“Sound like I’ll have my hands full.”
“As you know, we keep the girls pretty busy, so you’ll have plenty of free time during the day. Time to figure out what you want to be when you grow up.”
“Maybe I just won’t grow up?” Susan grinned.
“It really is great seeing you again, Susan.”
“What do you mean?” Susan said with a smile. “I see you just about every day on MySpace.”
“There is that. How do you feel about leaving your computer back home?”
“I’m okay being unplugged. I don’t really go online that often. I take it you still don’t have Internet up here?”
“No.”
“When I arrived, I tried calling mom on my cell phone to let her know I got here okay.”
“Still no cell service on the mountain either.”
“I figured that out. I ended up using the payphone in the front.”
“How are your folks?”
“Doing great. Mom says hi, by the way.” Susan’s mother and Carol had been friends since their college years.
“I need to give her a call. Here, let me get you your cabin keys.”
“The girls start arriving tomorrow?”
“In the afternoon. It’ll be a busy Saturday. I imagine all your girls should be here by Sunday.” Carol handed Susan a set of keys from her desk.
“Thanks Carol.”
“There’ll also be an orientation in the morning for all the counselors before the girls start arriving. You’ll want to be at the dining hall at nine in the morning.”
“I didn’t see anyone when I arrived. Many here yet?”
“Some of the counselors have already checked in. A group of them went down to the village to get something to eat.”
“I didn’t imagine the mess hall would be open yet, so I brought some food with me.”
“Well, go settle in. You know the routine. Nothing much has changed.”
“Thanks again, Carol. I’m happy to be here.”
“We’re happy to have you. When you’re done reading through the folder, please bring it back to my office. I really don’t like those types of folders floating around when the girls get here.”
“No problem. Thanks for having me back.”
Carol stood up and walked Susan to the door.
“Will I know anyone in the staff this year?” Susan asked as the two walked outside.
“You won’t know any of the counselors. Wait, I take that back. I think a couple were campers here when you worked for us.”
“So, basically you’re saying I’ll be the oldest counselor here?” Susan already knew the answer.
“Pretty much.”
“And the dining hall?”
“You’ll recognize a couple faces. But you know how it is here; it tends to be a seasonal job for college students. I’m the only constant.”
Fifteen minutes later, Susan stood in the camp parking lot removing luggage from her car’s trunk. She paused a moment and looked around, breathing in the fragrant mountain air. She guessed it was around seventy-two degrees. The afternoon sun was shining, partially blocked by stately evergreen trees. What sky she could see was blue and free of clouds. The only sounds were from the birds chirping nearby, an occasional rustle of a squirrel scampering up a nearby tree, or a pinecone falling to the ground. She knew it would be much noisier tomorrow when the girls started to arrive.
The camp looked just as she remembered—a collection of small log cabins surrounded by mature pine trees. Some of her best memories had been made at Camp Shipley first as a camp guest and later as a camp counselor. This was a safe place for her; it felt like home yet gave her the distance she needed from her everyday life so that she could figure out what road to take when summer came to an end.
Chapter Nine
It was late afternoon by the time Susan settled into Cabin Five. Like most of the other guest cabins, furnishing included a picnic table with bench seats, three dressers, three sets of bunk beds for the girls, and a full-sized bed with built in drawers for her, the cabin counselor. The cabin also boasted a worn couch and two leather chairs and an oak coffee table. Accommodations were comfortable but not luxurious.
Since the mess hall would not start serving food until the next morning, Susan had come prepared. Two suitcases weren’t the only thing she rolled into the cabin—there was also an ice chest filled with sandwiches, snacks, fresh fruit, and beverages.
After unpacking, Susan grabbed a sandwich and bottle of water from her ice chest and set out for a walk. She headed toward the lake and away from the camp’s grounds. On route, she passed a number of privately owned cabins. No one lived year round on Shipley Mountain, although some locals lived fulltime in the small village at the base of the mountain. Privately owned cabins at higher elevations were used as vacation homes or seasonal rental properties by their owners.
It had been over six years since Susan had been up to Shipley Mountain. During her marriage, she’d tried to talk Sam into renting a weekend cabin up at Shipley, but he had never been interested. He’d had no desire in sharing a nostalgic getaway with his then wife. As she made her leisurely walk toward the lake, she paused in front of a familiar cabin. Smiling, she read the worn wooden sign affixed to the front of it: Lewis and Clark, minus Clark.
“I guess that answers my question,” Susan said aloud. She had wondered if the Lewises still owned their cabin on the mountain. She didn’t see any cars in the driveway, so she assumed they weren’t up for the weekend, but then the front door opened, and a young blonde woman walked outside.
Dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, the blonde woman didn’t notice Susan standing along the road beyond the split rail fence encircling her cabin. She kept glancing back at her front door while walking down the driveway.
“Connie? Connie Lewis!” Susan called out when the woman was within hearing distance. The blonde paused a moment, glanced toward Susan and cocked her head slightly as if trying to figure out a puzzle. She then started walking toward Susan.
