "CAPTAIN" was emblazoned in bold, white lettering.
"Nice shirts," Darius called out, laughing.
"Oh, we’ll get team shirts too," Linda assured him, trying to hide her smirk.