And tomorrow, after she’d had time to gather her thoughts and figure out how to request assistance without feeling like a dismal failure, she’d talk to Luke.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Gabi jumped when Luke pushed open the door of the dining hall, despite the fact that she’d been waiting for him. She’d tried to get up earlier than he did so she could at least make him coffee before she begged for help, but even though she’d slid out of her sleeping bag at the crack of dawn, she’d still barely beat him to the coffeemaker.
“You’re up early. No more skunks?”
She looked at him in his clean T-shirt, hair damp from the shower, a dab of shaving cream near his ear, and tried not to find him adorable. She barely knew him, for God’s sake. She shouldn’t be using the term “adorable,” even casually.
She’d been the queen of fall-fast-fall-hard-fall-stupid for a long time now, even after she’d identified her own ridiculous pattern. It was mortally embarrassing just how stupid she’d been a few times, and “adorable” had no place on her vocab list right now.
This looking at him in the morning sunlight and wondering what the planes of his chest might look like without his T-shirt? It was just … a bad habit, not attraction. Not real attraction, anyway. He was here, he was hot, and he pressed the fall-fast button perfectly. If she let herself get drawn in by his deep green eyes and that damn dimple, she’d head right into fall-hard territory.
And inevitably, the stupid part would follow.
He’d reveal an irresistible sense of humor, he’d be a great kisser … he’d have a kitten back at his cabin that revealed his softer side. And she’d be a goner.
“Gabi?”
She shook her head, clearing the vision. What had he asked her? “I’m sorry, what?”
He raised his eyebrows like he’d seen every thought that had just flown through her head. “Skunks. Just asking if you’d seen any more critters last night.”
“Um, no. None. Pretty sure the girls swept out every piece of dust that could be mistaken as a crumb.”
“Good. Hard lesson to learn, but a good one. Could have been a bear.”
Gabi shivered. “Thank you. I need to have that on my mind right now.”
He filled a coffee mug, then motioned toward the door. “Want to come sit by the lake for a few minutes before the princess posse awakens?”
She paused. Would it be easier to have the conversation she’d practiced down by the water? Or here in the dining hall?
She shook her head internally. It didn’t matter. No matter where they were, it wasn’t going to be easy. She followed him out the door and down the wooden steps, inhaling the woodsy scent of pines and moss. Even through her anxiety, she already loved this time of the day at Echo Lake.
In the morning light, with wisps of fog lifting off the lake, it looked like they’d stepped into a magical summer wonderland, rather than a run-down, has-been summer camp. As they walked over the dewy grass to the water’s edge, she looked around, trying to appreciate the beauty of the setting, even though the distinct scent of skunk still lingered in the air.
Or maybe she was still carrying it with her, despite three lake shampoos yesterday.
Echo Lake stretched for what looked like a mile or so across, and the camp property was nestled in a sandy cove surrounded by the tallest pines Gabi had ever seen. It reminded her of dream-vacation pictures she’d seen online, where water met land met sky … and not one building interrupted the sightline.
The moment she sat down, she felt her blood pressure drop, as it did every time she sat here. She didn’t know if it was the mist, or the mountain, or just the fresh, clean air, but there was just something about this spot that called up her inner Zen.
The arm of the chair made a perfect landing spot for her coffee mug, and she closed her eyes for a long moment, just drinking in the peace as she called up her courage. She could hear the water lapping softly against the sand and the dock, and somewhere behind her, birds and squirrels were busy in the trees.
“So what are you going to do with the girls today?” Luke’s deep voice made her open her eyes.
Gabi sighed. Here was her opening, but for some reason, she couldn’t find the words she’d practiced. “I’m not sure yet. Leave them out for the bears? Send them on a hike with bad directions?”
“If I said I had an idea, would you trust me?” He kept his eyes focused on the other side of the lake, not looking at her.
Wait. Was he about to actually make this easier on her?
“It’s … possible. Tell me why I should.”
He tipped his head. “I think the girls could use a little wake-up call.”
“Because the skunk wasn’t enough of one? What does that mean?”
“It means—and you may not want to hear this—it means despite what they did back at Briarwood, in all honesty, their first few days at camp have been a piece of cake.”
“I beg your pardon? Did you miss the part about raccoons? Outhouses? Baths in a glacial lake?”
“And scavenger hunts and art projects and swimming every day. Yes, it’s been harsh.” He raised an eyebrow like she was being obtuse. “I know Camp Echo is hardly their normal lifestyle, but I also know these four girls aren’t feeling a whole lot of pain around the decisions they made that got you sent here.”
“No offense, Luke, but I actually think they’re feeling quite a bit of pain.”
“Not the lasting kind.” He shook his head. “Not the kind that’ll really change their behavior in the end.”
She sighed, knowing he was right, but not wanting to admit it quite yet. “So what do you propose?”
“I propose we give them the kind of consequences that’ll leave them too tired to even think about causing trouble again—the kind that’ll make them test their limits and work together.”
“You sound like an advertisement for military school or something.” She shook her head. “And also, you might be a glutton for punishment, if you think that approach has a chance of flying with this crew.”
