Page 52 of Edge of Desire

“This is scrumptious!”

“You doubted my culinary talents? You didn’t think I could manage a meal in the wild, didn’t you? Admit it, Avery.”

“Yes. I never thought the filets would turn out. And I gotta say these taters are some of the best I’ve ever had. They’re incredibly tasty cooked like this.”

“Just wait till you taste dessert.”

She eyed me intently as I created my special banana concoction. I took two bananas and slit them lengthwise. Then I gently opened them, not all the way because it was important to keep the peel intact. Chocolate chips came next, along with small marshmallows, and then I wrapped it in foil. Finally, I placed them in the hot coals for about ten to fifteen minutes.

When I removed them, I scooped all of it out of the peels, and served it. She took the first bite, and I couldn’t stop laughing over the face she made.

“Ohmygod. These are so damn good.”

When she finally swallowed the last bite, I pushed her backwards and kissed her sticky face. “You are a mess, girl. Mmm, chocolate everywhere.” I licked her lips and cleaned the rest off her face.

“That’s one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted. Seriously good stuff there. What else might you have up your sleeve as far as tasty concoctions are concerned?”

“I can’t give away all my secrets. Then there wouldn’t be any surprises left for you.” I kissed her nose and then got up. I put all the food away and packed it up. Next, I gathered all the trash and stuffed it in a Ziplock bag.

Her brow furrowed as she eyed me with curiosity. “What are you doing?”

“We have to store this away from where we sleep.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because of the bears.”

“The bears?”

“Yeah. They can sniff out anything from miles away. You never leave food close to where you sleep. Anything that has an odor needs to be tied up and hung from a tree.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“Nope, not joking. If you want to brush your teeth and wash your face, now’s the time.”

We attended to our personal hygiene, and I stuffed everything in the pack. Then I found a tree several hundred yards away from our tent. I used a nylon rope and tied one end to the pack and I slung the other over a branch that extended out about fifteen feet. It was a smaller one that wouldn’t hold the weight of a bear. I pulled the rope to raise the pack and then tied it to the tree.

“Bears, huh?”

“We’re spending time in their backyard, so yeah, bears.”

“Jeez, I really wish you hadn’t told me that.”

“You don’t have to worry about them. They won’t bother us. That’s why I’ve taken precautions. Trust me?”

“Okay, but what if I have to pee in the middle of the night?”

“Are you worried that they might see you?”

She knocked me in the stomach. “Be serious here. What if they, you know, get me?”

“Just smile at them and I’m sure they’ll be as charmed as me.”

Her hand knocked my stomach again. “I’m serious!”

I took the hand that smacked me and said, “If you have to pee in the middle of the night, just wake me up and I’ll go with you. I’ll even hold your hand.”

“You’d do that for me?”

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