by T. K. Rapp
“So you weren’t looking at me then?” I plaster a smug grin and ask for clarification.
“I was wondering how you and Jett could possibly be related, but I see it now. Ass must run in the family.”
I lean toward her and drop my voice. “You were checking out my ass?”
She groans and a laugh escapes. “How are you the same boy who was so nice to me all those years ago?”
“How are you the same sweet girl?”
Her eyes meet mine, and for a fleeting moment, she is that girl.
“Guess most of us grow up.” She smiles a sad smile.
Chapter 9
Cavette had two Jeeps waiting for us when we landed at the airport in Midland. I was happy to be back on solid ground, but I was also impressed with Grayson’s co-piloting abilities; they were better than I expected.
I couldn’t understand earlier why we couldn’t fly out first thing Friday morning, but I didn’t ask because I figured there was a logical reason. Now, I get it. Considering this three-hour drive, we’ll be lucky to get there by six. Mulling all of this over, I turn to Cavette and ask, “Will we have enough time to set up our tents tonight?”
He looks at the clock on the radio briefly and then stares ahead at the road. “Depends on how long it takes you to put up a tent.”
His laugh irritates me, but I force a small laugh in return. From everything I’ve learned about him and his company, he started out young and brought as much of his family into the business as he could. His wife handled his accounting until she passed some years back. Pictures I found of him online must have been old because he has very little black hair left since the grey has taken over. The old man reminds me of my granddad. Not that he looks like him, it’s more of his personality and constant attempts at humor.
I’m at a loss for what to say to fill the void in conversation, but at the same time, I don’t feel the need to say anything at all. He effectively hushed Faith earlier when she tried to pitch, and I don’t plan on making the same mistake. I’ll bide my time and do it when the opportunity presents itself. Faith opted to ride with Grayson, so I have easy access to Cavette, but I get the feeling, right now, he wants to keep things light.
“Ever been married?” he asks, out of nowhere.
Surprised by his question, I pause for a moment. “No, sir.”
“I was married to my wife for forty-three years. She hated camping when we first got together. I had to bribe her for the longest time. When the boys came along, she enjoyed it more and eventually, she was the one scheduling our trips.”
So much for light.
“How many kids do you have?” I already know the answer, but I can tell he wants to do the talking.
“Three. James, Christopher, and Joel. Chris is Grayson’s dad. James is divorced, no kids and Joel never married, but has three kids.”
“Is Grayson your only grandson?”
“Yeah. The other three are granddaughters, and all of them are as pretty as they can be and not a single one of them are interested in the family business. Just Grayson. So someday, the company will be his.”
“Lucky guy.”
“Luck has nothing to do with it. Hard work. That’s the only way he’ll get it,” he insists in a way only his generation can. I appreciate his work ethic, and the fact he doesn’t expect to hand things to anyone.
We continue with our small talk, though the conversation is forced at times. I really think Cavette is a good man. We make our way to our campsite, and I fight the urge to check my phone because I don’t want to appear rude. He drives toward a spot in the middle of a clearing, and I recall the signs I saw on the way out here. Warnings for bears, mountain lions, and snakes caught my attention, but I know the chances of seeing any of them are slim.
Cavette finally stops and parks the Jeep. He looks around and smiles broadly before pounding on the dashboard. “We’re here!”
He jumps out of the vehicle and heads to the back to open the tailgate. We make quick time of unloading the tents, duffle bags, and chairs, but they remain on the ground by our feet. Grayson finally drives up and parks next to us before getting the rest of the camping gear out of his Jeep. He hands some bags to Faith, and I watch her carry them to the center of the clearing. She bends over and places them on the ground, but when she heads back toward the vehicles, our eyes meet. She quickly averts her gaze to continue what she was doing.
“Trey,” Grayson calls, garnering my attention. “Can you take these tents and toss them out there? We need about twelve feet per tent, so if you can figure out the best places for these, that’d be great.”
