Page 77 of Lady and the Camp
A car door opened and shut behind us. I stared through the dark as Patrick headed toward the gate as if a mission beacon called to him. He’d been watching Marcy like a freaking hawk all night. Now he had it in his mind to defend her honor or some nonsense.
Hudson’s frightened expression replayed in my mind. Her eyes said it all. Fear, guilt, worry. I knew she felt bad not coming clean about her full situation. The threats I’d seen about her online floated back.Now she has to pay.
Not on my watch.
I shut off the truck and shoved my door open. I could play protector too.
The women parked and gathered at the gate.
“Don’t bother telling us we should stay in the car because we deserve to be here as much as any of you,” Marcy announced, lasering her stare at each of us in her family, and lastly, landing her scrutiny on Patrick.
Patrick slipped his hands into his shorts pockets. “Literally, no one is suggesting that.”
Marcy huffed.
“Strength in numbers,” I said. “There are nine of us. Perfect to intimidate and demand answers.”
“Yeah!” Robby pumped a fist in the air.
“Let’s do this.” Filled with renewed determination, we bypassed the gate, which only blocked vehicles from entering, and marched down the gravel drive. Our flashlight beams served as a light source until the outline of the lodge appeared ahead. Soft light glowed from the first-floor windows.
Gravel crunched in the distance and a figure formed. I swung my flashlight beam up. A familiar face.
“Porter,” I said. His last name, which he preferred to go by. We reached him beneath the halo of an outdoor light at the path leading to the lodge. “We’re here for Brycen.”
Porter, a lean guy in his early twenties, loved rock climbing and distance running. Questions practically shot from his face, but he simply said: “He’s not here.”
Robby pulled himself to his full not-quite five-foot-eight height. He puffed his chest and stepped closer. “Stop covering for him. We know he’s here.”
“Uh, actually he’s not. Sorry.” Porter shrugged. “Y’all want to come inside? We’re about to start game night. We’ve got Settlers of Catan—”
“Why’d you send a scout to spy on us?” Patrick demanded. “And who are youreallylooking for?”
Porter lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Look, I don’t know what this is. If it’s some prank, I’m not in on it.” He looked at me. “I know you and Brycen have a beef, but that’s not me. I don’t care. We have plenty of pizza if you guys want some.”
Matteo whipped around to the group. “No one crosses the line.”
Marcy swatted him. “Give up the macho act. This guy has no idea why we’re here and he’s not acting guilty.”
As they bickered, I studied Porter’s face. He’d always been a chill guy, and not in the way Brycen played chill where it seemed like an act. Porter avoided confrontation and complications. During the split, Porter simply drifted toward the most magnetic personality. I would never claim my personality as magnetic, so clearly I lost that battle.
Regardless, I didn’t peg Porter for a conspiring sort of guy. I believed him that he didn’t care about my issues with Brycen.
Well, so much for our plan. We weren’t any closer to figuring this out.
Footsteps sounded. “What’s all this?”
The man of the hour appeared. “Brycen.”
Robby scoffed at Porter. “You said he wasn’t here.”
“I got back ten minutes ago,” Brycen answered for Porter. He stopped in front of the group, looking us over with a mild smirk. “I don’t have staff openings for all of you. Maybe we can filter out the best during the competition and go from there. Set up a few interviews?”
We were amped up on snacks, and in some cases, spiked sports drinks, so the reactions came fast and furious. My cousins slung meaningless threats. Marcy scoffed loudly, and Noah complained she’d never work for a granola lord. I’d laugh if I wasn’t so mad.
“We don’t want jobs,” I ground out. “Someone from your camp trespassed onto our property. When we caught him lurking behind cover and watching our friends, he took off and hopped the fence.”
Brycen rolled his eyes. “You’re asking if we sent someone to spy on you? Now you’re inventing reasons to be mad at us. You’re delusional.”
