She's Got a Way

by Maggie McGinnis

  “I … I don’t know.” Her voice was almost a whisper, and her head was swirling.

  “I do know.” He stepped toward her, putting a gentle finger under her chin. “Gabriela, don’t make a decision today. Don’t leave.”

  His touch on her skin, the intensity of his eyes on hers, the heat of his body so close to hers made Gabi want to melt into him, feel his arms close around her, lay her cheek against his soft T-shirt. And that scared her just as much as anything else right now, because she could easily lose herself in this. In him. And whether it happened today, or it happened one week from now, she would leave, and the shattered little pieces of her heart would leave a trail behind her as she fled.

  It would be easier to do it before she had a chance to fall for him any harder than she already had.

  He pulled away as if he could read her thoughts clearly, and she shivered as a tiny chill crept up her spine.

  “You’re going, aren’t you?”

  She took a deep, shaky breath, knowing she hated the answer more than he could possibly believe.

  “It’s the only choice, Luke.”

  “What about us, Gabriela? Are you leaving us, too? Before we even have a chance to figure out what—us—even could be?”

  She closed her eyes, searching for the words that would hurt the least to hear … and deliver.

  “I’m not making this decision lightly, Luke.”

  “If you say ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ right now, I’m throwing you in the lake. Fair warning.” She could feel the effort he was exerting, trying to keep his voice light, but tension crept into his jaw, his shoulders … the hands tightening on his own arms as he kept them crossed.

  “But it is me. Luke, be serious. I’m Briarwood born and bred, and I don’t know how to do anything different. Pretty sure the last twenty-four hours makes that really, really clear.”

  He shrugged. “So learn. You’ve been doing that all summer.”

  “I just—I don’t know if I want to do anything different.” Her voice faded. “I’m sorry.”

  “Well.” He nodded slowly, stepping backward. “I guess that’s a different problem, then.”

  Chapter 33

  That afternoon, Gabi tossed the last sleeping bag into the back of the van, then closed the door firmly. The girls were milling around, strangely silent, as Gabi traced her finger down her checklist one last time.

  “Okay, looks like that’s it.” She slid the clipboard into the driver’s seat and turned toward Piper, who was standing quietly next to the van.

  Piper raised her eyebrows. “You sure about this?”

  “Not at all.” Gabi tried to smile. “But I need to get everyone back on our own soil and try to figure out what to do next.”

  Piper glanced toward Luke’s cabin, her eyes concerned. “You sure you don’t want to talk to him before you go?”

  Gabi sighed, trying not to let her eyes travel to the cabin porch, where she and Luke had shared their first kiss. She tried not to look at the windows, tried not to wonder whether he was watching her leave.

  “We … said our good-byes earlier,” she finally said.

  Just then, Oliver came barreling out of the admin cottage, his eyes wide. “Don’t get in the van just yet, Gabi.”

  “Why?”

  He pointed down the long driveway. “Because there’s a car headed our way. Looks like we’re about to get a surprise visit from the Briarwood Express.”

  Alarms buzzed in Gabi’s stomach. “What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know. Ike just called from the garage. Said a lady in city duds just filled up. Said she was heading this way.”

  “That could be anyone … couldn’t it?” Even as she asked, the alarms picked up speed.

  Oliver nodded. “Could be, except that this particular anyone is driving a Briarwood town car.”

  Gabi’s stomach sank. It had to be Priscilla. And Priscilla had to have heard about Sam. But already? How?

  Just then, they all turned as they heard wheels on gravel, and as she looked down the long driveway, a black town car inched its way toward them. Its windshield caught the morning sunlight, so she couldn’t see who was driving until the car pulled to a stop beside the Briarwood van.

  “That old codger at the gas station warned you I was coming, didn’t he?” A cackly voice emerged from the open window, and Gabi felt her face break into a huge smile as she moved to open the car door.

  “Laura?”

  “One and the same. Help me out of here, would you? It’s been a long drive. Not sure all my bones are still in the right place.”

