“Summer At Willow Lake”
by Wiggs Susan 2016
Let just be it if all the former failures lead my way to you in the end
Olivia Bellamy, after her third broken engagement, finds an escape by renovating her family’s once-flourishing holiday resort for her grandparents’ anniversary celebration. It’s not only a perfect place to flee but also a nostalgic past of her yet-forgotten teenage romance, Connor Davis. As the only contractor Olivia can hire to revamp the campsite, old summer bittersweet memories with Connor flash back and she is torn by her mixed feelings for Connor. As the buried secrets of her father surface and her encounter with Connor grows, can Olivia manage to pull on the massive face-lift job? Will there be a gathering of family and friends filled with fun and love?
Of the many reasons I fall for you is that you light up my world…
Chapter 20
Another half hour had passed by the time they put the boys to bed, warning them that they both faced disciplinary action, maybe even expulsion. Great, thought Connor, knowing that if his brother left, Connor was a goner too. Summer would be over before it had a chance to begin. As he and Lolly left the bunkhouse, he said, “Sorry about that. You probably should have stayed at the party.”
“Are you kidding? It’s not every night I get to see somebody jump off Meerskill Bridge. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
“What the hell am I going to do?”
“Talk to him about a career as a stuntman?”
Counselors were supposed to report infractions to the dean. Connor tried to see Lolly’s face, but it was too dark to tell what she was thinking. [infraction: an occasion when someone breaks a rule or law /ɪnˈfrækʃən/]
“I didn’t see a thing,” she said. “You have to admit, he was pretty creative and resourceful.”
True enough. Julian and George had helped themselves to the camp’s rock-climbing harnesses, ropes, slings, bungee cords and hardware. Working from a diagram they’d found in a book, they’d constructed a workable apparatus. Connor’s kid brother was an awkward combination of child prodigy, stuntman and idiot. “According to his dad, he started jumping off things as a toddler,” he told Lolly. “He’s always been obsessed by heights.” [harness: a piece of equipment with straps and belts, used to control or hold in place a person, animal, or object /ˈhɑːnəs/]
“Let’s put him in high-dive lessons tomorrow. If he’s going to be jumping off things, he might as well be safe about it. There’s also zip-lining and rock climbing.”
Sweet relief unfurled inside. Connor was tempted to kiss her at the moment. The last thing in the world that he wanted was to lose his brother again. “That would be completely…terrific,” he said. [unfurl: becomes open from a rolled position /ʌnˈfɜːl/]
She shrugged. “No big deal. I believe in following your impulses even if it takes you to a weird place.”
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t screw up again.”
“All right.”
He indicated the dining hall. “Hey. You up for a kitchen raid?”
“Always.”
……
“You have an interesting family, Connor,” she said. “I think it’s great that you’re spending the summer with Julian now.” She licked a drop of honey from the corner of her sandwich.
Hearing her say so made Connor feel better about Julian. He was a crazy little kid, but Connor was glad, too. They finished their snack and cleaned up the evidence.
“It’s late,” Connor said. He held out a hand to help her up from the table. She didn’t really need help getting up. It just seemed like the polite thing to do. After turning out the lights, he closed and latched the kitchen door and they stepped out into the cricket-filled night. [latch: to close with a latch, a device for keeping a door or gate closed, consisting of a metal bar that fits into a hole /lætʃ/]
“I’ll walk you back to your cabin.”
“I know the way back,” Lolly said.
“You should know that’s just code,” he said, taking her hand again.
“Code for what?” she asked.
“When a guy tells a girl he’ll walk her home, that means he wants to kiss her goodnight.”
“Very funny.” She gave her trademark snorting laugh, the one that used to annoy him when they were younger. “You don’t want to kiss me goodnight, Connor,” she said.
“You’re right,” he agreed, stopping in the path and slipping arms around her. “I want to kiss you now.”
More English learning points to go…
Useful expressions
Better learn them by heart not only to expand the word count in your writing but also if you are to impress others.
