17. Chapter 17
Chapter seventeen
“What’s going on here, Weston?”
Wes played his guitar quietly until Cassandra set her book aside and said goodnight. He waited another fifteen minutes before getting up and moving to the bed. He sat on the edge for a moment, then lay down, facing away from her. How had things changed so much in one day?
It took him a while to fall asleep, but once he did, he slept soundly.
When he woke, Cassandra was still asleep.
He got up without waking her, then dressed in jogging pants and a hoodie before going outside to stretch.
After a few minutes, he stepped off the porch and jogged to the lake.
He turned onto the path along the shoreline and breathed in the fresh, moist air.
A hawk soared by, looking for breakfast, and a family of ducks splashed into the water as he ran by, disturbing their sleep.
The temperature was low enough to make his exhaled breath visible as he came to a fork in the path and veered away from the lake.
The new path led him into the foothills, rising gradually as he progressed.
When his watch showed he’d gone two miles, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath.
He could see the lake below him and the green clearing where the camp lay.
It was still early, and no one else had ventured out of their cabins.
He changed direction and headed back down the hill. When he reached camp, the mess hall lights were on, and Lester sat in a camp chair in front of his tent. Wes walked over to him.
“Morning.”
“Getting a run in, huh?”
“Yeah. Missed the last two days.”
“I’ll get the canoes ready for you. I put the gear together yesterday.”
“Thanks.”
“Is Miss Cassandra going?”
“She said she wanted to last night. I’ll see if she changed her mind after sleeping on the idea.”
“I’ll pack as though she were.”
“I’ll see you at breakfast.” Wes left Lester and headed for his cabin.
When he went inside, Cassandra was in the bathroom.
He’d need another quick shower before breakfast. While he waited for her to come out, he gathered his clothes for the day, then packed an extra shirt and a sweater into the backpack he’d bring overnight.
Cassandra had made the bed, and he set the backpack on it along with his jacket and ball cap.
They’d be leaving camp right after lunch.
Cassandra opened the door, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt. “Did you take a run?”
“Yeah. It was great.”
She turned back to the mirror and fussed with her hair. “Sometimes it doesn’t want to cooperate.”
Wes moved to the doorway and watched her. She turned to him and sighed. “I give up.”
He took her hand and pulled her close, then put his arms around her waist. “It looks perfect as always.”
She put her hands on his chest. “What’s going on here, Weston?”
“I'm having a bit of trouble with the one day at a time thing.”
“It does seem a little unnecessary.”
He let go of her and stepped back. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She moved closer to him. “It’s okay.”
“My hesitation or my…” He patted his chest. “Pounding heart.”
She put her hand over his. “Either one.”
He looked at her for a moment, put his hands on her waist again, then leaned in and kissed her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he kissed her again.
His hands were suddenly in the hair he’d longed to touch since the day he walked into her office and found her staring at the ceramic frog.
He wanted to keep going. Screw the past. Screw that they were at Senior Camp.
Screw…everything. He pressed his forehead against hers and took a breath.
“Okay.” He sighed. “Okay.” He let go of her and stepped back.
She smiled. “I’d say that was way better than okay.”
Wes laughed. “Damn.” He cleared his throat. “We’re going to be late for breakfast.” He reached out and brushed some hair from her face. “I hope I didn’t…”
She turned and looked in the mirror. “You fixed it.”
He came up behind her and looked at her reflection. “It looks the same.”
She turned around to face him. “Would it be weird if the camp leader and his number two missed breakfast?”
“Yeah. We can’t…”
She patted his chest, then kissed him lightly on the lips. “I figured. In that case, we should leave the bathroom.”
“Probably a good idea. I need to take a quick shower before we go.”
“You do that, and I’ll sit out here and try not to think about the fact that you’re in the shower.”
He picked up his clothes from the bed. “As my number two, you’re supposed to help me solve problems, not cause them.” He headed for the bathroom. “Are you still up for going on the overnight?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Put whatever you want to bring in my backpack. It’s only one night, so don’t go crazy.”
“Got it.”
By the time they headed for the mess hall, they were a few minutes late. As they walked between the rows of tables, Wes felt like all eyes were on them and that everyone knew the humongous step he’d been trying to avoid had been taken.
They sat down while the last table of campers got their food, then went through the breakfast buffet. Wes filled his plate with scrambled eggs, two sausage patties, and a scoop of hash browns.
Cassandra nudged him. “Hungry this morning?”
“Not for long.”
When they sat back down, Lester set his coffee down. “Miss Cassandra, will you be going on the camping trip?”
“Yes.”
