Lighting the Flames by Sarah Wendell Read Free Book Online Page A

shutting down or selling
camp … if we make this week a success, even if
it ’ s
not a profitable one, it might give them other options to
consider. ”
    “ Exactly. ”
    “ I
bet Scott projected this first Winter Camp would be a marginal
profit at best, maybe even a loss. But as a vehicle to drive summer
enrollment, the risk would be worth it. If they ’ re facing attrition
problems, and fewer campers are coming for this summer, then they
need new ways to attract campers back as well as bringing in new
ones. ”
    “ Winter Camp isn ’ t a bad place to
start, ” Gen replied.
    Jeremy lay back down,
looking up at the ceiling, barely visible in the darkness. “ Agreed. If
we do something so awesome the campers here talk their friends into
coming next summer, that ’ s a successful
campaign based on less than a week of activities. ”
    “ Exactly. That ’ s why we need something bigger. I mean, the idea
of winter camp is great, but Scott ’ s planned activities
aren ’ t that special. I don ’ t think the current
schedule is going to get people talking at all, except about how
cold it is. We need something bigger. ”
    “ Yeah. The question is, what will get them talking
and make camp and Scott and this summer look really, really
spectacular? ”
    The room was silent
for a moment, their breathing the only sound. Jeremy closed his
eyes to make the darkness complete, berating himself for staring at
Genevieve. They ’ d spent most summers together for years; it
wasn ’ t as if he didn ’ t know what she
looked like in a tank top. He barely wore a shirt half the
summer.
    Suddenly, Gen sat up
straight, then leaned over and grabbed his arm. He felt her touch
everywhere, not just where she made contact. “ I ’ ve got
it. ”
    “ What? ”
    “ Color war. ”
    Jeremy stared at her.
    “ Tomorrow morning, we interrupt Scott, and we break color
war. Winter color war. ”
    He sat up. Her hand
fell away from his skin. “ You, my friend, are a
fucking genius. ”
    “ I
know. ”
    “ Modest, too. ”
    “ Of
course. ”
    “ Let ’ s go, then. ” Jeremy reached down over her legs to where
he ’ d
tossed his T-shirt. “ We ’ ve got work to do. Let ’ s get it
on. ”
    *
    They worked until
nearly two in the morning, facing one another on her sleeping bag
with paper spread out around them. Jeremy came up with
competitions, games, and team challenges while Gen developed the
events schedule. Since his bed squeaked if they so much as breathed
funny, they huddled together on her thin camping mattress, even
though it wasn ’ t as comfortable. Her room was farther from Scott and
Rebecca ’ s, so they were less likely to disturb them, but with both
space heaters running, the noise they made was muffled. And he
understood why she slept in a tank top, because with both heaters,
it was plenty toasty.
    Of course, Gen was
always cold, so after an hour, she put his hooded sweatshirt on
over her tank top. She had to roll the sleeves three or four times
to keep them from sliding down over her hands, but he was willing
to hide every other warm garment she ’ d brought if it meant
she kept wearing his. His work progress was a little slower than
normal, because he kept getting distracted by the curve of her neck
when the hood slid sideways over her shoulder, and he wondered what
it would be like to kiss her there. But he wouldn ’ t trade the time he
lost while staring at her. It had been so long since
they ’ d spent hours whispering plans to one another, he
didn ’ t want the sun to rise.
    A little after two, they sneaked out to get an
enrollment list from the office. Running through the trees in the
darkness with Genevieve felt like summer, and yet it was completely
different. Gen could barely keep from laughing and kept covering
her mouth with her gloves, which made him crack up. Her laughter
was contagious.
    More snow had started falling, coming down in fat,
puffy flakes that covered their tracks within a few minutes. It