When Mom Meets Dad (9 page)

Kristy took French fries from a bag and nibbled on one, looking pensive.  "Heather's going to a different camp than I am."

So that was it.  Last year Kristy had spent a week at an exclusive summer camp in upstate Pennsylvania.  Reservations had to be made practically a year ahead.  But he knew if he pulled some strings, he might be able to get Heather in the same week as Kristy, even at this late notice.  He'd do anything to make his daughter happy.

"Do you think Heather would like to go with you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"I told Mrs. Carson all about the camp where I went, but Heather told me her mom said it's too expensive.  Is it expensive, Dad?"

It was definitely high on the scale, and he should have thought of that before he said anything.  "It is expensive, but...  Let me talk to Mrs. Carson.  She's not charging me anything to tutor you or to take care of you while Grandma is gone.  Maybe we could make a trade."

After Kristy slid off her chair, she came around and hugged Alex hard.  "Oh, Dad, thank you.  You're the best."

He was glad his daughter thought so.  Now all he had to do was convince Amanda that his idea was a good one.

***

On Thursday morning Alex arrived at Amanda's house a few minutes early, parked in the drive, and went to the door with his daughter.  When Amanda opened it, she looked a little disconcerted.  "Oh, hello, Alex."

With awkward tension vibrating between them, Alex asked, "Can I come in for a few minutes?"

Amanda hesitated briefly.  "Sure.  Is it about the Career Day meeting on Sunday?"

"No.  It's about summer camp."

Amanda gave a welcoming smile to Kristy and said, "Go on back to Heather's room.  She's cleaning out her closet."

After Kristy had gone down the hall, Alex figured the best thing to do was to get to the point.  "Kristy mentioned to me that she and Heather would be going to different summer camps.  It would make them happy if they could go together.  Since you're not charging me to watch Kristy, I'd be glad to pay for Heather to go to Mountain View with Kristy.  I made a call last night, and there have been cancellations, so I can get Heather in.  What do you say?"

Amanda had tied her hair back in a ponytail.  She was wearing cut-off denim shorts that had fringed and a knit top through which he could see the outline of her bra.  She looked totally delectable.  But as soon as he made his offer, her blue eyes flashed with silver, and he knew she wasn't going to agree.

"No one pays my bills, Alex.  Or Heather's.  And that camp is just too expensive for me to afford."

"Look, Amanda, if I had to pay a babysitter for Kristy as well as a tutor--"

"I'm not watching Kristy or tutoring her because I want to get paid for it."

He let out an exasperated sigh.  "I know that.  But the girls want to be together.  And the truth is, last year when Kristy went to camp, I'm not sure she really enjoyed it.  She didn't know any of the girls there, and they already had their friends made from the year before.  I just want her to have a good time."

Amanda's silence lasted more than a few seconds as she assessed him and his motives.  Finally she made a suggestion of her own.  "Maybe you should tour the camp that I've chosen for Heather.  Kristy told me what her camp was like, and Rocky Top doesn't have the same kind of luxurious accommodations, but then I don't believe the girls need anything fancy.  They need good supervision, activities they like, and the companionship of each other."

For some reason, Alex felt this was some kind of test.  Amanda obviously didn't want anyone making decisions for her, and he guessed that was how she saw his offer.  He thought about it.  Why not check out Rocky Top?  After all, he didn't have to send Kristy there.  But he could at least make the effort.

"All right.  We can do that," he agreed.  "How long does it take to get to this camp?"

"About an hour."

He did some quick calculating.  "What about tomorrow afternoon?  I'll have my secretary rearrange my appointments.  I can be here by two."

"Maybe we should see if they have room for Kristy before we go visit."

He shook his head.  "I want to make sure it's suitable for her first.  There's no point in proceeding further if she doesn't like the place."  He had his doubts about rusticity and his daughter's comfort, and a cheaper facility usually meant more rustic.

You don't think she's going to like it, do you?"

"I'm withholding judgment until I see the place.  She's used to Mountain View and everything it has to offer.  It has nice dorms, tile floors and fluffy towels."

Amanda's pretty brows arched.  "At Rocky Top, the girls bring their own towels."

