Chapter 2
2
Natalie
“Natalie!” Amelia called across the community center. “I need to talk to you!”
I hurried out of the storage room at the back of the basketball court. The panic in her voice put me on edge as I rushed to find her, with a tennis racket in my hand.
“Whoa!” Amelia said, holding her hands up and coming to a halt.
“You scared me. What’s wrong?”
“Are you going to hit me with that?” Amelia asked, a smirk telling me she was not worried.
“I was trying to see what we have for activities. I was thinking of a new game I could teach the kids at summer camp. Something that doesn’t take up a lot of space since we’re limited outside.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about. I have a new property for you. A huge one. Where you could do anything you want.”
My heart raced as she spoke. I could feel her excitement pulsing through me. “What are you talking about?”
“The meeting I had earlier? A local couple is moving and wants to donate their campground. To us for use as a summer camp.”
“Are you serious?” A campground? That would be a ton of space.
“Yes!” Amelia squealed. “It’s perfect. You can do everything you’ve ever dreamed about doing. You can expand. You can take more kids. There’s so much that can be done.”
“Wow. That’s…” My mind raced with the possibilities. A campground would mean so many options. So many kids we could take. More than I ever thought possible. We could play games and be outside and spread out and?—
“Natalie!”
I shook my head, realizing Amelia was talking to me. “Sorry.” My cheeks warmed. Amelia knew me well, and she was used to my awkwardness, but I still hated when I went off into my world.
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Natalie. I know you’re thinking about all the things you can do. But before you get ahead of yourself, it’s not perfect.”
“Nothing’s perfect.”
“True, but this place is probably even less perfect. It’s five acres, but that’s about the only good thing about it from what Harry said. It will need some work to get it into shape for camp, but I think it’s possible.”
“I don’t have the money to do a lot of upgrades.” My anxiety ramped up, making the dreams I let filter in slip away just as quickly as I conjured them up.
“Don’t worry about that yet. Omar is going to look at the budget and see what the town can afford.”
“Omar?” I squeaked. Oh, no. It was bad enough that the man was my boss’s boss and could fire me whenever he felt like it, but after the way I manhandled him just a few weeks earlier, there was no way he was going to be on my side for the summer camp.
“I took Harry to meet with Omar earlier. Omar agreed that it’s a great option for summer camp, and he’s going to come up with a budget for us. Something the town will support since the camp will be under the community center umbrella. It wouldn’t be on you to come up with the budget.”
“Okay. But if there’s that much work, do you think I can actually do it?”
Amelia grabbed my hands and held them together, hers on the outside of mine. She waited until I looked up at her. “Honey, listen, it’s a lot. I know it’s a lot. But I know you are only thinking about the kids. It’s worth it for the kids. It’s worth it to go to Omar and hear what he has to say. And if he doesn’t have enough of a budget for us, we will figure out the rest.”
“How will we do that?”
“Fundraisers, community events. We can have some of our repair nights out there, too. You know people will help out.”
“I don’t want charity, Amelia.”
“It’s not charity, Natalie. It’s why we live in a place like MacKellar Cove. We all look out for each other. We are all here for each other. You know this.”
“I guess, but I don’t like taking from others.”
“Let’s talk to Omar first, and we’ll go from there. But for now, let’s just enjoy that you don’t have to worry about creating games you can play in small areas. You’re going to have five acres to use, Natalie. Including a pool.”
“A pool?”
Amelia nodded, her smile growing.
“Okay. I will stay open-minded. It might be worth it to have everyone help out.”
“Yes, it will. You’re providing a service for the town, Natalie. People appreciate that.”
I nodded. She was right. I was told so many times by parents how much their kids loved camp last summer. So much so that they were already trying to sign up for this summer, months before registration was open.
But if I had five acres of space, I could take on three or four times as many kids. I could offer so much more. And I could hire more teenagers to help out and run things.
It was a dream. As long as it was in the budget.
It would be. It had to be. It was for the kids. There was no way even a scrooge like Mayor Knight would say no to something for the kids of MacKellar Cove.
My best friend and roommate, Daisy Lincoln, was just as excited as I was about the campground. We spent the entire weekend dreaming about things we could do to the property.
“Ooh, look at this,” Daisy said, turning her computer toward me. She looked up the site online and was pulling up satellite pictures and old photographs of the place. “The pool is nice.”
