Walt hesitated, then asked, “And, uh…your grandma’s been down at the camp store since sunup, trying to tackle inventory again.” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “Last time, we ended up with a truckload of toilet paper and no bug spray. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but…”
Krista winced. The inventory still hadn’t been done. The new sand for the beach, the firewood from the sawmill? Not ordered. Every undone task pricked at her like pine needles.
“We can help,” she said automatically, then glanced at Joe. “If you don’t mind us postponing the hike until, say, Monday? We can still squeeze in a photography lesson in town before your shift.”
“Not at all,” Joe said. “Helping at the campground is part of my duty now, isn’t it?”
She shot off an apology to Zoe, just as a message came through.
Reminder!!! Summer Swap Day 2! Today’s challenge: Krista Photography Re-Do, sponsored by the Cocoa Corner. $100 + % of truffle sales to your grandparents’ fund. Don’t forget those websiteshots
Guilt tugged in two directions at once, pulling her between town and everything that needed to be done at the campground.
Joe leaned a little closer, reading over her shoulder. “We’ll still do the lesson, get the shots,” he said quietly. “Elsie can wait an hour. Flooded showers can’t.”
Krista exhaled slowly. “Okay. Drain duty first. Photos second.”
“That’s my girl,” Walt said, relief softening his face. “You grab the gloves and shovel from the maintenance shed. I already threw the snake in the Ranger.”
Joe’s eyes widened a fraction. “The…snake?”
Krista smirked. “The plumbing kind. You’ll live.”
They piled into the Ranger—Krista wedged between Joe and Walt on the bench seat. As they rattled along the gravel road, she watched the campground roll by. The rustic south side, ringed by trees with hammocks and wild flowers, gave way to the more developed north end, RVs plugged into electrical posts, kids riding bikes in loops, and the smell of bacon and coffee wafting in the air from all the open kitchens.
These were the sights she knew as well as her own reflection. She loved this place. Loved the way her grandparents had built a whole little world out of pine trees and picnic tables and people who came back year after year because it felt like home.
But it wasn’t where her heart was. This had always been their dream while the Hideaway was hers, and now she had to let it go.
And when Walt couldn’t haul a line snake or Alice couldn’t remember where she’d put the keys, what would be left? Krista could picture herself clearly, keeping the campground running, carrying their dream forward even if it was never the life she’d pictured for herself. A good life. A meaningful one. Just…not fully hers.
The bathhouse came into view, the long brown building crouching between a cluster of maples. A small line had alreadyformed outside. Campers stood with shower caddies and towels waiting for the “all clear.”
“Sorry, folks,” Walt called as he parked. “We’ll have it flowing in no time.”
Krista hopped down, tugged on a pair of rubber gloves, and nodded toward the nearest drain grate near the shower entrance. Pine needles, leaves, and debris had piled over it in a messy, soggy mound.
“Alright,” she said. “I’ll clear the covers. Joe, if you want to help me bag this stuff, Gramps can run the snake through the line.”
They worked side by side, picking up the debris that was blocking the grates, holding the trash bags open and tying them off once they were full. He was close enough that she kept catching little flashes of him in her peripheral vision, the way his T-shirt clung to his biceps as he cinched the bag. Every time his shoulder brushed hers, the touch was electrifying.
“Wait, let me get a photo for Elsie.” Krista reached for her phone. “We should’ve grabbed your camera.”
“I wasn’t thinking about photographing clogged bathroom drains.”
“No, but you’re looking pretty good clearing them,” Krista replied with a smile. “Maybe grab one of the rakes. I’ll get some action shots.”
Joe shook his head, but did as he was told, raking up leaves and pine needles while Krista moved around him, taking photos at various angles.
“So let me get this straight,” Joe said while Krista sent off the photos to Elsie. “You do this, handle the store inventory, order firewood etcetera,andrun the Hideaway?”
“Don’t forget schedule the sand delivery for the beach,” Krista said, grimacing. “I was supposed to have it done in the spring.”
Walt snorted. “We made it this far. We’ll make it a little longer. Kids don’t mind a few rocks under their toes.”
Krista shot him a look. “That’s not the point and you know it.”
He shrugged. “Builds character. Same as lukewarm showers and mosquito bites.”
