“Yeah, right.”
“Then my ruling stands. I’m sure you’re not a bad kisser. Not that I’m going to verify. No shade to those who experiment, but these lips are for Ben.”
“I’m wounded but I get it,” I said.
“You still haven’t told me the most important thing. Do you like him?”
I looked at her like she’d grown another head. “Because of one kiss?”
“Yes.”
“YES.”
That got the loudest squeal of all. “Yay! I knew it. Iknewit. Too bad you dummies waited until the last day of camp to figure it out.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told you on the first day that there’s always a vibe with you guys.”
True. I could see it now—with my perfect hindsight. “What do I do?”
She grinned. “I don’t know, but you have nine months to figure it out before you see him again.”
Chapter 5
Present
NatalieandIwalkinto the camp kitchen. Before I say a word, I hug the fridge. I can’t help it.
“Honey, you may have bigger voids in your life than I realized,” Natalie says.
I press my face against the stainless-steel door. “You don’t understand. This is a KoolMore.”
“But do you need to hug it?”
“I do. What I wouldn’t have given for this fridge back in the day. Your cook gets it.”
The woman wearing a chef’s smock makes a noise of agreement. So far, she hasn’t spoken any actual words.
“See?”
“No, and now I’m worried about how you’re going to react to the rest of this kitchen. Come on,” Natalie says. “There’s more to see.”
I step away from the KoolMore but leave it with a love pat. “I’ll be back for you, cutie. Don’t worry.”
“She’s not normally like this,” Natalie reassures Lisa, the cook, after she introduces us.
“Yes, I am,” I inform her.
Natalie sighs. “Okay, yes, she is.”
Lisa gives me a smile, but it trembles at the edges. I see this look on people’s faces sometimes at book signings. Lisa is a true fan, bless her heart. I mostly don’t mind unless they get pushy about selfies when I’m on my private time. But if Lisa is a shy fan, it’ll take extra work to pull her out of her shell while we prep for the gala this weekend.
“Why don’t you show me through the kitchen, Lisa? I don’t know if Natalie cares much about the nuances of burner size and roasting capacity.”
“Um, sure.” But her eyes are darting from side to side.
Maybe giving her something specific to talk about will get her mind off her nerves. “Let’s start with the range.”
