during the early seventies, and then found Jesus in a real way and settled in Dawson with Henry Forester.
He died when her children were young and she started a business making tie-dyed clothing.
And now she was making a beeline for Jason Bradshaw, holding tight to Alyson’s wrist, as if she thought her granddaughter might try to escape. And Alyson couldn’t lie and say the thought hadn’t crossed her mind.
“What is it we need to do here, at the camp?” Alyson thought her question might pull her grandmother back and get her on track.
“Well, we’re going to check on Jason and then we’re going to ask Jenna and Adam what we can do to help them get started next week when the first campers arrive.”
“I see.” Alyson had never been to camp, and now she was going to volunteer at one.
“Jas, honey, are you here to work?”
“I think I probably am.” He winked at Alyson. She looked away, scanning the camp, the buildings, the fields.
“There’s Jenna and the guys.” Etta pointed to a woman with a round belly. There were two men with her. One had a protective arm around her waist. The other was stepping onto a ladder.
“She sure looks pretty pregnant.” Etta smiled at Jason, not at Alyson. “Adam’s a lucky guy.”
“I’m happy for them, Etta.”
“I know you are, but a few of us thought…”
He limped ahead of them, ignoring her grandmother’s unspoken question about what people thought. But Alyson wanted to know. What had people thought? Had there been something between Jason and Jenna?
“They were only friends,” Etta answered. “I just don’t know what’s wrong with that boy. He’s never had a serious relationship. Always been that way.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to get serious with anyone.” It made sense to Alyson. So did changing the subject, but something else she’d learned about her grandmother was that Etta was relentless.
“Well, that doesn’t even make sense. Of course he wants to get serious with someone.” Etta made a face, drawing in her brows and scrunching her mouth and nose. “Why aren’t you married?”
“I…”
“Well?”
“I was engaged.”
“I see.” Etta stopped walking. “Is that why you’re here?”
“No, not really. I mean, it’s part of it. I wanted to find you.”
“And you wanted to find a place to hide. We’re more than a shelter in the storm, Alyson, we’re your family. We’re going to be here, even when the storm passes. Make sure you remember that.”
Alyson nodded. “I know. And I’m not here to hide. I’m here because I found you.”
As they approached the group gathered at the corner of the dorm, Jason spoke to the woman, and then glancedtoward Alyson and Etta. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he looked away, and he looked uncomfortable.
“Etta, you’re back.” The woman, round and pregnant, hugged Alyson’s grandmother.
“Well, of course I am. I had a surprise waiting for me.” Etta slipped an arm through Alyson’s. “Honey, this is Jenna, her handsome husband Adam Mackenzie. And that guy on the ladder is her brother, Clint.”
“Nice to meet you all.”
“Are you here for long?” Jenna spoke, her hand going to her belly.
“I’m not sure.”
Etta shot her a look that questioned her answer, but Alyson couldn’t explain. How could she give answers when she had no idea what her future held? She couldn’t explain to her grandmother about her fears.
For a little while she wanted to be a girl from Dawson. She might want to be that person forever. But wanting didn’t undo the realities of her life and a schedule that couldn’t be undone.
Jason smiled at her, making her answer okay. He winked and his hand went to the ladder, shaking it a little, distracting the people looking at her, waiting for answers. Clint Cameron grabbed the edge of the roof that he was working on.
“Give a guy a break when he’s standing on a ladder.”
Jason looked up, pushing his hat back. “Sorry, Clint,
He died when her children were young and she started a business making tie-dyed clothing.
And now she was making a beeline for Jason Bradshaw, holding tight to Alyson’s wrist, as if she thought her granddaughter might try to escape. And Alyson couldn’t lie and say the thought hadn’t crossed her mind.
“What is it we need to do here, at the camp?” Alyson thought her question might pull her grandmother back and get her on track.
“Well, we’re going to check on Jason and then we’re going to ask Jenna and Adam what we can do to help them get started next week when the first campers arrive.”
“I see.” Alyson had never been to camp, and now she was going to volunteer at one.
“Jas, honey, are you here to work?”
“I think I probably am.” He winked at Alyson. She looked away, scanning the camp, the buildings, the fields.
“There’s Jenna and the guys.” Etta pointed to a woman with a round belly. There were two men with her. One had a protective arm around her waist. The other was stepping onto a ladder.
“She sure looks pretty pregnant.” Etta smiled at Jason, not at Alyson. “Adam’s a lucky guy.”
“I’m happy for them, Etta.”
“I know you are, but a few of us thought…”
He limped ahead of them, ignoring her grandmother’s unspoken question about what people thought. But Alyson wanted to know. What had people thought? Had there been something between Jason and Jenna?
“They were only friends,” Etta answered. “I just don’t know what’s wrong with that boy. He’s never had a serious relationship. Always been that way.”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to get serious with anyone.” It made sense to Alyson. So did changing the subject, but something else she’d learned about her grandmother was that Etta was relentless.
“Well, that doesn’t even make sense. Of course he wants to get serious with someone.” Etta made a face, drawing in her brows and scrunching her mouth and nose. “Why aren’t you married?”
“I…”
“Well?”
“I was engaged.”
“I see.” Etta stopped walking. “Is that why you’re here?”
“No, not really. I mean, it’s part of it. I wanted to find you.”
“And you wanted to find a place to hide. We’re more than a shelter in the storm, Alyson, we’re your family. We’re going to be here, even when the storm passes. Make sure you remember that.”
Alyson nodded. “I know. And I’m not here to hide. I’m here because I found you.”
As they approached the group gathered at the corner of the dorm, Jason spoke to the woman, and then glancedtoward Alyson and Etta. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he looked away, and he looked uncomfortable.
“Etta, you’re back.” The woman, round and pregnant, hugged Alyson’s grandmother.
“Well, of course I am. I had a surprise waiting for me.” Etta slipped an arm through Alyson’s. “Honey, this is Jenna, her handsome husband Adam Mackenzie. And that guy on the ladder is her brother, Clint.”
“Nice to meet you all.”
“Are you here for long?” Jenna spoke, her hand going to her belly.
“I’m not sure.”
Etta shot her a look that questioned her answer, but Alyson couldn’t explain. How could she give answers when she had no idea what her future held? She couldn’t explain to her grandmother about her fears.
For a little while she wanted to be a girl from Dawson. She might want to be that person forever. But wanting didn’t undo the realities of her life and a schedule that couldn’t be undone.
Jason smiled at her, making her answer okay. He winked and his hand went to the ladder, shaking it a little, distracting the people looking at her, waiting for answers. Clint Cameron grabbed the edge of the roof that he was working on.
“Give a guy a break when he’s standing on a ladder.”
Jason looked up, pushing his hat back. “Sorry, Clint,
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