Summer by the Lake

by Kay Gordon

  “Oh, Shay.”

  “I’m okay,” I whispered, swallowing back my tears. When I realized I was close to crying again, I scoffed. Kira would hate to see me crying over the necklace. She probably would have rolled her eyes and told me to get over it. Just thinking of my feisty sister caused a smile to bloom on my lips.

  Drew looked at me curiously, probably wondering how he landed himself such a crazy girlfriend, and I just pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

  “I’m really okay.”

  After dinner was over, the four of us walked back towards the campus. We stopped so Hannah and Jordan could drop their phones off and chatted quietly about what we’d done during our downtime. The two of them had gone into town again and had a romantic dinner followed by the new Spiderman movie. I let Drew recap our night and just enjoyed leaning into him as we walked.

  “Are you going to run tonight?” he asked when we neared the cabins and I shook my head.

  “I’m drained. Our evening activity is basketball tonight and so I’ll probably crash with the girls.”

  He nodded and increased his hold on me when we made it to the side door. “I’m sorry about your necklace, babe.”

  “No, don’t.” I pressed my lips against his in a sweet kiss. “I loved spending time with you. Thank you for planning something so amazing.”

  “It was my pleasure.” He gave me another kiss, one that was less sweet but full of promises, and we were both breathing heavily when he pulled back. “I love you, Shaylee.”

  I nodded and tried to calm my racing heart. “I love you, too, Drew.”

  The boys both smiled one more time and turned to head towards their own cabin. I followed Hannah inside our own and we both changed back into our counselor t-shirts.

  Even though we’d both come from really great dates with our boyfriends, the mood was subdued in our cabin. In less than a week, we’d all go our separate ways and be back at home. Even with the plans Drew and I had made, I felt something nagging in the back of my mind that said nothing was as easy as it seemed.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  The next few days flew by. We started preparing the girls for their departure by making them pack a little each day. Our activities were more somber than usual no matter what the age group we were with and the moods were directly reflected in the counselors around camp.

  On Friday evening, after dinner, the boys of Cabin Seven met us at the soccer field and I grinned when I saw Joanne and Mike walking towards us. Mike was holding the clipboard in his hands and I was anxious to know what the final standings were. It had been too close to call the last I checked. Our girls had worked hard all week long, trying to get every single point they could to compensate for our loss at the camp challenge.

  Hannah and I stood in front of our girls, mirroring the same positions that Jordan and Drew were standing in, and we all stared at the two newcomers eagerly.

  “Hey, everyone.” Mike held up the point sheet. “Are you guys ready to find out who the winner of this years’ Cabin Wars is?”

  The resounding “Yes!” was loud and I couldn’t help chuckling. Drew and Jordan looked smug from where they were standing and I reached out to grab both Hannah and Cate’s hands.

  Mike nodded his head and leaned towards Joanne so they could both see the clipboard. Joanne spoke first.

  “Cabin Fifteen has ended the year with two-hundred and sixty-one points.” She nodded towards us. “No matter what the boys earned, you ladies should be very proud. You’ve achieved a lot this year.”

  She looked to Mike, who cleared his throat and glanced at the clipboard. “The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Cabin Seven has earned a total of two hundred and…” He paused dramatically and didn’t finish until Joanne elbowed him in the side. “Fifty-seven points.”

  Shrieks went up all around me, including my own, and I was suddenly engulfed in hugs while the groans could be heard from the boys. I did my own share of hugging before turning to pull Joanne in, too. She laughed happily and when we finally parted, the boys looked somber.

  Well, except for Drew. For someone who had just lost, he looked pretty happy.

  “Congratulations, Cabin Fifteen,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “I’ve been a counselor for a few years and I’ve never battled such a determined group of ladies. You certainly earned this win. We’ll be at your beck and call from breakfast until after the bonfire tomorrow night.”

  He and Jordan thanked Mike and Joanne and told their campers to head back to the cabin. Hannah and I did the same and soon it was just the four of us standing at the field. Jordan shook his head sadly.

  “I was really looking forward to those lap dances, too.”

  I smiled and released a dreamy sigh. “And now you get to feel just how uncomfortable women’s underwear really is.”

  “Seriously.” Hannah stepped forward and held out a small bag. Jordan took it from her and immediately stuck his hand inside. When he pulled his hand back out, he had a magenta colored piece of lace. He gave that one to Drew and retrieved a second thong that was a candy-apple red.

  “Shit.”

  Drew nodded his head as he inspected the underwear. “Shit indeed.”

  “Seven in the morning until nine at night, gentlemen,” I said, my voice obviously full of glee. “We’ll both be verifying they’re in place throughout the day.”

  Jordan grumbled quietly before wrapping his arms around Hannah and pulling her in for a kiss. I shook my head at the pair before stepping closer to Drew.

  “If you play your cards right, there might be a consolation prize in this for you.”

  “Yeah?” Drew’s arm snaked around my waist and I braced one hand on his shoulder while reaching up for his cap. I placed it on top of my head and offered him a sultry smile.

