The Dating Pool

She's determined to make waves.

He's determined to keep things steady.

They make a deal.

Now they're stuck working together all summer-and pretending their arguments don't feel like foreplay.

Get ready for sharp banter, small-town sparks, and a summer romance that refuses to stay dry.

RAMONA

Sugarpine Lake was supposed to be practical.

A break from job hunting. From scrambling for stability and pretending I have it all figured out. Stability for my daughter. No men who make it hard to breathe.

The town's biggest attraction is the lake-wide, glittering, impossible to ignore. And somehow, in a place built around water, there isn't a single swim program for the kids. I'm a former swimmer with a toddler who already loves the shoreline.

Someone should fix that.

Then I meet Graham Casanova.

He runs the town's only camp like it's something fragile-structured, controlled, carefully contained. When he tells me they don't need a pool, I decide to prove him wrong. Not because I care what he thinks. Obviously. I just happen to enjoy being right.

But the more I push him, the more he pushes back.

And somewhere between late-night run-ins and arguments that feel suspiciously like flirting, I realize I'm not just fighting for a pool.

I'm fighting the way my pulse stutters when he stands too close. The way his voice lowers when we disagree. The way this place doesn't feel so temporary anymore.

This was supposed to be practical.

It's starting to feel dangerous.

GRAHAM

I built this camp on one principle: keep things steady.

No unnecessary risks. No dramatic changes. And definitely no pool.

Water complicates things. It always has.

So does Ramona Lancaster.

She walks into my camp like she belongs here-sun-warmed skin, stubborn smile, eyes that refuse to look away. She questions my rules. Challenges my decisions. Stands a little too close when we argue.

And I hate how aware I am of her.

The more we clash, the harder it is to ignore the way my focus slips. The way my pulse kicks when her fingers brush mine. The my mind goes blank when she says my name.

She thinks she's fighting for a pool.

She doesn't realize I'm fighting the pull toward her.

Because if I let myself want her-really want her-there won't be anything steady about this summer.

And I've worked too hard to keep from drowning.