Summer by the Lake

by Kay Gordon

  I plugged in my hairdryer near the dresser and stood in my towel as I used it. I was just finishing when Drew walked up behind me in his own towel. He watched me as he pulled his clothes on and I turned it off while he was tying his shoes.

  “You finish up here. I’ll go check us out really quick and come back for you.” He pressed a kiss to my lips and disappeared through the door.

  I ran the flat iron through my hair and dressed in a pair of shorts and a pale pink tank top. I repacked my bag and made sure we hadn’t left anything out before sitting on the bed with my phone. Drew’s was blowing up with text messages and I reached over to flip it so the display was down on the bed. I didn’t want to be that person who violated someone else’s privacy.

  I had over sixty text messages, fifteen voicemails, and two hundred emails, but I just skimmed everything to make sure nothing was overly important. I sent a text to Bri and she replied with a GIF of someone crying, her way of telling me that she missed me. I also sent texts off to both of my parents to let them know camp was going okay and both responded instantly, making me smile

  Like many other couples who had lost a child, my parents’ marriage had deteriorated after Kira’s death. The stress of losing a child put a lot of strain on their relationship and the two of them had divorced eighteen months after we’d lost her. My parents told me that the divorce was because they’d lost themselves and ended up drifting apart, but I found out about a year later that my mother had cheated on my father. I’d been angry at my mother for a long time, and maybe I still was, but it didn’t cause my love for her to wane at all. They were both still great parents and I never felt neglected or unloved by either of them.

  A knock sounded on the door, causing me to startle slightly from where I was lost in my thoughts, and I stood up to let Drew in. He grabbed our bags and smiled at me.

  “Do we have everything?”

  I grabbed his phone off the bed and handed it to him as I nodded. “Yeah, I checked everywhere.”

  “Let’s leave paradise then,” he said as shoved his phone into his pocket without looking for it and offered me his hand. I took it immediately and followed his lead.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “There’s a place that has great tacos a few blocks away,” Drew said after we’d dropped off our room keys and walked out of the hotel. He looked over at me and I nodded.

  “That sounds great. I need to go by a grocery store, too.”

  We ate lunch together and Drew told me stories from home. He was able to easily make me laugh and my cheeks hurt by the time we were leaving the restaurant. From what he told me, it sounded like he wasn’t really any different outside of camp. His stories usually included a bit of immaturity mixed with a lot of caring.

  “Can I ask you a personal question?” I inquired as we walked towards the grocery store and Drew didn’t hesitate before nodding.

  “You can ask me anything, Shay.”

  I turned my head so I could press a kiss to his shoulder. “If you were in foster care, how could they afford to send you to camp each year?”

  Summer sleepaway camps were definitely not cheap. I knew that Camp Holcomb was just north of ten thousand for the entire summer. Without whatever family discount we received, there would have been no way Kira and I could have come every summer.

  “I actually won a scholarship the first year,” he explained as we stepped off the curb to cross the street. “It was some essay contest at school and when I won, the money went towards a sleepaway camp. I came here for that first summer at the end of third grade and Howard and May arranged different scholarships for me every year after.”

  I smiled for what felt like the millionth time and tugged on his hand until we were stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “Do you know how amazing you are?”

  “Why do you say that?” Drew’s fingertips grazed along my cheek as he smiled, too.

  “You could have gone down a completely different path,” I said, bringing my hand up to cover his on my face. “Instead, you’ve basically dedicated your life to helping people. You teach, you take care of kids during the year at the rec center and during the summer at camp, you plan on being a school counselor for the next thirty or so years of your life. You’re amazing.”

  “I wouldn’t say that makes me amazing, Shay. Decent, maybe.” His lips brushed against mine and we continued walking. “Honestly, I owe Howard and May the credit. They saw something in me that first summer and basically made me family. May would call and check on me several times a year and they both sent me birthday and Christmas presents. When I got a job at sixteen, I saved up money for airline tickets so I could come visit them during the off-season. They’re the closest thing to parents that I have. Even more so than my foster parents.”

  My heart broke a little at his admission. I’d grown up with so much love in my life that imagining anything less was hard. “They are amazing.”

  Drew squeezed my hand but didn’t reply. He didn’t need to.

  We made it to the grocery store and walked across the parking lot in silence. As we neared the front, I looked over at him. “Do you need anything in here?”

  “Nope. I’m good.”

  “Okay.” I stopped him at the door and shook my head. “Can you wait for me out here then?” When he looked at me curiously, I just shrugged. “I need tampons and stuff.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Liar. You need supplies for Cabin Wars.”

  “Just think how great my satiny, pink thong is going to feel against your skin, Drew.” I pressed my lips to the corner of his mouth and he let out a small laugh.

  “Wear that on our next day off, okay?” His eyes were dark as he stared at me. “I would love to pull it off of you.”

  I flashed him a smirk before turning to head inside. His palm connected with my ass in a hard smack and I just raised my brows as I glanced over my shoulder at him.