“Connie will be out in a minute. Do I know you?” the blonde asked.
“Oh my god, it’s Ella! You look just like your sister!” Susan said excitedly.
“I remember you!” Ella said with a smile. “You’re… Susan, right? You were a counselor at Camp Shipley—a friend of Connie’s.”
“That’s right. You were in high school back then,” Susan said with a smile. “I can’t believe how much you look like your sister.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot. I prefer to say Connie looks like me, but whenever I mention that, she points out she was born first.”
“So, what are you doing these days?” Susan asked.
“This time next year I will officially be a college graduate—assuming of course I pass all my courses.”
“Congratulations. What’s your major?” Susan asked.
“History.”
“History? Impressive. What do you plan to do after graduation?”
“I have absolutely no idea,” Ella confessed. They both laughed.
“Are you spending the summer up here? Kicking back until you head back to college?”
“Yes and no. I am spending the summer up here—but I got a summer job at Camp Shipley.”
“No kidding! You’re a counselor?”
“Lord no,” Ella laughed. “I’m working in the mess hall. Something mindless.”
“I can relate to mindless.”
“What’s up with you? Do you have a cabin up here now?”
“No, I’m working at the camp… again.”
“Really? I thought Connie said you got married or something.”
“Yeah, well… I got divorced this past year.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”
Susan shrugged. “Well, it happens. How’s your sister? What’s she up to?”
“You can ask her yourself—if she ever gets her butt out here. We were going to walk down to the lake. You’re welcome to join us. I don’t know wh
at’s taking her so long.”
“Has she gotten married yet? I haven’t heard from her for a couple years.”
“Connie? No, she doesn’t even have a boyfriend anymore. They broke up a few months ago.”
Susan was tempted to say, There seems to be a lot of that going on, but resisted. In the next moment, the front door to the cabin opened, and out walked Ella’s older sister, who was a few years younger than Susan.
When Connie reached the end of the driveway a few moments later, she immediately recognized Susan. Hugs were exchanged, and after rapidly recapping recent events in their lives, the three young women decided to walk toward the lake. On route, Susan finished her sandwich as the three chatted.
“Have you started dating again?” Connie asked.
Ella laughed and said, “That is my sister—just comes right out there with the personal questions.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Susan said with a smile as she glanced over at Connie, who looked not a bit contrite for asking the question but waited anxiously for an answer. “I went out a couple of times, but I haven’t really met anyone who sparked my interest.”
“I know what you mean. Since Steve and I broke up, I just haven’t found anyone who interests me. That was until I saw who rented the cabin next door.”
“A cute guy next door?” Susan asked with a grin.
“Yes, cute and married,” Ella said dryly.
“Yes, that sorta killed the deal,” Connie said with a sigh.
“A cheating married man—not good,” Susan said, thinking immediately of Brandon.
“Oh, I have no idea if he was prone to cheating. But he was a bit of a flirt. Cute as hell.”
“He was a bum,” Ella chimed in.
“Wow, Ella, it doesn’t seem like you have a very high opinion of him.”
“Ella doesn’t even know him,” Connie said.
“I just didn’t appreciate how he was all flirty with Connie at the market in the village,” Ella explained, ignoring her sister’s comment. “And then later, we run into him again, this time as he and his wife and little girl are moving into the cabin next door. Guys like that are scum in my opinion.”
“What did he say when he saw you later?” Ella asked.
“I don’t think he saw us,” Connie said with a shrug. “And, Ella, some guys just flirt. Doesn’t mean they’re actually going to cheat on their wives.”
“Well, there should be a law about wearing a wedding ring,” Ella snapped.
“Wow, his being married seems to have upset you more than Connie,” Susan noted. When Ella stopped walking for a moment and glared at her, Susan wished she could take back the remark.
“Please, I had zero interest in the bum, if that’s what you meant. I just don’t like people who don’t consider how their actions can affect others.” Ella gave a shrug, then started walking again, picking up her pace and leaving Connie and Susan behind as she made her way to the lake alone.
“I didn’t mean to piss her off,” Susan said.
“Don’t mind Ella. She really was more pissed about him being married and flirting with me than I was. Ella is… well… principled. She’s okay; don’t worry about it. She’ll cool down by the time we reach the lake.”
“Is she always like that?”
“Ella has always had a low tolerance for bullshit, and as far as she’s concerned, a married guy cheating on his wife—or even flirting—is bullshit.”
“Then she would have loved Sam,” Susan said with a snort.
“I am sorry about you and Sam.”
“Thanks. But I’m okay. Really. And I feel bad about pissing off Ella.”
“Don’t worry about it. I remember when Ella was still in high school. She was popular enough but never hung out with the jock crowd. There was this guy—captain of the football team who was a major ass. I don’t know if he was born that way or simply couldn’t handle the fact he was very good looking—he really was—and that all the cheerleaders worshiped him, but he was really into himself. Not a trait Ella adores. I was with Ella at some fundraiser for her school when he came up to her and asked her out. I felt sorry for the guy. He really expected her to accept. It was not pretty.”