“It’s not every night I get to see somebody jump off Meerskill Bridge. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Not for (all) the world: never; not in any situation
If I took that job, I’d have to leave the kids and I wouldn’t do that for the world.“Julian and George had helped themselves to the camp’s rock-climbing harnesses, ropes, slings, bungee cords and hardware.”
help yourself to sth: to take something for yourself
“Might I have some more bread?” “Please, help yourself!”
Conversational language
Be it informal or offensive, those words and expressions native speakers use are worth your attention especially when you are a big fan of American drama.
“Great, thought Connor, knowing that if his brother left, Connor was a goner too.”
Goner (n) a person or thing that has no chance of continuing to live /ˈɡɒn.ər/
I thought I was a goner when I saw that car heading towards me.“What the hell am I going to do?”
What the hell: an exclamation used to express anger, contempt, or disbelief
What the hell? I just had this fixed, and now there’s a dent in it!“No big deal. I believe in following your impulses even if it takes you to a weird place.”
Be no big deal: to not be a serious problem
We’ll have to pay a little more — it’s no big deal.“I’ll make sure he doesn’t screw up again.”
Screw up (sth): to make a mistake, or to spoil something
I totally screwed up the chemistry exam.“You up for a kitchen raid?”
Up for (doing) sth: willing and able to do or take part in an activity
We’re going swimming. Are you up for it?
Ready for another favorite excerpt of mine?
Sometimes, it needs a quarrel to draw people closer…
Chapter 24
“Nothing like a little retail therapy when you find out about your father’s secret life.” She was trying to be flip, but he could see her vulnerability in the almost imperceptible trembling of her lip. Sometimes, he thought, it was easy enough to forget she had endured so much heartbreak, but he’d always been able to see her, even when others couldn’t.
“So it happened,” he said, wishing he could take away her hurt. “You and your family will survive this.”
“Why do you keep trying to make me feel better?”
“Because it sucks for you, the things you found out today, and there’s no fixing any of them. And because I like you.”
“You like me,” she repeated.
“That’s what I said.”
“How?”
“What?”
“How do you like me? As a person you feel sorry for because I just found out some really bad news? As someone you’ve been working with this summer? As an ex-girlfriend you still have old feelings for?”
“Close. As an ex-girlfriend I have new feelings for.” There. He’d said it. Probably not the best timing in the world but he wanted to put the concept out there.
“Feelings. That is such a broad term,” she said, visibly bristling with mistrust. [bristle: to react angrily /brɪsəl/]
“That’s why guys like it. Lots of ways to interpret or misinterpret.”
“I see. So later, when you break my heart, I’ll say, I thought you said you loved me and you’ll say, no, I said I had feelings for you, and we’ll argue about that, about what you said and what you meant.”
“You’re assuming I’m going to break your heart.”
“You’re assuming you won’t.”
“Nice attitude, Lolly.” He thought about her three failed engagements. She was gun-shy for sure. [gun-shy: markedly distrustful, afraid, or cautious /ˈgʌnʃai/]
“You never did say what you meant by feelings, and I’m not supposed to notice that. Well, guess what? I noticed.”
Connor swore softly and shoved a splayed hand through his hair. “When I say I have feelings for you,” he told her with exaggerated patience, “it means exactly what you think it means.” [splay: to spread wide apart /spleɪ/]
She did a quick scan of the barn, and he knew she was checking to see if anyone had heard. Sure enough, two women looking at fruit-crate labels had their heads together as they whispered something to each other. There were three more women examining old table linens a few booths away. An older man scurried away as though to avoid being tagged as a witness. [scurry: to move quickly, with small, short steps /ˈskʌri/]
Olivia flushed red. “We’ll talk about this later.”
Connor didn’t give a shit who was listening. “We’ll talk about this now,” he said. “They’re my feelings. I’ll choose when to talk about them.”
“Maybe we could discuss this in the car –”
“Maybe we can discuss this right now.” He felt himself getting pissed. This was what had ruined them before, her insistence that other people’s opinions mattered. “It’s simple. When I said I have feelings for you, I meant that I think about you all the time. I wonder what it would feel like to hold you in my arms again. I start to think every sad breakup song on the radio is about us. Just a whiff of your perfume makes me horny, and I can’t stop thinking about –” [whiff: a slight smell, carried on a current of air /wɪf/]
“Stop,” she said, her voice an urgent hiss. “I can’t believe you’re talking like this in…in public. You have to stop.” [hiss: a sound like the letter s /hɪs/]
“For God’s sake,” murmured one of the shoppers in the linen booth, “don’t stop.”
