11. Chapter 11
Chapter eleven
“Ask me again in the spring.”
Wes remained at the drop-off area to greet the parents and welcome the kids. He stayed out as long as he could, but once everyone had arrived and was settling into their cabins, he had no other choice than to return to the cabin. Dinner was at five, so he had an hour to kill.
He went into his room and sat on the bed for a few minutes, then stood and went into the bathroom and knocked on Cassandra’s door.
Just when Wes was ready to give up, she opened it.
Wes put his hands in his pockets. “I ah…I’m sorry.”
She looked at the floor for a moment. “I suppose I deserved it.”
“You didn’t. Sometimes that hurt kid surfaces and… I don’t want to dwell on the past. I want to keep getting along with you. I think we’ve been getting along. We have, right?”
She smiled. “Yes.” She reached for his hand. “I’m sorry I hurt you so badly. I have no excuse other than that I was young and confused.”
“I will try to keep twenty-year-old Wes under control.”
“If he pops out once in a while. I’ll deal with it. I rather liked twenty-year-old Wes.”
“He was a little na?ve.”
“He was sweet and always good to me.”
“So, we’re okay?”
“We’re okay, boss.”
“Technically, Stu is your boss since he hired you.”
She let go of his hand and cocked her head. “I have a question. If he had left it up to you, would you have hired me?”
“Um…no.”
“Because?”
“That’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“Are you going to replace me at the end of the year? Stu said this was a one-year gig unless you choose to keep me on.”
“I think we’ll need to see how the year goes. But…” He shrugged. “Ask me again in the spring.”
“Fair enough.”
Wes checked the time on his watch. “Dinner is in thirty minutes.”
“Is the head counselor going to be giving a speech?”
“I’m afraid so.”
She patted his arm. “Good thing you’re so good at it.”
“Lots of practice.”
A few minutes before five, Wes and Cassandra walked to the mess hall together. The students were all headed that way, chatting and laughing. Wes held the door for several of them, then he and Cassandra went in and made their way to the table at the front of the room.
Lester was already there, and he smiled at Cassandra. “Are you ready for this, Dr. Jordan?”
“I am. But please call me Cassandra.”
“Will do.” He shook hands with Wes. “Another year.”
The large room had ten tables, and each cabin was assigned one table for the cabin counselor and four to five students. By the end of camp, as friendships formed, the kids sat wherever they wanted, as long as they maintained a ratio of no more than five students to one counselor.
Meals were served buffet-style, with one table at a time going up to get their food. The rotation changed with every meal, but Wes, Cassandra, and Lester went last.
Cassandra nudged Wes. “Seems like we should be first, not last.”
Lester laughed. “I’ve been telling him that for years.”
“Camp is about the kids.”
The food was as good as it could be, given the amount needed to feed fifty-one people.
Wes was hungry, having eaten only snacks all day, and he ate a plate of fried chicken, country-fried potatoes, and peas, then resisted the urge to go back for seconds.
Dessert was chocolate cake, and May brought three slices to the table.
“You should get the first shot at dessert.”
“Thank you, May.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Buchanan.”
Cassandra watched her head back toward the kitchen. “I think May has a little crush on you, Wes.”
“Neither she nor June has ever married.”
“Maybe she’s waiting for you.”
Lester laughed. “She probably wouldn’t mind snagging a younger man.”
Wes looked at him. “What about you? You’re single.”
“And plan to stay that way. Miss Cassandra, do you have a husband at home?”
She glanced at Wes. “No. I’m afraid marriage didn’t really work out for me.”
“Sorry to hear that. His loss.”
“Hmm. We are much better off as slightly antagonistic exes passively aggressively raising our daughter together.”
“What does he do in Bridgeport?”
“He’s not in Bridgeport. He lives in Seattle.”
“Well, that makes things a little easier.”
“I suppose.”
Wes stood. “Excuse me. I’ve got to, ah…I’ll be right back.
” Once outside, it was easier to breathe, and the tightness in his chest eased a little.
Nick, Seattle, failed marriage? “Maybe you shouldn’t have married the bastard in the first place.