“Not pretty how?”
“He said some nasty things about her later, insinuating her moral character was… lacking.”
“What did Ella do?”
“Not what he expected. He and his family went to the same church as one of her best friends, Annie, so Ella asked Annie if she could go to church with her one Sunday.”
“This doesn’t sound good,” Susan chuckled.
“No, but it was funny,” Connie giggled. “After church that Sunday, Ella waited until she saw this boy and his parents talking to the minister. Ella marched right up to the minister, and said, ‘I think you might want to give your parishioner here some guidance and explain to him that Jesus would not find it amusing to spread lies about a girl simply because the girl refused to go out with him.’ She then turned to his parents and said, ‘While you might be annoyed at me for embarrassing your son, just imagine how I felt when your son told our fellow classmates that I had been screwing the entire football team. Not only have I never gone out with anyone from the football team—nor would I want to, considering your son’s behavior—I do not screw around.’ Then she just turned and walked away, leaving the parents and minister speechless.”
“What happened?”
“Well, Annie knew the minister—her family had been attending that church all her life. She had no idea what Ella was going to do, but she was aware of the lies he had spread. She was standing there when Ella turned and walked away. Actually, Ella never told me what was said—Annie did. Anyway, according to Annie, she was just as speechless as the other people, but before she went to catch up with Ella, she told the minister—and the parents who were standing there dazed—that it was all true. That he had spread those lies.”
“Were the parents pissed at Ella?”
“Surprisingly, no. The next Monday at school, the boy stood up during lunch, told everyone within hearing distance that he owed Ella an apology. She hadn’t done those things, and he admitted he had lied.”
“That’s great. I could see how that might have blown up in her face.”
“Funny thing, they actually became friends after that.”
“Did they ever date?”
“No!” Connie laughed at the thought. “She accepted his apology and didn’t hold a grudge. But ever date him? No. Although, I think he harbored a secret crush on her for years.”
“I suppose some guys just want to be smacked.” Susan chuckled.
“I guess so… Oh, look… it’s him!” Connie stopped walking and reached out, grabbing Susan’s wrist. Susan looked toward the lake where Connie was staring. Coming toward her was a blond man carrying a small child. A short distance beyond him was Ella, who stood with her back to the lake watching the man walk toward Susan and Connie. He was busy talking to the child in his arms and didn’t notice the two women standing together along the side of the road. When he was about fifteen feet away he glanced up and saw them. He came to an abrupt stop.
Susan’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was Brandon. He looked just as surprised to see her—glancing frantically from the pretty blonde woman he’d recently flirted with to the irritated divorcee whom he had once bedded.
“Enjoying our weather?” Connie said cheerfully. “I see you moved into the cabin next door.”
“Umm… yes… we are enjoying our stay,” he stammered.
“Have a nice evening,” Connie chirped, then slipped her arm through Susan’s, tugging her along as they walked toward the lake, leaving Brandon alone with his young charge.
“That is the married flirt I was telling you about,” Connie whispered when they were out of earshot.
“Umm..yes…. I sort of figured that out.” Still walking arm and arm with Connie, she glanced back over her shoulder. Brandon was still standing at the
side of the road with the little girl squirming in his arms as he stared in her direction. Their eyes met.
Chapter Ten
Curtains from the open window fluttered inward, brushing against Susan’s forehead. Restless and trying to get comfortable in the double bed, she turned to one side and clutched the pillow tightly to her belly, before tucking it between her thighs.
The girls wouldn’t be arriving until the next day, so she was alone in Cabin Five. She heard a rustling sound—someone was removing the window screen. Holding her breath, she considered screaming, but who would hear her? The closest cabins were empty; their counselors would not be arriving until the morning.
Whoever removed the screen dropped it and was now climbing into the window. The mattress dipped as the person breaking in stepped onto her bed. A second foot hit the mattress. Unable to move, Susan continued to cling to the pillow when the person pulled back the sheets and climbed in the bed with her. It was a man; she could feel his nude body pressing against hers, his erection touching her bottom. Confused, Susan was sure she’d worn a nightgown to bed but now she was nude. Instead of being afraid, she welcomed his uninvited attention.
“Waiting for me Susan?” Brandon’s voice whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her, slipping his hands between her body and the pillow, cupping her left breast possessively.
“You’re married.” The beating of her heart accelerated.
“It’s okay; she doesn’t know I’m here. She doesn’t need to know.”
“I can’t do this if you’re married,” Susan told him, yet she did not try to pull away.
“You knew I’d be here, didn’t you Susan? You came here looking for me.”
“That’s not true! I had no idea you’d be here!”
“You’re lying. You don’t seem surprised I’m in your bed. You didn’t scream. You know I’m married, but you still want me, don’t you?”
Sundered Hearts Page 6