  Gabi laughed as the Briarwood board chair hauled herself out of the car, leaning heavily on both Gabi and Oliver, who’d stepped closer to help.

  Laura finally stood up straight, shaking them both off as she grabbed a cane from the passenger seat. It was encrusted with pink crystals that matched the band on her hat.

  “There. Guess I’m in working order after all. That’s a relief.”

  “What are you doing all the way up here?” Gabi asked. Despite her multiple attempts to sit down and write Laura, like she’d promised Luke she’d do, she’d yet to put the right words together, so the visit was completely out of the blue.

  “I’m on a mission. Official inspection.”

  “Oh.” Gabi’s stomach dropped as she glanced over Laura’s head at Oliver. Given the expression on Oliver’s face, this inspection was definitely a surprise. She couldn’t imagine what Luke’s would look like when he found out. “What kind of inspection?”

  “Well, I’m given to understand that there’s a list of projects under way in order to shipshape this little camp, so I’m here to check on progress.”

  “Oh.”

  Gabi felt her shoulders sink at Laura’s words. All this time, she’d been hoping there’d been some sort of misunderstanding—that the list was a fabrication of some sort, even though she’d seen it with her own eyes. All this time, she’d been hoping her school wasn’t, in fact, going to be responsible for the demise of a program that had made a difference in the lives of so many deserving kids.

  But no.

  Apparently the list was real, her school was responsible, and now its longest-serving board member was here to verify that the t’s were getting crossed and the i’s were getting dotted.

  Laura smiled, patting Gabi’s arm. “Don’t look so scared.” She turned to the girls. “Have we had a good summer, ladies?”

  The girls mumbled and nodded politely, but didn’t offer up any stories, thank God.

  Laura pretended to do a head count. “Looks like you’re all still in one piece.” She leaned around Madison in order to see Sam better. “Well, most of you, anyway. What happened? Camp director teaching you MMA fighting or something?”

  The girls giggled nervously, and Sam shook her head. “Nah. Got in a fight with a bear. But he looks much worse than I do right now.”

  Laura laughed, full-bodied and stronger than Gabi would have predicted for a woman her age. “Well, any Briarwood girl who’s up for taking on a bear after just three weeks at camp is a girl I want on my team.” She winked at Gabi. “And any housemother who helps to get her there? I’ll take her, too.”

  Gabi smiled tightly. “Only the best for Briarwood.” She said the phrase automatically—an oft-repeated mantra she’d internalized throughout her childhood.

  Laura waved her off. “All right, who’s going to give me a tour? And where is Luke? I’ve got some questions.”

  * * *

  An hour later, Laura had oohed and aahed her way through a tour of the camp, even insisting on trying out one of the cots in the tent. She’d marveled at the bathroom, tested the hot water spray in the shower, and despite Gabi’s arguments, had hiked all the way up to the garden to see the girls’ seedlings. The farther they’d walked, the bigger her smile had grown, and Gabi had found herself viewing the camp through new eyes.

  They really had done a lot of work over the past few weeks, despite the rocky st
art. Fresh paint covered the sheds and admin cottage, fresh gravel was spread in the parking lot, and the girls had repaired and painted the dock all by themselves over the weekend.

  They’d even used power tools, and Gabi hadn’t freaked out about it, thank you very much.

  But through it all, Gabi had felt like she was handing Laura the nails to Camp Echo’s coffin. Every time Laura gushed over the new showers or exclaimed about how much better the buildings looked, Gabi winced. Because each of those repairs brought this camp closer to being operational under the Briarwood umbrella, and that meant that Oliver and Luke would be out of jobs … and robbed of a mission both of them had dedicated their lives to.

  Throughout the tour, Luke had stayed away, and Gabi didn’t blame him. Gabi had tried to defend Briarwood all summer, not believing the board would really do what Luke firmly believed they would, and now they’d sent a board member up to inspect the place. Sure, she was friendly, and sure, she seemed really focused on making sure the girls knew how grateful she was for their hard work, but the undercurrent of Briarwood’s real plan ran strong in Gabi’s head.… and in Laura’s questions.

