Free Swept Away by Kristina Mathews

eventually she’d succumb. It was like trying to control the river—sure, it could be contained for a while, but eventually nature would take its course. In the natural order of things, Cody would get the girl. He always did.
    “I can take care of myself, thanks.” Lily gave Carson an encouraging smile as she grabbed the next stack of papers and started thumbing through them. “At least on dry land.”
    Carson’s heart swelled uncomfortably in his chest. He needed to take inventory of the boat house. He needed to take inventory of his feelings. The boat house was nice and organized. His emotions were a jumbled mess.
    After a good hour of inspecting the boats, Carson found that there were two, actually, three rafts that should be replaced. There just never seemed to be any of that extra money lying around. Sure, they had enough to cover their expenses. Even paying himself and Cody a small salary. But there was never quite the surplus that could be put into really upgrading the place the way he’d like it. Sure they had solar, and the cabins were well maintained. But if he wanted new boats, he’d have to use credit. He’d pay the loan back with the salary he wouldn’t draw once he left.
    * * * *
    “So, Lily.” Cody moved over to her side of the desk after about fifteen minutes of fiddling on his computer. The way he’d moved the mouse, she almost thought he’d been playing a couple of hands of solitaire. He leaned on the edge, crossing his arms over his chest. “I know you aren’t interested in a dinner date, but how about a bike ride after work?”
    “I don’t have a bike.” Lily didn’t even look up from her screen. A lesser man would’ve quit by now. But she had a feeling Cody wouldn’t give up so easily.
    “You could rent one at Paddles and Pedals.” He picked up one of her pens. Well, she supposed they were technically his pens, but still. She knew he was just trying to play it cool. “It’s right on the river. They rent bikes and kayaks. There’s a trail that follows almost all the way to the lake. It gives you a whole different perspective of the river.”
    “I don’t know. I’m not much of an outdoor girl.” Lily scooted her chair back slightly and turned to face him.
    “You could be.” Cody lowered his voice, trying to tempt her into going along with him. “If you spend a lot of time around here, you’ll be an outdoor adventurer in no time. You’ve already conquered the river.”
    “I took one rafting trip.” Lily sighed. She wasn’t going to get rid of him easily. “That hardly counts as ‘conquering.’”
    “I’ll see if Carson wants to come with us.” Cody pushed off from the edge of her desk. “We can pack a picnic. Just a casual sort of thing.”
    “Well, I guess I should get to know the area,” Lily relented. “The trail isn’t too difficult, is it?”
    “Nah, you’ll do just fine.” Cody grinned. “We could meet at the bike shop.”
    He wrote down the address on a sticky note. After jotting his phone number, he slid it across the desk just as the young man she’d met when she first arrived at the resort rushed through the door.
    “I didn’t forget my timecard.” This must be Tyler. His face lit up when he saw Lily. “I see you did more than just look around a bit. I guess you liked what you saw.”
    “Sure.” Lily’s cheeks flushed with warmth. “I’m making sure those of you who help people get wet or dirty get paid.”
    “Nice.” Tyler stuck out his hand and Lily shook it. “Welcome. I’m sure you’ll love being part of the team here. Every day is definitely an adventure. Hey, boss, we got a group coming in fifteen.” The way Tyler used the nickname it almost sounded like he couldn’t tell the twins apart. “You want me to meet them and get ’em started?”
    “No, I’ll be right down.” Cody ran his hand through his hair. “Lily, I’ve got a bachelorette party and there’s no way I’m leaving this up to Junior, here. It’s kind of