Luke shrugged. “Give me one day. Trust me for today, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll reconvene tonight and you can officially un-trust me.”
“One question—less than a week ago, you made no bones about the fact that you had a project list a mile long, and no interest in having us bother you. And now you’re sitting here offering to … well, I’m not sure yet what you’re offering, but it’s something. Why?”
He nodded. “Good question. And I don’t even know how to answer it.”
“Is it because you think I’m so inept that someone’s going to actually get hurt? Because the fish hook wasn’t my fault. Oliver said those poles are ancient. And the poison ivy … well, I guess that one could probably be blamed on me, but really, it was just discomfort, not real pain or anything.”
She knew she was babbling, and she also knew her goal waking up this morning was to get help, so really, she should be feeling grateful that he was offering first, but instead, her initial reaction was to feel defensive.
Was she really this bad at accepting help?
“I’m not offering to bail you out because I fear for the lives of your students, no.” Luke smiled. “I’m just offering because—well, maybe because it’s what I do. And honestly, I’m only offering you one day. After that, they’re all yours.”
Gabi stared at the water. One day. “Do you truly have any experience with kids like this?”
“I’ve got experience with a lot of kids, Gabi.”
She heard the tone in his voice before she saw his jaw tighten, and she felt guilty. He was offering help, and she needed help. She just hated that she did.
She closed her eyes tightly. “One day?”
Some of the tightness left his jaw, and she saw the traces of a smile return. “One day.”
Just then, Gabi heard the girls grumbling their way toward the beach, complaining about the heat and the cold and their hair and the food … until she lost track of all t
he things that were already wrong with the morning. It was barely dawn, for God’s sake.
She glanced over at Luke, who had his eyebrows raised, an amused expression on his face as he looked at her. It pretty much hit her from head to toe and everywhere in between. She shook her head and picked up her mug, lifting it toward his in a mock cheers.
“Luke? They’re all yours.”
Chapter 10
Luke stood up, and Gabi did the same. Madison and Waverly immediately sat down in the chairs they’d vacated, but Luke pointed at them, hooking his thumb.
“Sorry, ladies. Sitting’s for later. And from here on out, these chairs are adults-only.”
Madison rolled her eyes and sighed before she stood up, but Waverly just popped up like she’d been hooked with a crochet needle.
“All right.” Luke reached into his back pocket for a piece of paper, unfolding it as he looked at each of them. “Today we launch Operation Echo.”
Silence greeted him. Since they hadn’t gotten beyond “one day,” Gabi had no idea what he was talking about. Obviously the girls didn’t, either.
“I’ve got a list of the projects that need doing, and I’ve gone ahead and prioritized them, but I wouldn’t mind some input before we get started on them.”
Madison crossed her arms. “Gabi? What is he talking about? Are you, like, renting us out or something? Because of one little skunk? Seriously?”
Luke shook his head. “No rent. She gave you guys to me for free.”
A sharp intake of breath made Gabi laugh, but she didn’t ease their minds by arguing with him. She’d said yes for today, but he was making it sound like she’d okayed them as his work crew for the rest of the summer.
For some reason, she was totally okay with that right now.
“What kind of projects?” Sam’s pose matched Madison’s.
“The work kind of projects. Building, painting, cleaning—you know. Projects. We needed a work crew for the summer. Instead, Briarwood sent you. Maybe there was a mix-up and maybe there wasn’t, but that’s where we’re at. You’ve had almost a week of vacation here in paradise, but today we get serious. I’ve got a list of stuff to do, and you four have nothing to do. It’s a perfect match. You can be my work crew.”
Five minutes later, the girls were seated at the picnic table outside the administration cottage, their arms crossed, their faces grim as Luke tacked down four copies of the list he’d made. He handed each of them a pencil.
“All right. This is the stuff that needs doing before the end of August, but I’m going to let you help figure out what order we do it in.”
“Gosh, thanks.” Madison rolled her eyes. “And how did we end up your slaves, anyway?”
“I prefer work crew. And you don’t have to vote.” Luke shrugged. “But if you don’t vote, you don’t whine. Got it?”
She narrowed her eyes, but she kept her mouth shut for once. He paused for a long moment, waiting her out, but finally decided she was going to stay quiet, so he continued.
“I figure we’ll work out a reward system. We get the work done, we get to play.”
“Play?” Sam snorted. “We’re not five.”
“Just an expression, Snarkasaurus. If we get the stuff done that needs doing, then we can take a break and do the fun stuff.”
Eve sighed, her expression bored. “And what exactly is the fun stuff?”
Luke smiled. “There’s a big lake, a big mountain, and a big forest. We’ll figure it out as we go. You’re in paradise, girls. The fun never ends.”
Madison scanned the list, landing her finger on an item halfway down the page. “You can’t be serious. You think building a new bathroom is the tenth priority on this list? Behind repairing the dock?”
Luke shrugged. “You disagree?”
“Are you kidding? A bathroom—with an actual toilet—is definitely top priority.”
“Everybody else agree?” The other three girls nodded as Luke pointed to each of them in turn. “Gabi? How about you?”
