Page 23 of Lady and the Camp
“Lucas?” Footsteps sounded on the path behind me. “Hey, Lucas.”
I turned as Hudson approached. Her very presence andpinknesscontrasted with the surrounding nature like a splash of bright paint against a neutral canvas. So much for space.
“Are you headed into town?” she asked, slightly breathless.
“I’m going home.” I’d been staying late for weeks, even sleeping here in the owner’s cabin, but tonight I wanted my own bed at my apartment. Maybe wind down with a documentary on the national parks.
“I was thinking of costume ideas.” She tapped at her bottom lip as she spoke. A plump lip tinged with a shiny gloss. “Is there a wig shop in town?”
She couldn’t be serious. “You want me to go to a wig shop?”
“A beauty supply store may suffice. Sometimes those sell hair extensions.”
“I’m not buying you hair extensions.”
Her eyes grew big. “Oh, they’re not for me.” She laughed. “Hardly. They’re for the campers. I have some ideas.”
“Absolutely not.”
She paused. “Is that a no on the hair extensions or a no on my ideas?”
I fought a grin. Hard. I couldn’t let her see me break. I was her boss, not some adoring fan. But she had a convincing air. I was already considering whether the local drugstore might offer what she wanted. They managed to stock a surprising variety of stuff no one needed couched between the everyday items we all used.
I nudged a loose rock with my boot. “I’m not coming back.”
She blinked. “What? You’requitting?”
As if it were that simple to walk away. “No, I mean I’m going home for the night. In town. But I’m not coming back to camp. Not tonight.”
Her shoulders eased, as if me leaving for good would be alarming to her rather than a welcome relief from irritation. “That makes sense. You’re like Twila and don’t live on site like the rest of us.”
I bristled at the comparison to the exuberant office manager. “I stay here sometimes in the owners’ cabin.” Just not tonight. Not with…her around.
Because Hudson was incredibly distracting. With what she came in wearing today, I couldn’t imagine what the woman slept in.
Nope. Inappropriate. That was a completely off-limits thought I would strike from memory. For good.
She certainly wouldn’t be wearing that flowy thing over a silk nightgown. That would be ridiculous. But if not that then—
Stop imagining her in night clothes.
In front of me, Hudson appeared thoughtful, pressing those glossy lips together. “Right, because you run the camp but you don’t own it. The owners, do they live nearby?”
I nodded. “I report to them. I’m just keeping the lights on.”
“And good thing you are,” she nearly bellowed. “Because of electricity, I mean. Having it is…good.” Her cheeks deepened to a rosy blush. “I’m so very glad to have electricity and indoor plumbing. When you showed me that horrid shack, I didn’t know what to expect.”
Now my grin cracked through. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.” Hopefully, she wouldn’t rat me out to Marcy for my little prank.
Her eyes narrowed, but her smirk gave away her playful act. “I’ve got my eye on you, Mr. Russo.”
With that, she spun on her heeled sandals and walked away.
I entered the camp office the next morning to techno music blasting through the office.
The door closed heavy behind me. “What is this, a dance club?”
Twila called over from the kitchenette. “It’s our wake-up music.”