Connor tried not to grin. He was enjoying this way too much.
Olivia wasn’t; her face turned even redder. “What’s it going to take to shut you up?” she asked.
He spread his arms, palms out and surrendered. “Give me something else to do with my mouth.”
She surprised him — and probably herself — when she took his head between her hands and kissed him full on the mouth. She tasted like heaven, but he could feel her pulling back way too soon. He slid his arms around her and held her in place, taking control of the kiss, deepening it until he felt her resistance soften and then dissolve. He would have stood there all day in the dimly lit barn, kissing her, but after a while, she pulled back, staring up at him. She seemed to have forgotten where they were, what people might think.
“Anyway,” he said, continuing the conversation as though he’d never been interrupted, “I guess you got your answer.”
“What answer?”
“That’s pretty much what I mean when I say I have feelings for you.”
More English learning points to go…
Useful expressions
Better learn them by heart not only to expand the word count in your writing but also if you are to impress others.
“Sure enough, two women looking at fruit-crate labels had their heads together as they whispered something to each other.”
Sure enough: as expected
He said he’d left the book on the desk, and sure enough, there it was.
Conversational language
Be it informal or offensive, those words and expressions native speakers use are worth your attention especially when you are a big fan of American drama.
“She was trying to be flip, but he could see her vulnerability in the almost imperceptible trembling of her lip.”
Flip (adj) (formal: flippant) not serious about a serious subject, in an attempt to be funny or to appear clever
It’s easy to be flippant, but we have a serious problem to deal with here.“Because it sucks for you, the things you found out today, and there’s no fixing any of them.”
Suck (v) If someone or something sucks, that person or thing is bad or unpleasant
While my brother was sick, I had to do all of his chores and it sucked.“Connor didn’t give a shit who was listening.”
Not give a shit: to not be interested in or worried about something or someone
I don’t give a shit what he thinks.“” Maybe we can discuss this right now.” He felt himself getting pissed.”
Pissed (adj): annoyed
He’s gonna be pissed when he finds out what happened.“Just a whiff of your perfume makes me horny, and I can’t stop thinking about –”
Horny (adj) sexually excited
She’d had a couple of drinks and was feeling horny.“For God’s sake,” murmured one of the shoppers in the linen booth, “don’t stop.”
For goodness’/God’s sake: used to emphasize requests or orders when you are angry or have lost patience
For goodness’ sake don’t let her know I told you!
My little thought of love
Connor is so good at tugging girls’ heartstrings, isn’t he? I love that little Connor manages a twist by revealing the meaning behind his “code” and playing with words to kiss little Olivia off guard. Adult Connor even outshines his younger self with a full-on over-the-top confession and kiss to make clear his “feelings” to adult Olivia. Simply flirting is obnoxious but if there lies a sincere heart and serious attitude, it makes all the difference from being cheesy to romantic. How could any girl not love to be flirted given she is the only recipient? Flirting, in a budding or established relationship, is the coloring and flavoring to the romance recipe that boys should not be shy of expressing at all!
It is often said women are from Venus and men from Mars. They have a very different set of thinking logic and interpretation. When little Connor wants to hold little Olivia’s hand and kiss her goodnight, little Olivia is hardly aware of his intention and thinks the opposite. And when adult Connor says he has feelings for adult Olivia is to involve in a serious relationship, she dismisses it as a flimsy comment and does not trust him. The scenes do not end up with little Olivia walking back to her cabin alone or a stalemate growing between adult Connor and Olivia because one side does speak out to try to place them back on the same planet. I appreciate that Connor does not go the easy way of ducking the situation but brave himself to lift the veil of misunderstanding in both times. An affection that is strong enough won’t let it just slip away.
Revealing your heart does not subject you to vulnerability but actually score you points of courage and confidence for being true to yourself and going after what you desire.