I nodded, staring at the screen. The old pictures of Mountain View Campground were stunning. It was a campground, sure, but it was beautiful. Wide open spaces with lots of room for activities. Volleyball and basketball. The pool was ideal.
I just wondered what it looked like now. “It was great.”
Daisy laughed. “Oh, just wait. It’ll be amazing.”
“You can’t possibly think that. Why would someone give this place away if it was in amazing condition? Amelia said it’s in rough shape. I’m sure it’s horrible.”
“And if it is, we’ll fix it up. We’ll make it perfect.”
“There’s no such thing as perfect,” I told her.
Daisy waved her hand, always dismissing my pessimistic attitude. I wasn’t sure why we worked, but she adopted me as her best friend the day we moved into our college dorm. Daisy was happy and bright and optimistic about everything. She dated constantly and was the happiest person I knew.
As opposed to me, where I was anxious, tense, and expected the worst in every situation. Daisy made me believe not everyone was bad, but it was not a lesson I had an easy time learning.
One I still wasn’t sure I learned when it came to men.
“When is your meeting with the mayor?” Daisy asked, bringing the one man I had the hardest time with to the front of my mind.
“Tuesday. Amelia said he was coming up with a budget, and we needed to see what we could do after that.”
“So, come up with a plan. Figure out what you can do, what you want to do. The pool is a must. It’ll be amazing for the kids. And you need to have clear space for the activities. The basketball and volleyball courts will be great. And parking for employees and parents. Ooh, what about a tennis court or a soccer field? I mean, with five acres, you could do just about anything. A huge sheltered area would be great to get the kids out of the sun, too. Picnic tables and a grill, so you can do lunch for the campers once a week or something. There are so many things you could do.”
I nodded, imagining all of it. It would be amazing. I couldn’t wait to get out there and see what the place looked like and jump in and make it exactly what I wanted.
“I might not be able to do all of it, but it would be amazing. Eventually.”
“Of course. Eventually.” Daisy flipped through more pictures and dreamed with me until my phone dinged with a message. “Is that him?”
My cheeks warmed with her teasing tone. I’d been talking to a guy online. I never thought I’d be one for online dating, but it gave me a chance to slow down and gather my thoughts before I replied.
Not that it led to an instant connection. I’d met a few of the guys I spoke to online and it did not work out, but the latest match made me feel like I wasn’t such an oddity.
I grabbed my phone from the coffee table and smiled.
“What did he say?” Daisy asked. She was happy for me, even though there was nothing to be happy about. We were talking, not engaged.
I read the message and shook my head. “He asked what my favorite time of day is.”
“He has a weird way of flirting,” Daisy said, scrunching her nose. She was cute, blonde and curvy and always smiling and laughing. She drew the attention of men wherever we went.
“We’re getting to know each other.”
“As long as you like him, that’s what matters.”
I got up from the couch so I could talk to him without feeling like Daisy was hovering. “I’m going to go talk to him.”
“Have fun.” Daisy grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.
I went to my room and closed the door, crawling under the blankets to talk to him.
ThisIsAwkward
I love late at night. I have a roommate, and she’s my best friend, but she’s a morning person. I’m more quiet than she is, and at night when she slows down, I feel like I can breathe a little better.
BigCityConvert
Same. Not the roommate part, but the slowing down and able to breathe part.
ThisIsAwkward
What do you like to do in the evenings?
BigCityConvert
Go for a drive. I love to get out and clear my head. What about you?
ThisIsAwkward
I’m not a car person. I prefer to sit and read a book. Something quiet. Something alone. I spend a lot of time with people during the day and like to have time alone at night.
BigCityConvert
Me, too. I work in a busy place, but driving has always been a way for me to clear my head. Head up the river and find a small place for something to eat.
ThisIsAwkward
Favorite food?
BigCityConvert
Tough question. There’s not much I don’t like, but I think favorite is anything on the grill. It’s a treat I don’t get to enjoy often.
ThisIsAwkward
We don’t ever grill. I like it. Reminds me of my childhood. My dad loved to grill in the summer.
BigCityConvert
Did you grow up in the area?
I hesitated. We hadn’t shared a lot of personal information. We’d been talking for a month, and it made sense he was pushing to learn more.
I drew a breath and answered.
ThisIsAwkward
A little north, but yeah, in the Thousand Islands. You?
BigCityConvert
No, not even close. Down state, closer to NYC.
ThisIsAwkward
What brought you up here?
