for the suitcase.
“Sam’s a good kid. She’s got a ton of potential. She just got mixed up in the wrong thing this time around.”
“She needs a spine, too?”
“No.” Gabi shook her head. “She’s got more spine than anybody I know. Why would you pin the hotwiring on her?”
Luke leaned back, stretching, and Gabi struggled to keep her eyes from gluing themselves to his chest as his muscles tensed.
“I just pay attention,” he finally said. “Whenever that girl walks into a space, she has it cased within ten seconds. She’s got her escape routes planned before she commits to hanging out. I guarantee that kid knows three ways to get out of any spot, wherever you try to put her.” He nodded, but then his face grew serious. “Also suspect something in her history gives her good reason to do it.”
Gabi stared at him. For a camp handyman, he had some pretty serious observational skills.
“Sam’s a complicated kid,” she conceded. “I think there’s probably a lot we don’t know.”
“You know she hoards food? I caught her in the dining hall last night when you guys were swimming.”
“That I do know, yes.” It was something Gabi’d noticed as soon as Sam had arrived at school. And despite having easy access to as much as she could possibly eat for nine months now, the poor girl still acted as if her next meal wasn’t guaranteed. “I’ll speak to her. I’m sorry.”
Fear suddenly clutched Gabi’s gut as she realized if Luke turned Sam in to Priscilla, the headmaster wouldn’t hesitate to send her right back to a place where apparently she couldn’t even depend on having food … or safety.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything,” she said, almost in a whisper. “Priscilla’s not the most understanding type. She’s also fairly committed to seeing Sam’s backside as she heads out the Briarwood gate, so any excuse might be enough of an excuse for her.”
“I’m not going to say anything. To anybody.”
“I had no idea she was doing it here, too.”
“It’s all right, Gabi.” He looked at her like she was out of line for apologizing. “She’s got her reasons. And if the girl’s hungry, the girl needs to eat. I just showed her where everything is so she can grab food if she needs something.”
Gabi swallowed. “Thank you.”
“I also gave her a cupboard so she can keep her own stuff in there. It’s got a lock on it.”
“You did?”
He shrugged like it was no big deal. “I’ve seen the type. Odd to see in a rich kid like her, but the behavior’s similar. I just figured maybe having a locked-up spot where she can hoard her treats might ease her mind a little bit.”
Rich kid—ha. If he only knew.
Gabi looked at him for a long moment. Here he sat in a backward baseball cap and a Red Sox T-shirt that had both seen better days, but he spoke like a psychologist. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.
She tipped her head, studying him. “You know, it occurs to me that Priscilla never had a chance to fill me in on your … history.”
“My qualifications, you mean?” He winked.
“Sure.” She tipped her head. “We’ll go with that.”
“I’ve been working summers here for ten years. During the school year, I do some work at a couple of the local high schools. That’s me.”
“Handyman stuff?”
He shrugged. “This and that.”
“I have a feeling you’re a little more complicated than that.”
“Nah. I strive to be uncomplicated. World’s tricky enough. I don’t need to add to it.” He turned toward her. “How about you? What’s your story?”
“My story? Far too long and mesmerizing to tell.”
“Ah.” He smiled, turning back toward the lake, his hands behind his head. “A woman of mystery.”
“Yup, that’s me.” Gabi rolled her eyes.
“So tell me. This housemother concept is new to me. What do you actually do there?”
“I didn’t put you off with the long and mesmerizing thing?”
“Nope. And I’m serious. It’s … an unusual career choice.”
“If it saves my reputation, I didn’t actually set out to be a housemother.”
“What did you set out to be?”
Gabi took a deep breath, picturing her freshman-year classes, back when her trust fund had been intact and her future had seemed solid.
“I started out wanting to teach math, actually.”
“So what changed that?”
“My calculus grade.” She laughed bitterly. “My professor hinted that perhaps I might be a better fit for the English department.”
“Ouch.”
“He was right, unfortunately. And then … I took a year off, got my bearings, and went