Page 20 of Promise of a New Beginning
“This has been amazing, Jack.” Elizabeth looked in the direction of her tent. “I think Aiden is quite taken with you.”
“He’s a cute kid. Seems really interested in all of this. I hope he can hold on to that as he gets older,” Jack said.
“We’ll instill the lessons that you’ve taught him. Don’t worry.” Elizabeth touched Savannah’s arm and said, “I think I’ll join them.”
Elizabeth turned her back to Jack and lifted her eyebrows with a wide smile toward her. In Manhattan, Savannah had one close girlfriend, Aida Strong, and she was so different from Elizabeth. Aida was a snarky and aggressive attorney, and Savannah enjoyed the time they spent catching up over drinks or dinners and passing quips back and forth when they passed each other in the hallway. Aida was a true city girl at heart, and as Savannah looked around the mountain, she knew that Aida would never have made it past the dirt landing strip, and she was glad for Elizabeth’s company.
Jack crossed his arms and planted his feet in a wide stance as he watched over the group, a position she’d come to know as one of either anger or of caretaker and proud instructor. As he rubbed the back of his left arm with his right, she had the feeling he was proud of not only leading the group, but at having taught them a few things along the way.
Her heartbeat ratcheted up as she drew her eyes slowly down his profile. The way his shirt and jeans strained against his impressive, taut muscles reminded her of the way he’d been standing when they’d first landed, only now when she looked at him, the first thing she saw wasn’t the harsh exterior. It was the birthmark just to the right of his left ear and the way he rubbed the thick white scar running down the back of his left arm.
Without turning to look at her, Jack said, “Some people consider it rude to ogle others.”
Savannah laughed. “Like when they’re bathing in the stream and that other person comes tumbling down the hill?”
He looked at her then, and she could tell he was repressing a smile. “I was keeping you safe.”
“From?”
“Bobcats,” he said, and finally the smile broke free. He reached for her hand. “You realize this is a four-day course, right? This is our last night together.”
Savannah didn’t want to think about it. “Yes.”
“Just making sure,” he said.
“What kind of answer is that?” Savannah opened her eyes wide. “Wait. Is this your way of saying that whatever this is between us is over when we leave?”I thought you weren’t a fling kind of guy.
“Nope. Just making sure you’re thinking about it.” He picked up a rock and tossed it into the stream.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She supposed they should even if she’d rather wait one more day and enjoy their remaining time together without the stress of worrying about what comes next.
“Nope. But I would like to spend time with you tonight.” He looked at the water once again.
“Me too.” She could see something pulling at his mind, sending worry lines across his forehead again. “Jack, is something wrong?”
“Nope. Just thinking about stuff. Come on. I’ll teach you how to build a shelter. You never know when you’ll be caught outside of the concrete jungle.”
Part of Savannah wanted to nail down where they were headed, but it frightened her, too. They’d have plenty of time to think about that later in the evening.
They joined the group, and Savannah couldn’t shake the feeling that Jack had something big on his mind. She could only hope that it wasn’t about not wanting to carry their relationship past the weekend.
Back at the fire pit, they listened to Jack explain how to make a shelter using materials indigenous to the mountain and woods.
“Key elements to remember are length, warmth, wind direction, and of course…what?” Jack looked to Aiden for the answers.
“Be away from animal dens,” Aiden said. He looked at his mother and then his father with a proud smile. Elizabeth pulled him close and kissed the top of his head.
“Right. Excellent. All we really need are sticks and leaves. Later I’ll show you how to use mud and vines to secure and insulate a shelter, but for now, we’re focusing on the basic structure. The first thing I want you to do is to gather sticks about yay high.” He held a hand up to his chest. “We’re going to place them at an angle, so be sure they’re not too short. Remember, no one goes alone, so grab a buddy and take off.”
Aiden rushed to his side. “Jack, after we do this, will you help me pack my own survivor bag with rope and stuff?”
Jack raised an eyebrow in his mother’s direction. She shrugged, then nodded.
“Sure, buddy. We’ll do it as soon as we’re done,” Jack said.
Elizabeth appeared by Savannah’s side. “Ready?”
“Sure.” Savannah took one last glance over her shoulder at Jack as they headed off in search of sticks.