“No problem.” I walk off to figure out where to put everyone, dropping the bags in each place. I should put Faith further into the brush.
“Don’t even think about it,” she remarks with a tight grin as she pushes past me with chairs slung over her shoulder.
“Think what?” I ask with wide eyes, wondering if she can, in fact, read my mind.
“You’re a Miller. I’m sure you’re coming up with something evil; so don’t.”
The laugh that escapes me startles her, but her smile actually grows wider. Maybe she’s warming up to me.
Once our spots have been selected, I help to finish unloading. There isn’t much left, and I can’t help but check out Faith as she takes out her tent pieces to put it together. Cavette, Grayson, and I bring over the last of the gear and set it in the center before following her lead and putting our own together.
“Faith,” Grayson says, trying to catch up to where she is with her tent. “Need some help with that?”
“Actually -” She stands up with her hands on her hips, flirting with him, “I’m good. You might want to check on your guy, Trey, over there. He looks like he might be struggling.”
I look down and see the frame strewn about, but I know what goes where. “Don’t worry about me. I’m good.”
Faith isn’t looking at me, but she’s smiling as she pieces her tent together with an expertise that is impressive. I notice Grayson and Cal are watching her with the same fascination. She wasn’t kidding, this woman knows how to camp.
* * *
Setup didn’t take too long because we all had a job to do. It seems we were running like a well-oiled machine. We made sandwiches for dinner and talked about the drive out here, but now everyone is starting to get tired.
“We should turn in for the night,” Cavette announces as he stands up. “We have an early hike, and sunrise comes at seven. I want to get moving before then.”
I nod in understanding, not at all worried, because I get up earlier than that every day. It’s rare that I sleep in, and I’m pretty sure I’ll have no problem waking up after sleeping on the ground all night.
“How far are we going?” Faith asks, before he disappears.
“About two miles. There’s a spot I want to show you guys, and when we get back, maybe we can get out on the water somewhere.”
“Kayaking?” I ask, noticing we don’t have any gear with us.
“I’ve made a few calls, and we might be able to rent some in the afternoon.”
“Looking forward to it,” I say with more enthusiasm than I feel. “Be sure to check your sleeping bags for scorpions before you climb in,” I add.
Faith swallows, and her voice cracks when she speaks. “Scorpions?”
“Don’t worry, Ms. Young, if anything happens, Grayson will be a tent over to check on you.”
Grayson smiles at Faith who rights her posture before she speaks. “Oh, I’m not worried, Cal. It’s been a while since I’ve camped, but I can handle my own.” She winks before getting up, and we all stand at her departure. She’s not a damsel in distress, and Lord knows she could probably skate on her looks alone. Whether it’s an act or not is yet to be seen.
“Goodnight gentlemen.” I nod to the guys. “See you in the morning.”
The small green tent is large enough to hold two people, so I’ll have more than enough room to try to get comfortable.
Cal brought thick sleeping bags for all of us, though I’m pretty sure it won’t be as nice as my bed back home. Climbing inside the tent, I take my shirt off and toss it to one side, but the damn shorts are sticking to my body because I’m sweating. If the others weren’t here, I’d have no problem sleeping in the nude, but boxers will have to work.
I settle in and bring my phone out to charge it. I’m grateful Hattie suggested I get one of those small portable backups that uses batteries because it’s my only form of communication at this point. I need to juice up my phone and check in with Jett to see how everything’s going.
Resorting to text, so as not to let my competition know what I’m up to, I type out a message to Jett.
Me: Update on today?
Jett: Sure. Go for it.
I roll my eyes but can’t help but laugh a little. He knows how to work my last nerve, and I’m pretty sure he gets a kick out of it.
Me: ?
Jett: Kidding. Rialyn is almost done. Waiting to hear from Palm tomorrow.
Me: Sounds great.
Jett: How’s the competition?
Me: This is bad.
Jett: Why?
Me: It’s Faith
Jett: R U Serious?
