Page 56 of Lady and the Camp
When I turned back after ten minutes, darkening clouds shaded the sky ahead. I picked up my pace. By the time I reached Hudson, a distant rumble sounded.
She gasped. “Was that thunder? Is it going to rain?”
“My weather app said a forty percent chance.” Yesterday. I hadn’t checked today for updates. “I bet most of it will miss us.”
“Should we head back?”
Her worried expression and that cute gasp were pretty dang endearing. “We’ll be fine.” I gestured with my head to return to the trail.
I cleared several fallen branches near the property line. Only the teen campers tended to walk this far for their supervised trail time, but we still aimed to keep the paths free of obstacles.
The sky growled again, louder.
“That doesn’t sound promising.” Hudson rubbed her arms. “Did you feel a chill? I swear I felt a chill.”
I smelled it now. Rain and pending storms. A burst of light streaked across the sky. Hudson gasped again. “Lightning.”
“Okay, we’ll head out.” I tapped the weather app on my phone to check the radar, but the connection stalled out.
We returned toward camp on the same trail, walking in peaceful silence until the sky opened up. Rain began as a steady trickle and quickly progressed to heavy sheets.
Hudson shrieked and covered her head with her hands.
“This way.” I lightly touched the back of her arm to steer her toward another bend in the trail. “Keep your eye on the path so you don’t trip.”
Another burst of lightning flashed, followed by a boom of thunder. I glanced her way. Hudson followed at my heels, focused on the path as I’d advised.
Finally, I stopped and fished for my key ring.
Hudson gaped at our detour destination. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I opened the door to a familiar, dilapidated cabin I swore I wouldn’t bring her back to.
Hudson leaned against the closed door. “I can’t believe I’m grateful to be in the murder hut.”
Rain streaked across her face and soaked her clothes. Her pink hair matted against her face. And because she was Hudson, the effect came off as if she’d stepped out of a perfume ad, with drenched hair and clothes as part of the look.
My boots made tracks across the wood floor. I opened the closet and pulled out a blanket. Stray pieces of grass and a leaf stuck to one side, but it was dry. “Here. Wrap up in this.”
Hudson took the blanket. “I’m not even going to ask if this is evidence in a past crime.”
I laughed to myself. “I’m sorry I didn’t have a better gauge on the weather. I assumed the rain would pass us.”
And truthfully, I liked being out on the trail with Hudson so much, I might not have turned back even if I knew we’d get soaked.
Only a small puddle of water existed in the front corner of the cabin where the old siding parted. “The roof is decent. We should be good here until the rain lets up.”
Hudson settled onto the floor. She looked in disgust across the room. “That mattress.”
“Red paint. Not blood. We used it for a Halloween thing last year with camp staff.”
She appeared a smidge less tense. “Sure, I knew that.”
I took a seat on the floor across from her with enough distance to remain professional. “You didn’t really think something bad happened out here, did you?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Who’s to say it didn’t?”
Thunder sounded again, causing Hudson to flinch. She scooted across the floor until she faced the same direction as me with her right arm pressed against my left. “Don’t make fun of me for being scared of thunder and lightning.”
