23. Chapter 23
Chapter twenty-three
“I’m not all that sad it’s over.”
Wes had been awake for a while, listening to Cassandra’s steady breathing beside him, when someone knocked on the door. It was a quiet knock, ruling out Lester. Wes nudged Cassandra.
“Hmm? Are you okay?”
“Someone’s at the door.”
Cassandra sat up. “Lester?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Bailey?”
“That would be my guess.”
She threw back the blankets and got out of bed. “Oh, crap.”
“It’s fine.”
“No.” She quickly folded two blankets as she called out, “Just a minute!” She stacked them on the end of the bed along with her pillow. Then looked at Wes. “How’s that?”
“Looks innocent enough.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, you taking so long to answer the door is more of a giveaway than the damn blanket.”
“Right.” She ran her hands through her hair, then went to the door and opened it a few inches, creating a swath of sunlight on the worn wooden floor.
“Honey, you’re up early.”
Wes put his pillow behind his back and leaned against the headboard as Bailey stepped inside the door.
“I wanted to bring you these before you left for breakfast.” She handed Cassandra the crutches. “Morning, Mr. B. I think you need these more than I do.”
Cassandra glanced back at Wes. “Are you sure you’re okay without them?”
“Yes, Robby made me this cool walking stick.”
“Robby made it for you?”
Bailey cocked her head. “He’s graduating from college this year. Don’t worry, I’m not interested in him.”
“Of course not.”
Wes smiled at Bailey. “Thank you, Bailey. I wasn’t looking forward to hobbling to the mess hall this morning.”
“I know the kids will all want you to be there.”
“I’ll be there.”
Bailey backed out the door. “I’ll see you soon then.”
Cassandra closed the door and leaned against it. “She totally knows.”
“She doesn’t know.”
“I’m a terrible role model for my daughter.”
Wes held out his hand. “Come here.”
Cassandra pushed away from the door and went to sit on the bed next to Wes. He took her hand. “You’re not a terrible role model. Bailey loves you.”
She shook her head. “I dated two men at the same time in college, lost the good one, got pregnant, married the wrong one, and got divorced. How is that not bad?”
“You also finished school, earned a doctorate, and ran a successful practice, all while raising Bailey virtually on your own.”
“I guess that’s something.”
“It’s huge.”
She blew out a breath. “Do you think she knows?”
“No. I think it’s something she doesn’t want to know, even though the signs are all there. She wasn’t acting weird or embarrassed. She was just being Bailey, your sweet, thoughtful daughter.”
“Okay, you’re right.” She kissed him, then stood. “We should get ready for breakfast.”
“Can I snag your morning shower time?”
“Of course. You went through a traumatic experience last night.”
“It wasn’t that traumatic. If Lester hadn’t shown up, then maybe it would’ve gotten to that point.”
“Do you have pants that will fit over your swollen knee?”
“Um…I brought a pair of cargo pants. They should work.”
“Can I get them for you?”
“Yes. Also, the polo that’s in there and some underwear.”
She went to his bag and took out the items. “While you shower, I’ll get my stuff packed up. When do the parents start arriving?”
“Between eleven and one.”
“So, no lunch?”
“Just breakfast.”
She sighed. “The last day of camp. It’s kind of sad.”
“For me, this year, I’m not all that sad it’s over.” She raised an eyebrow, and he held up a hand. “Because of the sick campers and my near-traumatic experience, not because I found my way back to you.”
“Okay.” She smiled. “Do you need help getting to the bathroom?”
“Probably.”
She put his clothes in the bathroom, then came back to help him. When they got to the bathroom door, he smiled. “It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some help in the shower, too.”
She laughed. “Wow.”
“I’m serious. You wouldn’t want me to fall, would you?”
“You’re going to be fine.”
“I just hope you can live with whatever might happen in there.”
“Weston, go take your shower.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The crutches made a huge difference in Wes’ mobility, and when he and Cassandra arrived in the mess hall a few minutes late, the kids all stopped eating, stood, and clapped.
Wes held up a hand. “All right, all right, thank you, but I’m fine.” They continued to the table, and Lester pulled back a chair and took the crutches from Wes when he sat down.
May and June had gone all out for the final breakfast, and the smell of bacon filled the hall. Cassandra remained on her feet. “You want a little of everything?”
“Except bacon. I want a lot of bacon.”
“Okay.”
“And coffee.”
She left to fill their plates, and when she returned to the table, Wes stood and whistled.
The chattering voices and clanking silverware stopped as the room fell silent.
“This has been an interesting week. We faced a few obstacles we don’t normally encounter.
But we made it, and I hope you all had a memorable experience.
