Reach for Tomorrow (5 page)

At the moment, Katie’s charges were in the rec
center busy with a craft activity, and it was her turn to sort the mail into the proper slots for the campers and staff to pick up later.

She hummed as she worked. It seemed as if everyone had received mail that day. She saw a letter for Lacey with Jeff’s return address in the corner. “This should make you happy, girl,” she said aloud, and filed it in Lacey’s box. The next letter stopped her cold, however. It was addressed to Josh in a distinctly feminine handwriting.

Her heart thudded and jealousy pricked at her insides. Covertly she read the name in the upper left-hand corner: Natalie Brooks. She knew no one named Natalie. Her fingers itched to tear it open and read it.

“Stop it!” she told herself aloud.

“Stop what?”

Katie jumped and whirled. “Dullas!” she barked. “Don’t come sneaking up on me like that.”

“I wasn’t sneaking. I wanted to ask you something.”

Katie forced herself to calm down as she shoved the letter into Josh’s box. “What? And why aren’t you at crafts?”

“I hate crafts. It’s dorky and dumb to sit and make pot holders.”

“Everybody else is doing it.”

Dullas just looked bored. She crossed her arms. “I want to talk to you about Sarah.”

“Listen, Sarah’s had that bunk for over a week now, so stop badgering me about it.”

“It’s not about the bunk. It’s something else I found out about her.”

Curious, Katie asked, “What about her?” Dullas rarely thought of anybody except herself.

“She’s adopted. Just like me.”

“How do you know that? Did she tell you?”

“I accidentally saw her records.”

As the implication of Dullas’s confession sank in, Katie caught her breath. “You
read
her file? Good grief, Dullas, you can’t go peeking into anybody’s records. What were you thinking? It’s illegal.”

Dullas sniffed, not the least put out by Katie’s reprimand. “It was an accident, I told you. I was in Kimbra’s office and saw Sarah’s file and accidentally knocked it on the floor, and when I picked it up, I just happened to read some stuff.”

Katie could imagine how the file had “accidentally” hit the floor. “Well, what if she
is
adopted? It’s none of your business.”

“But don’t you see? Me and Sarah are alike. We both have had cancer and we’ve both been adopted.”

Katie started to tell Dullas that she and Sarah
weren’t anything alike, but Dullas looked so impassioned, she held her tongue. “So what’s your point?”

“Well, from now on, I’m going to be her special friend.”

“Does she want a special friend?”

“You’ve never been adopted, Katie. You don’t know what it’s like to always wonder who your real parents are and why they dumped you.” Dullas sounded serious.

Katie was pricked by her confession. “You’re right, Dullas, I don’t know what it’s like. Both my parents love me very much. But I met Sarah’s adopted parents and her brother and sister. They acted as if they love her very much. When it was time to go, her little brother cried like he was losing his dearest friend. Besides, Kimbra cares about you. So what does it matter who your real parents are? Parents are people who hang around and take care of you and love you.”

Dullas nodded. “Sure, that’s true, but still a person wonders. You wonder where your real parents are, what they’re doing, if they ever think about you. I know my old man’s in jail, but my mom, what about her? Where is she? And you wonder if you have grandmas and grandpas, or other brothers and sisters. You wonder a lot of things.”

Katie felt the emotional impact of Dullas’s words. Of course a person would wonder. It was natural to want to know about your family, your roots. “You may be right,” she said slowly. “But don’t go making too many assumptions about Sarah. Maybe she doesn’t think about it much at all. Maybe she’s dealt with her feelings and moved on.”

“No one moves on, Katie. You always think about it, and I know Sarah does too.”

Katie couldn’t dispute what Dullas was saying, so she tried a different tack. “Just remember, if somebody wants you to know something about them, they’ll tell you. And that includes Sarah. So my advice to you is, MYOB.”

“You’re one to talk. Don’t you want to know who the girl is that’s writing to Josh?”

Dullas didn’t wait for Katie’s answer. She grinned impishly and skittered away.