“Great. You’ll love it. The canoe ride is beautiful, and the island is paradise.”
“Hmm. I can’t wait.”
“Of course it’d be more like paradise if you two were going alone.”
She turned to him. “Why, Coach, what are you suggesting?”
He laughed. “I’ve got eyes, Miss Cassandra.” He leaned in close to her ear. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll wear him down.”
Wes leaned forward and looked at him, then whispered, “She already has.”
Lester laughed. “Hallelujah.”
Cassandra patted Lester’s hand. “We will keep things professional while we’re here.”
“I’m sure you will.”
She looked at Wes, and he shook his head. “Easy peasy.”
After breakfast, the kids not going on the overnight trip were given free time until lunch.
Those going were instructed to get their things ready, then help load the canoes.
They’d be taking seven of them across the open water to the island.
It would take them forty-five minutes to an hour to get there, giving them plenty of time to set up camp and gather firewood.
Cassandra took a couple of the kids to the kitchen to get the food supplies from May and June, while Wes oversaw the final loading of the canoes.
When they’d finished lunch, they were ready to head out. Most of the other campers gathered at the shore to see them off.
Cassandra looked at them. “Great, an audience.”
“You’ve done this before.”
“A million years ago.”
“It’ll come back to you. Just follow my lead.”
“Yes, boss.”
He winked at her. “Echo Lake.”
“Oh my gosh. Don’t even…”
“Best night of my life.”
Cassandra shoved him, then looked to see if anyone had seen her do it. “Stop. I was terrified. Followed soon after by being mortified.”
“It could’ve happened to anyone.”
“It happened to me.”
Bailey walked up to them. “What happened to you?”
“A horror story which I will share with you at a later date.”
Bailey looked at Wes. “Give me a taste. A hint.”
He thought for a moment. “Hurricane-force winds. Some misplaced…clothing. And pirates.”
Bailey shook her head. “Um…pirates?”
“Thus the mortification.”
Cassandra tossed the backpack into the canoe. “On second thought, I don’t think I can tell you that story.”
“Just leave out the part about the missing clothes.”
Cassandra hugged her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Wes nodded. “Barring any hurricanes or pirates.” He held out his hand to Cassandra. “All aboard.”
She took his hand and stepped into the canoe, then sat on the back bench. “So far. So good.”
“Have fun, Mom.”
“I will.”
“Take good care of her, Mr. B.”
“You know it.”
He pushed the canoe off the sand, then stepped in as it drifted away from the shore. As he picked up his paddle and moved it farther out, the other canoes joined him. They all waved to the campers on the shore, then headed out across the lake.
After a few minutes, Cassandra's paddling skills returned, and they cruised across the lake at an easy pace, slightly ahead of the other canoes. There was virtually no wind, and the water was smooth, creating the perfect canoeing experience.
When the island became visible in the distance, Wes pointed it out to Cassandra. “There it is.”
“Beautiful. Small.”
“It’s only about five acres.”
The island was surrounded by a beach of gravel and sand and was heavily treed with tall pines. Wes led the group to a small cove on the leeward side of the island and ran the nose of his canoe onto the sand. He jumped out, pulled it up another few feet, then helped Cassandra out.
The other canoes all landed, and the kids got out and stretched their sore muscles.
Wes gave them a few minutes, then held up a hand. “Okay, let’s get our stuff unloaded. The campsite is about a hundred yards inland. We’ll make a few trips to bring it all up. Then you can take some time to explore.”
One of the boys raised his hand. “Can we go anywhere we want?”
“No, you are not free to wander anywhere. You will go in groups with either Emily or Robby, and you will stick to the beach. No one goes anywhere by themselves. We’ll go inland tomorrow to the hot springs.”
“Are you afraid we’ll get lost?”
“Just stay with the group.”
“Has anyone ever gotten lost on the overnight?”
“No, and please don’t be the first.”
“Yes, sir.”
They walked through the trees to the small clearing they’d used for the last several years. There were stumps around a fire ring, along with some fallen logs that had had their bark removed and were rolled close to the fire area.
The kids dropped the gear, then broke off into two groups. “Be back by dinner.”
Cassandra watched them go. “Aren’t you worried about them?”
“Nah. Where can they go?” He took her hand. “As far as I know, there are no pirates on the island.”
She pulled her hand away. “Stop.”
He moved closer to her. “Would it really be that big of a deal if they all got kidnapped by pirates?”
“Weston.”
“Just overnight. Freed in the morning, unharmed.”
Cassandra smiled. “And these pirates would leave us alone?”
“Of course. We’d have the whole place to ourselves.”
“Hmm. I guess I could get behind that.”