He had to smile at her.  "And a bed roll?"

"You bet," she answered, challenging him to make something of it.

They practically stood toe-to-toe, defensively, like two wary boxers who'd just entered a ring.  Or like two people attracted to each other who didn't want to give into the attraction.  With the girls along tomorrow afternoon, they'd have two energetic buffers. 

"Can you give me the number for the camp?  I'll call and let them know we're coming," he finally said.

"You can if you want, Alex, but they have an open door policy.  Anyone can visit anytime."

What she was really saying was that this camp wasn't exclusive.  This camp didn't stand on pretense.  This camp was very different from Mountain View.  "I want to call and ask a few preliminary questions.  It will give me a feel for the place."

"I'll get you the number."  Turning away from him, she headed toward the kitchen.  Her ponytail bounced as she walked, and Alex admired her slender figure as well as her spirit.  He was already looking forward to tomorrow afternoon.

***

As Alex drove to Rocky Top the following afternoon, he glanced at Amanda when she spoke to him, when she spoke to the girls, when he stopped for a light, or any other time he thought it was safe.  Having her in the car beside him was a distraction, but a distraction that made him feel totally alive and, he had to admit, some degree of aroused even when he wasn't looking at her.  When he wasn't looking at her, he could still smell her perfume.  He could still remember their kisses.  He sensed her beside him, although no part of their bodies were touching.  Even as they sang rounds of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," the sharp awareness of his attraction to Amanda couldn't be denied.

Taking the designated exit off of Interstate 81, Alex remembered the directions to the camp printed on the flyer describing the facility.  Amanda had given it to him with the phone number.  The camp was nestled in the hills, and as Alex turned onto an access road, he realized the scenery here was as picturesque as Mountain View's.  But as he caught a glimpse of the camp itself and its buildings, any other resemblance to Mountain View didn't equate.  Mountain View had dormitories, Olympic-sized pools indoors and outdoors, well-kept stables and riding trails.  This camp looked like...well, like a throw-back to a more primitive time. There were ten cabins, and he wasn't sure they looked like they could weather a good storm.

As if she read his mind, Amanda said, "You have to see it up close to appreciate it.  And wait until you meet the counselors; they're terrific with the kids."

"Boys and girls come to this camp?" he asked, realizing it for the first time.

"Yes, it's co-ed."

"Mountain View is for just girls," he murmured.

"Alex, it's important for children to interact--both sexes.  That's how they learn about relationships."

He supposed Amanda was right, but he still liked the idea of a fortified dorm with all the conveniences and all girls inhabiting it much better.

From the back seat, Kristy tapped him on the shoulder.  "Hey, Dad, look!  There's a lake over there--and canoes.  I've never ridden in a canoe."

Even though he'd started Kristy in private swimming lessons when she was five, and she was a good swimmer, he didn't know if he liked the idea of her out on the water when he wasn't around.

Amanda nudged his elbow and said in a low voice, "They don't go out in the canoe without life jackets."

That bit of information didn't make him feel a whole lot better.  As he climbed out of the car, he heard a round of cheers and kids yelling and calling to each other from a field behind the cabins.

"There's a softball field," Amanda explained as they headed toward one cabin larger than all the others that was obviously the office.

The staff was friendly and eager to answer any of Alex's questions.  The manager of Rocky Top introduced Alex to a counselor who took them on a tour of all the facilities.  She and Amanda conversed easily, discussing group dynamics and the sense of family life that each cabin created among the girls who slept there for the week.  In spite of himself, Alex was impressed with the objectives of the camp--the sportsmanship, independence and camaraderie that the activities and the schedule tried to foster.

As Amanda had suggested, on closer examination, he saw that the cabins were sturdy and well-maintained.  The communal building where the children took their meals and worked on arts and crafts projects was spic-and-span clean and freshly painted.  If he'd wanted to find fault with something, he'd be hard-pressed to do so.  Rocky Top wasn't Mountain View; there was no denying that.  But it offered its own brand of summer fun.

