Page 85 of The Kiss Keeper
“Did you really consider selling?” she asked as her gaze lingered on the sparkling water.
“What we considered was who would be the best choice to take over. So, we invited everyone here then stepped back, and with Fish’s help, we were able to see what happened when someone needed to step up,” her grandfather answered with a sly grin.
Natalie’s hand flew to her chest. “You invited all the community groups to show up at the same time.”
“And only two people came forward and made sure that everything ran smoothly,” her grandmother replied.
“And those two people were you and Jake,” her grandfather finished.
Bev gave her a knowing smile. “When your grandfather and I first got here, we knew that our lives were meant to intersect. We had an instant connection to each other and to this place. You and Jake share that, too.”
Nat closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips to her eyelids. “How do you know that Jake didn’t do everything to try to trick us into selling? How do you know he wasn’t pretending?”
“People who are pretending don’t look at each other the way he looks at you and the way you look at him,” her grandmother replied.
She sighed, and her gaze drifted back to the ocean. “Did he leave?”
“He did. Fish drove him into town,” her grandfather answered.
“Not to the airport?” she replied, hating herself for the thread of hope that wove its way through her heart at the notion that Jake could still be nearby.
Grandma Bev patted her hand. “We don’t know where he went from there, dear.”
She nodded. “And the camp? Do you still trust me to run it on my own?”
Her grandfather glanced at his watch, then gestured to the door. “Let’s take a walk. We still have a couple of hours until we’re expected on Woolwich Island.”
“For your vow renewal ceremony! That’s tonight! You probably need to go, and I should get ready.” Natalie sprang to her feet, then caught her reflection in the window. “Yikes, I need a shower.”
“We’ve got time. Walk with us, Nat. We’d like to chat with you about what Camp Woolwich will look like moving forward,” her grandfather said and gestured to the door.
Moving forward?
They left the lodge and took the trail that led to the cottages.
Her Grandpa Hal clasped his hands behind his back. “We’d like to set up a board of trustees. Your grandmother and I would serve in an advisory capacity only. All the decisions would be yours, but we also wanted to involve the community and invite some family members to participate as well.”
“Your grandfather and I have already spoken to—”
“Grandpa, why did you want me to meet you here?” Leslie said, rounding the bend and cutting off their conversation.
“Perfect timing, dear,” her grandmother said and squeezed her cousin’s hand.
Heat rose to Natalie’s cheeks. “Don’t tell me you want Leslie on the board?”
“Why shouldn’t I be on the board?” Leslie asked, giving her a healthy dose of side-eye.
Hal crossed his arms. “You girls have been butting heads for years, and for the sake of the camp, it’s time that ended.”
“Natalie, we want you to run the camp, but we’d like to have Leslie on the board, too,” her grandmother added.
Natalie’s gaze bounced between her grandparents. “But Leslie hates this place.”
“I do not hate it,” her cousin shot back.
Natalie released a heavy sigh. “Well, you hate me.”
Leslie shrugged.
