Page 46 of Lucky in Love
She texted Juliet to let her know she wasn’t coming.I have a Blossom emergency. Not gonna make it.
Juliet responded right away.Should we come rescue you? Huge eyes emoji.
Nah. Thanks tho.
No need to impose her bad mood on her friends. They’d wasted enough time over the years consoling and counseling her, helping her understand that Blossom’s cheap shots were insecure, lame attempts at making herself feel better and had nothing to do with Alex.
But that knowledge had come late in life and didn’t automatically undo all the damage from her childhood.
Alex grew up believing she was the cause of all Blossom’s problems. That she’d single-handedly kept her from making something of herself, being famous, or meeting and marrying a wonderful man. She believed it because her mom had repeated it on a near-daily basis.
As Alex got older, Blossom seemed to think she was competing with her, though Alex never could guess why. That’s when the snide comments and backhanded compliments started. When Blossom finally made good on her promise to leave, Alex only felt relief.
She walked to cabin twelve and let herself in. What luck Brody was on a campout this weekend.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Brody had never been so cold in all his life. He and four other men, all dressed identically in never-used, top-of-the-line winter gear—purchased conveniently at The Outdoor Outpost—huddled around a fire they’d miraculously built with their own ten hands.
Earlier that morning, they’d convened at the appointed meeting spot. And after Tess checked their packs to ensure no one would die of starvation or hypothermia—at least, in theory—they’d started the five-mile trek. The distance wasn’t the issue. It was that they carried thirty-pound packs, and the trail was straight up. Well, not really, but that’s what it seemed like to Brody’s burning quads and calves.
The other men had complained, one of them—Zach—constantly and loudly, but heeding Alex’s warning, Brody kept his mouth shut.
It took them several hours as they stopped repeatedly for water and snack breaks. Every rest period had a learning component, where Tess would give a mini-class on various topics—first aid tips, winter weather hacks, how to spot different types of animals, etcetera. Under other, warmer circumstances, it would have been very informative and enjoyable.
Brody wanted to pretend he was better, tougher than the others. That he’d done this before and was equipped to handle the cold, but in reality, he was not.
The temperature plunged with the setting of the sun, and the wind had picked up too, making it seem even colder.
Tess sat around the fire with them, huddled into her coat, but otherwise outwardly unfazed by the near-freezing temps. She had to be as miserable as they were, but Brody suspected she’d cut off her own leg before she’d complain.
“Is there any point where we pack it in and go home?” One brave man finally asked. They’d all been thinking it, but no one had dared to say it until now.
“Only if someone gets hurt, or the weather makes it too dangerous to stay,” Tess said. “I suppose if there’s a mutiny, and y’all want to go back, I’d take you.” This was followed by pointed looks, one for each camper.
The men grumbled, but said nothing more, apparently not yet desperate enough to stage a coup.
Everyone else trudged off to bed, leaving Brody and Tess alone.
“You can add Robert to your list,” Brody whispered. “He did a decent job of hiding it, but he was wiping his eyes when he came back from peeing earlier.”
“I’ll make a note.”
“Are you really unaffected by this cold?” Brody asked.
“Are you kidding? I’m freezing my ass off. This sucks!”
He laughed. “Well, you’re hiding it remarkably well.”
“I can’t show weakness. If I do, it gives them permission to, and that’s not what we’re selling.”
“Whatareyou selling?” Brody asked. “I mean, besides pricey winter gear?”
She chuckled. “On the record or off?”
“Either.”
“On the record? We teach survival skills and give people the chance to ‘rough it’ without the danger of doing it alone.”
