Page 11 of Summer Camp with the Mountain Man

Her family’s campground?

The business she helps them run every summer is the campground we’re staying at?

“Right, I didn’t mention my family’s business is the campground, did I? Your family doesn’t know, so I had to sneak off tonight to catch up on some work. They think I do something with online influencing marketing bribery strategy tactics, it’s all over my head but that’s what his actual fiancée did and they already knew that so it transferred over to me. I’m not so good with swipey app stuff, touch screens hate my fingers. Don’t worry, I’m not a ghost, or a vampire, I already checked.”

“That’s good, because I was a little concerned with all the garlic on those Springy Dogs. I didn’t realize the campground was in financial trouble,” I say, taking a seat beside her when she slithers into a more normal position.

“I didn’t either. I used to handle the money but the last couple summers, I was too busy teaching online courses, making myself more irreplaceable in the eyes of the school. It didn’t work. We were profitable before that. Now they’ve got out all these loans, they barely charged half the guests because they can’t figure out online banking. They’ve always hit the weed a little hard but edibles ruined them.”

“That explains a lot. I met your mom earlier.”

“Oh god, how embarrassed should I be, on a scale from one to actually-marrying-your-cousin?”

“I think she hit on me on your behalf, but I’m pretty sure she thought I was a pirate. Things are all starting to make a lot more sense now. And for the record, my mother was right, I was definitely eyeing you at the campground.”

“You what?” she says in slow motion, pretending to be shocked. “Your future cousin-in-law? Truthfully, I didn’t notice, I was too busy mentally undressing you. I’m sorry, I don’t normally say things like that out loud. I didn’t mean it in a creepy way. Is there an uncreepy way to undress someone with your eyes? I did it very artistically.”

“You can always feel free to undress me any way you want, artistic or not.”

“That’s a relief, because it wasn’t artistic, I used my teeth. I don’t know how I’m supposed to stop myself from doing it in real life. Did I just say that out loud? Your dragon eyes are like a truth serum and you need to stop it because I’m about done embarrassing myself in front of you, Cade Procter.”

“Please, don’t stop. Since we met, not a minute’s gone by that I haven’t thought about you. I didn’t know how I was gonna make it through today at the campground with you so close, yet so far. I was going crazy.”

“Can you go crazy for another week? Because I just lost my job and I could really use the money.”

“Consolidation? Rayne, no. They let you go?”

“Like Leonardo Dicaprio on a makeshift life raft after fighting a killer iceberg. All those hours spent helping out at summer school meant nothing in the end. They kept Mrs. Harper, she does puppets, mwehhh,” she mocks, pretending to rip imaginary puppets off her hands. “Yeah, I tried it too, I was a bit overzealous though and their eyes always fell off at the most disturbing moment possible. And apparently my voices were offensive, and at times, quote unquote, downright disturbing.”

“Rayne, I’m so sorry.”

Her sigh blows the hairs that escaped her messy fall foliage buns out of her face. “It’s okay, teaching isn’t what I thought it would be. Kids seem different today, angrier. Where I taught, the parents barely cared. I felt more like a babysitter. Plus, and don’t tell a single tourist I said this, I kinda missed this little vacation town. Where I lived in Connecticut, it either smelled like farm or motor oil, no in between. I got a little homesick.”

“All your secrets are safe with me. I get it, I’ve been homesick for this place since I was ten and I never technically lived here.”

“So this isn’t your first time on the lake?”

She rests her cheek against my shoulder, stopping time along with all coherent thoughts for so long I’m not sure it’s socially acceptable to answer her question this much later. Will she even remember what she asked?

“My father’s side of the family owns Cushing Island. Or at least they used to. I don’t know anymore, he did a good job moving on without us. We’d come here on vacation every summer. The rest of the year we lived in New York and he worked on Wall Street. But this always felt like home to me.”

“I can’t imagine someone not wanting you in their life,” she whispers into my arm with a dainty kiss that makes the darkest corners of my soul come alive. “So is it me or do your relatives all seem to have a strange fascination with the incomparable Giovanni?”

“I take it you heard them booing my arrival?”

“They did what?” she practically shrieks, the sound muffled by my bicep.

“I may as well have been the rival football team at homecoming. They’ve always loved that loathable goof, my mom included. Well, everyone except his dad, Uncle Bobby sees through his bullshit.”

“Portly fellow who talks like a mobster? Yep, I noticed. He seems so proud his little fuckup is finally maturing I’m gonna feel bad when the wedding doesn’t happen. Quite frankly, I’m pissed they don’t like you more than him. Do they not realize how cool you are? They know what you do for a living, right?”

“The Procters are more of a simple breed. They weren’t too fond of me changing up the family business. It was always decking but I had a knack for doing the weird ones. Uncle Bobby saw money in it, had me branch off and do the unconventional projects until those basically took over. He retired and left the business to me a couple years ago. The rest of them look at it like I ran him out of his own company and besmirched the family name. Yes, that’s the exact phrasing that was used.”

“Well, I’d let you besmirch me any day. Except these next few days, when I’m engaged to your ingrate of a cousin. After that, besmirch away.”

The way she snuggles into my arm, wrapping herself around it like she’s trying to steal its warmth, despite the heatwave we’re in, it makes it all okay.

In this moment, I don’t mind being the outcast.