Page 16 of Love Never Happens with your Brother’s Best Friend

“Okay, just a bit about the trip. The camp for tonight is partway up the mountain. Takes around four hours, more or less.” The smile on the mom’s face drops to the ground. “But we’re not here on army maneuvers. We’re here to have fun, right?”

“Right,” say the kids all together without conviction. They glance at each other looking for backup.

“We’ll have plenty of rest stops. Don’t you worry.” Dylan smiles at the group in an attempt to get the grown-ups on board. “There’s no phone coverage beyond about two hundred yards of the trail sign over there.”

“Oh no,” says the girl kicking the ground. “But I want to FaceTime my friends.”

“We talked about this, Jessica,” her dad says sternly.

“But you’ll need your phones because the scenery is absolutely spectacular,” Dylan says brightly. “You’ll want to snap some pics to show your friends the awesome fun you had.” Dylan senses a shift in family dynamics. “But don’t worry about not being in touch.” Dylan holds up a small black handset radio. “Rita and I have comms units, to talk to each other and the ranger station, in case of emergency.” The family looks collectively anxious as if they are running through every possible emergency that might happen in the next twenty-four hours. “Do you have any questions so far?”

“Yeah,” says the older boy. “What are we going to eat?”

“That’s a great question,” says Dylan with renewed enthusiasm. “We’ve arranged a pizza delivery at the campsite tonight.”

“You’re kidding,” says the older boy, his eyes shining. “That’s brilliant!”

“Yes. I am kidding.” I can tell that Dylan loves this joke. “There’s no delivery. We’re going to cook our own camp food. And we’re going to have a fire and toast marshmallows which is way better than pizza.”

Judging by the faces of the family, it’s only the dad who seems excited by this idea. The mom and children scowl.

“It’s a good thing I brought snacks,” the older boy mumbles. “And I’m not sharing.”

“Okay. Does everyone have a water bottle?” The members of the family all nod. “Great. Make sure you stay hydrated. It’s going to be a hot day. We have a water filtration system with us, so we can fill up from the streams along the way. And after last night’s storm, there’s no risk of running dry today.” Dylan chuckles but no one else does. “Alright, then. Please, if you need anything just ask. I probably have it. My job is to help you have a great time.” Dylan smiles warmly at everyone, then claps his hands together. The signal for action. “Let’s get going.”

As Dylan hands out a backpack to each of the paying guests, he answers various questions about bears, snakes, and outlaws. Rita and I help the family to adjust straps and get comfortable with the extra weight they’ll be carrying.

Dylan makes one last call to the park ranger with a final list of hikers, and we set off through the gate and into the park. The track is wide and well maintained at the start, but after a short distance, it narrows and its surface becomes uneven, as it bends away, following the valley. Rita is up ahead, followed by me, then the family, with Dylan bringing up the rear.

Happy chat, laughter, and general messing around from the children, settles down as the trail, now a single worn path, skirts the lower contours of the mountain, then bends sharply upwards in a series of zigzags.

Less than thirty minutes in, the mom calls for a rest stop. We all pause for a breather and take in the view across the valley that is visible through the trees. The morning sun hits the hillside and is climbing to its peak above our heads. It’s getting hot. Everyone has a drink and, with encouragement from Dylan, we press on.

Chapter 9

Rita

Dylan is so patient with people. It’s clear that the family has never set foot on a mountain trail. They’re from the city. Their boots are brand new and I’m just waiting for the first yell for a Band-Aid. I’ve handed a bunch out already in anticipation of blisters caused by stiff leather on soft feet.

Brodie walks behind me. We don’t talk. I tend to zone out when I’m walking, especially on a single track going up. All my breath is for breathing in the oxygen my muscles need to get me up the hill.

Two hours into the walk and there’s a call for yet another rest stop. Dylan stretched the truth, just a tad, when he said this was a four-hour walk. Experienced hikers could nail it in less than two. But this family is going at a snail’s pace, so even the four-hour window is tight. His judgment is generally correct, and he makes allowances for fitness levels and groups with children. Dylan wants everyone to have a great time. And it’s his business to make that good time happen. He depends on positive customer reviews and online ratings. He’s only been in operation for a couple of years but future projections are positive. And I like to help out when I can.

I’m quite far up the track, ahead of everyone else, so I double back to see if anyone needs anything. When I turn a corner downhill, the family is slumped at the side of the trail, blowing hard and red in the cheeks. The dad has taken off his pack and is lying on his back covering his eyes with his forearm.

“It might be time for a snack,” I say cheerily, although the older boy hasn’t waited for my suggestion and is already ripping open a packet of Cheetos. “I have some trail mix,” I say handing around a bag of nuts and dried fruit.

The mom thanks me and scoops out a handful. The dad and the kids shake their heads and glug some water.

“We’ve done the hard bit,” says Dylan shooting me a guilty look. He’s lying. The hard bit is up around the next bend. But I don’t say anything. “How are your feet? Any blisters? No? That’s good.”

The family doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to move along, so we wait a few minutes more.

Then Dylan says, “Rita. Why don’t you and Brodie go ahead to the camp and set up? Get some firewood, that sort of thing. We’ll take our time, enjoy the view, snap some selfies, and get along later. How does that sound?”

I look across at Brodie who shrugs and says, “Sure.”

“Good idea,” I say, keeping the mood upbeat. “We’ll get set up then, we’ll come back and help carry the gear.”

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