Page 37 of Ready or Knot

Carter doesn’t miss a beat. “Gina, this is Faedra.”

Recognition lights her face, and she grins, extending a hand, and I take it in a gentle grasp with a small smile.

“I didn’t realize the timeline was so condensed. I thought you still had a few weeks before everything changed.” She gathers the menus and tucks them into the middle pocket of her half apron. She shakes her head, a half grin curving her lips. “That explains why I didn’t see your names on the trio list for next weekend. I was worried. You’ll be missed.”

“You taking the kids this year?” Logan asks.

Gina shakes her head.

“That weekend is for me and Ashlynn. No kids allowed.” She scoops the tablet up and steps away from the table, focusing on another group that is settling in around the bar on the other side of the restaurant. “I’ll have that out for you soon.”

As she turns away, I glance at Carter, messing with the napkin still on the table in front of me. “You didn’t mention you still did the competition.”

He lifts an eyebrow but grasps my wrist, running his thumb over the delicate skin just under my palm. My thighs clench.

“Did you guys pull out because of me?” I ask.

Logan shrugs and runs his hands through his hair. “We weren’t about to expect you to be fine with us taking a four day trip so soon after moving here. Especially with you weaning off suppressors.”

Jude turns to me, twisting a piece of my hair around his finger, his gaze thoughtful.

“Is backpacking something you’ve done before?”

I shake my head but say, “I’m more than willing to try it, though.”

If this is such an integral piece of them, I don’t want to be the reason they stop. And I’m always willing to try something once. My ear piercings are proof of that. I finger the gold hoop of my orbital piercing.

“You sure? Four days in the backcountry isn’t nearly as romantic as the outdoorsy influencers would have you believe,” Logan says. His eyes are focused on where I mess with the piercings.

My laugh is automatic. “Neither is living in L.A.,” I say, and Carter smiles. “Really, if you think I can keep up, I’d love to try it. The pictures alone will be worth it.”

Logan pulls out his phone. “I’ll text Doug and see if there’s room in the quads.”

My confusion must be obvious because Carter explains before I even have a chance to frown.

“There’s a limit in each group size. They don’t want too many people out on the trails at the same time.”

Logan gives a nod. “We’re good to go.”

Gina comes back at that moment, a plate of chips in her hand along with a few dips. She glances between us and then sets the plates in the middle of the table.

“What happened?” she asks. “I haven’t seen Logan this giddy since that kid made it in the MLB last year.”

“You girls doing the harder trail this year?” Jude asks instead of answering. When Gina shakes her head, he chuckles. “Guess we’ll see if we can keep up with you then.”

A grin spreads across her face, her eyes brightening as they lose their tired look. Her gaze catches on me, and I shrug, popping a chip in my mouth.

“Oh, you’re going to fit right in here, Faedra.” She shakes her head and claps Jude’s shoulder. “I can’t remember the last time this guy laughed. Ashlynn is going to be so excited to meet you.”

Fourteen

JUDE

“This one feels good to you?” I ask, adjusting the straps on the hiking pack Faedra is trying on. Logan stands next to her, double checking the height of the frame compared to her torso. She moves side to side, adjusting her weight, closing her eyes. It’s her second time trying this one, but we’re not about to rush her. Packs are the most important piece of gear for overnight hiking, and we want to make sure Faedra has one that won’t hurt her when we’re ten miles in. After a moment, she opens her eyes and nods.

“Let’s have you wear it for a little bit longer,” Carter says as he comes back up to us, a sleeping bag in his hand. “We can double check there aren’t any pressure points, and it’ll let you get more comfortable with the kind of weight you’ll be carrying.”

Faedra nods and pulls her hair back, twisting it on top of her head in a practiced move.

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