Page 26 of Once Upon a Star

The look, the vibe, the energy I was getting from him told me what I had already suspected. This trip was more than just two friends going away for a few days. He wanted it to be more, and as I looked at him and slowly woke up from one of the best naps I had in years, I wanted the same thing too.

His teasing banter and how excited he got when I realized where we were going was contagious. I wanted to reach over and take his hand. I wanted to tell him how much it meant to me that he would take us back to Winslow Creek Camp. It was where some of my happiest childhood memories came from, and almost all them were with Bash.

“Is it even open?” I asked as we drew closer to the entrance.

“I would hope so. We’re going to be there for three nights. I don’t want to have a repeat of our campout,” Bash said and I laughed.

“You were miserable. I didn’t know you could almost get hypothermia in the middle of the summer.”

“I didn’t think it would be that cold and I didn’t pack the right clothes. Plus, I was hoping to have someone in my sleeping bag with me to keep me warm.” Bash smiled at me.

“How you thought you were going to sneak me into your sleeping bag or the other way around is beyond me,” I countered.

“As I remember, you were just as excited about the prospect.”

“You made it sound like you had it all figured out. I thought you had bribed a counselor or something to look the other way.”

“I figured they had to go to sleep at some point and I would sneak over. I hadn’t counted on them having someone on watch all night.”

“Most of them had been campers; they knew all the tricks because they tried the same thing.”

“You would think that would make them more sympathetic to the cause. Instead, I not only had a very cold night, I had to be across the way as I heard you, Ella, and Layla giggle all night. It sucked.”

“Aw, poor baby. Do you need to talk about it, hug it out?” I teased.

“Maybe,” Bash said and gave me a sideways look.

His comment told me he wanted more than a hug. I was fine with that because I wanted that too. I smiled and sat back down in my seat as we pulled into the campsite. The long road that led to the entrance and parking lot was still lined with tall trees that hung over the road. We parked the car and Bash gave me a slow smile.

“You ready?” he asked.

“I think so,” I replied and got out of the car.

He was quick to get our bags out. His bag wasn’t much bigger than mine and he wouldn’t let me carry them. We walked past the large field where picnics and games were played. Behind them was the main dining hall and movie theater. Off to one side was the boys’ sleeping area and on the other was the girls’. I wondered where we would be sleeping and how the arrangements would go. I didn’t have long to worry as Bash turned to me when we got to the dining hall.

“So, um, things have changed a bit since we were here last. They don’t do sleep away camps anymore. Guess it wasn’t as popular, kids and parents didn’t like being separated. I didn’t get too deep into the details with Grace,” Bash said.

“Grace. Grace Hannah? Runs this place now?” I asked.

“She does. Can you believe it?” Bash replied, clearly as amused as I was about the thought of a former camper running the place.

“Was she surprised to hear from you?” I asked.

“Not as surprised as I thought. We touched base. She’s married to Ray Young—”

“No way? They hated each other when we were kids,” I said.

“There’s a fine line between love and hate apparently. They have three kids. He’s a pharmaceutical rep and she runs the camp.”

“Good for them.” I stopped and thought about what he said and then added. “Wow. That is crazy.”

“It is. As are some of the changes they’ve made. It’s still pretty much just a summer camp though they will occasionally do weekend retreats. But they tore down the cabins about five years ago to make room for stables and a second pool.”

“Are there horses here?” I asked, excitedly.

“Not right now but in the summer months, yes. Which means that there are only a few cabins still standing. And currently only one that can be used.”

“So, you’re going to be camping this weekend, huh?” I teased.