Page 48 of Acadia Falls

I lurched to the bus stop, grateful that it had a vestibule. The park seemed empty, desolate. No hikers or bikers passed by. Why would they? It was literally pouring, and the afternoon had turned even darker. I checked the time—it was almost five.

I checked the bus route. The last bus of the day came at six thirty. I looked to the left. I looked to the right. There was no one, nothing. Did that mean I was stuck here for an hour and a half by myself?

I sat down and waited, praying that the buses didn’t stop running because of inclement weather. I needed to get home before I caught pneumonia!

My mind wandered. I hadn’t really let myself think about the past week’s events, maybe because I was studying, perhaps because I was avoiding my own thoughts. I’d been with Jack almost every night. I tried to shove the image of him from my mind, but it lingered. His big shoulders, his grin, the sparkle in his eyes. We’d sat across from each other on the porch only two nights before, but it seemed like an eternity ago.

He’d slept over.

Then he hadn’t called me.

And then he’d punched Charlie in the face and hadn’t called me again.

Why? What was his deal, anyway? If you examined the evidence, it appeared that he didn’t care about me—hence the ghosting. However, the fact that he’d punched a guy in the face just for talking to me supported another theory. Maybe he was into me, but he had issues.

I snorted. Jack has issues, all right. He and Trey had almost drowned each other only a few days before. Jack probably needed court-ordered anger management classes, not to mention relationship advice!

It doesn’t matter to me, I reminded myself. I’m just here for the summer.

Just then, a truck appeared on the horizon. It drove slowly until it stopped in front of the bus vestibule. The driver leaned over and cranked down the window. Jack’s handsome face peered out at me.

“You need a ride, Blondie?”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I’d been about to say no, but I was shivering.

“You don’t have to thank me—just get in.” He put the truck into park and waited.

Soaked though I was, I hesitated. I’d just been thinking about him, and the thoughts weren’t good. I’d sworn off men for the summer, and Jack Brennan was Exhibit A of why. I didn’t have time to play games or clean Jack up after yet another fistfight. I had an exam to study for, a life to start.

I sneezed, then shivered some more.

“I’m waiting,” Jack said patiently.

I climbed into the truck. I didn’t have time for relationships, but I didn’t have time for pneumonia, either!

Jack took in my water yeti appearance and grabbed an old beach towel from the back seat. “You look like you need this. And a hot shower. And some tea. And a trip to the Bahamas.”

He handed me the towel, then blasted the truck’s heat.

“Thank you.”

“I told you that you didn’t need to thank me.” He grinned, and I noticed he was wearing a baseball hat, which for some reason, looked ridiculously sexy on him.

Of course, it did. Everything looks sexy on him!

“Fine. I take it back!” I slid out of the raincoat and stuffed it onto the floor, vowing to never wear it again. I took off my shoes and socks, gratefully drying my feet. I winced when I realized I’d have to put my sneakers back on. They were sodden and disgusting. Was there anything worse than being soaking wet?

“We can’t get across to LSI,” Jack said, his tone matter-of-fact. “Storm’s coming.”

I wrinkled my nose at the torrential downpour. “Don’t you mean the storm’s already here?”

“We’re getting lightning in thirty minutes. It’s supposed to last all night. I don’t drive the boat in lightning, it’s too dangerous.”

My stomach sank. “So what’re we supposed to do?”

Jack grinned again. “Find someplace to spend the night? Where you can go looking like that?” He chuckled.

Oh, hell no. Was there anything worse than being soaking wet?