(Slade’s POV)
The morning was quiet enough that I could hear the water move around me.
I finished my last lap and pushed out of the pool, water sliding off my shoulders and back. The air was cool against my skin. I grabbed my towel and rubbed it over my face.
When I lowered it, I saw them.
Two girls stood at the edge of the pool, staring at me like I was some kind of wild animal at the zoo. Both had dark hair and soft features that reminded me of Aspen. The older one held on to the strap of her backpack. The younger one had her hands on her hips, already ready to talk.
I tied my robe and walked over.
“You two lost?” I asked.
The older girl, Winter, pulled her shoulders in. The younger one, Holly, stepped forward like she’d known me all her life.
“You’re huge,” she said. “Are all ho
