She reached out and squeezed his shoulder, then did the same to Grace. “You didn’t hear?”
“Hear what?”
“She’s okay, but one of the campers, a woman named Ruth, had a heart attack this afternoon. Over board games right here.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Grace said. “Ruth? We had breakfast with her yesterday. She’s okay, though? There’s an update?”
“She’s safe and sound at the hospital and being taken good care of there.”
“Has someone organized a card?”
Rachel pointed to a table set up next to the fireplace. “Over there. Everyone is signing it before you head in for dinner.”
Grace grabbed Frank’s hand and dragged him along. She signed her name in a tiny spot on the card, and he added his name right next to hers. Then he pulled her into his arms for a hug, because that felt like the right thing to do.
Dinner was a buffet, and they quickly grabbed plates of food, but Grace only picked at her choices.
“Are you thinking about her?” he asked.
She jerked her head up. “Ruth?” She worried her bottom lip. “I guess I am. And I’m tired from our adventure, too.”
“Early night tonight?”
“Maybe, yeah.” She gave him a soft smile. “Thank you. For asking, and for the day.”
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
“You two were gone all day, huh?” A woman stopped in front of them. Frank recognized her as someone from the bus. “That’s fun.” She winked. “Did you get lost in the woods?”
“Got in a big zombie fight, actually,” Grace deadpanned. “Took all afternoon to slay them.”
Frank choked on his water as the lady gave Grace a confused look.
She just blinked innocently. “We have to get back to the battle soon, too, so…”
Frank nodded. “True story.”
The woman left them alone, and he pointed to her plate. “Eat up, zombie slayer. You’ll need your energy later.”
He’d meant it as a joke. But Grace slowly slid her gaze to meet his and gave him what could only be described as an inappropriately dirty smile. “Really?”
His groin tugged hard. “I thought you were tired.”
She lifted a meatball to her mouth. “Look. Newfound energy.”
After they finished eating, they grabbed dessert to go and headed back to the cabin. As they walked down the path, Frank started laughing as he remembered the look on that poor woman’s face.
“What’s so funny?”
“Zombies.”
Grace chuckled. “Sometimes I can be weird.”
“I like weird,” Frank promised as they arrived at the cabin.
She followed him into his cabin without asking. He put his lemon cake down on the table by the window and she did the same.
The heat between them ratcheted up nicely as she gave him a knowing smile.
