“My mom was a seamstress. She taught me how to sew, and when I became a vegetarian, I didn’t feel good carrying a real leather bag. So I decided to make my own out of natural materials. The first time I wore one of my designs in town, a friend of mine saw it and wanted one, so I made her one. Then I started getting calls, and the next thing I knew, my business was born.” She shrugs.
“That’s impressive—not many people have it in them to go after what they want or to build a business from the ground up.”
“You did it,” she says easily, and my chest feels funny. “It also doesn’t hurt that it makes me happy and keeps a roof over my head.” She stiffens ever so slightly when Lauren breaks away from everyone else and starts toward us.
“You okay?” I ask when she gets up and shoves her garbage into the reusable sack her lunch came in before tucking it and her book back into her pack.
“Yep, just gonna go take a few pictures.” She pulls out her camera that is a lot more fancy than the ones people normally bring along on one of these trips and lifts the thick strap over her head so that it’s hanging on her chest.
As I watch her go, I realize that even though she acted like what Lauren asked earlier didn’t bother her, it obviously did, and I can’t even blame her.
“Hey, Tanner.” Lauren grabs my attention, and I lift my chin. “I was wondering about how far away the campsite is from here?”
“Without stopping, it’s about a two-hour hike up the mountain, but I’d guess we’ll make it there in three. Is everything okay?”
“Oh yeah.” She takes a seat on the log, and I scoot back, uncomfortable about having her practically sitting on my lap. “Oliver needs to call his wife and kids to check in. Maverick told him that he could use the satellite phone when we get to camp.”
“I’ll make sure that he’s able to make a call if he needs to.”
“Thank you, Tanner.” She leans toward me and lowers her voice. “He and his wife are going through a really ugly divorce, and I don’t want her to have more to use against him when they go to court.” She rests her hand on my biceps, and I somehow manage to keep my expression neutral.
“No problem.” I stand as sourness fills the back of my throat: one thing I don’t believe in is cheating, and I really hope that’s not how their relationship started. “You should pack up. We’re going to leave in a couple of minutes.”
“Oh.” She rubs her hands down the tops of her thighs, glancing to where Oliver is as she stands, her expression falling.
Not sure what that’s about, I grab my pack and zip it up, then scan the area for Cybil, spotting her up the trail with her camera out, snapping photos of a squirrel that’s sitting on a rock just off the path. “Let’s load up and head out,” I call to the rest of the group, who are standing around under a tree off the trail, and they all turn in my direction before grabbing their packs off the ground and moving toward Cybil.
“You’re annoyed,” Cybil whispers as she falls into step with me after everyone else passes, and my chin jerks back in surprise. No one but Blake and Maverick have ever been able to read me, and it took them years to be able to decipher my moods.
“Yeah,” I agree, and she wraps her fingers around mine, squeezing quickly before letting her hand drop away.
“Well, turn that frown upside down.” She knocks my shoulder playfully with her fist. “It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and we’re on an adventure, partner.”
Shaking my head, I smile down at her, feeling lighter than I did a minute ago. “All right, sunshine.” I grin, watching her eyes go to the dimple in my cheek right before she ducks her head.
Fuck, but she’s going to make it really difficult not to kiss her for the next week.
Chapter 5
CYBIL
After picking up sticks and twigs I think will be good for firewood, I carry them to the pile that Parker, Jacob, and I have started, then go back in search of more. My body protests under its own weight as I walk with my eyes on the ground at my feet.
I’m exhausted. I thought I knew what exhaustion was before today, but after hiking uphill, carrying the weight of my pack, I now know I was wrong. I also hope Tanner is right that, as the days pass, it will get easier.
“So Tanner’s cute,” Jacob says casually as he walks past me with his arms full, and my heart skips a beat at the mention of the man I spent the day getting to know.
“Very cute,” Parker chimes in. “Don’t you think so, Cybil?”