Page 20 of Love Hazard

“They have their reasons,” August said quietly. “I’ll startdinner.”

Chapter Nine

“Always, and I do mean always, bring a shovel.” —Hazel Titus

August

She was pretty quiet for having todig a hole to squat over. I almost got worried when she didn’t return for a fewminutes, but when she did, she looked like she’d accomplished something. Irefused to tell her that she had some dirt on her cheek. I liked the way itdirtied up her pretty skin.

Fixating on her would not make the pain of leaving Mom andDad go away, nor would it do anything but offer the time I needed for all ofus. At least I had Hazel and her many distractions, dirt included.

I smiled down at the ground and rolled the hotdogs aroundwith the tongs. I’d decided to go with the grill since I felt bad about theshovel, and no, I didn’t actually make beans; I justwanted to scare her a bit or maybe get a reaction. These last years, helpingDad take care of Mom, giving everything up, knowing what theend result would be, I’d felt so sad, so numb to everything. Watchingher every reaction kind of made me feel alive again.

I felt like one of those lame kids in school who picked ontheir crush just so they could see the emotion, except it was a selfish thingbecause mine was lacking, and she still didn’t know why I’d agreed to the trip.Why I thought it was a good idea for a grown-ass man to go on alet’s-make-peace camping trip with the girl next door like he couldn’t say noto his parents. Especially when he had his own money, a job fixing motorcyclesand classic cars, a life, etcetera. The problem was,my job was only there so I stayed busy. We were Wellingtons. We worked for fun,not because we had to.

I swallowed the lump in my throat when she thrust the shovelinto the air. “I did it.”

“I dig it,” I joked lamely.

She spiked the shovel into the ground by the tent and sat inone of the chairs by the fire. “This is actually nice.”

She’d think differently when she had to spend the night inthe tent with me. God, I prayed she didn’t snore. “You don’t happen to have acold, right?”

She frowned, her brown eyebrows furrowing in the cutest way.“No, why? I mean, I don’t think so. I’m feeling good.”

“Just checking. It’s a scientific fact that bears areattracted to loud noises, and I don’t want to get mauled over yourmouth-breathing.” I grinned. “Hungry?”

She rolled her eyes. “I can’t tell if I like you or want topunch you in the face, but yes, thanks for cooking while I dug us a hole. Wait,we aren’t sharing the hole, right? I did make two. You’re on the right, and I’m the left. I’ll dig more in the morning. And why in thehell am I talking about bathrooms in nature while staring at a hotdog?”

I shrugged. “Just one of life’s many mysteries.”

I handed her one of the paper plates and used the tongs tograb a hotdog for her, placing it on the bun.

She got up and put on an ungodly amount of relish andmustard.

I stared.

Stared harder.

She was going to eat it like that?

“No ketchup?” I pointed at her with the tongs.

She had the hotdog halfway to her mouth and then frowned.“Dude, all you need is mustard and relish. Trust me on this. Great-Grandmapassed down the secret.”

“I doubt you and her.” I was still pointing the tongs.

She jumped up with her plate and kneeled in front of me,holding her hotdog up to my lips. “Then take a bite, big guy.”

Shit.

Just. Shit.

I had to sleep with her in the same area, and she washolding a hotdog up to my mouth after telling me how good she blew on things.

Should I just walk into the cold ocean now and breathe insaltwater?

“Um…” Damn it. The dirt was stillon her cheek.

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