Page 15 of When You're Gone
“The worst part is there’s not a solid timeline for the rebuild. Even if things get sorted out quickly with the insurance company, there’s no way the work will be done before July. There was an emergency volunteer meeting this week where they asked us to start adjusting plans to make this year a day camp.”
He nodded thoughtfully. That made sense. A day camp would be easier and cheaper to pull off, even if they couldn’t accommodate as many kids as usual. At least they could still do something this year.
“So you’re working on day camp plans next week?” He was disappointed she couldn’t come back with him, but now that he knew why, he understood.
“Not exactly…” She scrunched up her nose again and gave him a look that said she was up to something. “Fielding and I came up with an idea. We’re going to put on a fundraiser—like a fancy, expensive gala with a dinner and an auction—and try to raise enough money to still have overnight camp this year as planned.”
“Is Haas a volunteer for Camp New Hope now?” he quipped. He shouldn’t have been surprised at the other man’s ability to slither into anything that consumed his wife’s time and attention.
“Well, he helps me with camp stuff often enough that I guess he kind of is. I should have him fill out the application and make it official.”
Rhett felt his blood pressure rise but schooled his expression. What was intended as a slight had been taken as a suggestion. He was confident Haas would jump at any opportunity to spend more time with Tori.
Fucking Fielding.
“How much money are you trying to raise? NorfolkStar can donate something for the auction, and we’ll buy a table for the fundraiser.”
“We need $40,000 to make camp happen this year. That would allow us to rent another facility and also replace all the supplies lost in the fire. But Field suggested we try to establish an endowment, too, since Camp New Hope just barely gets by on its annual operating budget. We had a conference call with Jill yesterday to present our idea.
“Fielding has been amazing. He already started working on the guest list for the event, and his mom is going to help us secure items for the auction. I wasn’t sure any of this would even be possible, but Jill gave us the go-ahead to move forward with everything. She’s super excited, the board is impressed, and now Camp New Hope is officially back on track for this summer.”
Realization dawned on him as he listened to his wife explain her plans.
“Where’s the money coming from for the fundraiser, V?”
She held his gaze as she revealed his suspicions. “Fielding’s fronting all the expenses for the event, plus he made a donation so we could convince the board to move forward with overnight camp this year.”
“He made a $40,000 donation?”
She winced. “He made a $50,000 donation, just to make sure it was all covered.”
Rhett sat stock still, not trusting himself to react. The jealousy coiling in the pit of his stomach was intense enough to spoil the whole night. He knew it shouldn’t be about anything other than doing what was best for Tori’s beloved camp, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Fielding had one-upped him.
She finally broke the silence, cupping the side of his face in her hand and turning his stubbled cheek to face her. “Are you upset?”
“I’m—I’m frustrated with myself for how I feel right now,” he explained, speaking his truth out loud. He wouldn’t project his anger onto her, but he wouldn’t lie about it, either. He knew better than to let things fester between them or leave things unsaid.
“You know I would have come up with the money if you’d told me about this,” he lamented with a sigh as he played with a strand of her hair.
“I know.” She worked her other arm between the booth and his back, fully encircling him in an embrace. “I needed the money fast, though, and I didn’t want to bother you with it.”
“Tori—” he started.
“No, wait,” she interrupted. “Bother is the wrong word. I know you would have dropped everything and made it happen, Ev, and it wouldn’t have been a bother, but I didn’t want to add to your plate. Selfishly, I want you—more of you, all of you—to myself these days. Not wanting to add a fundraiser or even a one-time donation on to your to-do list was more about protecting the limited time we have together than anything else.”
“I understand that.” He nodded just as the server brought their first courses to the table. He thanked them, then unwrapped his arms from around her so they could eat.
“Tell me more about this gala,” he said as they started in on their appetizers. He may not have been able to shake the feeling that Fielding Haas was weaseling his way into his wife’s life, but he needed to be supportive of her new project. If he couldn’t be the financial backer for the fundraiser, he’d be her own personal hype man and support her any other way he could.
“Where are we going, V?” He pulled his phone out of his pocket as he reached down for her hand to help her out of the booth.
“You tell me. Do you want to go out? We can stop by The Oak if you want to see Jake.”
He smiled at her suggestion. It was her birthday weekend, and yet her first inclination was to offer to visit his best friend. He pulled her into his arms and bowed to whisper in her ear.
“I’ll see him tomorrow night at the party. Right now, the only place I really want to be is buried deep inside my wife.”
“That sounds perfect.”
