Page 102 of Until Next Summer

“He saw the proposal and seemed upset.”

“He knew you and Aaron broke up, right?”

“Yeah, so I don’t—”

“And here we are!” Zoey calls out behind us, and I whirl around.

Jack and Mary are standing there—Jack with his usual peeved expression, Mary slightly behind him with her usual soft smile.

The show is about to begin.

—

Everyone boards the sailboat, and Zac guides us out to the middle of the lake, where we’ll drop anchor. The ride is smooth, with a light breeze. Cooper serves everyone a glass of wine and sets out an elaborate charcuterie board. Hillary sits next to me, Jack and Mary across from us. I introduced Hillary as our Arts and Crafts director, and if they’re confused as to why she’s eating with us, they haven’t let on.

“Well, this is unexpected,” Jack Valentine says, glancing around like he’s wondering where all this luxury has been hiding.

“I hope you’re hungry,” I say. “I don’t know if I mentioned that we have a classically trained chef on staff? Before this summer, he worked at one of the hottest restaurants in Boston.”

“That’s nice,” Jack says absently.

“Very nice,” Mary says, smiling timidly. “Doesn’t everything look lovely?”

It’s sunset on a cloudless evening, the lake a shimmering mirror reflecting the sky. The big, old sailboat has been strung with twinkle lights, which are beautiful—and help draw attention away from the peeling paint and worn deck. Looking back toward shore gives a perfect view of the camp: log cabins peeking out between pine trees, the green roof of the dining hall in the background.

While Zac drops anchor, Zoey comes out with the first course, fresh spring rolls and broccolini gomaae. Cooper is bustling around belowdecks and Hillary and I are making small talk; she’s on point—I’m dazzled by how cool and confident my best friend is. We’ve got this.

Back on shore, Dot is getting everything ready for the next group of campers to arrive tomorrow—much to my surprise, Luke offered to help her. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for all the work my team has put in.

A team that is going to come out on top.

Zoey carries out a tray with the main course, beautifully plated: cold poached salmon over a sesame noodle salad. I take a big sip of wine and remind myself about Nurse Penny’s advice: rip off the Band-Aid and get back on the horse.

“There’s something I’d like to talk to you about,” I say to Jack once we start eating.

He looks up from his dinner, eyebrows raised. “Yes?”

“When she’s not running our Arts and Crafts cabin, Hillary is a successful business analyst,” I say, “and she’s had a bunch of ideas about how to make the camp more profitable.”

“That’s right,” she says, giving a professional smile. “We’ve implemented quite a few changes this summer, andalready we’ve increased the camp’s profits by twenty-three percent.”

“Well done,” Mary says, smiling.

Jack raises an eyebrow. “I’m not sure why that matters—”

“The adult camp has been a huge hit,” I continue. “And there are so many other ways to utilize this property during the off-season, like—”

“What do you mean,utilizethe property?” Jack cuts in.

“We…” I take a deep breath and get to the point. “We’d like to buy the property ourselves. We’re prepared to make a very competitive offer.”

Jack lets out an incredulous laugh. “An offer? The property is already under contract—it’s too late.”

“Hear us out,” Hillary says calmly. “I’ve pulled comps in the area, and your buyer appears to be underpaying. We’re offering you full market value, plus any penalties for backing out of the original contract. I have the details here—”

“I don’t need to see any of that,” Jack says. “You have no idea what you’re doing, that’s clear.”

“Our plan is solid,” Hillary says. “Hundreds of former campers have pledged to join a co-op to purchase the camp and run it together, with a board of directors and a transparent profit-sharing agreement. The capital has been secured; the business plans are ready.”

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