Me: Yep. I should be back Monday. It’s been a long day, I’m turning in.
Jett: It’s 8:00 there
Eight o’clock? I look at my watch to confirm the time and stifle a groan. I’m already sweating, and it’s only eight o’clock. I think the last time I went to sleep early, on purpose, was when I was a kid and it was my bedtime.
Jett: Sleep tight. Don’t let the whores bite.
* * *
“Good morning,” Cavette says with a little too much pep this early in the morning.
“Mornin’, Cal,” my answer is stifled with a yawn.
“How’d ya sleep?”
“Surprising well,” I lie. Stretching usually helps but not today. My back tightens when I reach back into the tent to grab a t-shirt out of my bag. I freeze with it in hand when I hear twigs snapping behind me.
“Wow, someone slept in,” Faith’s voice sounds as she emerges from the thick brush. Surely she hasn’t been awake longer than me. “I was up an hour ago and found a quiet spot to do a little yoga before we head out.” She walks past me, and her scent follows behind. She smells of sweat and flowers - whatever it is, I like it.
“How nice for you,” I mutter to myself.
“Excuse me?” She spins to me with a raised brow.
I pull the shirt over my head and find she’s still staring at me. She swallows hard and tries to turn away, but I smile at her, knowing I’m about to piss her off with my next words. I pass by her on my way to eat and whisper in her ear, “Like what you see?”
Her posture straightens, and she narrows her eyes but says nothing. I think I won this round, although I’m not going to let my guard down. I’m not really cocky, but since she’s making it a point to let me know she doesn’t like me too much, I’ve decided I’ll give her a reason not to like me.
The makeshift kitchen in the center of our tents has the coffee, and that’s what I need more than anything. Faith never has a chance to respond because there is a conversation taking place between Grayson and Cal, and I’m sure she wants to be a part of it.
“C’mon on over here, Ms. Young.” Cal waves her over toward us, and I smile as I take a sip of my coffee. “Come get something to eat. We’re gonna be gone for a few hours, so fill up.”
She is standing next to me, glistening from her morning workout, and I’m sure she’s hungry, but she appears hesitant to have any of the food they have set out. Trail mix, fruit, and something else I can’t figure out are our options, so I grab an apple. It’s interesting to watch her wage an inner struggle as to what she’s going to choose.
“Huh,” she scoffs lightheartedly. “Camping with men, I thought for sure there’d be some bacon, at the very least.” Impressed with her response, I do my best not to let it show. Most women would jump at the chance to eat rabbit food, but not this one.
“A girl after my own heart,” Grayson says dramatically, clutching his chest. “Told ya, Pops. She’s a real woman.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Young -”
“Please, Cal, call me Faith.”
“Or Doubt,” I mutter into my mug with a smile so only she can hear. She’s about to say something back but bites her lip and smiles at Cavette instead.
“Well, Faith, let’s see what we can do about that today. After our hike, you and Grayson can ride on up to the little store and see what they have. Sound good to you?”
She smiles broadly before answering. “Sounds perfect.”
“Alright, well, if we’re all ready, let’s get going.”
We each grab a water bottle and whatever else we need and follow Cavette as he leads the way. There’s a clearing at our site, and we meander through it before entering a rocky path. The sun is already beating down, and it’s still early.
He starts walking through the heavily traveled path, as evidence by the trampled brush beneath our feet. But the terrain isn’t too bad. Back home, I make it a point to run daily and hike up the mountains on the weekend. Maneuvering this is nothing for me, but Faith is struggling a bit.
I bet she already regrets her yoga stint this morning.
We continue walking, and by my pedometer, we’ve already done a mile and half. I’m sweating my balls off, but it has less to do with the work and more to do with the Texas heat.
“We’re almost there,” Cal shouts back over his shoulder. Grayson has taken over leading the way, but he turns around every so often to check on Faith, who waves at him until he turns forward again. I can hear her labored breathing, and if she wasn’t so stubborn and pissy, I might feel bad for her.
