"What?" Cori panicked. "Well, where did it go? Do you think it washed back to the other side of the lake?"
"Or the bottom," Tanner shrugged, starting back for the woods.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Cori shouted.
"To get out of these muddy clothes," he said.
"But what about my boat?" she cried, half-chasing after him.
"It's gone," Tanner answered simply. "We'll have to figure something else out. Now, come on. I wanna change."
"Wait up!" Cori called, but he continued into the trees, leaving her no choice but to follow.
~~~
"Hey! Looks who's back!" JM shouted from the dock by Miracle 10's cabin.
"You just couldn't stay away, could you Cori?" Kole teased from his inner tube.
"Her boat's gone," Tanner told them, turning for the cabin.
"Whoa! What happened to you?" Axel climbed out of the water with a laugh.
"Yeah, your shirt's gonna be so stained, man!" added Kole.
"Well, then it's a good thing this is Nicky's," Tanner smirked, sauntering into the cabin.
"What'd I miss?" Nicky swam over and stepped onto the shore, slicking back his wet hair. The sun glistened off the water droplets on his chest and red board shorts as he grabbed a towel to dry off. "Oh! Hey! You're still here!" he smiled, noticing Cori.
"Her boat's MIA, Nicky," Kole told him, now joining the others on land, too.
"After a storm like last night, that's not hard to believe," said Nicky, looking at her sympathetically.
Cori looked nervously at her feet, unprepared to be facing Miracle 10 again.
"Um, could I use your phone?" she asked guiltily. "Maybe I can call the camp I came from across the lake and they can bring another boat over to get me."
"You can't," said Kole. "All the power's still out and the phone line, too."
"Oh," Cori frowned. "Then can I borrow your guys' boat?"
"We don't have one right now," JM told her. "It's on the mainland getting a paint job," he explained. "We weren't supposed to be coming out here for another few weeks."
"Like I said. Some week we picked," Axel sighed. "No boat, no power, no anything."
"Yeah, and no way to even contact the power company," said Kole.
"Might as well have just stayed at the recording studio like our manager wanted," grimaced Axel.
"But if you don't have a boat, then how'd you get onto the island?" Cori knit her brows.
"Personal helicopter," grinned Kole. "Dropped us off yesterday morning and isn't picking us up until Friday."
"It was the easiest way to keep private about being here," Nicky told her.
"Oh," Cori frowned again. "So then if you don't have a ride until Friday, and I can't call anybody, what do I do?"
"You'll just have to stay," said Nicky.
~~~
"So, you're saying I have to share a room for the rest of the week with The Snore King?" Tanner squinted with displeasure when everyone had joined him back in the cabin at lunchtime. He had changed out of his muddy attire into another neon tank and shorts.
"Hey, just be happy it's only for a week," JM laughed. "Try every night," he stuck out his tongue at Kole.
"Whatever! At least I don't drool!" Kole threw a pillow from the couch at JM.
"I could always just sleep out here," Cori suggested, nodding to the sofa.
"No way," Nicky shook his head. "That's no way to treat a lady," he paused thoughtfully. "Here, how about this? Tanner can move into my room and I'll take the couch. Axel doesn't snore or drool," he added with a grin.
"Fine," Tanner agreed.
"So, can we start cooking now?" Kole changed the subject. "All that swimming made me hungry."
"All what swimming?" Axel arched a brow. "You never got off your floatie."
"The water was cold!" defended Kole.
"I thought it felt good," shrugged Nicky. "But yeah. I'm starving too."
"Then let's grab the stuff and fire up the grill," decided JM. "You like steak, right?" he asked Cori.
"Uhh, guys. I think you're forgetting something," began Nicky. "The freezer's been off for hours. Do you think the meat's still good?"
"Maybe?" Kole guessed.
"Well, I'm not risking it," shot Tanner.
"Okay, then pre-packaged food it is," said Nicky, opening a cupboard. "Who wants noodles?"
"Some week we picked," moaned Axel.
~~~
"Lucky we have a gas stove and lots of bottled water," Nicky smiled after lunch.
"Yeah, but who's ready to go back out on the lake?" Kole got up from the table and popped on a pair of sunglasses.
"Are you actually going to get in the water this time?" asked Axel, prodding him out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, you can swim, can't you?" JM joked, following them out the door.
"Aren't you going, Tanner?" Nicky glanced into the living room area as he began to clear the dishes.
Tanner shrugged from the couch and lazily laid back. Stretching his perfect arms behind his head, his yellow tank lifted slightly and Cori dared a quick peek.
"Hey, I already said you could have my bed, but now you want the couch, too?" Nicky laughed.
Tanner rolled over and looking unamused, stood up and disappeared up the stairs.
"Okay. So, I guess it's just you and me," said Nicky, turning to Cori. "Do you want to go swimming, too?"
"My swimsuit's in my luggage... across the lake," Cori frowned.
"You said you were staying at that camp?" Nicky took a seat at the table, looking thoughtful. "What made you leave and come out here?"
"I really didn't want to go there to begin with," Cori answered awkwardly. "My mom had to go out of town and so I got stuck at camp. I was thinking if I crossed the lake I could call a cab and get out of this place, but-"
"That plan backfired, didn't it?" Tanner had come back downstairs, now sporting a pair of orange swim trunks and a shell necklace.
