Hilly gave the girl immediate, comforting assurance. “I’m so sorry you had to hear that, Ginny, but yes. Nurse Gorner’s employment here has been terminated. She…broke a rule, and I couldn’t allow her on the grounds any longer.” She gave the girl, and the rest of the room her best, brilliant smile. “Tomorrow, however, when you wake up, we’ll have a new medic on staff. During breakfast, I’ll introduce you all to a friend of Officer Andera’s who’s going to take over here for a few weeks until we can find a replacement who can stay for the rest of the summer. His name is Officer Deluthe, and he’s not only a certified paramedic, he was a camper here when he was your age, so he knows the property extremely well. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s eager to join in with a lot of our activities.”

That bit of information, which Hilly had purposely let slip, had the desired effect of getting the kids’ minds off the nasty nurse who’d been given the heave-ho. They began excitedly chatting amongst themselves while heading out the door to their next lesson.

Hilly’s task now, was to find Buffy, and there was no better way to track her down than to ask Nel. “Nel, baby, where’s Buffy?” she prompted. “Go find Buff.”

Hilly had expected Nel to join the line of campers leaving the building, but instead she turned around and pranced toward the doors into the kitchen.

“I see,” Hilly laughed. “Buffy’s helping Mrs. S with some taste-testing?”

Nel’s bright yip was answer enough to that question, which really hadn’t been a question at all. Buffy loved to eat. Almost as much as Cisco. It really wasn’t fair that the two of them—despite the amount of calories they ingested—maintained trim physiques. All Hilly had to do was look at food to blow up. She had to remain vigilant and work hard to balance her diet and exercise in order to keep to her target weight.

Hilly pushed open the swinging kitchen doors and was hit with the most delicious odor of sauce and bread. She breathed in, deeply. Thank God smells didn’t have calories.

“Hey, Hilly-billy,” Buffy greeted her, licking what looked like vanilla pudding from a wooden spoon. “Mrs. S is making mini-Boston cream pies for dessert. They’re to die for.” She took another long swipe before setting the now clean utensil aside.

Hilly snorted. “If she’s bugging you, Mrs. S, feel free to kick her out,” Hilly teased.

“And lose my best taste-tester?” Ellen joked back. “I don’t think so.”

Hilly chuckled at the expected response. Mrs. S was one of the most even-keeled people she knew. “I actually do need to steal her away for a few minutes, if that’s okay.”

“Duty calls, huh?” Buffy tuned in astutely.

“Yeah. But I hope it’s quick and easy.”

“Lead on,” Buffy said, walking over to link arms with Hilly. “Nel can take my spot as Ellen’s number one food-guinea-pig.”

“She’s no help,” Ellen called out when Nel sat expectantly by the woman’s side, giving her adoring eyes as Hilly and Buffy walked away. “She likes everything.”

“Then she’s good for your ego,” Buffy assured her before taking pity. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back, soon.”

They left the building, and Hilly steered her toward a picnic table where they could perch while having a remote, but unobstructed view of the pavilion where Cisco’s class was just beginning.

“So, what’s up?” Buffy asked curiously.

Hilly sighed. “We might have a problem with one of our counselors.”

Buffy’s brows went up. “I’ve made a point to talk to each one of them, and they seem like a pretty good group. Which one is causing trouble?”

“I’m not quite sure if it’s even trouble,” Hilly admitted, her mouth twisting uncertainly. “But while Cisco and I were out for a walk…” Crap. She felt her face flush as her eyes followed him all around the mats where he gave instruction to the kids.

“A walk, huh?” Buffy caught the blush immediately, and chortled. “This jaunt didn’t happen to include a kiss or two, did it?”

Hilly knew there was no use prevaricating. “It might have, but that’s not what we need to discuss.”

“Fine,” Buffy giggled. “Business, now, dirty-deets later. How about you spill after light’s out?”

Hilly knew Buff would pursue it relentlessly unless she gave in. “Fine. Details later tonight.” She stole another peak toward Cisco, who moved with amazing confidence, despite his injury.

“Okay. Now what’s going on.”

Hilly refocused, and told Buffy what she’d heard from high above on the platform, then waited for her friend’s opinion.

“Okay. You and Cisco are correct. We—or you—need to talk to Lance, to find out if Carter’s concerns are real or imagined. From what you’ve told me, a lot of your counselors—like your campers—come from a background of being bullied. This could just be Carter perceiving an injustice where there is none.”

“That’s smart thinking,” Hilly concurred. “But… What if Lance admits that there might be a problem?”

“Then we have a chat with Bailey, and I mean we will have that chat. There’s no need for you to confront her alone and have her go all righteous or offended on your ass. We’ll keep it professional, and assure her she’s not in trouble, but that she needs to be more careful doing or saying anything to give people the wrong impression.”

“See? I knew you’d have the answers.” Hilly felt better already while still gazing in Cisco’s direction. “I’ll talk to Lance after supper, then depending on what he tells us, we can schedule a meeting with Bailey tomorrow during free-time after lunch.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Buffy agreed. “And in the meantime, don’t let it eat at you. It’s probably nothing.”

Hadn’t Cisco said close to the same thing?

“Thanks Buff,” Hilly said, giving her bestie a spontaneous hug.

Buffy grinned. “Just remember, you owe me dirt on what you and that fine specimen of a man you can’t seem to keep your eyes off of, were up to earlier.”

Caught.

Hilly cleared her throat and grinned. “I might have, uh, more to tell you, depending on what happens later.”

“Really? What’s later?” Buff leaned forward.

“He’s going to go with me and Nel on our nightly run.”

“Ooh,” Buffy rolled her eyes and gave a yummy moan. “Alone. In the dark. Needing a big, strong man to protect you from marauding bears…”

Hilly gave her a playful punch. “They don’t maraud, and I have spray for that.”

“Then what about if you, oops, accidentally trip, and he has to scoop you up in his arms and carry you back to the empty infirmary to bandage you up, but instead rips off your clothes and has his way with you?” Buffy sighed, her eyes growing dreamy.

Hilly snorted. “Right. Has anybody ever told you you’d make a very lousy romance writer?”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“So, you’re just going to play it cool and lay off for a while?” Welker asked Cisco late on Wednesday, wrapping up the first, long, sweaty workout he’d engaged in since his injury. It might have been too soon, but getting his muscles pumping felt awesome.

Cisco had spilled his conflicted guts during their physical exertion.

He lay on the gym mat now, lifting and mopping his face with the hem of his shirt. “I think it’s the right move.”

Hilly had seemed more standoffish than she’d even been after what she’d dug up about Bailey on Tuesday. Cisco didn’t know why, but he’d gone with the flow.

When she’d confronted her counselor, Lance admitted that, yes, he was interested in Bailey. But when asked if the girl reciprocated his interest, he’d only mumbled that he was working on it.

After finishing up with Lance and sending him on his way, Hilly had called in another of her second-year counselors, figuring that Lisha, whom she trusted implicitly, would know what was going on.