BigCityConvert
Vacation with my ex-wife. When we split, I moved up here. I loved it and wanted to come back. Small town feel was exactly what I was looking for.
Ex. Wife. I was not expecting that. I also wasn’t sure how I felt about it. He was honest, but was it something I was okay with? Did it mean he had kids? Did it mean he wanted kids?
That was why I didn’t date. My brain ran away on me, spiraling without knowing anything.
BigCityConvert
Did I scare you off with that admission?
ThisIsAwkward
I’m trying to decide.
BigCityConvert
Thanks for that honesty. Full truth, it’s been years. There were a lot of reasons, but at the end of the day, it was not a good marriage. No kids, and no regrets about my marriage ending.
ThisIsAwkward
Thank you for telling me.
BigCityConvert
Does it give you a little less anxiety about me?
ThisIsAwkward
If you only knew how funny that question was. But yes.
BigCityConvert
Maybe one day you can tell me.
ThisIsAwkward
Maybe one day.
When I didn’t hear from him for a few minutes, I plugged my phone in and got ready for bed, dreaming about all the things I wanted to do for the summer camp.
Amelia and I met at the community center on Tuesday morning. She was excited about our budget meeting with Mayor Knight, but I was just hoping I didn’t throw up.
“Since the snow has stopped, I think we should go out and look at the campground today. I haven’t been there in years, but I would love to get a look at it.”
“Sounds good,” I told her. I was curious about the place, too. I was ready to get started on cleaning it up and making it work for the summer.
Amelia insisted I didn’t need to bring anything, so we climbed into her SUV and headed toward town hall. She parked in a visitor space and we hurried inside to beat the chill soaking in through our coats.
Amelia knew everyone. She stopped and talked to half the people we passed, asking how their families were and details about their lives.
I didn’t know who any of them were. I smiled awkwardly, not saying anything while she talked. I hated being in social situations. I never knew what to say, and I always felt like I was interrupting, even though I had every reason to be there.
We finally continued to the mayor’s office, and Amelia warmly greeted the woman sitting outside the office.
“Jane, how are you? Is your son sleeping better?”
“Oh, Amelia, thank you. You saved us with your tips. I don’t know how we can thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. It’s not easy being a first-time parent. It’s been a while, but I remember those days.” Amelia smiled.
I stood there, again feeling out of place.
“Jane, is— Oh, Amelia. You’re here. Ms. Edwards,” the mayor said, appearing out of nowhere.
Mayor Omar Knight was the kind of man that was impossible to ignore. And impossible to relax around.
Amelia didn’t seem to feel the same.
“Omar, so good to see you again. Thank you for making time to speak to us.” Amelia smiled and winked at Jane, then followed Mayor Knight into his office.
I followed behind them like a child going to work with her parents.
Amelia took a seat and wasted no time asking Mayor Knight about the budget. “What are we working with, Omar?”
Omar drew a breath and gave her a number that made Amelia suck in a breath.
“I know it’s not as much as you were likely hoping, but it’s the best we can do right now.”
“Omar, you know that’s barely going to be enough to do the minimum. We need more money,” Amelia argued.
“I told you I wasn’t sure we could afford much.”
“You and I both know we can do better. This is for the residents of MacKellar Cove. The summer camp helps out the working families with kids in school. The families that need kids somewhere safe.”
“Amelia, I don’t really know what else to say.”
“Say you’ll do better.”
He groaned softly. His gaze cut to mine and held. “What plans do you have for the campground? I understand you’ll be the one running it.”
I opened and closed my mouth and looked at Amelia. I wasn’t prepared with a proposal. I didn’t have any idea of what I wanted to do.
But Amelia nodded, silently telling me to speak.
I thought back to the things Daisy and I spoke about and channeled my best friend.
“The pool needs to be repaired so we can use it. The kids will love it. And the courts fixed up. A large covered area with picnic tables for a place to sit out of the sun during lunch, and for when the weather isn’t so great. And a paved lot for cars would be ideal. Maybe a soccer field, tennis courts. Lots of space for the kids to run around and play and enjoy their summer.”
Mayor Knight stared at me like I was out of my mind. His gaze hardened with every suggestion I made. “There’s no way all of that is in the budget.”
“She’s talking big picture, Omar. Not right now. We know it’ll take time to get to that point.”
“But it’s for the kids. This is going to help the town and give the kids a safe place to be. We have to do whatever it takes.”
“No,” he said.
Well, crap.