  “Yeah. I might be convinced to give you that lap dance Sunday night. I have something really pretty that would match this hat perfectly.”

  His hold around me tightened and his lips captured mine quickly. When he pulled back, his eyes were dark. “That’s a hell of a consolation prize, Butler.”

  “I figure you’ll reward me.”

  “All night long, sweetheart.” He grinned and kissed me again.” I love you.”

  Funny how three little words made me feel like a giddy teenager again. “I love you, too.”

  The four of us separated to head back to our cabins, Drew and Jordan still clutching their lingerie. Hannah and I laughed all the way back to the cabin, talking about the look on Jordan’s face when he first pulled them out of the bag.

  When we made it back to where the girls were, everyone was restless with excitement. Most of us believed we couldn’t recover from losing the camp challenge so it was really great to see their morale back up. They made plans of things they wanted the boys to do for us the next day, trying to maximize their reward.

  Everyone was out of bed bright and early the next morning. They chirped excitedly about the plans we’d made the day before and voiced new things that they thought would be fun to make the boys do.

  Since it was our last day at camp, the entire day was free for the campers to do as they pleased. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner times stayed the same but activities in between were completely open. After dinner was the end-of-year campfire, which I was already dreading. Just thinking about it made me feel like crying.

  The boys were waiting for us on the porch when we opened the door to head to breakfast. Some looked miserable and surly and others looked thoroughly amused. I was surprised to see that Drew was one of the ones looking miserable. I stepped forward with my brows raised and tilted my head as I examined him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He squirmed slightly and leaned forward so only I could hear him. “It’s so uncomfortable. I’m walking around with a constant wedgie.”

  I burst out laughing, causing heads to turn in our direction. “Being sexy is hard for a girl.” I reached up and pulled the hat off
of his head, dropping it on mine so it was backwards like he normally wore it. “Since we’re sharing and all…”

  “Looks better on you anyway.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead before focusing in on where Lizzy was making Titus tie her shoelaces. “You girls are going to milk this for all its worth, aren’t you?”

  “Most definitely.”

  Both groups of cabins walked towards the dining hall and when we got inside, each of the girls gave their breakfast order to one of the boys. I relayed mine to Drew and then went to sit at our table. When a tray was placed in front of me a few minutes later, I had a stack of pancakes that included fried eggs for eyes, a bacon smiley face, and half of a strawberry as a nose. Even the syrup was drizzled in a way to make it look like it was hair. I tipped my head back and grinned at Dew.

  “Thanks, handsome.”

  “Only the best for our little champs.” He chuckled and headed back to get his own food.

  Our girls were taking complete advantage of the boys. Kevin was peeling a banana for Thalia, Maria was on her fourth fork after she kept intentionally dropping them on the floor, and Luka was buttering a piece of toast for Cate. It was fantastic.

  We headed down to the lake after breakfast since our girls already had their bathing suits on under their clothes and we spent all morning playing in the water. The girls kept messing with the boys by making them run to get drinks or popsicles, by asking them to shade them from the sun, and even pull them around on inner tubes.

  Drew and Jordan, who were forced to wear their beautiful thongs under their swimming trunks, seemed pretty amused at the different deeds that were going on around them. Everyone was so good natured about the whole thing and that only made the experience even better.

  Lunch was similar to breakfast and my open-face cheeseburger had a ketchup smile, pickle eyes, and lettuce hair. My boyfriend, ever the gentleman, even squirted a glob of ketchup in the shape of a really lopsided heart on the side of my plate.

  The girls took pity on the boys after lunch and we headed to the obstacle center. The reward for Cabin Wars was put on the backburner as everyone experienced one of their favorite spots for the last time that summer.

  “How does it feel after being in here?” I asked Drew as we stood at the top of the structure, right in the middle of the wooden bridge that shook violently every time someone crossed it behind us. I stepped closer to him and ran my fingertips along the top of his shorts, allowing my fingers to dip in the waistband ever so slightly so I could graze the lace thong he was still wearing.

  “Careful,” Drew warned, reaching behind him and capturing my hand in his own. “I doubt this uncomfortable torture device you ladies call underwear will hide much if you keep touching me like that.”

  I chuckled and leaned in to drop my head against this shoulder, grabbing for my necklace without thinking. A stab of pain hit my chest but I pushed it back swiftly. “I didn’t even want to come this summer, you know.”

  “Why not?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” I confessed quietly. “I mean, I came here for those years after she died, but I think Camp Holcomb and Kira have always been synonymous for me. I thought it would be hard here without her, fulfilling her dream of being a counselor, but it wasn’t. It was a really good decision and I regret not making it three years ago.”

  “Well, for what it’s worth, babe, I’m perfectly glad you’re here right now. I’ll give up those missing years for the chance of some upcoming ones with you.”

  That man always knew the perfect thing to say and a faint blush warmed my cheeks. “Charmer.”

  He laughed softly and hugged me to his side. “You’re the only one I want to charm, Shay.”