” He took another breath. And maybe you should grow the hell up.
He took a few more minutes, then went back inside. The kids were finishing their dessert, taking their trays to the dish bins, and clearing them off. He went to the front of the room and moved the small lectern. When everyone had returned to their tables, he whistled.
The kids all stopped talking and turned to him.
“Welcome.” He got various responses from the kids.
“I’m going to make this short tonight because we’ve got a storm headed our way, and I want to spend some time at the fire pit before the rain starts.
” He glanced at the table with Cassandra and Lester.
“You all know Coach Porter.” The kids cheered.
“And Dr. Jordan has joined us for the first time this year. I expect you all to make her feel welcome.” More cheering and clapping.
“You’ve all met your cabin counselors, and you’ll get to know the others soon enough.
Let’s have a great week. My door is always open.
Although I’ll mostly be outside with you all day, just come talk to me if you have a problem. ”
He stepped back, and Lester stepped up to the podium.
“I have the dubious honor of being the disciplinarian. But I know you all will behave. Nonetheless, I will review the rules. We have only three. Respect your counselors and the other campers. Lights out at ten, no excuses. And no fighting. If you have an issue with someone, come to me, Dr. Jordan, or Mr. Buchanan. Any questions?”
One of the boys held up his hand. “How about…” He glanced at the boys at his table. “Spending quality time with someone special?” The boys all grinned.
“There will be no sneaking off with anyone, special or not.” He cleared his throat. “You know what I mean.”
The boy sat down.
“Your counselor’s job is to keep tabs on you. If we have to go looking for you, you’ll find yourself waiting for your parents to pick you up. Now, who wants to volunteer to help me get the fire pit ready?”
Several boys from the football team raised their hands.
“Thank you, men. The rest of you can go back to your cabins. We’ll all meet at the fire pit at seven.”
Wes had stayed on his feet while Lester talked to the students, but as everyone started dispersing, he walked over to Cassandra.
She stood up. “You two seem to have this handled. I’m not sure what my role is.”
“Search party.”
“What?”
He smiled. “If we need to go track down a couple of kids making out in the bushes. It helps to have an extra person.”
She nudged him. “Wow. I feel so needed.”
“You will have plenty to do.”
“What did Brian do?”
“Hmm. Not a lot. Brian was kind of useless.”
“Well, I will do my best not to be useless.”
“I would expect no less. Do you want to go haul wood to the fire pit?”
“Um…”
He laughed. “I’m kidding. How about we go watch the young, strong football players haul wood to the fire pit?”
“That I can do.”
“I just need to grab my guitar.”
They returned to the cabin, and Wes stopped in front of his door. “You should probably bring a sweater or a jacket. It’s going to cool off as soon as the sun goes down.”
“I’ll go grab something.”
She went into her room, and Wes went into his. He put on a jacket, tucked a beanie into his pocket, then picked up his guitar. He heard her go into the bathroom, so he went outside to wait. She came out a few minutes later, wearing a jacket and a plaid flannel scarf around her neck.
“Will this work?”
“That should be fine.”
They headed for the fire pit where Lester was rearranging a pile of split pine in the middle of it. The boys who had helped him were sitting nearby watching. There was a pile of wood beside the pit, too.
Wes walked over to them. “Thanks, gentlemen.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. B.”
“Should we bring more?”
“It’s supposed to rain for a while, so let’s leave it at that. Otherwise, you might be hauling it back to the shed when we’re done.” He left them and returned to Cassandra. “Take a seat in one of these chairs close to the fire before the kids come out.”
“What happened to camp is about the kids?”
“It doesn’t apply when it involves staying warm by the fire. In that case, old people come first.”
“Speak for yourself, mister.”
“Like it or not, we’re the same age, Cassandra.”
She dropped into a chair. “I don’t feel old.”
Wes sat next to her. “We’re not old. We’re…unyoung.”
“So, there’s still hope?”
“For what?”
Cassandra zipped up her jacket and tucked her scarf into it, then shrugged. “Just hope in general.”