“This is why I like hanging out with you, Rachel. Nothing but nonstop excitement.”
I told him to hush as we walked back toward the elevators.
“Are you trying to tell me I don’t look good on this white horse?”
“Yes, and all that humility is very becoming,” I said. His words reminded me of Krista’s comments earlier about him being a knight in shining armor and made me suspicious that she might be having conversations with him behind my back.
Brandy decided to join the conversation. “Hey! What’s happening!” Her words were slurred, but it was easy enough to make them out.
“We’re taking you back to your room,” I told her. “You were passed out in a hallway.”
“I’m not drunk!” she yelled. “Do you hear me? I’m not drunk!”
“Yep,” Camden said. “We hear you loud and angry.”
She seemed to realize who I was, because she shifted from anger to glee and said, “Hi there, alcohol warden! I broke out of jail!”
The elevator arrived and we maneuvered her into it. I let out a deep sigh instead of responding to her jab. This whole situation just sucked.
Brandy wiggled against us, trying to break free but lacking the strength. “I don’t need your help.”
I let out a yelp as she stepped down hard on my foot. “Ow! This must be what it feels like to be the mother of an ungrateful child.”
Camden appeared concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Fine. But at this point I’m worried that a smaller Brandy is going to come out of her mouth and try to bite my head off.”
He grinned. “I always appreciate a good sci-fi reference.”
Mandy was waiting for us at the door. Her relief at seeing us was evident, and she quickly opened the door. “In here.”
“Mandy! How ya doing?” Brandy asked as we helped her into the room.
“I can’t believe you’ve been drinking,” her sister snapped back.
“Only liquor, I promise.” Then Brandy laughed hysterically as we helped her over to the bed. She slid out of our grasp, collapsing on top of the blanket.
“What now?” Camden whispered to me and I shrugged.
Mandy overheard us. “I need to go back to my tent and grab my thyroid medication. I’m planning on staying here tonight to keep an eye on her. I’ll make sure she gets to the sunrise yoga thing tomorrow morning.”
“I can help,” I offered.
“It’s okay. I’ve been dealing with this my entire life and she’s my responsibility.”
Brandy should be responsible for herself, but it wasn’t my place to say anything.
Mandy continued, “If you guys can stay here a second, I’ll be right back.”
“Sure thing,” Camden said.
The sound of the door slamming shut seemed to rouse Brandy. She started taking off her glamping pajamas, throwing them on the floor. Camden shielded his eyes, and fortunately she was wearing underwear.
Then she leaned over the bed and threw up directly on her pajamas, as if that had been her intent all along.
The smell was almost enough to make me puke, too.
This, unfortunately, happened to be one of my areas of expertise. Taking care of drunk people. I looked around and spotted an empty bag in the trash can. I pulled it out and then placed the pajamas inside, tying off the bag.
I placed the bag inside the bathroom and then washed my hands.
When I rejoined Camden I felt like I needed to apologize. “I’m sorry you had to deal with me last night when I was like this.”
“You were nothing like this,” he countered. “But if she’s supposed to go to that yoga thing tomorrow, isn’t Sadie going to wonder what happened to her pajamas?”
I hadn’t even considered that. “I’ll give her mine. They might be a little big on her, but it’s better than nothing.”
“And how are you going to explain your lack of pink jammies?”
“I’ll tell her I got marshmallow and chocolate on them. Better for Sadie to think I was clumsy than that her mother got wasted. But I don’t really want to walk around the hotel half-naked.”
“Here. Wear this.”
Then he took off his pajama shirt, handing it to me.
My jaw practically flew to the floor once I witnessed the glorious hotness on display in front of me.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
I knew I shouldn’t stare, but it was like my eyes had a mind of their own. All I could do was drink him in. I’d sort of guessed at his physique based on how he looked in his clothes and how strong he appeared to be, but I just hadn’t been adequately prepared.