Page 21 of Twins for the Secret Prince
“Did you go camping a lot when you were young?” Eva asked.
“Not as much as I would have liked. But I guess it made those camping trips extra special.” He was quiet for a minute and then asked, “What about you?”
“Oh, we practically lived outdoors when I was a kid. We camped out in the backyard almost all summer long. My parents preferred it because they had the house to themselves. When my older brothers could drive, they took me to the lake and we camped there. It was amazing.”
“There’s nothing quite like the freedom of camping, is there? That was when I first found out what I was made of. What things scared me, how far I would push myself, even when I was scared.”
“How little you listen to the advice of your more experienced campers.”
“That too. I’ve always had a rebellious streak. Although my parents would call it disobedient, I’m sure.”
“Did your parents like camping too?”
“No, not at all,” Pete said, an edge to his voice.
“So who did you go with?”
“My older brother, and some people who were hired to take care of us.”
“Like babysitters?”
“You could say that.” Pete shrugged his shoulders.
“Where did you camp?”
“Oh, nowhere that you would know. Nowhere around here.”
Eva moved a little to get more comfortable. “So this is your first camping trip in Alaska?”
“Right.”
“First impressions?”
“That if I’d been caught alone in the landslide, I’d have hypothermia — or worse.”
“Haven’t you done survival training in the military?”
“Oh yes, but it was nothing like this. Snow, ice, subzero temperatures — but it was a cakewalk compared to this.”
Eva nodded. “We had to do that too. You can’t see them from here, but there’s a mountain range to the west of us. We pitched our camp there and had our winter survival skills tested by throwing ourselves off the mountain and using an ice pick to stop our fall.”
“That’s not the kind of test you want to fail.”
“No. Someone did, though. His ice pick slipped out of his hand before he could stop his fall.”
“Did he die?”
“No, but he was pretty badly injured.” Eva grimaced at the memory.
“Ouch. This conversation has taken a dark turn. Just a minute ago, we were talking about our blissful experiences camping in childhood.”
“That’s the thing about the wilderness, Pete. It can take a dark turn in the blink of an eye. You’d be wise not to forget that.”
“Yes, ma’am. Although I think I lived it when I threw myself into the river a few hours ago.”
The rain had eased slightly, enough that they could see twilight hues in the sky. Somewhere close by, owls called out to each other. “It’s a beautiful night,” Eva said. “So peaceful.”
“It is. You don’t get this kind of peace on a military base, do you?”
