Flirting with Fire: A Summer Camp Swingers novel

“Yeah, but it’s mostly reading. Scholarship applications, grant requests, that sort of thing.”

“Ah, okay.”

I opened the door to the house and gestured for her to precede me. I could already feel the sweat trickling down the small of my back, just from a few minutes outside, so the air conditioning was a welcome relief.

“Oh, God, thank you,” Allie said as we walked through the living room and toward the kitchen. She wore her hair in a loose French twist that kept it off her neck. It was her go-to look, especially in the summer. “We were blasting the A/C on the way over,” she continued, “but it still wasn’t enough. This is nice.”

“Environmental control,” I quipped. “One of my specialties.”

She gave me a curious look.

“Inside joke,” I said. “Long story.” And I still have the radio.

“You’ll have to tell me sometime,” Allie said. “I love a good story.”

“I dunno if this one’s any good,” I demurred.

“Ooh, now I’m intrigued.”

I set the laptop bag on the breakfast table and slid the larger bag into a chair. It was bulkier than usual, probably because she’d brought dry clothes for later. Madison and Carly had arrived in their swimsuits and shorts, and I realized that Allie had done the same. She wore a patterned cotton shirt and khaki mom shorts over her one-piece from the day before.

I started to answer her about the radio story, but a fight broke out between Thor and the Jötnar on the floor above us. The skirmish thundered down the stairs a moment later. Four girls burst into the room, followed by a pack of dogs. So, not the giants after all.

The kitchen suddenly felt crowded, especially when Spike and Buck barged through the group with tails a-wagging. Molly was almost as excited but more singled-minded about it. She sniffed Allie and then greeted her affectionately.

I wondered (not for the first time) why I’d thought three Labs had been a good idea. And all at once? Why not a small breed? Or a cat? Or fish! They were quiet, weren’t they? Fortunately, Emily piped up before I had time to question my other life decisions. Unfortunately, Emily was Emily.

“Hey, Dad… have you talked to her yet?”

Allie realized she was talking about her, but Spike got her attention in typical Spike fashion—he stuck his nose in her crotch.

Can’t fault him for his taste, I chuckled silently. Allie even rewarded him with a pat on the head. Note to self…

“Dad…? Dad…! Have you—?”

“No, not yet,” I said.

Emily gave me a pointed look that was straight out of her mother’s playbook. And, big surprise, she’d already been maneuvering behind the scenes.

“Can we, Mom?” Madison begged. “Please.”

Carly chimed in, “Yeah, please.”

“What’re you talking about?” Allie bent over to greet Buck. He was so excited that his tail thwacked my leg. Repeatedly. Allie scratched his ears and looked up at me for an explanation.

“The girls wanna go swimming…,” I began, but Emily couldn’t wait for me to finish.

“And we don’t wanna wear suits.”

Allie straightened, and her brows rose in surprise when her own daughters nodded emphatically.

“C’mon, Mom, please,” Madison begged. “You said we could.”

“I don’t know…” Allie deliberately didn’t look at me, but I felt the weight of her attention. “I mean, now isn’t the time—”

The girls exploded with a chorus of complaints.

“Why not?”

“You always say that!”

“Unh, Dad! You said!”

“Aw, c’mon, please!”

Spike and Buck barked encouragement, and the girls yelled even louder.

“Hey!” I shouted over the racket. “Everyone, settle down!”

Buck’s rump landed on my foot like he was back in obedience school. Spike stopped barking too, although he thought it was a new game. Fortunately, he and I had settled the question of who was the real alpha in the family. He took one look at me and immediately lowered his eyes. Molly watched the whole thing with mild amusement.

The humans fell silent as well, although Emily bristled with indignation, all seventy-five pounds of her. I tried to warn her, but she came from a long line of headstrong women.

“Unh! You said!”

“I know what I said,” I replied coolly.

“Then why can’t we—?”

“Because it’s complicated.”

“Ugh! No fair!”

I inhaled slowly and exhaled with exaggerated patience, for Emily’s benefit more than my temper’s. She’d pushed me about as far as she could without consequences. She could push harder in private, but she knew better than to do it in front of others. She and I had settled that question the same way Spike and I had, and with the same results. I was the dad, end of discussion.

“I said I’d talk to her, and I will,” I said. “But I’m not going to do it in front of you.”

Allie was made of softer stuff. “It’s okay.”

Emily saw her opening and pounced. “Dad said we don’t have to wear—”

“That isn’t what I said!” I bit back the rest. I wasn’t going to argue with an eleven-year-old.

“Tell me what you want,” Allie said reasonably, “and we’ll talk about it.”

Madison spoke up, “We don’t wanna wear our suits. You said we could try.”

“Yeah,” Carly echoed, “you said.”