Kicking Eternity (2 page)

“Actually, I’m going to Africa.”

He stopped. Fine white lines spoked the corners of his eyes as he stared at her.

“I’ve wanted to be a missionary to Africa my whole life.”

Cal’s jaw went rigid under a day’s shadow of beard. “Hardcore Christian.”

Her heart knocked a staccato rhythm in her chest, but she couldn’t look away. “Meaning?”

“Untried.”

“I live in the same world you do. I’m challenged every day.”

Cal’s laugh rang hollow. “Right.”

“Fine. Think what you want.” She started to turn, but his gaze seared through her. Maybe he
could
see. She certainly felt untried at the moment.

“Come out to the beach with me and Aly some night after campfire.”

She broke away from his gaze and headed toward her cabin.
She glanced back at him.
“Aly
,
your girlfriend?” The words flew out of her mouth before she could rein them in.

“A sibling I inherited through marriage. Jesse is married to her sister.”

Adrenaline mainlined through her body. For sure he thought she was into him. “What’s
your
road?”

“I was king of the monkey bars in second grade. I’d balance one foot on each of the highest bars—until the teacher made me get down. That was pretty much the high point of my life. Been trying to get back there ever since.”

She stopped in front of her cabin.
“Figuratively?”

“Well, yeah. I want to be Harry Morgan.”

“Who?”

“Owner of Pink Taco Restaurants. Under thirty. Dates starlets. I want to have my picture in
People.
Top of the monkey bars.”

She paused on the first step and looked at him.
Am I supposed to know this guy?

“Never mind.

Raine moved up the steps feeling as ignorant as Cal thought she was.

“Later.”

“Wait.”

Yellow porch light warmed his cheeks but left his eyes in shadow.

“I-I’d like to hear about Triple S from someone who knows the camp.”

Cal shrugged. “That would be me. Been coming here most of my life.”

“Is it easy to get to know people?”

“Homeschooling leave you short on friends?”

She gave a dry laugh. “I spent my childhood with my nose pressed against the living room window watching the other kids catch the school bus.” She sat on the top step, eye level with Cal. “Commuting three hours a day to college wasn’t a whole lot better.”

“You could do worse for a place to dive into life. I’ve ditched most of the rules and religion I grew up with. But I still love this place. The people.”

“How did you snag a job at a Christian camp feeling the way you do about faith?”

“Nepotism is alive and well at the Triple S. Jesse, no doubt, thinks camp will boomerang me back to God.”

“Would you talk a camper out of his faith?”

“Jesse should’ve had you interview me.”

“Well?”

“What’s the point of wrecking a kid’s faith? Maybe I was happier when I swa
llowed everything I was taught.
I don’t know.” He laughed. “You, on the other hand, have the primo resume. Wannabe missionary. And I bet Jesse got you for cheap fresh out of college.
Mom
would do cartwheels around the yard if I ever brought home a girl like you.”

“You say that like I’m the last girl on the planet you’d bring home.”

“Pretty much.” He held up his hands. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re beautiful—high cheekbones, ivory skin, internal sparklers behind your eyes. Just not my type. Naïve. Über.”

She sling-shotted from euphoria to irritation. “I don’t know whether to be awed you noticed all that in two minutes under fluorescent light—”

“I’m an artist. It’s what I do.”

“Don’t spoil it—or
should I be
insulted that you’ve smacked a naïve label on me.”

“Look, there’s no way a girl who was homeschooled can survive in the real world.” He shifted position, and she could see his grin. “Educating you this summer could be a public service.”

“I can hardly wait.”

“Oooh. The Bible teacher does sarcasm.” He waved and stepped away from the cabin. “A public service, I’m telling you.” Cal’s voice trailed off as he moved away.

Raine slipped inside. She inhaled the metallic scent of old screen and watched Cal disappear around the corner of the last cabin.

He was a spinning vat of colors. Part of her wanted to jump in and twirl around. Part of her wanted to sprint for the gate out of camp.

He’d called her beautiful.

#

Cal shook his head and chuckled to himself as he strode away. Educating Raine was going to be serious fun.

He crossed the athletic field. Tomorrow the rectangle would fill up with sound and children and color. The anticipation he’d felt as a kid welled up in him.

A breeze ruffled the pines beside the gym in the moonlight. Cal’s eyes caught a flash of blond hair, a couple making out in the shadows near the gym doors. Aly. Nobody else had hair that long. And likely Garner Fritz, the guy she’d bee-lined toward on the Canteen porch.

Aly had gone out with a long succession of guys, trying to find one to plug into the place her father left empty. It didn’t take a psychologist to figure that out.

He picked up a rock, tossed it in his hand. Aly’s love language was touch. He’d heard Dad preach on the topic back when he used to listen. Cal made a point of touching Aly in a platonic way whenever they were together, but it hadn’t kept her from going out with jerks like Gar Fritz. He tossed the stone again and fired it at the side of the gym. It smacked against the bark siding ten feet from the couple. Aly and Gar sprang apart a heartbeat before Cal ducked out of sight.

Maybe that would help.

#

Raine dropped a pair of shorts into the scarred dresser drawer. The screen door squeaked open, then slapped shut against the doorframe. Aly breezed into the room looking like a Barbie whose hair had been bunched into a clip by a small child. A smudge of lipstick clung to one corner of her mouth.

Raine smiled at her. “Hey.”

“Oh, it’s you.” Aly blew her breath out and ran an appraising look over Raine. Her gaze stopped on the crook of Raine’s arm.

