Winning Back His Wife (Camp Firefly Falls Book 1) by Gwen Hayes, Zoe York Read Free Book Online Page A

her, and it showed in little ways. The faint tan line at her collar. Pale white highlights in her golden hair. And all of her muscles were a little more defined, in a way that said, "This woman works from sun-up to sun-down and loves every minute of it."
    They didn't have much time left in the summer. A few weeks. He wanted a taste of that goodness for himself. Wanted her to look at him, as they drifted toward fall, and think the same thing about him. That he was happy and healthy and had honestly earned every inch of that joy.
    They finished their drinks in silence, the agreement to not fight pulsing in the air between them.
    After Heather rinsed their bottles and put them in a tub to take to the bottle depot, she took his hand and led him to her office. She handed him a yellow legal pad, took another for herself, and pointed them to opposite ends of the couch shoved against one wall.
    "Sketch out what you think the pitch should be," she said. "I'll do the same, and then we'll compare."
    He gave her an amused nod. "That's a good idea."
    She rolled her eyes. "It was my job for nearly a decade. You saw me get my MBA in Marketing."
    Touché. "I know."
    "Then get to it, handyman."
    He laughed. Maybe he'd call her ma'am later, see if that turned her crank, too.
    It only took him five minutes to outline what he envisioned. He snuck a look at Heather over the top of his notepad. She was scribbling furiously, her brows drawn in concentration, and her hair tumbled over one shoulder.
    Every time he looked at her today, he noticed something new about her. Her hair was longer than it had ever been in their marriage. It reminded him of their last summer together at camp—and the next time he saw her, four years later, across the green at Dartmouth.

Chapter 8
    1997
    Dartmouth College
    O h my goddess , I’m really here .
    It was like a dream, and yet it wasn’t. Heather’s dad had left an hour ago and her roommate wasn’t moving in until tomorrow, so Heather was on her own, exploring the college campus.
    I’m really, really here.
    She found where her classes would be already and was considering heading back to her dorm—but she was too restless. It was like the whole world opened up and she didn’t know what to do with it first.
    Boys were always an option. She’d seen enough cute ones today to feel good about her choice of colleges. The dining hall wasn’t open yet, which was also good because she didn’t need to get a head start on the freshman fifteen she’d heard about. She had a bag full of flyers from all the clubs and social organizations who’d set up informational tables across the campus—she was really excited about those. She felt—grown up—ready to tackle social injustice and environmental concerns with her fellow students. She’d also taken the free condoms and the glow bracelet for the mixer starting at midnight tonight because why the hell not? She’d never been to anything that started at midnight before. That was her curfew at home.
    She let the little ping of homesickness ricochet through her heart. Yeah, it was already starting. But that was okay. It was a good kind of pain. Bittersweet. She and her dad had been a pretty tight unit since her mom had died. Other than Camp Firefly Falls in the summers, this would be the longest they’d been apart. She already missed him, but she was ready for something new. And he needed this separation as much as she did. It was past time he lived for himself for a change.
    Her mom had gone to Dartmouth. That’s why Heather had chosen it when she was just a kid. But it was a good choice for her, and having a goal of “get into Dartmouth” for her entire high school career had meant she’d worked really hard. Nothing about getting here had been easy except for sending back the acceptance letter.
    Her tummy tingled and she looked up, aware that someone was watching her. But who? She straightened her spine and stuck her boobs out a little in case whoever it was also