Yes, definitely awkward. He took a deep breath. “I made you a friendship bracelet.”
She blinked at him.
“I had an hour to kill, so I went to the craft building—it’s a long story.”
“Oh.”
“Too weird?”
“No…” She crossed her arms over her chest. She looked small like that, and it poked at something deep inside. “It wasn’t what I was expecting, that’s all.” She tilted her head so she could squint up at him.
He moved back and sat down on the step.
Slowly, she joined him, still looking at him with wary curiosity. “Do you sometimes find it hard to navigate human relationships?”
He nodded ruefully. “Always.”
“Shouldn’t it be easier at our age? I see all these people—” She gestured toward the center of camp. “They all seem to understand the social rules. They’re all excited to be here and pair up, and I’m counting down the hours until my daughter arrives, so I can bury myself in mother-of-the-bride stuff.”
“How did your meeting with Heather go?”
She lifted her shoulders in a weak shrug. “It was five minutes of her reassuring me that they were having weddings all summer long here and they know what they’re doing. Tegan and Wyatt have written their own vows and it’s a short service. There’s nothing else for me to really do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Meh. It’s fine.” She looked at the bracelet in his hand. “That’s really for me?”
“Yeah.” He held it out.
“What’s the longer version of the story?”
He took a deep breath. “I’m going for a hike this afternoon, and they’re making me a bagged lunch. It wasn’t going to be ready for an hour, so I went to the craft building.” He skipped over the part about the emotional grief crisis. “My wife made these once for other navy wives. The first one I made was for her. When I get back to California, I’ll take it to her grave and tell her about camp. Then I had time to make another one, and I thought these colors suited you.”
“That’s really sweet,” she whispered as she took it in her slim fingers. “It’s beautiful.”
“I think we’re going to get through this week together—” he said at the same time as she added, “I wasn’t sure you liked me at all, to be honest.”
They both stopped and stared at each other.
“Wait, what?” He leaned in, bracing his hand on the porch behind them. “Grace, I like you a lot. You’re funny and smart and you seem to get me even though we’re complete opposites. Why wouldn’t I like you?”
“Uh…” She turned red. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does.” He frowned.
She licked her lips. “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to push myself on you.”
Her eyes got wide. “You think you’re pushing yourself on me?”
“Isn’t that what you thought? This morning? I dragged you to breakfast, I made you go kayaking, and then at the soonest opportunity—”
“I thought you were done with me,” she whispered.
Something cracked in his chest. “No,” he murmured softly. “Not at all.”
She fiddled with the bracelet. “Oh.”
