*
THAT night at the bonfire, her kids were flying high. The entire camp was buzzing with the word of Judith, Jill, and Noble D’s exploit at Camp Wildwood. Terrance was telling anyone who would listen that Judith, Jill, and D were the chosen emissaries from the Red Team because they were three of the more upstanding, rule-abiding kids, and therefore under the night supervisor’s radar. He assured people that the entire team was involved in the venture, though, and had agreed on the three campers to represent them.
“We all chipped in for the pizza, and it was my idea to tie the Red Team’s flag around the goat’s neck,” Alice overheard Terrance bragging to the Gold Team’s student leader as darkness fell and a couple managers started to shout for them to take their seats.
Alice started to sit down on the beach between Judith and Matt Dinorio when someone spoke from behind her.
“Alice? A word please before things officially get started.”
Alice noticed Judith’s concerned expression when they both turned to see Sebastian Kehoe standing behind her.
“Sure,” Alice said.
Kehoe nodded in the direction of the woods. The sun had just slipped beneath the horizon, leaving the western sky a brilliant blend of magenta, orange, red, and gold, but the woods were dark. Kehoe paused just inside the shadow the tall trees cast onto the beach and faced her.
“I suppose you know what this is about?” Kehoe asked.
“Um . . .” Alice blinked. The light from the western sky gleamed red in his glasses, although his face was cast in shadow. “Bang?” she asked hesitantly.
He looked grim. “I’m not happy about your little spectacle. I’ve made it clear around camp that while Camp Wildwood forays have been condoned if not encouraged in the past, we were putting a damper on the idea this year. Now your kids have gone and made it seem even more glamorous and desirable to break the rules in subsequent years.”
Alice swallowed thickly. “I didn’t think there was any real danger in it, sir. My kids knew they’d have to be respectful. I wasn’t encouraging theft. I made sure they understood that.”
Kehoe’s mouth clamped together in a tight, straight line. “I suppose you had some advice from a certain former Red Team member? Some instructions from another Durand maverick?”
A chill passed over the surface of her arms. He was referring to Dylan, of course. He really did suspect their involvement. Or possibly, he more than suspected.
But he was wrong to think Dylan had given her the idea. She raised her chin.
“No. Any ideas I did plant with the kids were mine alone, and they came up with the rest. The whole photo as a symbol of the claiming of the goat versus actually stealing it was their idea. So was the pizza party, which personally, I think was brilliant. It was a gesture of friendship, and it went a long way to mend any bad feelings that happened between Camp Durand and Wildwood last year.”
Kehoe looked like he’d just eaten something bitter. “Apparently, most of the Durand managers agree with you.” He hesitated. “So did the Camp Wildwood staff. Their staff supervisor contacted me this afternoon and asked all of the Durand campers and staff to come to a cookout next year at Camp Wildwood.”
“That’s great!”
“I didn’t ask you over here to praise you,” he snapped. Alice’s grin vanished in a split second. He was coiled as tight as a spring. She resisted an urge to step away from him. Surely it was a trick of the fading light and shadows, but Kehoe looked a little crazed at that moment.
“You’re as full of yourself as she was. As he is. What do you actually think is going to come of this? That you’re going to ride off into the sunset with your prince?” he snarled. “It didn’t happen before. It’s not going to happen now.”
She stood there, her mouth hanging open in shock, watching as Kehoe walked stiffly away from her toward the blazing bonfire.
*