When they finished the tour, the counselor said to Alex, "If you want to sign your daughter up, just come back into the office.  We have two vacancies left for the week after next--the week Heather is coming.  We were booked solid, but as usually happens, we had two families cancel.  Or if you don't want to decide now, you can give us a call."  After shaking his hand and Amanda's, she smiled at the girls and then returned to the office.

There were no high-pressure tactics here, and no sales pitch.  The camp was what it was, and he could either choose it or not.

Kristy and Heather gazed up at him expectantly.  After saying, "Excuse us," to Amanda and Heather, Alex dropped his hand onto his daughter's shoulder and guided her toward the shade of a tall poplar.  "This camp is a lot different than Mountain View."

"I know, Dad, but I like it.  Really I do.  And I wanna be with Heather."

Not sure if nine-year-olds' friendships lasted longer than a minute or until a disagreement sent them in opposite directions, he asked, "Would you want to come here if Heather weren't coming?"

When Kristy didn't answer right away, he knew she was thinking about it carefully.

Looking around at the cabins once more, the outdoor pool that wasn't quite olympic-size, the cafeteria that didn't serve meals on top of table cloths, she nodded.  "I think I'll like it here, Dad.  Honest.  And I really like the idea of Parents' Day."

The counselor had told them that on the last day of the week, parents were invited to join in and compete in specified activities, watching a program at the end of the day that the kids put on themselves.

"All right.  If this is what you want, then let's go in and sign you up."

When Kristy wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, Alex felt as if he'd made the best decision on earth.  Rejoining Heather and Amanda, he grinned.  "She convinced me, but you two have to promise to watch out for each other while you're here.  Got it?"

Both girls were beaming and said in unison, "Got it!"

As the girls hurried inside, Amanda took a few steps closer to him.  "You've made them very happy."

"And saved myself some money," he joked.

Amanda laughed.  "They'll get their money's worth here, Alex.  I really investigated the camp before I chose it for Heather.  I called parents who'd sent their children.  I spoke to the sister of one of my students who'd been a counselor here."

"I should have known better than to judge it on price or a first impression.  And the truth is, I don't want Kristy growing up to be a snob.  It's just that I felt safe with her at Mountain View, whether it was the best thing for her or not."

"She can be safe here, too," Amanda assured him.

"If it were up to me, I would keep her in a gilded cage all her life.  But I know that's irrational.  And I know she'll never learn to fly if I do.  It's just hard to keep perspective sometimes."

"More than sometimes," Amanda agreed.

At that moment, he felt closer to Amanda than when he had kissed her.  Well, almost.  And before he thought about it very long, he found himself saying, "I got a call from my parents last night.  They'd just gotten home.  Mom's having a picnic tomorrow evening.  How would you and Heather like to come along?"

Looking uncertain, Amanda asked, "Are you sure your parents won't mind?"

"They'd love it.  Mom likes to feed a crowd, and Dad likes to show off as the greatest barbequer on earth."

"Can I bring anything?"

"Just yourself."  Then he added, "And Heather."

The door to the office swung open, and Kristy called to him, "Hey, Dad, are you comin'?"

"Coming," he called back, then mounted the wooden steps with Amanda, much too pleased she had accepted his invitation, hoping his parents wouldn't read too much into it.

After all, it was only a picnic.

***

Alex's parents lived in a beautiful stone older home in a pretty section of town.  Tall maples and elms lined the streets, and pink and blue hydrangea bloomed in profusion along many of the houses.  It was a neighborhood that had been developed in the fifties and had seen renovation as well as change.  It gave Amanda a solid feeling.  Alex had come from this middle class background.  It was much different from hers.

Growing up, she'd lived in an apartment with her mother in a poor section of town.  Her father had left before she was old enough to remember him very well.  Like Jeff, he'd never looked back.  He hadn't cared that he had a daughter.  The school guidance counselor had helped Amanda find every scholarship and grant available for her to attend college.  When Amanda's mother died her sophomore year, she'd taken an apartment in the small college town and worked two jobs, determined to make a success of her life.  And when she'd met Jeff, she'd thought she'd have the family she'd always dreamed of.  But Jeff's idea of family and hers had been very different.  She'd wanted a husband who made his family a priority, but Jeff had found almost everything else more important.  Yet he'd still wanted to dictate her every move--and Heather's.