Page 37 of Chasing Sunrise

“Don’t let that ruin your day. Camping’s fun.”

Amanda went to her dresser and pulled out two pairs of shorts, two bras, four pairs of underwear, and three pairs of socks. She dropped them on the bed before going to the closet and getting three shirts, two pairs of jeans, a sweater, a raincoat, a hoodie, tennis shoes, and boots. Once they were on the bed, she glanced at Quinn.

Her friend grinned. “I’m dying to see how much you pack for a week away.”

“I’m very precise with packing when I know what to expect.” Amanda rolled up each piece of clothing and jammed them into her Gucci overnight bag—an extravagance her ex-husband bought her when she graduated college.

She liked designer things, but on her salary, she couldn’t afford to buy them new. Thank goodness for the second-hand stores around town and online resale shops. Many people did a double take when they noticed she wore designer clothes, shoes, or a purse. They probably thought she had money.

She did not.

A school counselor’s salary didn’t have the padding for designer anything. However, she’d learned if she bought a purse at a department store for say fifty dollars, it never lasted more than six months. Whereas, she still had the first second-hand designer bag she’d bought, and it looked brand new. She was a pro at washing everything she bought and getting it clean. Everyone thought she got her nails done, but she did them herself. They were press-ons and no one could tell she hadn’t spent a fortune at a salon. They cost her less than ten dollars and only took five minutes to put on.

She continually changed her hair color and loved how the solutions made her hair shiny. She bought makeup on sale and used cold cream as a cleanser like she’d been doing since the age of twelve. Of course, underwear she always bought new.

Kasey had called her high maintenance.

She wasn’t.

Amanda hurried to her bathroom and came back with a roll of toilet paper. “I don’t know if there’ll be a bathroom. When nature calls, I’m not going to use a leaf.”

“I wouldn’t either,” Quinn agreed with a chuckle. “What time are you leaving in the morning?”

“Four. The earlier I arrive, the earlier I can leave. Instead of chasing sunsets, like the reality show, I’ll be chasing sunrise.”

“Why don’t you back out? I’m sure Kasey won’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t do that. I’m going to keep my end of our deal. I sympathize with what he’s going through, and if my going camping helps him in any way, that’s all that matters.”

~

Reclining on a hugeportable chaise chair with Edward snoring beside him, Kasey checked his phone for the time. Five-thirty. He wondered when Amanda would arrive. Or even if she’d come.

The faintest brightening of the sky on the eastern horizon signaled dawn. Thankful he’d gotten at least a couple hours of sleep, he sat up. Edward startled awake, jumped from the chair, and sniffed his way to the thicket of trees. Kasey stirred the embers in the fire and threw on more sticks. In no time, the flames roared again.

He needed to take time off more often. This was his first real vacation in three years. Even when he wasn’t on shoot, he kept busy with promotion for the show and charity work.

Since the whole proposal debacle, he felt odd while filming, especially around Harper. And he rarely saw Ethan. His brother must be giving him a wide berth. He wasn’t certain what was going on between the two and didn’t ask questions. It wasn’t any of his business.

His lawyer had called him about the Star Breeze piece, waiting for the okay from Kasey to sue Harper Productions. Kasey wasn’t sure he wanted to do that, but he did need to call him and discuss his contract renewal, and the possibility of leaving the show. Except, he couldn’t decide if that was what he wanted. He and Harper had a lot of history. She was the reason for his success.

He shook his head to dismiss the thought because he didn’t have to make any decisions today. He ducked into the tent and removed a soda from the ice chest. When he emerged, he heard a car engine. He turned around. Two headlights drove up the dirt road. Unscrewing the drink top, he took a large sip.

He recognized Amanda’s Honda as she parked it beside his dad’s truck. She popped out of the driver’s door. Edward ran up to her. She patted his head. “Morning, Edward.”

“Welcome,” Kasey said cheerfully. “How was your drive?”

“Good. Not much traffic.” She stopped in front of him. Damn, she smelled sweet. She held out a white paper sack. “Brought you breakfast.”

“Thank you.” He took the bag and set it and his soda on the ground.

The fire illuminated the area. She studied their surroundings. “No restroom, huh?”

“No. But...” He made an elaborate gesture toward the fire. “The fire will provide warmth. The tent or the truck,” he motioned to each, “serve as our protection against the weather if it rains.” He stepped over and opened the flap on the tent. “Blow up mattress, sleeping bags, and a cooler. Would you like a drink?”

“Not right now.”

Then he pointed at a table with a portable stove on top. “Here we’ll cook the fish we catch.”

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