Chapter 14
Fourteen
“IT IS THE LAST night of camp. You are not spending it holed up in our cabin or the pottery studio.” Hands on hips, Sam glared at Audrey. “So, get dressed. Or don’t. I don’t actually care. But you’re going to that dance tonight if I have to get Charlie to toss you over his shoulder.”
Audrey just arched a brow. “You’d really haul me to the boathouse in my bathrobe?”
“In a New York minute.”
Audrey knew she was just crazy enough to do it.
Sam flopped down on the bed. “Honey, I know this whole trip didn’t turn out like you wanted, but you can’t let your last memory of camp be of moping around.”
Audrey wanted to protest that she hadn’t been moping, but it would’ve been a lie.
The truth was, all hurt aside, she missed Hudson.
And she was worried about how he was coping with his friend’s death.
Which was wasted emotion. He wasn’t a part of her life.
Not in any permanent way. That was something she’d come to understand about camp flings—they were intense and glorious because of their brevity.
Would things have been the same between them if there’d been no expiration date?
If they’d just met again under circumstances where they could’ve taken their time, would their attraction still have happened?
Or was it just the enforced proximity here at camp that had pulled him into her orbit?
Given the hard-core case of survivor’s guilt he had going, she might have had the chance to give her thanks, but that would’ve been it. And she’d have been the poorer for it.
“Please come tonight. At least for a little while.”
Audrey didn’t want to go. Being around all those happy people, all that noise and boisterous enthusiasm made her want to burrow under the covers and sleep until morning, when they’d be boarding the bus to head back to New York and the airport.
But given her luck, their companions on the bus would quiz her about who she was and why she’d been a hermit during camp.
Or, worse, ask her what happened with the hottie firefighter who’d saved her ass from death by campfire that first week.
Besides, she knew she’d dampened Sam’s own pleasure in the whole camp experience, and that really wasn’t fair.
She’d used up her quota of lousy friend passes.
“Okay. But if I’m going, then it’s not going to be in my bathrobe.”
Sam grinned and gave a victory fist pump. “Damn straight. If you’re going, you might as well knock some socks off. Please let me do your hair and makeup.”
Audrey arched a brow. “Are you about to be channeling your Miss Eden’s Ridge pageant days?”
“Hush your mouth. I never did pageants. And anyway, didn’t you watch Miss Congeniality? They’re scholarship programs.” Sam rummaged around in her stuff and came up with at least four bottles of hair product and a curling iron.
Audrey held up a hand. “I draw the line at hair tall enough to commune with God.”
“Noted. Now go get in the shower.”
She took her time, as much to let the hot water beat on her stiff muscles as to procrastinate facing the full contingent of beautification tools at Sam’s disposal.
By the time she strode out, pleasantly pruney, Sam had a whole station set up.
With the panache of a game show host, she waved Audrey to her seat.
“Sit and let me work my magic.”
Because it obviously made her friend happy to play stylist, Audrey sat.
“I’m having potentially life-altering thoughts.”
Sam’s hands paused, roller in hand. “About Hudson?”
“Because of him. About my career, my research.”
“I thought you didn’t want to do research anymore.”
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do before. But I’m considering a change in focus. I want to start researching survivor guilt. I couldn’t help Hudson with his, but maybe I could discover something in my work that could help others like him.”
Sam didn’t stop moving. “Can’t do that in Chattanooga. So, you’ve decided to take the job in Berkeley?”
“It’s an amazing opportunity. The resources I’d have there are unparalleled.
It’s got me really excited about getting back to my work.
” She supposed she owed Hudson for that.
It wasn’t what she’d wanted from him, but as a consolation prize, at least it was an opportunity to do something with true meaning.
She needed that in her life now, more than ever.
“I think it’s a good idea. But is Berkeley going to go for it?”
“I’m flying out to discuss it with Dr. Feinstein almost as soon as we get home.”
“Well, I wish you luck. Even though I’m going to miss you like crazy.”
Audrey reached back to lay a hand on Sam’s arm. “I’m going to miss you, too. I’ll keep in touch.”
“Damn straight. Now be still while I finish this.”
Her hair was dried, smoothed, then set in loose waves.
“Hate to tell you, but that’s going to fall out within five minutes of me stepping outside. My hair doesn’t hold curl.”
