Once all three women were in dry clothes, Addy sat with Honey on the little sectional sofa while Nikki put on a pot of tea in the kitchenette.

The cabin was tiny, a square with a living room taking up most of the center and front, and a tiny nook of a bedroom for each of the women against the side and back walls. The kitchenette was in one corner and there was a small bathroom in the other. The front wall was just a screen, so the whole thing was a bit like camping out. But it was home for the summer and compared to living in the crowded main staff cabin, as Honey and Addy had last year, they considered themselves to be in the lap of luxury this summer.

“So what’s the deal?” Honey was wearing a smug smile. She knew Addy too well to believe the delay back at the diner was a coincidence.

Addy sighed.

“That bad?” Honey grinned.

“No, he’s not bad at all, he’s… he’s… amazing,” Addy admitted.

“So what’s the problem?”

Addy bit her lip and gazed out at the rain on the evergreens.

“It’s complicated,” she said at last.

“He’s gorgeous and he seems like such a nice guy,” Honey said. “You’re single and awesome and my best friend. I’m already marrying his brother…”

“Are you really serious about that?” Addy turned to her friend. But she knew Honey was all-in. She had known her too long not to recognize how happy Honey was.

“Yes,” Honey said dreamily. “We’re very serious. And I know it’s going to be interesting combining our cultures. But at the end of the day, is this really any different from your friend Bjorn last year?”

Oh, god, Bjorn.

The exchange student from Sweden had been Addy’s boy toy last summer at Maxwell’s.

“Yeah, this is different,” Addy said. “Bjorn was just looking for a summer hook-up, same as me. Remington is looking for…”

“The real deal,” Honey said softly.

Addy nodded.

“Yeah, he’s looking for the real deal. And I’m not ready for that.”

“Why not?” Honey’s tone wasn’t accusatory, only curious.

“What do you mean why not?” Addy demanded. “Do you even know me at all?”

“I know you’re a great friend and a hard worker, and you deserve a real relationship instead of these endless summertime hook-ups,” Honey said.

“I don’t have time,” Addy said. “You know what it’s like during the school year - studying, working, I barely have time to sleep.”

“So make time,” Honey shrugged.

“If I could make time I’d be rich,” Addy said with a smile. “Seriously though, he needs someone who can love him, spend time with him, introduce him to the world. Besides, they’re supposed to have babies right away. No way can I start a family now.”

“Tea’s on,” Nikki announced as she walked slowly in, balancing a tray, then placed it carefully on the little table at the center of the sectional.

“What did I miss?” she asked, grabbing her own mug and curling up in her usual spot.

“Oh, Addy’s too school-crazy to have a boyfriend,” Honey joked.

“It’s not just school,” Addy said. “He’s in danger of becoming famous at any minute, right?”

“I guess so,” Honey said.

“Yes,” Nikki agreed.

“If I get involved with him and he winds up in the spotlight, my life will be under a microscope too. And… well, I haven’t exactly been a girl scout during my summers here,” Addy said. “All of a sudden my personal life could get splashed all over the place.”

“Would that really be so bad?” Honey shrugged.

“I want to get into medical school,” Addy said. “Anything that makes me look like a party girl instead of a straight-A student could be really bad.”

“You’re definitely going to get into med school,” Honey laughed. “You’re the top of the class.”

“Fifty-nine percent of med school applicants don’t get in,” Addy said. “And most applicants are at the top of their class.”

“Wow,” Nikki said.

“This was all my dad ever wanted for me,” Addy said softly, looking down at her hands, afraid that if she saw sympathy in her friends’ eyes she would cry. “And it’s what I want for myself. I won’t let my family down.”

It was strange.

In the eyes of her friends, Addy was always making sacrifices with the goal of getting into med school. But Addy enjoyed hard work, and the wild summers at Maxwell’s had been more than enough to keep her spirits high. She had never felt deprived because of her studies.

But tonight, thinking of Remington’s warm arms, she finally felt the loss of something real, something she couldn’t put off for later.

She hugged her knees to her chest and took a sip of the peppermint tea in her chipped mug.

Honey wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and Nikki patted her knee.

At least there were some relationships that didn’t have to be sacrificed.

With good friends at her side, Addy knew she’d feel better in the morning.

She always did.