Raine scooped a quilt over her scar. She forced a smile into her voice. “Which bunk do you want?”

“I’ll take the top.” She snagged Raine’s dog-eared Bible off the upper bunk and tossed it onto the plastic mattress below. “How did I score the Bible teacher?”

Raine gritted her teeth. “I’m not ‘the Bible teacher.’ I’m Raine.” She
would
make friends this summer. With Aly. “I’ve got three older brothers, a psychotic Great Dane named Antoine, and my favorite show is
Lost
.”

A wry smile broke out on Aly’s face. “Lost. Isn’t that what you call people like me?”

“Are you?”

Aly nibbled off the rest of her lipstick. “In my sister’s opinion.”

“And in yours?”

“I know exactly where I’m going and how to get there. I’m half-way to a BA in marketing and I will
own my own business before I’m twenty-five.”

Raine started to answer, but Aly cut her off. “This is where you tell me I’m going to hell.”

God, give me patience.
“Look, I don’t know where all your drama is coming from, but I’m not the enemy. I could use a friend. If you don’t want to talk about God, fine.”

“Maybe I don’t need another friend.” But Aly’s voice had lost its hard edge.

“Let’s say we’ll try to get along since we’re stuck in the same room for the summer.”

Aly eyed her for a long moment. “Done.” She reached
a slim-boned hand out to Raine.
Raine’s fingers tightened around Aly’s.

“So, you have the hots for Cal, huh?”

Drew headed down the stairs from the apartment he shared with his brother, Kurt. He kneed the laundry basket heaped with his clean clothes to get a better grip and continued down the steps toward his truck.

A smile crept across his face as he remembered how red Rainey’s cheeks went when he’d embarrassed her last night at staff orientation.

His brother tossed Drew’s duffle into the back of the truck and looked up at him. “What’s so funny?”

Drew jumped down the last two steps. “Rainey Zigler.”

“You’re interested in a girl?” Kurt’s voice went up at the end, hopeful.

“Intrigued.”

“About time you got over Samantha.” Kurt rapped his knuckles against Drew’s arm. “Got any more gear for me to bring down?”

“That’s it. I’ll take the truck up to camp and move in later.” He hefted the basket into the truck bed. “Rainey was in junior high when I led worship for her youth group. Braces and braids—who knew she’d grow up so hot?” Drew looked up and stopped cold.

Kurt buried his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. His face had turned the color of sand.

“What’s wrong?” Had Kurt gotten a text that someone died or was critically injured? Family members swirled through his mind. “Just say it already.”

“I wasn’t going to tell you yet, but since you brought up this Rainey… I’m going to Japan. Two years. Teaching English as a second language.”

Drew grabbed the truck gate, lightheaded. “What? Why? Two years. Are you crazy?”

“It was hard enough to make the decision without you trying to talk me out of it.”

“Like I—”

“You would have.”

Drew bit down on his anger. He wouldn’t spit out words he’d regret later. “So, your mind’s made up.” He scrubbed his fingers through his hair like he could push the information into his head somehow. “How long have you been thinking about this?”

“My whole life.”

Kurt’s fascination with Anime, sushi, and all things Japanese swam into his mind. “But you never talked about going there to
live.
”

“It’s past time to cut bait with Cheri. I’m not marrying her. If I don’t go now, I’ll never go.”

Drew gave a dry laugh. “Never did understand what you saw in the
c
ontrol
q
ueen.”

“I’m doing it as much for you as for me.”

“You sound like Dad when he used to get out the belt.”

Kurt smiled. “No, that was, ‘This is going to hurt me as much as it hurts you.’ And that’s true.”

“How is this good for me?”

“Samantha did a number on you, and you’ve got to deal with it. Take me out of the equation. Now you
have
to face it.”

“And I get equal time to ream you about Cheri, the ship that should have sailed after two weeks instead of two years—”

“Take your best shot.”

Drew shook his head. “This would make the grandmomma of all April Fool’s jokes.”

“It’s May. Besides,
you
’
re
the go-to guy for fun. At least, you used to be.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but Kurt cut him off. “It’s been six years. You’re not bouncing back like I keep praying. If I’m gone, I’m not your excuse for a life.”

The sting of Kurt’s words knocked Drew back like a punch. He’d followed Kurt since he could walk. “I’ve been a pest?”

Kurt cracked a smile as he came around the truck. “Yeah, when you were in diapers. The point is, I
need
to go to Nagasaki. A side benefit is that my going will force you to deal with your stuff.”

“Whatever. When?”

“As soon as I can pull it together.”

#

Raine toweled
dry
her hair. Morning sun and the scent of oleander poured in through the weather-beaten window. Today the campers would arrive, and tomorrow she’d teach her first class.

An older teenage girl with a riot of mahogany curls poked her head into the long community bathroom across the back of the cabin.

“Morning! I’m Missy, I’m one of the Cabin Three counselors. Cori is the other one, but I don’t know where she is.”

“Hi, I’m Raine.”

Missy hovered in the doorway. “Sorry I didn’t meet you last night. There was this totally hot guy, Jayson, out in the gazebo after staff meeting with a bunch of other people. I couldn’t go in until the
y all left so I could talk to Jayson.
And the campers come today. I can’t believe I’m a real counselor this year, not a CIT—that’s counselor-in-training—like I was last summer. We’ve got junior high girls this week. Isn’t that so cool? I’m Jesse’s, you know, the camp director’s, kid sister—”