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.