Meg sat on a blanket by the lake watching her girls swim and splash. Katie, Lacey, Chelsea, and all their girls were playing keep-away with a giant beach ball. Meg was glad she could sit and watch and didn’t have to go into the water. Actually, she was glad she didn’t have to be in her bathing suit. She’d tried it on, and even though it was actually a little
looser than she remembered, she still hadn’t wanted to venture out in it. Especially if there was a chance that Morgan might see her.

“Why aren’t you swimming?”

Eric plopped down beside her on the blanket.

“Oh … I just didn’t feel up to it,” she answered.

He studied her for a moment, then grinned. “Oh, it’s that girl thing, huh?”

She gave him a blank stare, then reddened. He thought she was having her period. How embarrassing. “Can’t a person just not want to go into the water?”

He leaned back on his elbows and offered her a lazy smile. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

“I’m not mad.” Why was she having this conversation? It was so junior high school, and she was almost a college sophomore!

“All right, you’re not mad and you’re not swimming. What are you doing?”

“Reading.”

He made a face. “Don’t you get enough of that in school? I sure do.”

“I love to read.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “Especially poetry.”

“Roses are red, violets are blue—” he began.

She interrupted. “Real poetry.”

He looked thoughtful, then said, “I think Megan’s cute, don’t you?” He flashed her another grin. “That’s poetry.”

She had to laugh. Eric’s style
was
disarming. “Do you always charm your way into people’s lives?”

“Naw, sometimes I barge right in uninvited.” He gazed at her with half-closed eyes, as if sizing her up. “I’ve been thinking, why don’t you and I go for a moonlight ride in one of the canoes some night?”

Canoeing was the alternate activity for the campers who couldn’t go swimming for various medical reasons. Meg had paddled a girl around the lake in a canoe just the day before. Still, Eric’s offer caught her off guard. “You want to take
me?”

“Yes, you. What’s so strange about that?”

“Nothing, I guess.”

“Then you’ll go?”

“Um—sure.”

He sat straight up. “Terrific. So how about tomorrow night?”

She ran through her obligations mentally. She was supposed to take her girls to Lacey’s cabin for board games, but she was certain Lacey could handle twelve girls on her own. “All right,” she told Eric. “Tomorrow will be fine if it’s all right with Lacey.”

“Cool. Why don’t I meet you down here about eight-thirty? I’ll have the canoe ready to go.”

“You’re sure you won’t tip the canoe over and drown me, now?” she joked.

“Not in my game plan,” he said with a wink. “I like to think I’m not that klutzy.” He sprang to his feet. “Got to run right now. Almost snack time for the hordes.”

Meg watched him lope away, feeling pretty good about herself. It had been easy to say yes to Eric. Why couldn’t she be that way with Morgan? What was it about him that made her heart beat faster and her tongue tie in knots whenever she was around him? It didn’t make sense to her.

Chelsea dropped to her knees on the blanket and began to towel dry her hair. “I saw you talking to Eric.”

“He just came over to say hi.”

Chelsea sighed and sat back on her haunches. “I’d give anything if he’d stop long enough to say hi to me.”

Meg started. “You would?”

“I think he’s so cute.”

Meg just nodded. She thought it best not to mention her upcoming canoe ride with him. She knew what it felt like to long for somebody to notice you and never to have him even so much as look your
way. It hurt, and she wouldn’t hurt Chelsea’s feelings for anything in the world. Certainly not for Eric Lawrence. He was nice to her, but he didn’t make her pulse flutter and her heart beat faster. No way.

M
eg met Eric on the shore of the lake the next evening. In the failing light, the water was the color of pale emeralds and smooth as silk. A canoe had been pulled up out of the water onto the damp ground.

“You made it,” he said, looking pleased.

“No problems at all,” she said. “I told Lacey I’d do double duty for her whenever she wanted it.” When Meg had asked Lacey if she could step out for the evening, Lacey hadn’t peppered her with questions. It was understood that counselors needed some “alone” time because of the intensity of their job.

