Page 12 of Married in Misty Mountain

“It’s not a problem.”

“Sleeping outside is not an option. Get your things and put them in my tent, or I’ll do it myself.”

She turns to me and drops her bedroll to the ground with force.

“Why are you so bossy?”

“Babe, let’s not argue in front of the clients,” I say through gritted teeth.

Shenna does not take the “babe” comment lightly at all. Her lips do that cute twisting thing, while her eyes could send thunderbolts through me. Yep. She hates me right now.

I ignore her spluttering and defiance and do my usual nighttime duties, such as bear-proofing the food supply, brushing my teeth, and securing the clients’ tent.

Dave and Lisa eventually head to their tent, and I douse the campfire.

“It’s going to get cold. Better go to bed,” I tell Shenna, who’s glowering at me as she struggles to get comfortable on her bedroll because she didn’t clear the ground of twigs and rocks.

“I thought that’s what the fire was for,” she says.

“It’s irresponsible to leave it burning after bedtime.”

“How are we supposed to keep warm?”

“We share body heat.”

I reach out a hand to help her stand up, but she doesn’t take it. “I’m not getting naked with you,” she snaps in mild outrage.

I laugh, “Who said anything about getting naked?”

She grudgingly takes my hand, and I help her up. “Well, it’s common knowledge. It’s in books about hypothermia and stuff,” she says.

“You seem obsessed with getting me naked. If that’s what you want, all you had to do was ask.”

“Oh my god.” Shenna stomps over to her defunct tent to grab her sleeping bag and air mattress while I shuck off my boots. I head inside to arrange the space to accommodate my new roommate.

I grab her air mattress and set it next to mine, then take her sleeping bag from her without asking.

“What are you doing now?”

I tell her I’m unzipping both our sleeping bags so we can share two layers of blankets.

She thinks about this for a moment but doesn’t argue. Seems she’s tuckered herself out and is all done arguing with me for the day, and I can’t help but notice I’m strangely disappointed at that. I can’t believe it, but I actually enjoy sparring with Shenna.

I watch her slip under the sleeping bags without changing into pajamas, which I can’t say I expected. Still, I find myself wondering what sort of thing Shenna normally wears to bed. Something soft and girly? Something skimpy and sexy? Nah. She’s a tee shirt and undies type of girl. I don’t know how I know, but I know.

I wait until Shenna’s snug and cozy, her hair tied up in a bun as she faces away from me in the tent, and then I settle in next to her.

After a beat, when all is silent and still except for the crickets outside, I drop the bomb.

“Good night, Shenna Blake.”

She doesn’t respond for several moments.

Only the rustle of the wind in the trees seems to move.

“Shenna?”

She rolls over. “How did you know it was me? The last time we saw each other, we were…”

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