I paused, watching the reactions. Bethany and Mindy looked completely perplexed. I was sure they wondered why I’d be making the announcement. Teddy stood off to the side, hands in his pockets, grinning.
“Ted, please join me.”
Murmurs and whispers floated through the room.
I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Ted and I will be purchasing the camp as co-owners and directors before the year is out.”
There was a moment of stunned silence, and then everyone was on their feet, cheering, whistling, and clapping.
We were bombarded with congratulations and questions.
Gilda crossed her arms. “I knew it! I knew there was something going on between the two of you!”
Teddy placed his arm across my shoulders, giving me a conspiratorial smile. “Yes, we’re business partners.”
I was immediately surrounded by the women who had helped me navigate the summer and become important to me in a very short time. It was mind boggling to think how much my life had changed since I first drove under the Woodlands sign. My people, my friends were hugging me and offering their congratulations.
“Where werewewhen you and Ted became such good friends that you decided to buy the camp together?” Mindy asked.
I smiled at each expectant face. “I’ll explain everything and answer your questions tomorrow over breakfast at the diner.”
45The Last Breakfast
The first things I noticed when I walked into the diner were beautiful new curtains and a security camera. I should’ve felt a twinge of guilt but instead it just made me smile.Teddy will think it’s hilarious.
We pushed two tables together without asking because we were five take charge women—some might call us assertive, okay pushy. But we had just finished eight weeks taking care of two hundred and fifty girls and we knew how to go about getting things done.
The same waitress, the one with the blonde bouffant who served Gilda and me breakfast weeks ago, poured hot coffee into the large clean white mugs as we settled in. “Do you gals know what you want, or do you need more time?”
“Give us a minute,” Gilda said, then in her blunt way turned her attention on me. “Congratulations on buying the camp with Ted but I don’t believe for a second that you two haven’t beenschtupp-ing all summer—right under our noses.”
Gilda was holding court sitting at the head of the table. I was on her right, Abby as always on my left, and Mindy and Bethany sat across from us. Maggie and Roger had driven out of camp at 5:00 a.m. to get an early start on their drive to join Tony at his grandmother’s and eventually make their way home to Florida.
Looking everyone in the eye I said, “I haven’t been honest with any of you. At the beginning of the summer, I wasn’t going to unload on a group of people I’d just met, but now after a solid two months of building what I’d like to think of as lasting friendships, I’m ready to let you in on my personal dramas.” I took a deep breath. “No messy details . . . all you need to know about my husband is that he’s been screwing his assistant.”
All eyes were wide and mouths were open.
“I was feeling anxious those first few days during orientation and reignited an old smoking habit.” I looked at Bethany. “Yes, you did catch me that day Becca broke her arm.”
She smirked. “I knew it.”
“That night I found Ted behind the laundry shack with a cigarette in his hand, and we became secret smoking buddies, and everything blossomed from there.”
“Look, she’s blushing like a schoolgirl talking about her first crush,” Bethany said.
I brought my coffee up to my face, trying to hide behind it.
“You fell in love while nobody was watching?” Mindy said.
“Well put,” I said.
“What about your husband?” Gilda asked, “Does he know?”
“I told him I was buying the camp,” and added, “but I thought confrontational conversations should be done in person.”
Abby seemed proud of herself when she said, “Maggie, Roger, and I figured it out a couple of weeks ago.”
Gilda added, “Nicole and the other office ladies noticed that Ted changed his days off to match yours, so there were speculation and rumors flying about.”