“Your yacht awaits,” Eric joked, shoving the canoe into the water and helping her into her seat. Meg looked at Eric’s broad shoulders as they started paddling across the smooth lake.

A whippoorwill called out, and two snow-white herons lifted gracefully off the bank when the canoe glided near. Tree branches dipped low over the water, brushing the surface with lazy, leafy fingers. Tree frogs began their evening symphonies, fireflies dotted the shoreline, and overhead, stars winked on.

“It certainly is peaceful out here.” Meg spoke quietly so as not to shatter the silence.

“Better than church,” Eric answered over his shoulder.

Meg found the lapping sound their paddles made comforting, and the pull on her arms as the paddle sliced through the water was invigorating.

Since he was in front, Eric guided the canoe with his paddle, and soon Meg realized that he had a destination in mind. “Are we going somewhere in particular?” she asked.

“Yes, straight toward that rock that’s jutting out.”

She could see it in the gathering twilight and helped him paddle toward it. Beside the rock, Eric swung the canoe around and nudged it close to the reedy shore. He helped her out, pushed the canoe farther into the reeds, and said, “Follow me.”

“Where are we going?” she asked. He certainly appeared to have a plan.

“It’s a surprise.”

“It’s getting dark, hard to see.”

“Faithful scout have fake fire,” he said, flipping out a small high-beam flashlight from his pocket and taking her hand.

She followed him through the woods. The trail widened, then opened out into a meadow ringed by tall trees. In the center of the clearing a blanket had been spread out, and on the blanket were a picnic basket, a couple of pillows, and about half a dozen unlit candles.

“Let me get these going,” he said, dropping down on the blanket and taking out a lighter. In seconds, the candles flickered, throwing off warm golden light that sank into darkness beyond the edge of the blanket.

She sat beside him, amazed. “You did all this for mer?”

“For us,” he said. “I stumbled across this place one day when I went exploring and thought it would be the perfect spot for a moonlight picnic. All I needed was the perfect girl to share it with.”

“Why, Eric, this is just beautiful.”

“Don’t sound so shocked. Guys know how to be romantic when they put their minds to it.” He opened the basket and brought out paper plates and a cluster of grapes. “I’ve got cheese too. And sodas. Lie back. Make yourself comfortable.”

Meg fluffed a pillow and stretched out. Above her
a thousand stars twinkled down. All she could think about was how sweet it had been of him to think up the idea. True, his presence didn’t make her heart pound the way Morgan’s did, but Eric certainly was fun to be with. He had style and imagination. “So, confess, how many girls have you done this with before me?”

“I’m crushed,” he said popping a grape into his mouth. “This was carefully premeditated with you in mind.”

She nibbled on a slice of cheese. “Well, I’m totally impressed. Thank you. But why me? Why not ask one of the other girls?” She was thinking about Chelsea.

“Because I like you best?” He offered his explanation as a question.

“Lacey’s prettier.”

Eric shivered. “Cold as ice, that one. Besides, she’s got a boyfriend. Ditto Katie. I mean, who wants to run afoul of Josh? He’s nuts about that girl and would probably pound my brains in if I so much as looked at her.”

“And Chelsea?”

“She’s cute, but I’m not interested.”

Meg felt let down on her friend’s behalf.

“No, I like you best, Megan Charnell, so stop trying to pass me off to some other girl. You’re the
one I want to be with. End of story.” He stretched out beside her, lacing his fingers through hers.

She was flattered that he liked her but not quite sure how she felt about his attention. She wasn’t prepared for a summer romance. “What do you do when you’re not cooking at camp and taking girls on moonlit picnics?” she asked. “College? A full-time job?”

“I’m starting junior college in the fall. My sister’s idea. I live with her and she thinks I need a good education, so to keep the peace, I’m going.”

Since she loved college and learning, his answer surprised her. “Don’t you have any dreams? Anything you want to do with your life?”