Pretty sure the girls swept out every piece of dust that could be mistaken as a crumb.â
âGood. Hard lesson to learn, but a good one. Could have been a bear.â
Gabi shivered. âThank you. I need to have that on my mind right now.â
He filled a coffee mug, then motioned toward the door. âWant to come sit by the lake for a few minutes before the princess posse awakens?â
She paused. Would it be easier to have the conversation sheâd practiced down by the water? Or here in the dining hall?
She shook her head internally. It didnât matter. No matter where they were, it wasnât 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 theyâd stepped into a magical summer wonderland, rather than a run-down, has-been summer camp. As they walked over the dewy grass to the waterâs 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 sheâd 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 didnât 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.
âSo what are you going to do with the girls today?â Lukeâs deep voice made her open her eyes.
Gabi sighed. Here was her opening, but for some reason, she couldnât find the words sheâd practiced. âIâm not sure yet. Leave them out for the bears? Send them on a hike with bad directions?â
âIf I said I had an idea, would you trust me?â 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?
âItâs ⦠possible. Tell me why I should.â
He tipped his head. âI think the girls could use a little wake-up call.â
âBecause the skunk wasnât enough of one? What does that mean?â
âIt meansâand you may not want to hear thisâit means despite what they did back at Briarwood, in all honesty, their first few days at camp have been a piece of cake.â
âI beg your pardon? Did you miss the part about raccoons? Outhouses? Baths in a glacial lake?â
âAnd scavenger hunts and art projects and swimming every day. Yes, itâs been harsh.â He raised an eyebrow like she was being obtuse. âI know Camp Echo is hardly their normal lifestyle, but I also know these four girls arenât feeling a whole lot of pain around the decisions they made that got you sent here.â
âNo offense, Luke, but I actually think theyâre feeling quite a bit of pain.â
âNot the lasting kind.â He shook his head. âNot the kind thatâll really change their behavior in the end.â
She sighed, knowing he was right, but not wanting to admit it quite yet. âSo what do you propose?â
âI propose we give them the kind of consequences thatâll leave them too tired to even think about
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