Chapter 4 #2
His words chilled her. Safety in numbers implied the attack last night hadn’t been random.
Lucille returned with a steaming mug, saving Emma from a response. “Here you are, Sheriff.”
“Thank you, Mrs. T.” He took a sip. “Ooh that’s good. I’m expecting Deputy Wells to relieve me, and then I’ll head back to the hospital to see if I can chat with Owen. Would you and Mr. T like a ride?”
“Oh, you’re too sweet, dear.” Lucille sat next to him and patted his hand. “You’ve always done too much for us. We’ll drive ourselves over. The roads are dry, and the shock is gone. I’d prefer my own vehicle if it’s all the same to you.”
“Whatever you want.” He smiled.
Emma wanted him to flash her one of his kind grins.
The genuine warmth between the pair stirred something inside Emma. A deep pang struck beneath her breastbone, a physical ache that matched an inner thought. I could’ve had a connection, too. She wasn’t sure if she lamented the loss of either Lucille Thomas or Daniel Goodwin more.
“Can I join you?” Emma blurted. Two pairs of eyes focused on her. She swallowed. “At the hospital? I’d like to see how Owen is faring.”
“If you’d like, I can take you.” He raked his gaze over her, sweeping down her face before frowning at her feet.
The sun began to rise, brightening every corner of the mess hall. His appraisal was questioning. She glanced down, forgetting she wore pajamas.
“I’ll get changed, of course.” She brushed a hand over her burning cheeks.
“No rush. I have some work to do first. And let’s give Mr. and Mrs. T some time with him alone. Leave in about an hour?”
It’s a date. She bit her lip. Once again, she nearly tossed a bad cliche with romantic undertones his way. This was not the time nor the place for anything personal.
She nodded and stood, tugging her hem lower over her pants. “I’ll be ready.”
Without another word, she left, giving Lucille and Daniel space and willing her racing heart to slow to normal.
She had no clear memories involving that last summer with Daniel and yet some hidden part of her soul pushed her.
She’d come to gain clarity and say a real goodbye to the past. Only a fool would let emotions guide them to pursue something new.
Every muscle in Daniel’s body ached. His shoulders, his back, and his neck screamed at him for relief. The thin cot wasn’t an ideal—or long-term—solution. But he wouldn’t make a fuss. He had to be here. For his own sake if nothing else.
“It’s nice to see you kids together again,” Mrs. T said.
Her wistful tone tugged at his heart. “I wish the circumstances were better.”
“We take what we get with a grateful heart,” she said.
Daniel nodded and finished his coffee. He needed about four more mugs to combat the effects of sleeping on the cot. But he wouldn’t ask anything else of Mrs. T. Nor would he venture too close to her nostalgic musings. If anyone remembered his crush on Emma Lynde, it would be Mrs. T.
She’d encouraged him to pursue a friendship with Emma, well aware romance was off limits by the Lynde parents.
Mrs. T had remarked a few times in high school about how solid romantic relationships often began years earlier with mutual trust and respect.
Those days were long gone. A threat in the present demanded his full focus.
“Do you need any help around here?” he asked. “Anything I could do to pay you back for your hospitality? I’ll be sticking close through the whole weekend.”
She sniggered and rolled her eyes. “You mean what can you fix for me?”
His cheeks burned.
“You being here is already a help I can’t repay.
And I know the truth,” she said. “The camp is falling apart. I’m not oblivious to the state of disrepair.
” She exhaled a heavy sigh. “This place has been our passion, George’s and mine, and our life’s work.
But it requires a lot of physical and mental labor. More than we can give anymore.”
“Does Owen know how you feel?” Daniel asked.
“We’ve been in discussion about it. George and I made up our minds. We have to hand over the camp to him. Either he’ll sink, or he’ll swim. We can’t hang around to pick up the slack.”
Daniel cradled the mug in his hands on the table, glad for something to look at.
Owen wasn’t ambitious or hard-working. His kindness was his greatest quality.
After the accident that stole Liz, however, he changed and found his life’s pursuit in trying to solve the mystery of what had really happened to her that night. He’d been dogged in his pursuit.