  But now the tour was done, and Gabi knew it was her last chance to plead Luke and Oliver’s case. If she didn’t act now, then it was practically guaranteed that this idyllic shoreline would be home to a bunch of twittering teenaged girls next year—ones who could easily afford to be a hundred other places.

  “Laura? Could I please talk with you before you meet with the guys?”

  “Absolutely, my dear.” Laura put a hand on her arm. “Girls, how about you take a break for the rest of the afternoon? Get your suits on and go swimming.”

  The girls paused, looking toward Gabi for permission, which half surprised her, even while it warmed her heart a little bit.

  “Go ahead.” She smiled. “You’ve earned it.”

  They scooted up the pathway as Gabi led Laura to her favorite Adirondack chairs and held her arm while the older woman sank into one.

  “Gosh,” Laura said. “I’d forgotten just how beautiful it is up here.”

  “You’ve been here before?”

  “Oh, yes. We came up last year to tour the place.” She winked. “Had to know what I was getting for my money.”

  “Your money?” Gabi tipped her head. “You’re the anonymous donor who funded this?”

  “Not so anonymous, I’m afraid.”

  “I had no idea.”

  Laura smiled. “You weren’t supposed to.”

  “Is it … would it be all right to ask you a really pointed question?”

  “Sounds like the best kind.”

  Gabi took a deep breath. “I apologize if this is out of line. But I have to know—what are Briarwood’s plans for this property, really?”

  Laura was silent for a long moment, and that silence told Gabi everything she needed to know. So instead of waiting for Laura to compose what she imagined was supposed to feel like a comforting line of bullshit, Gabi barged ahead.

  “Laura, I’ve seen the project list, and I have some serious reservations about what I think is happening here.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes.” She took a deep breath. “This camp—I think this camp was perfect just the way it was … before we came.”

  “How so?”

  “Because it served the right people, Laura. Oliver and Luke have dedicated their entire adult lives to this place, and their work is the kind that’s pure, and good, and selfless. I have no idea what either of them makes for money, but I have a very strong feeling that whatever it is, it gets poured right back into this camp. Do you know how many boys have come through here in the past five years?”

  “How many?”

  Gabi paused, seeing a trace of amusement on Laura’s face. Seriously? She thought this was funny? Gabi rattled off the figure Oliver had given her last week, and Laura’s eyes widened appreciatively, though she didn’t speak.

  “Briarwood doesn’t need to extend its seasons, Laura. Our girls have plenty of options, plenty of other camps that are designed for exactly what their families are looking for. This is not that place.”

  “But it could be, don’t you agree? It could be so much more.”

  Gabi suppressed a sigh. “Of course it could be. It’s beautiful, it’s quiet, and it’s surrounded by wilderness that’s awe-inspiring and frightening at the same time. It’s the perfect location … for exactly what it’s always been. There are hundreds of kids who came through here, Laura, and those kids didn’t have other opportunities. There was no other camp for them. They’re foster kids, needy kids, last-stop-before-court kids, and Luke and Oliver made it their mission to turn things around for them, to give them a place where they could learn to believe people actually cared about them.”

  “And you don’t think Briarwood girls deserve the same?”

  “Of course they do. But they don’t need it here. Places like this just don’t exist all over the country, and places like this should be reserved for exactly who they were designed for.”

  “I see.” Laura nodded, but Gabi couldn’t read her expression.

  “I’m sorry if I overstepped.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “But the longer I’ve been here, the more I’ve seen Luke work with the girls, the more convinced I am that the mission of this place needs to stay intact.”

  “And you don’t think Briarwood intends to do that?”

  Gabi took a deep breath, picturing Luke’s damning project list. “No. I don’t.”

  Laura nodded again, slowly. “I don’t, either.”

