Page 13 of S'more Mountain Man

Skye flashed me a smile that did uncomfortable things to my chest. "Let's unload before the horde descends."

The next fifteen minutes were a whirlwind of activity. Skye directed the setup with surprising efficiency, transforming a corner of the main lodge into a mini planetarium with charts, models, and interactive displays. I helped carry the heavier equipment, including the main telescope that would go out on the meadow after dark.

"You really know what you're doing," I observed as she calibrated something on the largest telescope, her fingers quick and sure on the dials.

"Shocking, right?" She didn't look up, but her lips curved in a smile. "The disaster-prone city girl actually has skills."

"I never said you didn't."

"You thought it, though." This time she did look up, hazel eyes sparkling with challenge. "Admit it. You took one look at my yoga pants and sandals and wrote me off as useless."

"Not useless. Just..." I searched for the right word. "Misplaced."

She laughed at that, a genuine sound that seemed to brighten the whole room. "Fair enough. I was definitely misplaced. Lucky for me, you were there to find me."

Before I could respond, the doors to the lodge burst open and a tidal wave of energy flooded in—twelve kids between nine and twelve years old, all talking at once, a riot of bright t-shirts, sneakers, and backpacks.

"Is that the telescope?" "Are we gonna see Saturn's rings?" "I brought my star tracker app!" "Can we make s'mores NOW?"

I took an instinctive step back, but Skye moved forward, her entire demeanor shifting into teacher mode.

"Whoa, whoa, one at a time!" She clapped her hands, and miraculously, the chaos subsided. "I'm Skye, your astronomy guide for tonight. And yes, we're going to see Saturn's rings, and Mars, and the Perseid meteor shower if we're lucky."

A girl with dark pigtails and enormous, purple-framed glasses stepped forward. "Are you a real astronomer?"

"I'm a science teacher," Skye replied. "And a lifelong stargazer. My dad and I used to track every meteor shower, eclipse, and planetary conjunction. I've been looking up my whole life."

"Cool," the girl nodded, apparently satisfied. "I'm Lily. I know all the constellations already."

"Perfect! You can help me tonight." Skye turned to include the whole group. "Now, who can tell me why we can see stars at night but not during the day?"

Several hands shot up, and just like that, she had them. Every single one. They gathered around her like planets orbiting a sun, eager and attentive. I hung back, watching as she led them through an introduction to the night sky, her enthusiasm infectious.

"And who's that?" A boy with a mop of dark hair and a camo-print t-shirt jerked his thumb at me.

Skye glanced over. "That's Leif. He lives on the mountain and knows more about surviving in the wilderness than anyone I've ever met. He rescued me when I got lost yesterday."

Twelve pairs of eyes swiveled in my direction, assessing me with unnerving directness.

"Did you fight a bear?" the dark-haired boy asked.

"No."

"Have you ever fought a bear?"

"No."

"Could you fight a bear?"

"Wouldn't recommend it."

"Do you have a gun?"

"Tyler!" Mandy cut in. "Let's focus on astronomy, not bear fighting."

"But bears are important survival information," Tyler insisted. "My dad says you should always be bear aware."

"Your dad is right," I said. "But the most important thing about bears is avoiding them, not fighting them."

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