She’d been on her way to meet Owen, or so he’d told Daniel the day after the tragedy.
Group outings were fine but no one on one meetups, which only encouraged rebellious Liz to sneak out every chance she got.
She was a perfectionist with exacting standards, so meticulous in covering her tracks and never getting caught.
Ending up at the bottom of the hill—on terrain she’d known her whole life—when she was on her way to meet Owen never made sense.
It didn’t fit her personality. Accidents didn’t happen to Liz.
“George and I want to retire,” Mrs. T said.
Daniel shot a look at the door Emma had exited.
“I already told Emma.”
Daniel wouldn’t pretend confusion at her direct statement.
“Telling her sort of freed me. I feel lighter.” Mrs. T sighed. “I’ve been so scared of facing facts, but now that I’m speaking to you, I’m resolved.”
If his presence offered clarity, he was glad. The new development only added to his unease and growing list of worries. “What does that mean for your family?”
“We have a lot to figure out, and we could change our minds, I suppose. But physically, we can’t keep going. Our bodies are certain even if our hearts waver.”
“Your son is incapacitated. You’ll have to keep everything running at least for a while longer.”
“After this reunion, we don’t have any incoming campers.
It’s a good time for a terrible tragedy, if such a thing exists.
Owen asked to host the reunion, invite everyone for a visit.
He knows he can’t manage all of this on his own the way we used to with the kids, but he wanted to try on a smaller scale with adult campers.
He’s thinking grown-ups are easier to manage, but I’m not sure.
” She waved her hands around the room. “Maybe he’ll have to bring on partners. We almost did.”
Daniel’s jaw dropped.
“Amazing we managed to keep one juicy tidbit out of town gossip, isn’t it?” Mrs. T sniggered. “We fought so hard to stay open. An unexpected windfall helped for about a decade. Without it, we couldn’t have remained in operation without selling some of the land or otherwise finding an investor.”
“Windfall?” Daniel hadn’t heard about any lottery winners in town.
“An angel investor stepped in at our darkest moment,” she whispered.
If he really considered the situation from an adult standpoint, he wasn’t surprised.
Without a sudden influx of cash, the business would have been a bust. After a tragedy, there would be a stigma to the camp.
Parents might not let everyone return the next summer.
Revenue would go down. But Camp Promise had endured.
Until the present, he’d never wondered—or questioned—how. “Who?”
Mrs. T shrugged. “I don’t know. The money came one day via a wire transfer followed by instructions from lawyers and accountants. We didn’t have to repay a cent, so we weren’t given more information.”
Benefactors didn’t often linger nearby, waiting to bail out worthy businesses. An incident usually spurred a person to take such action concerning financial matters. Like a guilty conscience? Had someone confessed to their wealthy relatives? Was the money spent to wash away a crime?
“In the darkest moments, I worried about losing the land. I hated to think about the forest getting cut up and subdivided,” she continued after a pause.
Daniel did, too. “It’s okay, Mrs. T. You avoided disaster.
Owen will step up now. You’re giving him a chance.
” He prayed for the family that this was the answer they needed.
He had his doubts about Owen’s abilities but wanted to encourage and not dissuade.
He would love to have another answer for her, an easy and brilliant solution to save the day.
But the reality of running a business was too much for a simple, quick fix.
“We have to make the most of every moment we have. None of us know what’s in store,” she said.
He met her steady, shrewd gaze. She knew the effect her words would have on him.
She’d known him for his entire life. She was family.
She could come out and say exactly what she wanted about Daniel and Emma.
Then he could let them both down gently.
Emma wasn’t here to see him or reconnect.
He’d be foolish to even entertain the thought.
The screen door opened and snapped shut.
Deputy Frank Wells filled the frame. “Hello, Sheriff. Good day, Mrs. Thomas,” he greeted.
“Good morning, Deputy.” Mrs. T rose from the table. “May I get you a coffee?”
Frankie shook his head. “No need, ma’am. Thank you. I need a quick debrief with the sheriff.”