  * * *

  An hour later, Gabi pushed open the screen door of the dining hall to find Laura, Oliver, and Luke already seated at one of the picnic tables. She’d sent the girls to unpack the van, since it was now too late to head back to Briarwood, even if she’d dared. Laura had asked her what had felt like a hundred more questions—and Gabi had countered with her own, but when Laura had finally motioned for Gabi to help her out of her chair, Gabi knew the woman had had her fill.

  And even though she’d boldly agreed that she didn’t believe Briarwood was fully on the up-and-up, Laura had still lauded the property, the potential, the benefits they could extract for the right population of kids.

  It just wasn’t the same population Gabi thought needed them now.

  She took a deep breath and stepped toward the table, where Laura had a pile of thick folders in front of her. Gabi felt her stomach sink as she imagined what might be lurking inside that stack of papers.

  “Oh, good. You’re all here. Come sit, my dear.” Laura motioned Gabi to sit beside her on the picnic bench. “I’m not going to beat around the bush here, mostly because I’m too old to waste the time, but also because it drives me crazy when people do.” She took a breath. “I have some things to go over with all three of you.”

  Gabi swallowed, looking at Luke for the first time since she’d entered the building. His eyes were shuttered, though, barely registering her presence.

  Ouch.

  Not that she deserved any different.

  Laura took a deep breath. “Oliver and Luke, I know you’ve been up here working really hard on the project list you were given at the beginning of the summer, and I know I speak for the board when I express my deep gratitude for all of that work.”

  Oh, no. Gabi dug the fingernails of one hand into the palm of her other. Laura was about to dismiss both of them, and she’d invited Gabi in for the show.

  “Now,” Laura continued, “it all looks wonderful … but unfortunately, I’m going to have to ask you to cease and desist on that list, effective immediately.”

  Luke’s head snapped up, and Gabi knew he’d come to the same realization as she had. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean just what I said. Whatever you haven’t gotten to on that list is hereby officially canceled.”

  Oliver tipped his head, his mouth in a tight line. “Are you speaking for the board?”

  Laura was silent for a long moment
. “The board is … in flux at the moment.”

  “What’s going on, Laura?” Gabi tried to pull her hands apart before she drew blood. “Has something happened at Briarwood?”

  “No. Nothing’s changed at Briarwood.” She shook her head. “And that’s exactly the problem. I was informed by my attorneys eight weeks ago that the Briarwood board has decided to take Camp Echo in a new direction. They have their reasons, and I understand them, whether or not I agree with them.”

  Luke sighed. “What new direction?”

  “They’ve decided they’d like to use the camp as an outreach of the school itself, to give families an opportunity to have their children be under the Briarwood umbrella throughout the entire year, rather than just the school year.”

  Gabi looked at Luke, and this time he met her eyes. It was exactly what he’d said, and she couldn’t be more ashamed of her employer right now. How dare they? Apparently her words of an hour ago had fallen on deaf ears.

  Laura cleared her throat. “However, all is not lost.”

  “Laura.” Oliver sighed. “If they sent you up here to offer us a severance check and a wave, I have to tell you, I won’t go willingly.”

  “There’s no severance check.”

  Gabi watched Luke’s jaw tense. He looked straight ahead, out the window toward the beach, and she could only imagine the thoughts screaming through his head. It was his worst nightmare, and Gabi sat there as a representative of the entity that was causing it.

  “Gentlemen, before I tell you the rest, I do want to let you know that Gabi did her level best this afternoon to convince me that Camp Echo’s mission should not be derailed … that the population you served up until this year is exactly the population this property should be serving … and that the two of you as a team are the right people to be directing this place.”

  Gabi took a careful breath, trying to be thankful that Laura was trying to extract her from blame. But it didn’t feel any better knowing the result was going to be the same.

  Laura nodded. “And I have to say, I agree with her on many of those points.”

  She did?

  Gabi’s head came up, and she darted a glance at Luke, but his eyes were still locked on the window.