She copied his motions, balancing the sticks carefully.
“Good. Now lean a couple of small logs against that. Don’t start with the big ones, or you’ll be fighting smoke instead of flame.”
She reached for two short pieces of split wood and set them in place while silently praying she was doing it right.
Slater nodded, striking a long match. “Always light the tinder, not the logs. And hit it from two or three sides so it spreads evenly.” He touched the flame to the paper. Smoke curled upward, then fire snapped to life, climbing into the kindling. The blaze grew steadily, the crackle sharp in the quiet air, and everyone started to cheer.
“Once it’s caught, all you’ve got to do is feed it slow,” Slater explained, straightening. “One log at a time until you’ve got a steady burn. Easy enough, right?”
Lexi shielded her face from the heat, a grin tugging at her mouth. “Easier than I thought.”
“Excellent! Once we start hiring our staff, you’ll be the one teaching them how to do this!”
“Can we make s’mores now?” Annabeth asked with just a hint of annoyance, like the adults were taking too long and she had things she had to do.
“That was very rude, Annabeth,” Connor said as he joined them. He went directly to his daughter and gently but firmly told her she needed to apologize.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly before Connor placed a soft kiss on the top of her head and sat down beside her.
“Okay!” Slater said loudly. “Let’s make some yummy dessert!”
The kids cheered, and Connor took the lead in showing them—and everyone—how to assemble the graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. It was a bit chaotic and more than a little messy, but everyone was having a good time.
Including Lexi.
She helped Jonah make his and thought they’d share it, but he quickly told her he wanted the whole s’more to himself. Connor must have heard the conversation because he handed her a paper plate with a freshly made one on it.
“Annabeth doesn’t like to share hers either,” he said with a small smile.
“Thanks.”
Sitting in an Adirondack chair, she was content to sit back and enjoy the yummy food while listening to everyone talk about what was on the schedule for tomorrow. When Slater told everyone of their plans, she just nodded along.
“Why don’t you let Jonah stay with me?” Kelsey asked. “Jayce is going to be inspecting some of the electrical stuff that Walker’s concerned about, and I was just going to hang out. I would love to spend some time with him so you can focus on all the information Slater’s got for you tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? We just planned on Jonah tagging along so he can explore the property.”
“I can do that with him so he can take his time and you won’t feel rushed. I know this is a lot to be taking on, and I’m more than happy to help while I’m here.”
But Lexi felt bad asking for any more favors. “You and Jayce have already done so much for us, Kelsey. I think you’re entitled to a little time to relax and enjoy your time here.”
“And I will. With Jonah. Besides, after you selflessly gave up the cabin for us, it’s the least I can do.”
“We both know you deserved to spend the time in your cabin.”
“Yeah, but…I know you’re not exactly thrilled about whose cabin you’re staying in for the next few nights, so…”
It was obvious Kelsey wasn’t going to take no for an answer, so she politely thanked her. “I appreciate it. Really. And you know you’ll be able to come and get me if you need me.”
“Exactly. We’ll meet up at lunchtime and see how things are going. How does that sound?”
Smiling, she leaned over and hugged her friend. “It sounds like I’m a very lucky woman.”
Kelsey hugged her back just as tightly.
“I hate to break this moment up,” Jayce said with a hint of amusement. “But I’d love to take my bride-to-be back to our cabin. It’s been a long day, and I’m beat.”
“It’s barely seven,” Slater said with a laugh, clearly overhearing the conversation.
