Page 61 of Under the Northern Lights
“You and me both,” Aurora agreed as Gage handed her a roasting stick.
He handed Julia one, keeping one for himself. Then he held up the bag of marshmallows he’d carried over with the roasting sticks. “Ladies first,” he said, handing the bag over to Aurora.
She opened it and pulled out a fluffy, white marshmallow, then handed the open bag to Julia, who sat on the opposite side of her. “This brings me back to my childhood, making s’mores by a campfire with Jade.”
“Was that the last time you had one?” Julia asked as she placed her marshmallow onto the pointed tip of her roasting stick.
Aurora nodded as she pushed her marshmallow farther up the tine she’d placed it on. “Yes. There isn’t much opportunity for me to sit around a campfire in downtown Seattle.”
“I can’t imagine living somewhere surrounded by concrete,” Julia replied as she stuck her loaded stick in the flames.
“Plenty of people do it,” Gage said. “We’re just used to a different kind of life.”
“I have to admit that I’m a little envious of your life here,” Aurora told them. “It’s so much slower-paced and relaxing. And being surrounded by nature with all its breathtaking views is the biggest plus of all.”
“Most people think that when they come here for a stay,” Gage said as he turned his marshmallow, which had cooked to a golden brown on one side. “But they’re ready to get back to their kind of civilization by the time their stay is up.”
“I think you’d be surprised,” Aurora told him as she pulled her stick from the fire and stood to go fix her s’more. She was not one of those people Gage was referring to. She was nowhere near ready to leave Conley Island, but she had a life to get back to in Seattle.
“I loved your painting of Gage,” Julia said when she joined her at the table to fix her campfire treat.
“I loved Reed’s,” Aurora said in a hushed whisper.
“Hey, I heard that,” Gage said from behind her as he reached past them for two graham cracker squares.
The two women giggled.
“You know,” Aurora said to Julia, “I’d be happy to show you how to get the most out of your pictures for the retreat’s website.”
“Are you serious?”
Aurora smiled. “Very. I could even have a look at the website and give you my two cents on its layout if you’d like. I designed my site that I use to sell photos and prints online. And I did my friend Emmy’s website for her new art gallery.”
“I would never turn down a chance to better my skills,” Julia replied. “Thank you so much.”
“You are so very welcome,” Aurora said as she placed the perfectly golden-brown puff atop a graham cracker, topping it off with a square of chocolate, and then another graham cracker. She took a bite and groaned, thoroughly enjoying their campfire masterpieces. “This is sooo good.”
Gage grinned. “I had no idea that s’mores were the way to?—”
Gage’s words were cut off by the ringing of a phone. Aurora pulled hers out from her jacket pocket and glanced at the screen. “It’s my sister,” she told them with a worried frown. “She doesn’t usually call me this late in the evening.” Jade and her husband were the early-to-bed type.
“Take it,” Gage said without hesitation.
“I hope everything’s okay,” Julia said as Aurora stood and stepped away from the fire pit to take her sister’s call.
Her stomach knotting in worry, she hit the answer button and brought the phone to her ear. “Jade? Is everything alright?”
Her sister laughed, the sound immediately sending relief coursing through Aurora. “Everything is wonderful,” she said.
“You sound pretty perky for this time of night,” Aurora told her in confusion.
“The correct term would be giddy,” her younger sister corrected. “And I’m up because David had to work overtime this evening, and I didn’t want to make this call without him.”
“Hi, Aurora!” her brother-in-law called out in the background.
“Hold on,” Jade told her. “I’m going to put my phone on speaker. Okay, go ahead.”
“Hi, David,” Aurora replied, trying to remember when she’d ever heard him sound so bubbly.
