“Five a.m. tomorrow,” Coach repeats through his open window as he’s backing out of my driveway. “We’ll talk again when you get back.”
He drives off without another glance, leaving me standing in the wake of my bad decisions. Whatever Coach and Zach have planned, I have a feeling I’m about to pay.
IN GOOD HANDS
SILVER
“They’re almost here.” My coworker, Hope, practically squeals the words as she charges into my office.
I look up from the stack of immunization records I was reviewing to find my friend’s normally light skin flushed and her brown eyes big and bright. Smiling, I press my hands on my desk and tilt my head in amusement. “They? The campers don’t arrive until Monday.”
She lets out a laugh and plants herself in the nearest chair. “No, not them. The Seattle players and that creative agency who host this whole thing. They like to come in a few days early for the initial setup, remember?”
I really should remember, seeing as this will be the third year the team has held their football camp at Camp Dakota. What started out as a one-week anti-bullying fundraising event quickly grew thanks to its popularity. For one month, Camp Dakota, along with BelleCurve Creative and the Seattle football team, hosts a month-long camp. Each week, we welcome new groups of kids and Seattle players. At the end of each week, there’s a scrimmage tournament to crown a team winner during the final ceremony.
“I guess I forgot. We see new groups every week. How do you expect me to remember a silly football event?”
Hope lets out an audible groan at my silence. “Seriously, Silver. How long have you lived here now?”
“At camp or in Washington?”
“Both.”
I ease back into my chair and take my time to respond, choosing my words carefully. Hope has only worked at Camp Dakota for the past year, and while she’s quickly become my best friend, there’s still a lot she doesn’t know about me. “Eight years.”
Something swirls in my gut at my mention of the length of time I’ve lived here, but I shove it aside quickly.
“Well,” Hope says, not missing a beat. “Then there’s no excuse. You should be a crazed Seattle fan like the rest of us by now.”
I avert my eyes and begin to clean up the paperwork spread over my desk. “Not going to happen. I’ve never been into sports.”
“What? Why?”
I shrug. “It’s just not my thing. But give me a sprained arm to sling or an open cut to clean, and I’m your gal.” Hope studies me in a way that makes me laugh with unease, causing me to narrow my gaze. “What?”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “Sometimes I just want to shake you. You need to live a little. Step outside of your comfort zone. Experience new things.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “I’m doing just fine, trust me.”
“Maybe, but you’re so career minded, it scares me.”
With a big dramatic roll of my eyes, I sigh. That’s the thing about studying medicine—no one outside of the field could possibly understand. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. And there’s nothing wrong with being focused on my career. I didn’t get an advanced nursing degree for nothing. I’ve worked really hard to get the head nurse position here after studying under Miriam Bexley for four years. I want to do her proud. I want to do the Bexleys proud.”
The Bexleys have successfully owned and run Camp Dakota for two decades. I owe them everything for offering me a job and home when I came to them with zero experience. But I’m not about to get into all of that with Hope right now. “Anyway,” I say, tilting my head. “Why are we talking about this? Because I don’t care for football?”
Hope lets out a groan. “No, because you aren’t freaking ecstatic that some of the hottest men on the planet are about to step foot in our camp. Aren’t you at least a little bit curious about them?”
“No need to be curious.” I pick up one of the closed envelopes on my desk and hold it up. “I’m already up to speed on all of their medical records. Twelve Seattle players are coming this week, and trust me, there’s more information in this folder than you could ever find on their trading cards.”
Hope’s mouth falls open, and she lurches toward my desk, reaching for the envelope.
I yank it out of reach. “Oh no,” I say with a grin. “That’s confidential.”
She lets out a frustrated scream. “You’re such a tease. I’m so jealous. You know who’s coming this week. You know everything about them.” Her eyes widen. “Just imagine if one of them gets hurt.” She looks up at the ceiling and sighs. “You’ll get to tend to their wounds.” Her gaze lands back on mine before a blush spreads across her cheeks. “Maybe you should teach me CPR. Just in case.”
A laugh bursts past my lips, and I stand. “You’re ridiculous. These forms are just a formality, but they’re of no use to me. They’re bringing in a sports physician from Orcas Island Hospital to help me with the kids, but the professional players will just be here to coach. I never see them in my office.”
I can practically hear the excitement deflating from Hope’s chest. “Well, damn. I probably won’t see them much, either, since I’m not working any of the field activities.”
Hope is the activities director who’s usually put in charge of team-building activities during events like this. Her disappointment hits my chest with a pang. From the moment I met her, I knew she had a huge heart. “Well, you never know. Maybe you can strut by the field every so often and lock eyes with one of these hotties. Maybe you’ll score a date.” I raise my brows and wiggle them to get her to laugh.
“Or maybe we can double.” She waggles her brows back at me, this time causing me to break out in a smile of my own.
“Sorry. You’re on your own there. I don’t date the guests.”
She folds her arms across her chest and studies me. “Yeah, yeah, I know your rules, but you’re telling me you wouldn’t for a single minute consider one of these gorgeous men, even for a little fling?”
“And what would the point in that be? Most of them will be gone in a week.”
Her lids widen as she stares back at me like I’m insane. “Sex, Silver. The point is sex. It’s possible to have fun with a man you don’t intend to marry, especially when you’re not currently having sex at all.”
“Geez, you act like I’m some kind of prude. Tim and I broke up a month ago.”
She gives a dismissive wave of her hand. “He doesn’t count. His dick was probably as small as that tiny pea brain of his. I’m so glad Miriam fired his ass after what he did to you.”
I shrug. “It’s fine. I figured out soon enough he wasn’t the one.”
Hope tilts her head. “Because you, my friend, do not have a tiny pea brain. Your brain, in fact, is too big for your body, and it’s time to give it the day off.” She holds out a hand. “Come with me?”
“What?” I laugh. “To where?”
“To greet the bus, like we always do.”