“I’m not worth that,” she sobbed. “Someone needs to stop him.”
I held her arms, refusing to let her go. “No one can stop him, Sunny. I’m not giving you up. But I’m afraid,” I admitted. “Afraid of what he’d do to you.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Don’t leave me, Sunny. Don’t make me go back to being alone again.”
She threw her arms around my neck. “I don’t want to.”
“We’ll have to be more careful. I can’t risk you.”
She sniffled, and I held her face in my hands.
“One day, we won’t have to hide. I promise.”
Her kiss said it all.
Since then, we’d been so cautious that at times it felt as if we were strangers barely acknowledging each other in town. We sought out private moments, hiding in deserted places. I lived for the hours when we were alone together.
She returned, carrying a strawberry shake and a piece of pie which I knew were for me. I shook off my dark thoughts. I wasn’t allowed ice cream or sweets at home, so I always got them when I was with her. She set them in front of me and returned a moment later with a sandwich and coffee for herself.
“Tell me,” she said between bites.
I told her what occurred. But instead of her looking disappointed, I was surprised when her eyes lit up.
“Did you hear what I said? I won’t be at the shelter this summer. I’ll barely see you.” I let my fork fall to the plate. “I was hanging on to this. Looking forward to it, and now he’s fucked it all.”
“Language,” she chided.
I ignored her. “He somehow constantly finds a way to make me fucking miserable.”
“Well, he failed this time.”
“Care to explain that to me? I was going to be right around the corner at the shelter. I could come in here every day and see you since he would be in the city. Now, I’m going to be stuck five miles away at the fucking camp.”
She leaned forward, her smile never fading. If anything, it got brighter. After another glance over her shoulder, she slid her hand toward mine, entwining our fingers. “I have my own news.”
I squeezed her hand. “Tell me.”
“I’m working at the camp too.”
My eyebrows shot up. “What?”
She nodded, looking excited. “I’m going to be working in the kitchen.”
“What about your sisters? Who will watch them?”
She smiled, although her eyes were sad. “My grandmother’s estate was finally settled. She didn’t have much, but there was a little money left over when it was done.” I nodded for her to continue, squeezing her fingers fast. Her grandmother had been a special person to Sunny, and when she died a year ago, it had hit her hard. Sunny still became emotional when talking about her.
“So,” she continued, “my mom and I talked, and she decided she was going to send the girls to summer camp. She wants them to have a good summer after the last couple of years. She knew how much I wanted to work there, and she spoke with Gerry—the guy who runs it. It turned out he was looking for another body, so I went and saw him, and I got the job. Harry said I’d still have a job in the fall part time again.” She peeked over her shoulder. “Things aren’t great here, and he can’t really afford me full time this year. His daughter is taking more shifts to help out, and the grocery store hours are being cut back too, so I really needed this to happen.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because you would want to help or give me money, and I don’t need that from you, Linc. I just need you to be Linc. My mom and I would have figured something out.” Then she grinned. “But look how it’s all worked out!”
Her smile was infectious, and I felt my own grow. “So, you’ll be there too?” I asked, feeling the weight of my father’s words lifting away.
She nodded. “Six weeks away from this town and all the people here? Without a doubt.”
Still, I felt a flash of hurt. “You were going to take the job, and you didn’t tell me?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “I was going to talk to you about it. But when I spoke with Gerry the other day, he said he was getting an assistant. He mentioned the name Lincoln, and I knew there couldn’t be two of you around with that name. Plus, he said your father’s company was sponsoring the camp this year, so I was sure. I said yes right away. I figured you’d be coming and going, but at least we’d see each other in the daytime.”