report him this time, Violet. He shouldn’t be around children.”
Violet nodded, still wiping her eyes. “He covered my mouth when I tried to scream. How did you know to come?”
“Peggy came and got me. “
“Sit down,” he said.
Violet sat on the bench, and Miles sat beside her; he kept his arm around her.
“Peggy claims she loves me, but the feeling isn’t mutual. She noticed me keeping my eye on you, and not knowing the whole story, she thought I was watching you because I was still in love with you. So she thought that if she could get you and Gavin back together, she’d have me all to herself. Silly girl. Anyway, she peeked in to make sure you two were making up, and she saw him attacking you. Mischievous as Peggy is, this wasn’t what she’d planned. She got scared, and ran to get me.”
“I’m not sure if I should scold Peggy or thank her,” Violet said.
“Listen, Violet,” he said, seriously, “we have to see the children off tomorrow after breakfast. You have to hold together at least until then. Can you do that?” Miles smoothed her hair as he spoke.
Violet nodded.
“I’ll walk you to your tent. We’ll talk more after the children leave tomorrow,” he said guiding her back with his hand on her back.
“What about Gavin?” she asked.
“I’ll take care of him right now,” he said. “Don’t worry.”
After the last child had been picked up, the men from the various churches arrived to take the tents down. Violet stood in the shelter, wondering where Gavin and Miles could be. Neither had showed up that morning, and Carl had to manage all three of the boys groups.
Peggy approached Violet, “I’m sorry, Violet. I never thought—”
Violet smiled. “I understand why you did what you did, and if it weren’t for you, I’d hate to think what I’d be going through this morning.” She shivered.
“I’m also the one who talked Miles into being seen with me. I’ve liked him for a while, and when I heard you two had split, I thought, why not? I know he wouldn’t have given me the time of day, but when I saw him moping at the park, I got the idea to suggest we pretend to be a couple to make you jealous. Not only didn’t it work, but I ended up really falling for him.” Peggy sat down on the bench near Violet.
“I think you still care for him, and I’ve decided to step out of the picture. It’s easy—I never even got a kiss from him. He just isn’t interested in anyone else. Maybe that’s why I wanted him, because I knew, deep down that it would be a challenge, but my competitive nature made me try.” She shrugged. “I still have Henry.”
“Henry?” Violet asked.
“Henry Bannister. He courted me for a while but he’s away at college.”
“I wish you luck with Henry,” Violet said. “Will he be away long?”
Peggy nodded. “I like him a lot, but it’s hard to deal with a long distance romance.”
“How well I know that,” Violet said.
“You should know one thing though. Miles suffered horribly when you broke off with him. I never saw a person grieve so, and I felt so sorry for him. I think he’s finally starting to get over you, but he swore to me that he’d never let it happen again, so if you still have feelings for him, you have your work cut out for you,” Peggy said. “Well, I hope there are no hard feelings, I’m truly sorry, Violet.”
“We’re good, Peggy. No hard feelings.”
“I came to camp with Miles. Would it be okay if I drove your wagon home? I’ll leave it at the church and you can pick it up later,” Peggy said. “That way, you can ride home with Miles. You probably have a lot to talk about.”
“Thank you, Peggy—for everything.”
Violet was still sitting in the shelter after the men took the tents down, and prepared the camp for next year by covering the fire pit, cleaning out the outhouses, and locking them. Soon, even they had
Violet nodded, still wiping her eyes. “He covered my mouth when I tried to scream. How did you know to come?”
“Peggy came and got me. “
“Sit down,” he said.
Violet sat on the bench, and Miles sat beside her; he kept his arm around her.
“Peggy claims she loves me, but the feeling isn’t mutual. She noticed me keeping my eye on you, and not knowing the whole story, she thought I was watching you because I was still in love with you. So she thought that if she could get you and Gavin back together, she’d have me all to herself. Silly girl. Anyway, she peeked in to make sure you two were making up, and she saw him attacking you. Mischievous as Peggy is, this wasn’t what she’d planned. She got scared, and ran to get me.”
“I’m not sure if I should scold Peggy or thank her,” Violet said.
“Listen, Violet,” he said, seriously, “we have to see the children off tomorrow after breakfast. You have to hold together at least until then. Can you do that?” Miles smoothed her hair as he spoke.
Violet nodded.
“I’ll walk you to your tent. We’ll talk more after the children leave tomorrow,” he said guiding her back with his hand on her back.
“What about Gavin?” she asked.
“I’ll take care of him right now,” he said. “Don’t worry.”
After the last child had been picked up, the men from the various churches arrived to take the tents down. Violet stood in the shelter, wondering where Gavin and Miles could be. Neither had showed up that morning, and Carl had to manage all three of the boys groups.
Peggy approached Violet, “I’m sorry, Violet. I never thought—”
Violet smiled. “I understand why you did what you did, and if it weren’t for you, I’d hate to think what I’d be going through this morning.” She shivered.
“I’m also the one who talked Miles into being seen with me. I’ve liked him for a while, and when I heard you two had split, I thought, why not? I know he wouldn’t have given me the time of day, but when I saw him moping at the park, I got the idea to suggest we pretend to be a couple to make you jealous. Not only didn’t it work, but I ended up really falling for him.” Peggy sat down on the bench near Violet.
“I think you still care for him, and I’ve decided to step out of the picture. It’s easy—I never even got a kiss from him. He just isn’t interested in anyone else. Maybe that’s why I wanted him, because I knew, deep down that it would be a challenge, but my competitive nature made me try.” She shrugged. “I still have Henry.”
“Henry?” Violet asked.
“Henry Bannister. He courted me for a while but he’s away at college.”
“I wish you luck with Henry,” Violet said. “Will he be away long?”
Peggy nodded. “I like him a lot, but it’s hard to deal with a long distance romance.”
“How well I know that,” Violet said.
“You should know one thing though. Miles suffered horribly when you broke off with him. I never saw a person grieve so, and I felt so sorry for him. I think he’s finally starting to get over you, but he swore to me that he’d never let it happen again, so if you still have feelings for him, you have your work cut out for you,” Peggy said. “Well, I hope there are no hard feelings, I’m truly sorry, Violet.”
“We’re good, Peggy. No hard feelings.”
“I came to camp with Miles. Would it be okay if I drove your wagon home? I’ll leave it at the church and you can pick it up later,” Peggy said. “That way, you can ride home with Miles. You probably have a lot to talk about.”
“Thank you, Peggy—for everything.”
Violet was still sitting in the shelter after the men took the tents down, and prepared the camp for next year by covering the fire pit, cleaning out the outhouses, and locking them. Soon, even they had
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