Page 10 of Lady and the Camp
“Well, we need that done, for sure. It’s hard for the girls to do crafts there on rain days when water is dripping in.” Maggie’s features softened. “Look, I know this new director gig has been hard for you. We’re all trying to hang in there. You know, for the girls.”
My gaze went to the little girl on the phone. She wiped her eye with the back of her hand. Poor kid.
Maggie lowered her voice. “Hey, you did an incredible thing, Lucas. Taking this job so we could keep the camp going means so much to the families who love this camp.”
I shook my head. “Don’t make me out to be some hero. Somebody needed to keep Camp Junebug going. That’s it.”
“Most people jumped ship to the other camp.”
“Guess I’m not most people.” Most people didn’t prefer trees to actual human conversation.
Maggie returned to the camper, who seemed less trembly and sad.
“Ready to get back to camp?” Maggie asked the girl.
She nodded, staring at the floor.
Maggie knelt in front of her. “Want to do a special, exclusive, super secret craft?”
The girl’s eyes widened. “What kind of craft?”
“Let’s go to the craft room and I’ll let you pick.”
The kid perked up and smiled. She and Maggie left together, leaving the office quiet again.
“You’re a cold one, Mr. Grinch,” Twila said from across the room.
“Me? What did I do?”
“Not even a cracked smile with that sweet little girl in here?” She shook her head. “Just over there scowling.”
“I was thinking about that awful coffee.”
Twila huffed. “I bet if you had a woman in your life, you’d be less a grump.”
I let out a clipped laugh. “I’m surrounded by women.” Through all the chaos of the past year, I’d ended up running a children’s camp.For girls. “Besides, you shouldn’t tell me that. I’d never suggest you start dating. It’s inappropriate.”
“Of course it’s inappropriate. I’ve been married nearly forty years.”
My head pulsed as if speaking to me.Get out. While you can.
“You know I mean well.” She grinned while she said it. “Go off now. I’ll hold down the fort.”
I really needed to try harder. Maggie and Twila were dependable and had stuck around after the big split siphoned most of the staff to Camp Trail Blazers across the lake. If I could manage to stick it out for the summer, prove my leadership skills as camp director and score a recommendation from the camp owner, I’d have what I needed. Experience for the real job I wanted. Off to mountainous terrain leading wilderness expeditions for adventure-seekers who didn’t need to call home to mommy.
“What about the interview?” I asked Twila.
She saluted me. “I’ll take care of it, boss.”
Enough for me. Already, the stale office air climbed down my throat, strangling the sense of adventure out of me. Roof repair beat conference calls and camp budgets any day.
I grabbed my tools and stopped by the locked shed behind the office. I headed to the rain shelter with my tools and ladder, and got to work.
Despite the safety cones on the ground, I kept watch for darting children. Working at the camp took patience and incredible amounts of attention. If it wasn’t children running out in front of you, it was the threat of tipped canoes, random trips and falls, and general crying. There wasjust so much crying.
My patch work now complete, the sun beat down, sending sweat dripping across my back and neck. But the air was clear and I had a nice view of the lake from the roof. Moments like this helped me feel like myself again.
Maybe I’d stay up here the rest of the day. Move over to the end of the roof beneath shade and take a nap.
