Summer Ghost (The Cloud Dancer Series) by McGinnis Linda

Author:McGinnis, Linda [McGinnis, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Linda McGinnis
Published: 2012-11-08T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Paolo decided it made more sense for him to pick her up in Santa Fe on Friday afternoon when she got off work. He’d brought her to work that morning so they’d only have one car to deal with for the weekend. He was there at four o’clock and since Hank had already left for the day, Erin clocked out early. She changed into shorts, a tee shirt, and tennis shoes, and put her hair up in a ponytail.

“You got all the stuff from my kitchen?” she asked him.

“Yes. Oh, here are your keys, before I forget.”

“Thanks. I think we’re all ready.”

She felt excited as they drove southeast out of Santa Fe on the highway toward the lake. She’d never been on the road before and watched the surroundings with interest.

“How long before we get there?” she asked and then laughed at herself. “I’m just asking, I’m not anxious.”

“It’ll take about an hour and a half. Plenty of time for me to set up the tent and you to fix dinner before dark. Have you ever been camping before?”

“Once or twice,” she told him.

He turned on the CD player and she didn’t recognize the singer’s voice. “Who is this?”

“Garth Brooks. It’s from my pre-classical period,” he told her with a grin. “You can change it if you want.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Erin had gone on one other trip with him when she visited the second summer. A college friend of his had gotten married in Durango and they’d driven up to attend the wedding. His car had broken down and they ended up spending an awkward night together in a motel. That was when he’d told her he wanted her to forgo college and marry him. She’d realized what a great sacrifice that would be and instead, had returned to California to attend university.

“You’re quiet,” he said.

“I was just thinking of our trip to Durango.”

“Lots of water under the bridge since that weekend,” he mused.

She nodded, wondering where they’d be now if she had said yes instead of no.

The campground was not yet crowded when they arrived. They found their assigned campsite easily and Erin was pleased to see it was not far from the latrines. A picnic table and benches sat to the side of the space. There was a fireplace grill for cooking, as well as plenty of room for a tent. Erin noticed that each site had a least one cottonwood tree for shade and respite from the summer heat.

Paolo got the tarp and tent out of the trunk and started setting it up. Erin didn’t expect such a large tent having spent much of her camping life in a pup tent. While Paolo assembled the tent, Erin got the food out of the ice chest and found the mess kit he’d brought.

She started water heating and then warmed the hot dogs and beans. She put the salad she’d made before work that morning into a bowl, wrapped the buttered French bread in foil, and put it on the fireplace grate.

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