  The two of us stood at the top, just watching the others, for about fifteen more minutes and then rappelled down the side. The second my feet hit the bottom, I was pulled away by Jenny so I could time her going up the rock wall. The requests to watch or help came in rapid fire succession for the next hour and the dinner bell was chiming before I knew it.

  “This is it,” Cate said sadly as we walked with Cabin Seven towards the dining hall. “Our last dinner together. Ever.”

  “Way to be depressing, kid,” Hannah quipped, wrapping an arm around Cate. “Focus on the good, not the bad.”

  Jordan grumbled something on Hannah’s other side that sounded like “Easy to say when you’re ass isn’t chafing.”

  Dinner was completely different than breakfast and lunch had been. The whole dining hall was quiet and the usual loud voices were replaced with a quiet hum of conversation.

  Drew dished me up a plate of pot roast and mashed potatoes that he’d managed to arrange in the shape of an S and a D, along with another heart made out of green beans. Romantic food art definitely impressed me.

  “Brownies for the ladies,” Luka announced fifteen minutes later as he and his fellow cabin mates approached with plates of gooey brownies, complete with vanilla ice cream on top. They even had one for Jenny that had been made just for her and Titus was very protective in making sure that she received her specific dessert.

  Everyone dragged their feet as we walked to the bonfire shortly after dinner, as if we were being led to the firing squad instead. I heard several girls sniffle and I had my arms wrapped around two while Hannah took two others. The boys were better at holding in their emotions and were actually really great at offering support.

  Despite the fact that there were snacks galore set up, only the younger kids were really touching them. The older kids had formed bonds and connections with one another and they were all having a hard time coping with the end.

  “Another summer gone in the blink of an eye,” Howard said as he stood near the fire, a bright smile on his face. “Every year I wonder how it could get any better and every summer it just does. We have so many great young minds that are a part of the Camp Holcomb family and you all make what we do very rewarding. We’ve enjoyed watching you form the bonds of friendship and watching you bloom before our eyes. To prove my point, I want you to take a look at the slideshow May has put together.”

  Everyone turn their heads to where the stationary projection screen had been set up off to the side. A video began playing at the same time Shawn Mendes’ “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” did. Photos flashed on the screen, starting with images of all of the counselors and staff before camp had officially started. Ones from when the campers arrived made me smile and I could see how much we’d all changed in eight short weeks.

  I loved all of the photos. Photos of kids playing in the lake, on horses, running the fields, singing songs, being pulled into muddy tug-of-war pits, dancing at the ball, camping in the dark, and just all around goofing off were included.

  There were a couple of just me and Drew at the dance, participating in activities, and even one of us from the night before when the winner of Cabin Wars had been announced. I had no idea that anyone had been taking pictures but we were staring at one another and I was wearing his hat with a smug smile.

  It was an amazing photo. It also proved that Matchmaker May was pretty proud of herself.

  When the slideshow was over, May got up to speak and reduced a lot of us to sniffles. Even Christy, who was leaning into Keaton, was crying softly. Her hostility towards me had all but disappeared over the last two weeks and I just hoped she was happy with the youngest Holcomb boy.

  We were dismissed shortly after and the trudge back to the cabins was even sadder. Several of our kids embraced and the girls all thanked the boys profusely for putting up with our crazy demands for the day.

  Drew held me close and kissed the top of my head before releasing me. “Want to run after lights out? Oh, and after I change out of this lacy torture device?” He grimaced and shifted again. “I think I’m getting used to it now and that scares the shit out of me.”

  I burst out laughing and hugged him again with a quick nod. “I’ll meet you at the treehouse after lights out.
”

  I reached up to grab the cap I was still wearing so I could drop it back on his head. He brushed his lips against mine again and we all turned to head back to our respective buildings.

  I spent the last hour before bedtime in the main cabin area with our girls, helping find and gather possessions, painting nails one last time, and gossiping about absolutely nothing. I ran my fingers through Emma’s long hair, parting it so I could braid it into two pigtails, and managed to hold back the wistful sigh that threatened to escape.

  I told jokes instead, trying to find humor and fun in the situation. When that didn’t work, I broke out Twister again and finally had the girls smiling. It only took me falling on my ass several times.

  Totally worth it.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  After the girls were asleep, I changed into my running clothes and headed towards the treehouse. I didn’t see Drew so I went ahead and climbed to the top to wait.

  Even in the dark, the camp looked so amazing. Lights were off in the cabins but the security lights cast a faint glow of the area and reflected off the lake. The water rippled thanks to a slight breeze and fireflies flickered along the area, giving me my own private performance. I felt at peace for the first time in a long time.

  That peace was broken a few minutes later when Christy and Keaton appeared down below. They were walking quietly and I watched them kiss passionately before they turned to head in opposite directions. As he was walking away, Keaton caught sight of me and smiled.

  I waved to him and watched as he headed towards the treehouse. He disappeared from sight only to reappear next to me thirty seconds later.

  “Mind if I join you?” he asked as he sat next to where I was dangling my feet over the edge. I turned my head and smiled at him.

  “Of course not. I’m just soaking in a few final minutes before everything changes tomorrow.”