Chaelisa | Lisa G!P
Lisa Manoban lives life the way she wants, no concern for the opinion of others. She cares for no one, is completely unrepentant, and she has no desire to change her ways.
Roseanne Park works under Lisa as her PA. She despises he...
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I shook Jack's hand and walked across the beach. Rosie was sitting on the sand, a sketchbook on her knees, pencil in hand, but she was motionless. The breeze picked up the strands of her hair, blowing them back like ribbons of golden silk. I sank down behind her, pulling her back into my embrace.
“Hey.”
She tilted her head back, observing me upside down. “Hi. What were you talking to Jack about for so long?” A frown crossed her face. “Please tell me you didn’t ask about buying the resort.”
I snickered at the expression on her face and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “No. I think he has a buyer. I was thanking him for letting you come back, and we were talking about other things. Where he is moving to, stuff like that.”
She pursed her lips and shrugged, turning back to face the water.
“What are you sketching?”
She held up the book. “Nothing. I’m enjoying the view.”
I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her tight. “It’s a great view.”
“Penny and I used to build bonfires, cook our supper over them, and watch the sunset.”
“We can do that.”
“You’d eat a hotdog skewered on a stick?”
“Only if there’s mustard. And marshmallows after.”
“Huh.”
Leaning down, I nipped the skin at the juncture of her neck. “You don’t think I’ve ever done any outdoor activities, Rosie? I built the fire last night.”
“I wondered where you’d learned to build a fire,” she admitted.
“It’s a human thing. It’s in our genes.”
Twisting around, she rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh.”
Laughing, I pushed the hair from her face. “We did camping trips at school. They taught us how to build a fire, pitch a tent, that sort of thing.”
“You did that at school?”
I rested my chin on her shoulder. “When I was a teenager and stayed at school over spring break, they offered different activities. Camping was one of them. I liked it. And yes, I even liked the hotdogs. I’m not a total snob.”
I expected one of her quick comebacks; instead, she pivoted, reached up, and cupped my cheek. “You stayed at school rather than go to your parents’?”
“If given the choice, yes. They could get away with me not coming home if they told people I was on a school trip or something. I avoided an entire summer when I was fourteen. I did go on a school trip, then I went to camp for a month. It was the best summer of my life.”
“I’m sorry, my darling.”
“Don’t feel sorry for me,” I snapped.
“We had this discussion already. I do feel bad for the child who was abandoned.” She pushed up to her feet. “And, you, Mrs. Manoban, are being rude again.”
