Family Ties

”

“What can I say? I was distracted by your beautiful… eyes.”

Christy rolled the eyes in question.

“Okay, he’s totally right about that,” Erin said. “Your eyes are gorgeous.”

“And if you won Paul’s heart, then you must be extra-special.”

“Wow,” Christy said, “I need to hang out with you guys more often.”

“Well, me for sure,” I said. “Erin’s just trying to get on your good side.”

“And why wouldn’t I, you big doofus? Sounds like she’s going to be around for a while.”

Christy took my arm again. “Me too.”

“So,” Erin said, “now that we have that settled, what else can I tell you about camp?”

Christy thought about it. “What’re the people like?”

“Just people, I suppose.”

“It’s okay,” Erin said with a laugh. “I get it.”

“I mean, do they look like you and Paul, or—?”

“Oh, God no! Paul’s one of the hot guys.”

Christy beamed up at me.

“Most of the men are family types. Some of ’em are sexy in a ‘hot dad’

Christy scrunched her nose automatically.

“—but most are just average. I mean, not ugly, but not Adonis-types like Paul and a few others.”

“He didn’t used to be.”

“Uh-uh. He used to be soft and pudgy.”

“Thanks, Erin,” I said dryly.

“At least until Su— he discovered girls.”

“It was baby fat,” I explained to Christy, mostly to cover Erin’s slip.

“Then I joined the wrestling team and started working out.”

“And oh, boy, did he change! He went from pudgy to hunky in, like, a year. I kinda agree with Mom, though—he could stand to gain a few pounds

—but he’s nothing like he used to be.”

“Thanks for the trip down memory lane,” I said with a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Christy took pity on me and changed the subject. “What’re the women like? At the camp, I mean.”

“About the same as the men. Some are really hot, like Susan or Elizabeth or our mom, but most are just average. They sag and have stretch marks and stuff like that, but—”

“They’re all beautiful,” I said firmly, “in one way or another.”

Erin’s eyebrows rose.

“If you say so,” she said.

“Maybe I’m a little of both,” I said with a sideways look. “Just like you aren’t sunshine and light all the time.”

“No,” she agreed softly.

“We’ve only been together since Thanksgiving,” I said. “Officially, at least. But we’ve been dancing around it for a while.” I glanced at Christy. “I think since we first met.”

“Except when you were a jerk,” she said with an affectionate smile.

“And when you were a you-know-what.”

“He calls me a Catholic schoolgirl when he’s being mean,” she explained to Erin.

“What he doesn’t realize,” Christy continued, “is that I still have my school uniforms… and they still fit.”

Erin’s eyebrows shot up.

“So he might like me being a Catholic schoolgirl, if you know what I

Back at the clubhouse my dad recruited me to help finish Gunny’s project.

He’d been rewiring the 240-volt circuit for the stoves, which explained why my mom had been frying eggs in the electric skillet.

“I think I’ll go grocery shopping with your mom and the others,” Christy said. She rose on tiptoes for a kiss.

“Sure,” I said. “Have fun. Make sure they buy something you’ll eat.”

“I will, Mr. Thoughtful.” She left with a wave.

“I hate to speak ill of the dead…,” I said vaguely.

“My thoughts exactly,” Dad agreed.

“Oh, well. Standing around isn’t going to fix it.” I rolled up my sleeves and shut down the building’s power. At least someone had sold Gunny the right materials for the current job—I plucked a name from deep in my subconscious: Mr. McMasters at the hardware store—so we had new 30-amp double breakers and plenty of heavy-gauge Romex.

Kirk and Doug appeared and asked if we needed help.

“Thanks, but…” I gestured at the panel. “It’s really just a two-man job.”

“Gunny wired all that before he died.”

“Why don’t you build a fire in the clubhouse to warm it up for tonight,”

Dad suggested. “And make sure the hot tub is ready for later.”

“What about the pump?” Doug asked.

“It’s on a dedicated circuit with its own panel,” I said.

“I’m sure we’ll find something else that needs fixing,” Kirk said. “Come on, Dougie. Let’s get to work.”

Dad and I did the same. We started the job with me helping him, but I gradually took over when he realized I had more experience, and our roles had reversed completely by the time we were done.

“You’re better at this than I am,” he said appreciatively.

I felt my cheeks flush. “Trip and I just did the same thing at our house, more or less.”

“Still,” he said, “good job.”

“Don’t congratulate me until we check everything.”

“You did it right,” he said. “Measure twice, cut once.”

“So far, so good,” I said.