Cori lowered her head, both in embarrassment and the inability to stare directly at Tanner's stunning bod.
"You're even more stranded here than you were over there," Tanner shook his head and went outside.
For a moment, Cori watched after him through the window as he strode towards the water. The sun sparkled across the lake, but to her, Tanner himself seemed to glow. Soon, he was settling down at the edge of the dock and watching Kole float by on his inner tube.
"I'll find you something to wear," Nicky's voice made her jump and she turned to see him watching her watching Tanner.
"Huh?" Cori looked at him curiously.
"You want to go swimming, don't you?" he smiled knowingly and Cori wondered if her crush on Tanner was that obvious. "I'll find you something," he said again, rising from the table and heading up the steps.
~~~
"Okay, you're not going to believe this, but there was actually a bathing suit in the top of the closet," Nicky returned a few moments later, holding up a ruffled, polka-dotted one-piece. "I think it must be Axel's sister's. He brought his family out here a few summers ago." Nicky held the suit out to Cori.
"Is it okay if I wear it?" Cori took the swim suit unsurely.
"Yeah, nobody will care. It's not like it's Tanner's," he laughed. "It would be really weird if it was though," he added.
"Okay, thanks..." Cori hesitated. "I guess I'll go change then," she said at last, turning for the steps.
"I'll just be here cleaning up the guys' mess," he smiled, crumbling a noodle wrapper and tossing it in the trash.
"Do you want me to help?" Cori paused.
"Nah, go ahead," he told her, glancing out the window. "Looks like there's an empty spot for you on the dock," he smiled again and returned to his housework.
"Are you sure?" she frowned. "I mean, it's the least I can do for you letting me stay here."
"Guests don't clean, Cori," he chuckled. "Go on."
"Okay..." Cori watched him for a moment, then headed upstairs to change.
~~~
"No way can I wear a bathing suit in front of Miracle 10!" Cori stared at her reflection in Tanner's mirror. "It's too embarrassing!" Grabbing the tee she had just taken off, she quickly pulled it back on over the swimsuit. "That's better," she breathed. Giving herself one last look, she reached for the bedroom door, but exactly at that moment there was a knock.
"I forgot to ask if you wanted any sunscreen or sunglasses?" Nicky was standing in the hall holding both.
"Um, no thanks," Cori tugged bashfully at her t-shirt.
"Not even just the sunscreen? You don't want to get a burn," Nicky wiggled the bottle.
"I'm good," she told him, still too concerned with her outfit (or lack thereof) to worry about the sun.
"Okay..." said Nicky. "Well, if you change your mind, it'll be on the end table downstairs."
"Thanks," Cori gave him a quick, nervous smile and hurried out of the room.
"Have fun!" Nicky called after her. "I'll be out soon. I just need to bring some of my things down to my new 'room' and then finish up in the kitchen."
Cori nodded and made her way back down the steps.
~~~
"Hey, Cori!" JM greeted her when she finally met the boys at the lake. For a solid minute, Cori had simply stood outside of the cabin, trying to work up the courage to approach.
"Are you going to swim?" Kole shouted as he bobbed on his floatie.
"Are you?" Axel suddenly popped up beneath Kole's inner tube, plunging him into the water.
"Not cool!" Kole resurfaced and climbed onto the dock, grasping for a towel.
"Want a floatie?" Axel asked Cori with a laugh.
Cori shook her head. She was still hesitating a few feet away, rubbing her arm in a very closed off manner.
"It's okay. We don't bite," said JM, waving her over.
"Axel does," joked Kole, as he continued to fuss over drying his hair.
"Only if you deserve it," retorted Axel, splashing Kole and his towel.
"Come on," JM waved again and Cori anxiously stepped down the dock.
With Miracle 10 watching her, it felt like a never-ending runway, each wooden slat seeming a mile longer than the previous. When she finally reached the end of the terrifying catwalk, she sat down a few feet from Tanner, dipping her feet into the water.
"Aren't you gonna get in?" Axel paddled over with Kole's swim ring as JM jumped from the dock to join him.
"Yeah," Cori scooted to the edge preparing to dip.
"Then why are you still wearing that shirt?" wondered Kole.
"Probably because it's Tanner's," teased Axel, causing Cori's cheeks to grow a bright pink.
"Is that it?" Tanner said suddenly, turning to look at her. "You just can't get enough of me?"
At his comment and gaze, Cori's cheeks burnt even hotter than the previous night's bonfire.
"No!" Cori jumped up before she could even think and began to remove her t-shirt cover-up, but in her haste, the tee got stuck over her head and her foot slipped, sending her toppling towards the water.
As if that wasn't bad enough, reflexively, Tanner reached out to catch her- and was pulled into the lake himself.
"Are you okay?" Tanner peeled the tee off of Cori's head and stared at her as they tread water.
Cori failed to answer. Tanner was tightly gripping her arm, supporting her closely like a heroic- and buff- lifeguard. Tanner continued to stare and Cori's heart pumped so strong she thought it might create a wave. Still gazing, Tanner stretched out his hand and brushed a lock of hair from Cori's face.
"Are you okay?" he asked again, but before Cori could gurgle a response, another voice spoke up.
"Am I interrupting something?" Nicky U was standing on the dock holding a glass of juice and looking at them bewilderedly.