” Everyone clapped and cheered. Wes held up a hand.
“I want to thank you all for handling the poison berry situation with maturity, which let us focus on getting the sick campers taken care of and on their way home. I’m sure you’ll see them all at school on Monday, fully recovered.
” He patted his knee. “Me not so much. But I’ll be there.
All things considered, it’s been a great week.
I hope you all agree.” More cheers and clapping.
“Okay, eat your breakfast while it’s hot.
Your parents will start arriving in a couple of hours. ”
Bailey stood up. “Mr. B, we, the senior class, have something for you.”
“You do, huh?”
“Yes.” She approached the table. “It’s, um…
maybe it’s not your thing, but it’s very acceptable for men these days.
” She shook her head, then took a multi-strand leather bracelet with different colored beads strung between knots and several square copper beads.
“Everyone picked out a bead to put on it.” She glanced back at the kids.
“We raided the craft supplies.” She handed it to him.
“We made it as… masculine as we could.” She blushed, then stepped back.
Wes looked at the bracelet. “Goodness. This is…” He looked at Bailey, then at the rest of the kids. “Thank you. I…wow. Really, I appreciate it. It’s awesome.”
Cassandra took it from him and wrapped it around his wrist. He looked at it, then held up his arm. “Plenty masculine. I think I can totally pull it off.” The kids whistled and cheered as Bailey returned to her seat. Wes swallowed the lump in his throat, then picked up his coffee and took a sip.
Cassandra leaned close to him. “What a lovely gift.”
“Yeah.” He smiled at her. “Damn kids, this is why graduation is so hard every year. You spend four years with them, then…”
She patted his thigh. “They love their Mr. B.”
After lunch, the kids packed their things and gathered on the grass near the parking area. Cassandra and Bailey had loaded their things, along with Wes’ into the Wagoneer so they’d be ready to leave as soon as the last camper was picked up.
The mood was much more somber than it had been last Sunday when they were dropped off, and the kids were gathered in small groups saying goodbye as though it was the last time they’d see each other.
Cassandra walked up to Wes, who was sitting in a camp chair.
“Aren’t they going to see each other on Monday? ”
“Yeah, but they form attachments here that they don’t at school. It’s weird, but it’s always like this.”
“It’s very sweet.”
“I didn’t have kids of my own, but counting the 200 currently enrolled, I’ve been responsible for nearly 500 kids since I became principal.”
“That is a lot of kids.”
“Yeah. 267 have graduated, and I’ve been able to keep tabs on almost 200 of them.”
“You know, most principals can’t say that.”
Wes shrugged. “I can’t help getting attached.”
She leaned in close and whispered in his ear. “I think I just fell in love with you all over again.”
He grinned. “Try to control yourself, lady.”
She sighed. “It’s not easy.”
The first car drove into the lot, and Cassandra moved away as Wes got to his feet. One of the girls ran up to them. “That’s my dad. Thanks for a great week.”
“I’m glad you had fun.”
“It was the best.”
“I’ll see you at school.”
She ran off as two more cars approached. As the kids went to their respective cars, one of their fathers walked over to Wes.
Wes smiled. “Hi, Chris.”
“Wes. I heard you had a little trouble this week.”
“A little, yeah.”
“Will you be at the board meeting this week to fill us all in?”
“Sure will.”
“What’s with the crutches?”
“I’ll fill you in on that, too.”
“I’ll see you Wednesday night.”
Chris walked away, and Wes turned to Cassandra. “Well, that should be fun.”
The rest of the kids were picked up without any further confrontations with school board members, and Wes and Cassandra went to say goodbye to Lester, who was loading his gear. Lester shook hands with Wes.
“Mostly a good week.”
“We’ve had better, I guess.”
Lester put a hand on Wes’ shoulder. “Don’t let them pin the berry thing on you. It wasn’t any more your fault than it was Cassandra’s or mine.”
“We’ll find out soon enough if Pete has calmed down about the situation.”
Lester looked at Cassandra. “I guess you’ll be driving that old junker back to Bridgeport.”
Wes cocked his head. “Whoa. Don’t be dissing my classic Jeep Wagoneer with real fabricated wood grain panels.”
Lester laughed. “I’m kidding. The thing is a beast.”
“That’s what I thought. Safe travels, Coach.”
“I’ll see you on Monday.”
Wes and Cassandra walked to the Wagoneer, where Bailey was already in the backseat. Cassandra would drive back since Wes couldn’t with his bad knee.
She turned over the ignition, and the engine rumbled for a moment, then settled into a smooth idle. Cassandra looked at Bailey, then at Wes. “Here we go.”
Wes nodded. “Back to the real world.”