  I hurried through the grocery store and picked up different things we needed while grabbing a few more that might come in handy. The store already had a tiny sliver of Halloween stuff out, something I normally would have rolled my eyes at but made me happy in that moment. I repeatedly checked over my shoulder to make sure that Drew hadn’t snuck in to see what we were planning on doing. When I paid for my items, I ask the employees to double bag them and then place them in paper bags. They looked at me like I was a nut but did as I asked.

  Drew was looking at his phone when I walked back outside and I watched him type something into it furiously. He turned his head when he heard me walk up and tried to help me with my bags. I danced out of his reach, though, and shook my head.

  “No way.”

  He grinned and watched as I rolled down the tops of both bags. “You’re crazy.”

  “Crazy is going to get us the ‘W’, Moore.” I gestured to his phone when I was done. “Did you call Kurt?”

  “Yes, ma’am. He’s on his way.” His phone vibrated and he glanced at it before stuffing it into his pocket. He looked back at me and opened his arms. I placed my bags on the ground near the wall before moving into his embrace. A content sigh slipped past my lips when my cheek pressed against his chest.

  “Can I ask another personal question?” My voice was muffled but he heard me anyway.

  “I told you… anything.”

  I bit my lip and tilted my head so I was looking at him. “Who’s Alana?”

  His hold on me tightened and he shook his head. “She’s my ex-girlfriend. I broke up with her about a year and a half ago when I found out she had started using recreational drugs. There are times when she’s high where she feels empty or lonely and I’m the first person she calls even though she knows I won’t answer.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know how else to respond and he seemed to understand because he offered me a small smile.

  “Yeah. No need to be jealous, okay?”

  I nodded and dropped my cheek back to his chest. “Okay.”

  We st
ayed like that until Kurt pulled up in front of the store. I grabbed my brown paper bags and shot Drew a look that made him laugh. Kurt greeted us happily and dropped us off at the staff bunk since we still had five hours before we were back on shift.

  “Want to go in and take a nap?” I asked, coming to a stop on the trail. “Or we could head down to the east side of the lake for a bit.”

  Drew didn’t answer for a moment and when he did, he gestured to the staff bunk.

  “A lazy nap sounds really good.”

  I nodded in agreement and tugged on his hand. “Let’s go nap, then.”

  We found a vacant room at the end of the hall and kicked off our shoes once the bags were down. Drew fell onto the double bed with a long sigh and I smiled as I took the spot next to him.

  “Thanks for spending your day off with me.”

  He turned so he was on his side and grinned. “I should be thanking you.”

  We stared at each other for a long moment and I don’t know who moved first but our lips were suddenly pressed together. Our clothes came off quickly and I straddled his naked body. As I moved above him, Drew watched me with a look that mingled between pleasure, determination, and awe. That same look made me feel sexy, powerful, and treasured at the same time.

  Once our bodies were both completely spent, we cuddled up together, still naked, and fell asleep. We stayed that way until the thirty minute dinner warning chimed and pulled me out of whatever dream I was having. As I opened my eyes, I tried to cling onto something from the dream but all I could remember was that Kira had been in it. It had been a long time since I'd dreamt about my sister.

  “Did you sleep okay?” Drew’s voice came from behind me and was rough with sleep. I turned in his arms and nodded as I gave him a sleepy smile.

  “Did you?”

  He returned the smile and let his eyes close for a moment. “Perfectly.”

  I pressed my lips to his for a second before releasing a long sigh and sitting up in the bed. Drew did the same and we both redressed in the clothes we'd had on earlier.

  We left our bags in the room as we took the stairs to the main level where the staff dining room was. He draped his arm across my shoulders as we walked into the busy area and looked around.

  “Shaylee, Drew.”

  We both turned and found May and Howard staring at us with grins on their faces. May nudged her husband before speaking.

  “Did you two have a nice day off?”

  I looked at her for a moment, inspecting her knowing and very proud smile before shaking my head. “You put us in the same age group on purpose.”

  “I don't know what you're talking about,” May replied but the look in her eye and ever-growing smile betrayed her words.

  “We had a great day off,” Drew answered as his fingers gently gripped my shoulder. “Thanks, May.”

  I knew he was thanking her for more than just asking about our day off and I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my lips.

  “Yeah. Thank you, May.”

  She just beamed before patting each of us on the cheek. Howard smiled while gesturing towards the tables.

  “Don’t wait until it’s cold, you two.”

  When the owners walked away, both still smiling conspiratorially, Drew and I found two seats at the table and accepted food as it was passed around. He conversed with people all around the table, obviously well known around camp. His left hand stayed on my thigh throughout dinner, though, and he was constantly turning to give me small smiles.

  Once our plates were clear, I followed Drew back to the room we had used to nap in and he helped me change the sheets in silence. I’d just put a new pillowcase on one of the pillows when his arms wrapped around me from behind.

  “You’re so quiet.”

  I turned my head and Drew leaned forward so I could meet his gaze. I gave him a small kiss and shook my head. “I’m savoring the moment before we have to go back to our cabins.”

  “Yeah?” He tightened his grip on me slightly. “Want to go to the dance with me, Shay?”

