manager a lesson with his pitching wedge.” As if to prove his point, he opened his black leather wallet and displayed the ducats. “Champagne in the fridge, comfortable couches … what could be bad?”
“Luis, I'm sure that lots of cute girls at this club would do anything to hook up with a cute golf pro. How about if I just send them your way?” Lydia said sweetly.
“How about if I trade them for you?” he joked.
Jeez. Luis was beginning to really annoy her. She hoped he got the message from the silent treatment she offered in response to his last question, all the way up to the family pool.
As Lydia and Luis made their silent journey up the hill from the driving range, Kiley sat with her feet dangling in the shallow end of the country club's family pool, watching Sid and Serenity play water basketball. The colonel's regime might be authoritarian, she thought, but there was no doubt that Platinum's kids were in better physical shape as a result of it. Before the arrival of the colonel and Susan, ten minutes of water basketball would have had them sucking wind. Now they'd become superstars, making passes and sinking shots that would have been impossible even three weeks ago.
Suddenly, a large pair of hands slipped over her eyes. “Guess who?”
There was only one voice in America like that. Her breath caught.
“Tom?”
She swung around, and there he was, crouching by the sideof the pool, grinning at her. His blond hair was shorter than the last time she'd seen him; his deep tan made his eyes look even bluer, his Chiclet white teeth even whiter. He wore red surfer Jams and nothing else. His ripped torso was hairless, tanned, and perfect. He looked exactly like what he was—a monumentally successful model.
“When did you get back?” Kiley cut her eyes back toward the country club restaurant. She didn't want the colonel to see her talking with Tom instead of doing her job.
“This morning.” He sat next to her, playfully bumping his muscled thigh into hers. “How goes it?”
“Fine. But …I wish you had called me.”
“I wanted to surprise you.” He cocked his head at her. “That a bad thing?”
“No, it's just I'm working.”
“So I see.” Tom nodded toward the kids. Sid had just made a great dunk; his team cheered. Tom cheered with them. “Nice job, Sid!”
“How was Florida?”
“The usual modeling nonsense, but I banked a nice chunk o’ change. Sent it to my dad so he could buy a new combine and pay off a bunch of debt. The corn harvest last fall was kinda shaky.”
Kiley's heart melted at the mention of his parents’ farm. She had so much in common with him. Half of her friends back in La Crosse had been in 4H or FFA. Could he help it that he was a farm boy who was ten standard deviations better-looking than average?
“That was a nice thing to do.”
“It's my pops.” Tom grinned. “But listen, if I ever decide to take over the family farm, please send me to a shrink. My dad works his butt off and no one appreciates it.”
“You do.”
“Yeah,” Tom admitted. “I do.” His fingers brushed the back of her hand. It gave her chills. “It's great to see you. I missed you. So did you fall in love while I was away?”
She'd never been a good liar, and always considered it one of her strong points. The moment Tom posed the question, she flashed to Jorge and the way he'd kissed her at the Conga Room. It must have registered on her face, because Tom frowned.
“Hey, that was supposed to be a joke.”
She was taken aback by the stunned look in his eyes.
“Tom, it's just that …”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the colonel and Susan returning to the pool deck. “Look, I can't talk now. My boss is coming.”
He scrambled to his feet. “To be continued.”
“Call me later.”
“Yeah, okay.”
He rubbed his chin, seemingly puzzled and—was it really possible? Hurt.
Kiley slid into the pool, swimming over to the basketball game so that she could make a show
“Luis, I'm sure that lots of cute girls at this club would do anything to hook up with a cute golf pro. How about if I just send them your way?” Lydia said sweetly.
“How about if I trade them for you?” he joked.
Jeez. Luis was beginning to really annoy her. She hoped he got the message from the silent treatment she offered in response to his last question, all the way up to the family pool.
As Lydia and Luis made their silent journey up the hill from the driving range, Kiley sat with her feet dangling in the shallow end of the country club's family pool, watching Sid and Serenity play water basketball. The colonel's regime might be authoritarian, she thought, but there was no doubt that Platinum's kids were in better physical shape as a result of it. Before the arrival of the colonel and Susan, ten minutes of water basketball would have had them sucking wind. Now they'd become superstars, making passes and sinking shots that would have been impossible even three weeks ago.
Suddenly, a large pair of hands slipped over her eyes. “Guess who?”
There was only one voice in America like that. Her breath caught.
“Tom?”
She swung around, and there he was, crouching by the sideof the pool, grinning at her. His blond hair was shorter than the last time she'd seen him; his deep tan made his eyes look even bluer, his Chiclet white teeth even whiter. He wore red surfer Jams and nothing else. His ripped torso was hairless, tanned, and perfect. He looked exactly like what he was—a monumentally successful model.
“When did you get back?” Kiley cut her eyes back toward the country club restaurant. She didn't want the colonel to see her talking with Tom instead of doing her job.
“This morning.” He sat next to her, playfully bumping his muscled thigh into hers. “How goes it?”
“Fine. But …I wish you had called me.”
“I wanted to surprise you.” He cocked his head at her. “That a bad thing?”
“No, it's just I'm working.”
“So I see.” Tom nodded toward the kids. Sid had just made a great dunk; his team cheered. Tom cheered with them. “Nice job, Sid!”
“How was Florida?”
“The usual modeling nonsense, but I banked a nice chunk o’ change. Sent it to my dad so he could buy a new combine and pay off a bunch of debt. The corn harvest last fall was kinda shaky.”
Kiley's heart melted at the mention of his parents’ farm. She had so much in common with him. Half of her friends back in La Crosse had been in 4H or FFA. Could he help it that he was a farm boy who was ten standard deviations better-looking than average?
“That was a nice thing to do.”
“It's my pops.” Tom grinned. “But listen, if I ever decide to take over the family farm, please send me to a shrink. My dad works his butt off and no one appreciates it.”
“You do.”
“Yeah,” Tom admitted. “I do.” His fingers brushed the back of her hand. It gave her chills. “It's great to see you. I missed you. So did you fall in love while I was away?”
She'd never been a good liar, and always considered it one of her strong points. The moment Tom posed the question, she flashed to Jorge and the way he'd kissed her at the Conga Room. It must have registered on her face, because Tom frowned.
“Hey, that was supposed to be a joke.”
She was taken aback by the stunned look in his eyes.
“Tom, it's just that …”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the colonel and Susan returning to the pool deck. “Look, I can't talk now. My boss is coming.”
He scrambled to his feet. “To be continued.”
“Call me later.”
“Yeah, okay.”
He rubbed his chin, seemingly puzzled and—was it really possible? Hurt.
Kiley slid into the pool, swimming over to the basketball game so that she could make a show
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