Kipling’s expression turned pained. “We can talk about that, if you’d like—”

“And then you’ll say no.” She stood, as did Gladys. “We want an adventure this summer, before we’re too old. If you’re not going to give it to us, we’ll find someone who will. That’ll show you what we’re capable of.”

The two older women walked out of the meeting. When they’d left, a tall woman stood. She wore a dark blue T-shirt with FGFD emblazoned across the front, and she was clearly pregnant.

“Don’t let them get you down,” she said. “They love to make trouble. I’m Charlie Stryker, by the way. Fool’s Gold Fire Department. I’m interested in volunteering. Most of us on the department are. We’re going to sign releases so the HR department can link our work shift information to your database. That way you’ll know who’s available when. People tend to get lost when it’s least convenient to everyone else.”

A couple of police officers made the same offer. Kipling took down the names of the two departments’ human resources contact and promised to be in touch. By the end of the meeting, they had dozens of volunteers.

“You’re not going to have any trouble filling positions,” Destiny said when she and Kipling walked off the stage.

“Good to know.” He nodded at her. “I’m going to go talk to Charlie before she leaves. I’ll see you around.”

“Sure.”

Destiny’s brain was pleased by his all-business attitude. She’d made her feelings very clear and appreciated how he’d obviously listened. The rest of her was just a little crabby that he seemed to have gotten over her so quickly. And that there wasn’t going to be any more kissing. Which only proved her point about how things like sexual attraction messed with the mind and left a perfectly rational woman teetering on the mental edge.

CHAPTER SIX

“TRY PUTTING YOUR fingers here,” Destiny said, shifting Starr’s fingers on the fretboard. “Press firmly enough to hold the strings, but not so tight that you exhaust yourself. You don’t need a death grip.”

Starr moved her hand slightly then relaxed her fingers. “Like this?”

“That’s it. How are your fingers?”

They’d been playing for nearly an hour already. Starr had ignored her offer to help her learn to play guitar for a week. But at six-thirty that morning, her sister had approached her. Destiny had been surprised, but pleased.

“Sore,” Starr admitted.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better.” She glanced at the clock. “We have to get going or you’ll be late for camp. We’ll practice more tonight. Eventually, you’ll build up calluses but until then you can use ice or soak them in apple cider vinegar.”

Starr laughed. “I’ll start with ice. I don’t want my hands to smell.”

“Fair enough. You ready?”

Starr put down the guitar and nodded. She was already dressed in jeans and a jacket. It would warm up later, but it would be cool first thing in the morning, especially up in the mountains.

“You have sunscreen and insect repellent?” Destiny asked. “They’re giving you lunch.”

“I have everything, and if I don’t, I’ll text you.”

“Good. I’ll have my cell phone with me.”

Destiny grabbed her backpack, and they headed for the car.

Later in the week a bus would take the local kids up the mountain, but for the first couple of days, parents were expected to drive. She had directions, but guessed that she would simply be following a line of cars heading to End Zone for Kids.

“You excited?” she asked as they turned onto Forest Highway.

“A little. I’ll be assigned a buddy to help me find my way around.”

“Plus, everyone is new on the first day.”

“Did you ever go to camp?”

“A couple of times,” Destiny told her. “They were the kind where you stayed in a cabin.”

“Like boarding school.”

“Exactly. Between touring and getting married or divorced, neither Mom nor Dad could take care of me in the summer.”

“Is that when you went to live with your Grandma Nell?”

“Uh-huh. I was ten. Scared about living in the mountains, but happy to be with her. No matter what, she was always there for me.”

“Did you like living with her?”

Destiny thought about the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. Sure, they’d been isolated, but that hadn’t been a bad thing.

“Very much. There’s a rhythm to the seasons. Things to do. Putting up fruits and vegetables in the summer. Getting ready for winter in the fall. The first snowfall was always so beautiful.”

She turned onto Mountain Pass and as she’d expected, found herself in a long line of cars heading up the mountain.

“Was it hard to leave to go to college?” Starr asked.

“It was. I worried I wouldn’t be as smart or educated as everyone else. And I was nervous about being back in the ordinary world. I’d been out of touch for so long. What if I didn’t talk right or know what to wear?” She thought about her first couple of days at college. “And I missed Grandma Nell so much.”

“Where did you go to college?”

“Vanderbilt for two years, then I transferred to the University of Texas.”

“Why?”