This is the first chapter in a serial romance written by
local author and Limington resident Judi Phillips. Join The Windham Eagle as we
return to Campfire Circle with new characters who are excited about a few
winter fireworks.
CHAPTER 1
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Karrie Brady had successfully evaded coming home for the
Christmas holidays since she'd left for college. This year she hadn't been able
to avoid it. Christmas had been nonexistent, overshadowed by sadness at her
grandmother's death.
She'd lingered at the graveside, saying a final good-bye. Last
to arrive home, when she walked into the house, she heard her parents, as usual
yelling at each other.
"I don't know how this happened." Her mother's
voice held that edge indicating an imminent verbal escalation.
"Of course, you had nothing to do with it." Her
father returned a volley.
"If you had treated my mother with respect, this never
would have happened. Her mother's voice reached the screaming stage.
"And if you had respected me, the way you promised - remember
the love, honor, and obey - when we
got married, this wouldn't have happened," her father bellowed.
Karrie raised her voice to be heard. "What's going
on?"
Her mother turned and glared at her - probably mostly for
interrupting them. "My mother
left the camp to you."
That bombshell explained the glare.
Grammy Lou had been the anchor in Karrie's life.
Living a couple of blocks away, Gram had been Karrie's only
haven during the screaming matches between her mother and father.
Her parents were always more interested in winning battles
with each other than supervising Karrie and her twin sister, Kayla. It was no
wonder Karrie had ended up with a rep as the bad girl in high school.
Kayla had been the good girl. Except today she was still in
California. The only year she hadn't made it home.
Putting in ear buds and turning up the music to dull the
sounds of parental warfare, Karrie stuffed her clothes into her duffel bag,
grabbed her laptop and went downstairs.
"I'm out of here."
They both turned to look at her.
"Why?" her father asked, a hurt expression on his
face, probably more from his war with her mother than Karrie's leaving.
"Where are you going?" her mother demanded, eyes
narrowed.
"To Birch Haven."
Dad held up a hand. "Hold on. We'll come with
you."
It was New Year's Eve. She'd hunker down and hide out from
the usual New Year goings on at Campfire Circle. "No. I don't want . . .
any company."
It was her camp now and she refused to let her parent's wars
spoil her new sanctuary. In a cul-de-sac at the end of a dirt road, she'd spent
time with her grandmother and the kids she'd grown up with during the summers. The
camps of the five other families had been added as children grew up and land
was divided. Even after her death, Gram provided a refuge for Karrie, giving
her Birch Haven, the camp Gramps had built.
In a couple of days she'd return to Colby-Sawyer College and
the sanity of classes.
* * *
Parker John Thompson, III had hated his name from the first
day of kindergarten. What had his parents been thinking? Not about him, that's
for sure. They were all about how others saw them and the family. He'd been
teased right up to graduation, the worst name being third eye--precipitated by
having to wear glasses since fifth grade.
Having a father who was the superintendent of schools made
it worse. He had to be the good boy, the model child, the proof that his father
had succeeded in leaving his trailer trash past behind. Marrying money had only
helped on the surface. Dad still had an inferiority complex firmly imbedded on
his back.
As soon as Parker left for college, he dropped the third,
changed his name to Jack, joined a fraternity, and spent his first year in
party mode, making up for all the freedom he'd missed in high school. When that
didn't go so well in the grades department, he moved out of the frat house and
got back on track. He'd done okay and would at least graduate.
This year, his parents had opted for a holiday cruise which
was fine with Jack. He didn't have to endure their endless questions about what
he'd done wrong so far and what he planned to do with the rest of his life.
He hadn't spent New Year's Eve at his family's camp, Rainbow
Willows, since junior high. Those had been happy times. None of his tormentors
had been there.
Driving over the snow-rutted road to Rainbow Willows,
another of his mother's naming disasters, he was happy to be here - and alone. He
passed Birch Haven--a normal name for a camp. An older compact car was parked
in the drive the Brady sister with the blond ponytail was pulling a bag out of
the back seat.
He stopped the car and rolled down the window. "Karrie?"
He hadn't seen her since graduation. Although she'd had a rep, he'd envied how
free she was to do whatever and be whoever she wanted.
She turned. "Parker, how are you?"
"It's Jack now."
Her lips curved in a small smile and she nodded. "Good
choice."
"Nice that someone from my past appreciates the
change."
"Not your parents?"
He shook his head. "Your family coming later?"
"Nope." She looked away.
What was that all
about? He shrugged. "I need to turn up the furnace and make sure
nothing's frozen at camp." Jack lifted his hand. "See you later
tonight." He made it a statement rather than a question.
As he drove the short distance to his family's camp,
snowflakes drifted down. He hoped it wouldn't get in the way of the traditional
New Year's Eve fireworks around the campfire circle.
He did not want to spend the night trying to figure out
where he'd screwed up. Or plan the rest of his life. Or make resolutions, only
to break them and then fix his mistakes.
At least his parents weren't around to get on his case about
getting into law school. That was the last thing he wanted to do, reading
stuffy books and droning on and on in court.
A party. No complications. No thinking. Way more his style
for New Year's Eve.
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