“Putting something together for tonight. I’m going to raid the pantry if you don’t mind.”
“Go right ahead,” she says. “But I can’t believe you want to cook for yourself after spending all day in here. I never want to make dinner when I get home. I promise, Kylie will put a great dinner together for you.”
“Is there anything she and Jared can’t do?”
“I haven’t found it yet,” Lisa says. “The Mendozas did good hiring them.”
“You too, Lisa. They did good with you too.” She turns a deep red, and I distract her to save her dignity. “Let’s give Kylie a night off. I don’t mind. You all need to pace yourselves. You have no idea how exhausting the first week of camp can be.”
Lisa shrugs and fetches the hamper for me, and I fill it with the ingredients I need from the pantry and fridge. “Thanks, Lisa. See you tomorrow!” I give her a cheerful wave and head out to put the last piece of my plan in place. Next stop: the office.
“Hey, Ben.” I poke my head in. “I have a surprise for you and Natalie. Will you meet me by the dock in an hour? And bring Juniper.”
“Uh, sure, but that’s getting awfully close to dinner.”
“Trust me.” I bat my lashes at him, and he rolls his eyes.
“All right. Get out of here, dork.” He shifts on his chair and frowns, then shifts again.
“Something wrong?” I ask sweetly.
“No, it’s just—nothing. See you at the dock in an hour.”
I close the door behind me, but instead of heading to my cottage, I wait inside of Girls Cabin 1, the closest one to the office, and watch until he leaves fifteen minutes later. As soon as he’s out of sight, I dart into his office and hack into his email one last time.
Hey, Sawyer.
Nat and I wanted to use the hot tub after dinner tonight, around 6:30. Would you mind warming it up for us?
Thanks
It’s strange to type Sawyer’s name after all these years. To communicate with him so directly—if it even counts as communicating when I’m impersonating Ben, not reaching out as myself.
But the idea of talking to Sawyer doesn’t feel impossible anymore. If all my plotting works, we’ll be face to face shortly, and instead of dreading it, I’m…
I wouldn’t go as far as to say I welcome it. But I’m okay with it.
It feels pretty good to feel okay.
I reread my forged email “from” Ben, and satisfied it’s as low-key as Ben is, send it. I’m banking on Sawyer not finding it a super weird request, given that his is the only hot tub I’ve spotted on the grounds so far.
I scoop up the hamper and meander down to the dock, content to spend a half hour in the late afternoon sun waiting for my victims to arrive.
I hear Juniper before I see them, and I turn to wave at them as they make their way down to me.
“What’s this?” Natalie asks, smiling as she takes in the sight of me standing next to one of their new canoes and a picnic basket.
“I’ve been watching this place get busier and busier all day with the new counselors, and I have a feeling you won’t get any quiet time from now until Labor Day, so I figured I’d claim godmother privileges and sweep my goddaughter away while you get time together.
"So, I’ve planned a mini-date for you. A late afternoon canoe on the lake, complete with a canoe-friendly dinner I made. It’s not fancy, but it should taste pretty good while you’re out there drifting on the water.”
“Oh, Tabby Cat, you didn’t have to do that! You’re already doing us such a huge favor by being here this week.”
“Turns out I’m a full-service celebrity chef.” I wink. “And honestly, you’ve done me a favor, bringing me out here and reminding me to reconnect with myself. Look”—I point—“I have the bike with the baby seat parked right there, and Juni and I are going to go back to my place, where I have the funnest stuff planned for us. What do you think, June-June?”
I reach for the baby, who dives at me, grinning. “Want to come to Tabby’s house?”
“Housh!” she announces.