“With this much product, I could get a two-by-four to curl. Now sit still while I do your makeup.”
Like an obedient Barbie, Audrey didn’t move while Sam swiped, blended, brushed, accented and slicked. “Am I gonna look like a madam when you’re done with me?”
“You’re going to look like you, just…more.” She finished with one more coat of mascara. “There! Take a look at that.”
Audrey was glad she had to go into the bathroom for a mirror.
It would give her time to put her poker face on before coming back out.
But the face that stared back at her wasn’t that of a two-bit movie streetwalker.
It was, as Sam had said, just her. Except her eyes were bigger, deeper and her cheekbones popped in a way that gave her face a subtle depth.
Her lips were glossed a kissable pink. Not that anybody would be taking advantage of that.
Still, she couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Wow. You’re really good at this.”
“I’m Southern. We’re trained in proper hair and makeup from the time we’re knee-high. Plus, my mama owns a salon. Now come back out and let’s pick your outfit.”
“There’s not a lot to pick from. I’ve been in jeans and cargo pants all week.”
“All the more reason to wear this.” Sam pulled a dress from her bag. Sleeveless, with a V-neck, it was deep blue, made of that stretchy stuff that never wrinkled. “You would look amazing in this.”
She would show her legs in that. The skirt would hit her just below the knees.
But Audrey’s knee-jerk refusal stalled somewhere on the tip of her tongue as she thought about Hudson’s ease with her scars.
He’d never made a thing of them, never made her feel like a freak show.
They were simply part of her. If he could accept that, maybe she could, too.
Besides, the boathouse would be pretty dim lighting.
“Oh, why not?”
By the time Charlie showed up half an hour later, Audrey had managed to unearth a little enthusiasm for the prospect of a dance. Courtesy of Sam’s ministrations, she did look good—a fact which Charlie underscored with mimed heart palpitations at the sight of her.
“Hubba hubba!”
Audrey laughed. “You are incorrigible.”
“What I am is a lucky bastard to have two beautiful ladies to escort tonight.” He crooked both his arms. “Shall we?”
Audrey and Sam slid their arms through his.
Audrey stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks for being a good friend, Charlie.”
He covered her hand with his. “Anytime, beautiful. Let’s go paint the camp red!”
The dance had already started by the time Hudson rolled back into Camp Firefly Falls.
He could hear faint strains of the music thumping as he got out of his Jeep.
Would Audrey be there, observing people or would she be off on her own somewhere, away from all the noise?
She’d been all about the classic camp experience, and likely everyone was at the boathouse tonight.
He trudged in that direction, with no better idea of what he’d say to make things right than he’d had when he left Syracuse two hours before.
He’d had plenty of time to replay the scene in his cabin and realize exactly how badly he’d fucked up.
He wasn’t sure there was an apology big enough to make up for that, but he was sure as hell gonna try.
As it had that first night, the boathouse was jumping.
Michael Tully was tending bar again. Though he viciously wanted a beer, Hudson bypassed Michael and wove his way around the edges of the crowd, looking for a familiar flash of red hair.
He didn’t find her on the first pass. Surely, she hadn’t left camp early just because he’d been a dick.
God, he hoped he hadn’t ruined that for her, too.
He started to head to the pottery studio but took one last look out on the dance floor.
And there she was, dancing with Charlie and Sam.
She was wearing a dress. And damn, she was a total knockout with her hair and makeup all done up.
He knew what it meant for her to show her legs, and for a moment, he was overcome with a fierce pride that she’d done it.
It was different to see her all dressed up instead of in the casual camp clothes she’d worn the last couple of weeks—one of the many sides of her he hoped like hell he’d get a chance to see again after tonight.
Locked in on his target, Hudson wove his way through the dancing crowd, rehearsing his apology.
He hadn’t gotten much past the basic, I’m sorry before she caught sight of him.
For a fleeting second, she lit up with pleasure, but by the time he made it to her, she’d locked down that reaction.
Not a great reception, but the momentary light gave him hope.
“Hi.” Brilliant opening, Lowell.
For once, Charlie didn’t insert himself into the conversation. He just nodded before he and Sam dropped back, presumably to give them some privacy. But the pair of them stayed close.
Audrey crossed her arms over her middle, her posture half-protective, half-defensive. “You came back.”