Page 20 of Timid (Lark Cove 2)

It had become a bit of a challenge for myself over the years to see how much fun I could pack into a kid’s single week at summer camp. It was my mission to make them fall in love with this little slice of Montana, with its tall trees and shimmering lakes, so that when they reflected on their childhood, the memories they made here were ones they’d never forget.

I hadn’t been here long enough yet, but one day, I hoped to greet parents who’d been to my camp and were sending their kids here to make the same kind of lasting memories.

So while Jackson’s late-night visit had upset me, I buried those feelings and let the kids’ smiles and laughter over craft hour give me a boost.

By ten thirty, I was starving and made my way to the kitchen. “Hi, Hazel,” I said with a smile.

“Morning.” She smiled back as she sipped her coffee. “So did Jackson ever track you down?”

My smile dropped. “He found me.”

Since she was practically a member of Jackson’s family, it shouldn’t surprise me that she knew he’d come over.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I told him where you lived.”

“Ah.” I went to the coffee pot and poured a refill in my mug.

Lark Cove was a small town, and after living here for a while, you learned where everyone else lived. I’d assumed that was how Jackson had known where to find me. A teensy part of me had hoped that maybe he’d actually remembered our night on the swings.

But no. He’d had to ask Hazel.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Nothing.” Other than he asked me out on a date, something that two weeks ago would have sent me into joyful hysterics but now had me twisted in knots.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.” I nodded and went to the list she’d taped to one of the industrial refrigerators. “Is this the grocery list?”

“Yep. We’re running low on a few basics so it’s a bit longer than normal.”

“No problem. We’re under budget for the summer so we can get you all restocked.”

Hazel had started volunteering at the camp a few years ago. She’d traded her nights at the bar for days at my camp. She came in for four to five hours every weekday and prepped meals for the campers.

The time she spent here meant my counselors could stay focused on the kids rather than scrambling to make meals in between activities. And it meant that I wasn’t locked in the kitchen either. We a

ll pitched in to make sure the kids were fed and happy, but without Hazel, things would be exponentially more stressful.

The fact that she’d insisted on not being paid had been nothing short of miraculous. Her volunteer status was one of the reasons I’d been able to scrimp and save on the church’s meager budget and keep the place open until the Kendrick Foundation had stepped in as new owners.

That, and I hadn’t taken a raise in over two years.

All Hazel had asked for when she’d started volunteering was that she could dictate the menu and that we let her bring Charlie along. I’d agreed immediately. So while Thea worked at the bar, Charlie came to camp with Hazel. The girl had become an honorary full-time camper these last couple of years. Along with her gran, she made my camp a better place.

“Are you going to stare at that list all day or tell me what happened with Jackson?”

“Stare at the list,” I said, not looking her way.

“Fine,” she muttered. “I’ll just ask him. Hey, Jackson.”

“Hi,” a deep voice rumbled.

My head whipped to the kitchen door just as Jackson strolled inside.

He hadn’t shaved this morning and the scruff on his jaw made the corners seem even sharper. His chin had a flat spot in the center. It wasn’t a dimple, not really even a dent, just a feature that made his face even manlier.

His appeal was annoying.