  The annual Camp Holcomb ball was always held at the end of week five. It was only open to the seventh graders and higher, but any of the counselors were allowed to attend if they wanted to. We weren’t required to go, even if our cabins were going, but I knew that Hannah was looking forward to it.

  “Will you wear a tie?” I asked with a teasing grin and he nodded immediately, watching me with his bright blue eyes.

  “I’ll even tuck in my shirt.”

  I let out an exaggerated gasp and raised my eyebrows. “Pulling out the big guns.”

  “Is that a yes?” Drew moved so his lips were brushing along my neck, causing me to tilt slightly and close my eyes.

  “You don’t play fair, Moore.” My voice was more of a moan and he chuckled softly.

  “Say you will, Shay.”

  I nodded and pulled out of his grip so he wasn’t touching me at all. “I will. Just stop kissing my neck. You’ve done enough damage there.”

  Drew smiled and picked up both of our overnight bags. I grabbed the paper bags from the grocery store and led him out the door. People we passed told us goodbye and we walked along the lake to head back to the campus, stopping to drop off our phones on the way. I adjusted the bags so I was gripping them with one hand and laced the fingers of my other with Drew’s.

  “Did we know each other during our camp days?” I asked as I glanced over him. Drew looked at me with a smile and nodded his head.

  “I remember you. How old were you when you sang that Maroon 5 song for karaoke night?”

  I groaned and shook my head quickly. “Twelve. I had no fear and didn’t give a shit that I couldn’t carry a tune. The entire year after that, my sister would randomly blare ‘She Will Be Loved’ from her room just to tease me.”

  “That sounds like Kira,” he murmured with the smile still on his face and I stopped walking, forcing him to stop, too.

  “You knew Kira?”

  “We were in the same grade,” he replied quietly as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I was the victim of a lot of Kira’s hell-raising during my eight years here.”

  I nodded as I realized how obvious that was. Of course he would have known her. “That’s why you weren’t shocked last night when I told you she had died.”

  “Yeah.” Drew tugged on my hand and we resumed our steps. I wasn’t surprised when he didn’t break away to go to his cabin and instead kept going with me to mine. I was surprised, however, to hear him humming. When I realized it was a few bars of that same Maroon 5 song, I laughed out loud and let go of his hand so I could shove on his shoulder gently.

  “You suck.”

  He laughed, too, and followed me inside the side door of my cabin. “I can’t help it. It’s going to be in my head for hours.”

  I dropped my bags on the floor by my bed and he did the same thing with my overnight duffel. He stood in silence for a moment as I grabbed one of my counselor t-shirts out of my drawer. I could feel his eyes on me as I pulled my tank top over my head and replaced it with a t-shirt.

  “You’re mean.”

  I grinned at him and shrugged as I looped my arms around his neck. “Payback for the neck earlier.”

  “The best payback ever,” Drew whispered as his lips ghosted over my own. “You’re so beautiful.”

  His mouth covered mine and I forgot about everything else in the world. All that mattered in that moment was us. We kissed unhurriedly but the slow movements did nothing to calm the fire that spread through my body like wildfire. I had no idea how I could have been with him so many times since the night before and still feel giddy at the prospect of being with him again.

  The side door to the cabin opened and we disconnected our mouths slowly before turning to watch as Jordan and Hannah walked in. Her lips curled into a smile when she caught sight of us.

  “Great minds think alike.”

 
; Drew chuckled and dropped one more kiss to my lips before pulling away. “Thanks for an amazing night, Shay. I’ll see you later?”

  “Yeah. Thank you, Drew.”

  Hannah and Jordan shared a quick kiss and he left with Drew.

  My roommate pulled on her own counselor t-shirt and grinned over at me. “I’d ask if you had a good night but I’ll let the purple hickey speak for itself.”

  “I’m seriously going to kill him,” I replied with a roll of my eyes. “Let’s go get our girls and you can tell me all about your night.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hannah did just that. She didn’t stop to take a breath all the way to the dining hall and her face was bright the entire time. I couldn’t help but smile as she spoke and I hugged her tight as we approached the entrance of the cafeteria. She returned my hug with a fierce one of her own and neither of us said anything as we walked inside.

  Dinner was just ending and our girls greeted us as if we’d been gone for twenty-four days rather than twenty-four hours. They bombarded us with questions and Joanne smiled as she stood from the table.

  “They were great. Exhausting but great.”

  Tammi nodded her head in agreement. “You’ve got a good group.”

  “We do, right?” I squeezed Jenny to my side. “Thanks for staying with them.”

  Tammi and Joanne hugged both Hannah and me before waving to the girls. We waited until they’d cleaned up their plates and we began to follow the mass amounts of people out of the dining hall. We’d just made it out to the grass when I heard a voice singing softly behind me.

  “I don’t mind spending every day, out on your corner in the pouring rain.”

  I turned and immediately pinched Drew’s side, causing him to laugh loudly. He pressed a quick kiss to my cheek and walked off with his campers, humming the rest of the song loudly as he did.

  I grinned as I watched him. Hannah raised her eyebrows but I shook my head.