Page 36 of Lady and the Camp
“How did Lucas take it?”
“He responded with a joke in our text thread, but I told my brothers he might be masking. They told me to stuff it with my therapy terms. I told themtheyneeded therapy. Anyway, my brothers texted him that they have his back, and they do. They all tease each other, but they’re blood and they don’t take that lightly.”
Marcy had known Lucas through every stage of his life. What had he been like as a teenager? Or in college? Who did he date? Probably nobody with pink hair.
Not that it was any of my business.
I paced toward the office to keep the connection solid. I told Marcy about the camper fashion show and the little girl who asked Lucas if he thought I was pretty.
Marcy howled. “That is gold. Pure gold!”
I laughed, feeling like old times hearing her laugh so hard. “I know, what a chump.”
A growl sounded within range. My heart sank and I found myself wishing the sound came from a wild animal and not my boss.
Chapter 11
Lucas
Great.Justgreat.Hudsonwas laughing at me. No doubt talking to some famous friend.
“Take care, Marcy.” Hudson ended her call, looking directly at me.
Even more great. Now Marcy knew a camper got one over on me, so the rest of my cousins would hear the delicious details soon enough. Best prepare for another onslaught of cookies.
“Hey,” Hudson smiled big, too big, my direction, as if she hadn’t been caught laughing about me. She took a few tentative steps up the dirt path toward the office front porch where I stood. “How are you?”
I was that guy who wouldn’t let it pass. I left the porch to join her on the path. “Telling Marcy how terrible I am as a camp director?”
Her smile instantly disappeared. “I would never do that. You’re not a terrible camp director.”
Of course she’d say that. She wanted to keep her job. Now if I could figure outwhy.
“We were laughing at the sweetness of your response to Angelica’s theatrics at the runway show,” she said.
My cheeks felt like a match lit against my skin. “I played along. Awkwardly, I’m sure.” Like right now.
“I liked that part best.” She grinned. “It was sweet.”
I grumbled.Sweetwas not a word I’d use to describe myself. It sure wasn’t going on my resume. “Okay. Why aren’t you with the campers?”
She seemed to take a second to pivot. “I worked out time away tonight to take care of some things. It’s why I was in the office earlier. Again, totally sorry. I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed in there after business hours.”
I waved off the apology. “No, that’s on me. You’re allowed in the office whenever you need.” The timing meant she’d missed dinner in the Mess. “Did you eat?”
She played with a strand of that pink hair. “Maggie’s bringing me food. We’ve got the little fridge and a microwave in the cabin.”
She didn’t seem like the kind of person who thrived on leftover cafeteria food. In fact, every time I’d seen her in the Mess, she stood out like she was photoshopped in. Not because of the pink hair. It was her wholeeverything. She didn’t belong here.
No—not that she didn’t belong. More like, she wasn’t like anyone else here.
“I’m headed into town if…” I coughed. “I could, uh, pick up some food. For you.”
She raised a sculpted brow. “Food but no wigs?”
A laugh came out of me. “I’d have to be heavily convinced to buy fake hair.”
She rolled her eyes. “Sure, sure. Too cool for wig shopping. I get it.” She leaned a hand against the outer railing of the office porch. “Thanks for the food offer, but it wouldn’t make sense to come all the way back to camp.”
