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“What are you going to do when I’m gone?” she asks as I strap the seat belt aroundher.
“Work. Do grown-upstuff.”
I shut the door and jump into the driver’s seat. The camp is about an hour drive, and I made a playlist for us to enjoy during the trip since we have the no-electronics rule. Maven is going to hate it … at first because I usually let her listen to her teenybop bullshit, but I want to introduce her to something newtoday.
“One Direction, Daddy!” she yells as soon as we pull out of thedriveway.
“Oh, man, I forgot to tellyou.”
She scrunches her face up. “Forgot to tell mewhat?”
“Now that they broke up, their music can’t be played anymore. It’sbanned.”
“Sincewhen?”
“Yesterday. It was all over the news.” I peek back at her silence to see tears running down her face.This can’t be for real? “What’s wrong, May-Bear?”
“They’re gone,” she cries out, her pouty faceintact.
Jesus Christ.“Let me double-check. It might havechanged.”
I switch to Maven’s favorite station and groan when a One Direction song conveniently comes blasting through myspeakers.
So much for BobDylan.
My little girl alwayswins.
* * *
Kids are jumpingout of cars, backpacks strapped to them, and running toward the group of others congregated in front of the clubhouse. Maven has already said her good-byes and taken off with herfriends.
I lean back against my truck and slide my hands into the pockets of my jeans. My parents sent us kids to Camp Maganaw, and I never failed to have a blast. My attention goes straight to Bear Claw Cabin. It’s been updated with a fresh slab of paint and a new door, but the memories I have in that cabin will always be there. Lucy and I had our first kiss behind Bear Claw after sneaking out onenight.
“Dallas, how are you holdingup?”
I briefly glance over when Cindy stops at my side and copies my stance. Cindy and I went to high school together, and she was Lucy’s hairdresser. She married the quarterback, had a baby, and then divorced the cheating drunk a few yearsago.
I move dirt with the toe of my boot. “As good as I can be, Iguess.”
A breath bursts from her lips. “I get it. It’s hard. I never thought I’d be with anyone other than Phil, but I’ve learned that the best way to heal is by movingon.”
I ram my heel into the ground as anger flushes through me. “A divorce and death are not fucking worthy of comparison,” I grindout.
I bite my tongue to stop myself from telling her what wants to come out. Cindy was one of the casserole-and-muffin-making chicks who checked up on me daily in the weeks after losing Lucy. I finally had to put a stop to it after the thirdweek.
If she believes finding someone else with help, more power to her, but I won’t be the man to do it … and she sure as hell isn’t replacingLucy.
“You know, you’re a jackass. I’m sorry if my concern for you and your daughter eating makes you so rattled,” shesnaps.
“I told you I appreciated the meals, but they weren’t necessary. I don’t need help feeding my daughter. We both know yourconcernwasn’t making sure we had hot meals twice aday.”
She slumps back against the truck. “So, it’s truethen?”
“What’strue?”
Herconcernhas switched to annoyance. “You and the new chick in town have something goingon?”
My eyes stay pinned toher.