Gabi rolled her eyes, trying not to think of how many types of insects she’d seen in the outhouse over the past week. “A bathroom would be nice, yes.”
But wait a minute. There was no way they could build an entire bathroom in a day. She narrowed her eyes. That had to be at least a week-long project. Had he snowed her into turning over her girls so he could have free labor?
She tried to feel mad, but was sobered to realize that all she actually felt was relief.
“All right. Bathroom it is.” Luke gathered the lists and rolled them up, then stuck them in his back pocket. “I’ll give you girls fifteen minutes to go do—whatever girls your age need to do in the morning. Report back here at nine sharp. We’ve got a lot of lumber to haul.”
The girls sat still for a long moment, like they couldn’t quite believe they’d been hired out—for free—as Luke’s personal work crew, but when Gabi didn’t intervene, they mumbled and muttered as they unfolded themselves from the picnic table and headed down the pathway toward the tent.
Gabi studied Luke as he leaned over to scribble on another piece of paper. “Did you really think a bathroom was the tenth priority?”
“Nah.” He slid his pencil behind his ear as he turned to her. “Just thought it’d help to give them something to agree on for at least the first day. Figured the thought of a toilet and shower would be a good carrot to get them through our first project.”
“First day? First project?”
He smiled. “We’ll see how it goes. I might not know squat about girls, but I do know they love a good bathroom. It’s a start, right?”
“Sure.” She crossed her arms. “Any chance you’ve thought through exactly how you’re going to teach this crew how to build a bathroom?”
“Nah. We’ll figure it out.” He winked, motioning her toward his truck, which she could now see was laden with lumber. “Come on, Gabi. We’ve got a team to build. By the end of the day, these girls will be too tired to give any of us any crap. That’s gotta be worth some level of trust, right?”
Gabi took a deep breath, uncrossing her arms. “Okay, I’m going to trust you, but if anybody cuts off a finger or anything, we’re both dead.”
“Won’t happen.”
“Have you met these girls?”
He leveled her with a look, and this time all traces of humor were gone. In their place was a jaw set against any argument she might come up with.
“Trust me, Gabi.”
* * *
Four hours later, the girls had hauled an entire truckload worth of lumber to the site of the new bathroom, complaining and whining the entire time. Two hours in, Luke had promised them lemonade at lunch if they would just shut up for ten straight minutes.
He stood on the cement foundation he’d poured last week, watching as the girls slowly stacked the lumber and turned around to get more from the truck. His early assessments of them were spot-on, if he did say so himself.
He was pretty sure the last time any of them had done manual labor was … never. They were clumsy, inefficient, and oh-so-angry about the whole thing, save for Eve, who just tried to stay under the radar. If he hadn’t been so amused by the efforts of the other three not to cooperate, he would have been really ticked off that it was taking them so long to empty the truck.
He’d known damn well they’d all choose the bathroom project first. Had counted on it when he’d bought the lumber last night and had it ready and waiting in the parking lot this morning. He and Oliver had already finished the pipework to the septic. All that was left was to frame in the building and do the internal plumbing. It was the perfect project, since pretty much anything that needed doing required at least two sets of hands.
Yep. If the girls wanted to pee on a throne or take an actual shower this summer, they were going to have to work together, whether they liked it or not.
He tried to keep his eyes on the teenagers, but to his consternation, his attention kept drifting to Gabriela. When she’d seen the enor
mous pile of lumber, her eyes had widened, and she’d looked at him like he was crazy.
“They’re not heavy,” he’d said.
“But there are a gazillion of them,” she’d answered.
“So it’ll take a while.” He’d shrugged, and she’d shaken her head, but she’d buttoned her lip and let him direct the girls. He was pretty sure it was killing her to turn over control, but it was clear she was well out of her element here, so she didn’t have a lot of choices.
And now, four hours later, almost the entire pile of lumber had been moved, and after lunch, they’d be able to start the actual building part.
“Will this be ready by tonight?” Eve asked.
“Well, depending on how well you guys do, there may be walls, but you’ll still be able to see through them. No plumbing, though. This stuff takes time. Look how long it took you just to unload the truck.”
Madison and Waverly arrived with the last two-by-four, collapsing onto the pile as soon as they’d placed the board on top.
“Please tell us we’re done for the day.” Madison wiped her forehead, then pulled her hand away and looked at it in disgust, like she couldn’t fathom how all of that dirt had gotten there.
“Done for the morning, yep.” Luke pointed toward the dining hall. “There’s a sink right outside the kitchen. Go wash up. Piper left lunch stuff out on the counter for you. We’re back here in thirty minutes.”
“Half an hour? That’s it?” Waverly whined.
As the girls stumbled toward the dining hall, Luke heard “slave driver” come out of someone’s mouth, but it only made him smile.
“Are you trying to kill them?” Gabi’s voice wiped the smile clean.
He turned toward her. “Nope. Why? They look dead to you?”
“I’m never going to hear the end of this, thank you very much.” She put her hands on her hips, and he hated the sudden urge that struck him—the one that made him want to kiss the frown right off her gorgeous face.
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