miss Heather next week. Terribly. A date with Ted would give her something to look forward to and help her pass a lonely evening. "All right, Ted. Next Friday night sounds good."
"I'll pick you up around seven. Take care, Amanda. I'll see you then."
When Amanda hung up the phone, she decided she'd just taken her first step in forgetting about Alex Woodsides.
***
The steaminess of a temperature hike into the 90's didn't squelch Heather's enthusiasm for her week at camp. Amanda climbed the ladder and spread her daughter's bedroll over the top bunk in her assigned cabin. "Are you sure you want the top?" she asked Heather.
There were four girls in each cabin. Two of them had already been in and out with their parents and were now heading over to the communal building for orientation. They seemed like nice girls, but Amanda knew Heather was looking forward to Kristy's arrival.
"Kristy wants the bottom bunk, and I like sleeping on top. It'll be neat climbing up and down the ladder."
"Just be careful."
"Please don't say it again, Mom."
Amanda had been giving her daughter safety tips and mentioning "do's and don'ts" for the past week.
Suddenly the screen door on the cabin swung open, and Kristy came barreling in with her sleeping bag. Alex followed close behind with what looked like a heavy duffle bag.
On the ladder, her arms stretched as she smoothed out Heather's bedroll, Amanda felt self-conscious, and she straightened. She couldn't ignore Alex's gaze passing from her feet, up her legs, over her knit top, to her face. And she felt herself blushing. Damn the man. You're on your way to forgetting him, remember, she chided herself.
Kristy tossed her state-of-the-art sleeping bag onto the bottom bunk and sat down beside it. "Isn't this just too cool, Dad?"
He ran his hand across his brow. "Actually, it's pretty hot. Are you sure you're going to be able to sleep at night without air conditioning?"
"I'll be fine, Dad," Kristy told him patiently as if she'd been doing it longer than just today.
Awkwardness filled the cabin as no one spoke. "Hello, Amanda," Alex said.
Finished with fixing the bedroll, she climbed down the ladder carefully. All she needed was to fall on her face in front of him. "Hello, Alex." She didn't have anything else to say, and it was obvious neither did he.
Heather filled the gap. "We'd better get over to the dining hall, don't you think?"
Crossing to the door, Kristy agreed. "Yeah, we don't want to be late."
Amanda picked up the purse she'd laid on Kristy's bunk and followed the two girls out the door. Although Kristy and Heather jabbered about all the things they were going to do for the next week, Amanda and Alex were silent. When they reached the dining hall, she saw that folding chairs had been set up in the empty area in the back of the room. Parents and their children had filled in the rows. Kristy and Heather went ahead and found four chairs. To Amanda's dismay, the girls sat on either end, which left her in the middle with Alex. Both of them made sure no part of their bodies touched.
She had never felt more awkward.
Not a bit of breeze stirred through the long screens, and Amanda's shirt stuck to her back. Feeling perspiration at her temples, she pulled a hair band from her purse, and gathered her hair into a ponytail. With it off of her neck, she felt a little cooler. That helped her composure as her arm accidentally brushed Alex's. Her gaze smacked into his, and her throat suddenly got tight. What had she done wrong? Why was he acting so distant? But those were questions her pride kept her from asking. She looked away, trying to concentrate on bits of conversation floating around her or just the chatter of the children. She wished they'd get the orientation under way. She wasn't anxious to leave Heather, but she would be glad to get this over with and escape Alex's presence.
"We saw you at the
"I'll pick you up around seven. Take care, Amanda. I'll see you then."
When Amanda hung up the phone, she decided she'd just taken her first step in forgetting about Alex Woodsides.
***
The steaminess of a temperature hike into the 90's didn't squelch Heather's enthusiasm for her week at camp. Amanda climbed the ladder and spread her daughter's bedroll over the top bunk in her assigned cabin. "Are you sure you want the top?" she asked Heather.
There were four girls in each cabin. Two of them had already been in and out with their parents and were now heading over to the communal building for orientation. They seemed like nice girls, but Amanda knew Heather was looking forward to Kristy's arrival.
"Kristy wants the bottom bunk, and I like sleeping on top. It'll be neat climbing up and down the ladder."
"Just be careful."
"Please don't say it again, Mom."
Amanda had been giving her daughter safety tips and mentioning "do's and don'ts" for the past week.
Suddenly the screen door on the cabin swung open, and Kristy came barreling in with her sleeping bag. Alex followed close behind with what looked like a heavy duffle bag.
On the ladder, her arms stretched as she smoothed out Heather's bedroll, Amanda felt self-conscious, and she straightened. She couldn't ignore Alex's gaze passing from her feet, up her legs, over her knit top, to her face. And she felt herself blushing. Damn the man. You're on your way to forgetting him, remember, she chided herself.
Kristy tossed her state-of-the-art sleeping bag onto the bottom bunk and sat down beside it. "Isn't this just too cool, Dad?"
He ran his hand across his brow. "Actually, it's pretty hot. Are you sure you're going to be able to sleep at night without air conditioning?"
"I'll be fine, Dad," Kristy told him patiently as if she'd been doing it longer than just today.
Awkwardness filled the cabin as no one spoke. "Hello, Amanda," Alex said.
Finished with fixing the bedroll, she climbed down the ladder carefully. All she needed was to fall on her face in front of him. "Hello, Alex." She didn't have anything else to say, and it was obvious neither did he.
Heather filled the gap. "We'd better get over to the dining hall, don't you think?"
Crossing to the door, Kristy agreed. "Yeah, we don't want to be late."
Amanda picked up the purse she'd laid on Kristy's bunk and followed the two girls out the door. Although Kristy and Heather jabbered about all the things they were going to do for the next week, Amanda and Alex were silent. When they reached the dining hall, she saw that folding chairs had been set up in the empty area in the back of the room. Parents and their children had filled in the rows. Kristy and Heather went ahead and found four chairs. To Amanda's dismay, the girls sat on either end, which left her in the middle with Alex. Both of them made sure no part of their bodies touched.
She had never felt more awkward.
Not a bit of breeze stirred through the long screens, and Amanda's shirt stuck to her back. Feeling perspiration at her temples, she pulled a hair band from her purse, and gathered her hair into a ponytail. With it off of her neck, she felt a little cooler. That helped her composure as her arm accidentally brushed Alex's. Her gaze smacked into his, and her throat suddenly got tight. What had she done wrong? Why was he acting so distant? But those were questions her pride kept her from asking. She looked away, trying to concentrate on bits of conversation floating around her or just the chatter of the children. She wished they'd get the orientation under way. She wasn't anxious to leave Heather, but she would be glad to get this over with and escape Alex's presence.
"We saw you at the
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