Page 41 of Timeless Pages
Several in the group exchanged glances before one of the teen boys stood. "We'll take it off your hands."
"Excellent. It will all be there waiting for you." I turned and left them to their party. I'd swing back by tomorrow afternoon to make sure they didn't leave anything behind, but I suspected I wouldn't have to worry about that. "The kids will take the gear," I announced when I returned to the car.
"You're just giving it to them?" Isa asked.
"I mean, yeah," I replied. "We're not going to do anything with it, so it may as well go to people who will."
"That was very sweet of you," Isa replied, going up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. "Most people would have returned it all."
"This was easier," I joked. We got in the car, and I drove us the short distance to where we should have been in the first place.
"Little cabin?" Isa asked as she stared through the windshield at the Triple Tech cabin.
When I realized the whole camping thing was really going to happen, I called Grant and asked him if we could use his cabin if the camping thing hadn't panned out. Luckily, he had found the idea of us camping just as ridiculous as I had and happily agreed to let us use it.
"Maybe it's a little large," I chuckled.
"It's a fricking mansion in the woods," Isa deadpanned as we got out of the car.
"Maybe it's that too," I agreed as I grabbed my bag and hers. "Come on, I'll show you around."
"How did you get them to let us use the cabin?" Dom asked.
"I asked them," I replied.
"They weren't worried we'd become squatters and never leave?" Evan joked.
"Who are they, and why would they think you'd squat in their house?" Isa asked.
"This cabin belongs to Grant, Linc, and Ben," I explained. "I've been trying to buy it from them for years now, but they won't sell."
"And they never will," Dom reminded me. "This is where they reconciled with Nova, who loves the place. Unfortunately, if we want a cabin in the woods, we'll have to build one of our own."
"Why don't we get through the rest of this weekend, and then we'll talk about a cabin in the woods," I suggested. I punched the code into the lock and heard it whir before a small green light lit above the doorknob. I opened the door and pushed it open for Isa to enter first.
"Wow," Isa said as the automatic lights slowly turned on. "This place is amazing!"
"The views here are spectacular," Evan said as he slid up behind Isa and wrapped his arms around her. "But they don't compare to you."
I rolled my eyes. Whatever thoughts Evan had going on in that head of his, he could forget them. Isa was mine tonight. "Ease up, Casanova," I warned. "Come on. Grant said the spare bedroom we could take is located on the second floor, at the end of the hall. I led the way upstairs and was nearly giddy at the sight of the big, soft-looking bed against the wall. The fact that Dom tried to force us into sleeping on air mattresses in a tent will never be forgotten, or forgiven.
Setting our bags down, I watched Isa as she checked out the room, stalking behind her like a predator stalking its prey. I'd been patient enough, and now that bloodsucking bugs weren't assaulting us, I was done waiting.
"Don't you dare!" Isa screeched as Dom went to flop onto the bed. "Showers before anyone lays so much as a finger on that bed."
"You heard the lady, go find a bathroom and take a shower," I ordered, my eyes never leaving Isa. "Isa and I are going to take one together after checking out the balcony."
Isa scoffed. "I'm not going back outside to offer more of my blood to the local population of mosquitoes."
"Trust me, Little Bell, we won't get bit here. Triple Tech pays a lot of money to keep this the perfect retreat location, which includes frequent treatments to battle pests of all sizes."
"Why can't we all shower together?" Evan asked.
"Because you got to go swimming with Isa," I reminded him pointedly.
"Let him have it, Ev," Dom advised. "He has that look on his face, and you know there is no point in arguing with him when he gets like this."
"Wonderful, now that we're all on the same page, shall we?" I asked Isa, gesturing for her to lead the way to the French doors that opened onto the balcony.