“How ya doin’ up there?” I ask, hoping to irritate her. I’d be lying if I claimed I didn’t use my vantage point to check her out a few times along the way. There’s nothing like having front row seats to check out a sexy pair of legs and tight ass.
“I’m doing great. How ’bout you? Too much, old man?”
“You’re not much younger than me,” I remind her as I increase my strides, which causes her to speed up if she wants to stay ahead of me. “I could take you.” I’m sure she gets the double meaning of my words.
I have taken you, and I’d take you again in a second.
“You couldn’t handle me,” she answers as she trudges on, huffing every step of the way but fighting to out-hike me.
Challenge accepted.
“Try me,” I challenge stepping with more urgency.
She looks back at me, a smile ghosting her lips before she opens her mouth to respond. We reach the area he wanted to show us, and she stops abruptly so I bump into her back. Her body lurches forward from the impact but when she finds her footing I hear her sigh. “Wow. This is breathtaking.”
Faith moves to stand on a large rock to get a better view, and my eyes follow to where she rests. I catch myself staring a little too long at the light sheen of sweat covering her body, and it’s sexy as hell. As if she can feel my eyes trained on her, she looks over her shoulder and catches me, and I see her take a sharp intake of air. She doesn’t turn away or divert her eyes. It seems like the game you play as a kid to see who blinks first, and neither of us is willing to blink.
She isn’t the put-off woman from the other night, the competitor I encountered on the airplane, or the mysterious woman who shared my bed two nights ago. She’s simply a girl - a woman - who is suddenly beaming.
Is she smiling - at me?
Cal is talking about the landscape, and Grayson is filling in the gaps. Both are intrigued by their own words, and yet I find myself in a strange moment with my eyes locked on Faith’s. No one is aware of this moment but us.
She really is beautiful.
I clear my throat, and we simultaneously break our gaze, the moment over. She nods to whatever it is the Cavettes are saying, and I finally walk closer to get a view of what
everyone is looking at. As I stand there, taking in the view, I try to relax, but her proximity to me leaves me unsettled. Faith moves to take a step down and grabs my shoulder for balance. I reach for her hand and help her so she can see the area below that Grayson is talking about. We stand there next to each other looking ahead and her pinky brushes my hand. As if I have no control over my own body, my hand grazes hers in return inciting a back and forth game of secret touches that ends too soon.
“Brad would love this,” she says in a whisper that she seems to both want people to hear and ignore. My eyes move from Cavette to Grayson, and they are oblivious to the comment, but I heard it. She could have mouthed it, and I would have heard it.
“Brad?” I whisper, keeping my eyes trained on the horizon.
“My boyfriend.”
Chapter 10
There it is.
Of course she’s unattainable; she’s taken. And there is the reason she has yet to mention our encounter two nights ago. I assume that’s the reason, anyway.
How can one person have the luck I do when it comes to women? I should be relieved to know that she has someone, but I’m not. In fact, given the circumstances, I’m pissed.
Why would she choose this particular moment to bring him up? Why didn’t she say something at the bar when she thought I was hitting on her?
Was she feeling something else? It came out of nowhere, but I definitely got the hint. Or rather warning.
It’s not like I’m falling for Faith, but hell if I’m not interested in finding out more about her and what she’s like. There’s something about her and what she brings out in me - or maybe it’s that I want her, again.
But now- Brad?
There are a million Brads in the world, but I can’t shake the nagging feeling she’s referring to Brad Emerson. The same weasel that worked for Rock Solid when I was there years ago, and if I had to guess, he’s still there and she’s involved with him.
He was a shark when it came to landing the big clients and made no qualms about stepping on whomever he needed to in order to get the upper hand. Executives had taken notice of his ‘drive,’ as they called it, and promoted him. No one respected him; he almost had an Eddie Haskell quality about him that drove coworkers crazy.