“Do you know how many kids end up in the ER because of bounce houses?” Michael asks. “They’re a liability.”
“Who wants to swim?” Elizabeth asks, jerking her own hand in the air.
“I’ll dangle my feet in,” Kayla says. “It might keep me from overheating out here.”
Michael’s nostrils flare. “The pool is for show.”
“No, it isn’t. We spent hours in that pool every summer.” Elizabeth throws her arms around me. “Thanks, Charlie. This mindset change is just what I needed.”
I tighten my hold on her. I’m clueless as to what she’s going through right now, but it feels good to have helped in some small way. I imagine this is how Cricket feels at camp.
Cricket.
Thunder rumbles in the distance. I release my sister as a drop of rain lands on my nose. Uh-oh.
Despite the warnings, the storm catches us by surprise. I recover my shoes and socks before the downpour. We don’t make it to the house. Everyone in our section of the yard huddles under the nearest awning.
“This is awesome,” Elizabeth declares to no one in particular. I like this Elizabeth. She’s carefree and—dare I say it—happy.
And I know exactly how that feels.
Rain pelts the yard. I’m momentarily dazed by it, transported to that day at camp when my cabin flooded. I’m back in Cricket’s single bed, trying not to touch her while desperately wanting to.
“Well, I’ve cooled down without the pool,” Kayla says. “How long is this supposed to last?”
“Hard to know with these storms,” Michael replies. “My weather app says this system extends all the way to the Poconos.”
My brain sputters to a stop. The Poconos. The place that haunts my dreams. The place I haven’t had the courage to revisit, despite the steps I’ve taken to right my wrongs.
I vacate the awning, prompting my sister to grab my arm. “Stick around, Charlie. This, too, shall pass.”
What if it already has? What if, like Patrick, I’ve waited too long to make amends?
“I need to go.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere I should’ve gone weeks ago.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The drive is horrific, and I question my sanity the entire way there. What if she rejects me? What if she’s met someone else, maybe a single dad of one of the kid campers? Cricket would make a great stepmom. Any child would be lucky to have her in their life.
My resolve strengthens. The odds of a blossoming romance are low given her reluctance to get involved in a relationship, and the pain I caused likely pushed her right back into her tortoiseshell glasses.
I hurt her. I betrayed her trust, even knowing what her history was, and I couldn’t forgive myself for it.
Cricket didn’t deserve that. She deserved a hero, someone who would rise to the occasion. I give a cursory glance to the briefcase I grabbed from my house, now flat on the passenger seat beside me.
I hope this offering is enough.
In the parking lot, I spot Rhonda and maneuver next to the vehicle. By the time I exit the car, the light rain has decreased to a sprinkle. Maybe the storm will bypass the area and spare the camp. I offer a silent prayer to Thor, Mother Nature, and the Force as I cross the familiar terrain in search of Cricket.
The campground is eerily quiet, and I wonder whether it’s movie time. That would explain the silence.
I arrive at her office and knock on the door. Terrific. No answer. “Cricket?”
“She’s at her house,” a deep, breathy voice says, “although I can’t promise she’ll be pleased to see you.”
