***
“Hey, are you awake over there?” Christopher asked, walking up to Sara's chair. Sara's eyelids flew open, then blinked a few times to focus. Something she could only call giddiness passed through her. “I'm not asleep just relaxing.”
“Sorry, I didn't intend to be gone that long.”
She'd grown up with meals and birthday parties being interrupted by business emergencies. For her it was normal. “Don't worry about it. It gave me time to think.”
Christopher grimaced as he sat down next to her. “About what?”
“My sister.”
“Oh.” The tone of his voice told her everything. Not only had her answer surprised him, it also made him curious and concerned all at the same time.
“Do not tell Jake I said this but maybe you and he are right, maybe an apology would help things.” As she spoke the words her decision solidified in her mind. Perhaps deep down she'd always known she should apologize, but needed the help of someone impartial to make her acknowledge the fact. “I don't know if she'll accept it but...”
Reaching for her hand he raised it to his mouth and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. Warmth shot up her arm then spiraled throughout her body.
“I don't see her as the type to hold a grudge. She'll accept it,” Christopher said with confidence.
Perhaps in other areas of her life, Callie might not hold grudges, but she may react much differently to something so personal. “And if she doesn't?” she asked, her voice little more than a whisper. She stared straight ahead. If she looked at Christopher he'd see her fear. Admitting you were wrong was never easy, but when another person's reaction could be predicted it became a little easier.
“Then it's her loss, but my computer-simulated eight ball told me that won't happen.”
The thought of Christopher staring at an eight ball, even a computer-simulated one, made her laugh. And with that simple reaction, her body relaxed. The fear that overwhelmed her a moment earlier began to drain away. “Is that a program you created at Cal Tech?”
“No, in high school. Four sisters remember? They loved it for their slumber parties and, trust me, there were a lot of slumber parties at my house.”
From previous stories he had told her, it sounded as if the Hall house had been a fun place to live. Almost every story he recounted included at least one of his sisters and his friends growing up. Hearing the stories made her a little envious. While she'd had a childhood most could only dream about, it had been lonely. Dylan was ten years older so by the time she could really interact with him, he'd already gone off to boarding school in England. Jake was only two years older but they didn't share many of the same interests, so often he'd go off and do his own thing. When he turned fourteen he left for school in Connecticut. Not long after that she followed in her mother's footsteps and started attending Roedean School, an all girls' boarding school, in England.
Even if they'd gone to schools nearby, Sara knew camping trips in state forests and cross-country road trips wouldn't have happened. Her family vacations included trips to Paris and London where they stayed in hotels with every amenity imaginable. While those trips had been fantastic, she found the stories of Christopher's family trips appealing.
What was it like to sleep inside a tent at night? Could she even fall asleep on the ground? Even with a sleeping bag and some additional padding, how comfortable could it possibly be lying on the ground all night? People did it all the time, so it must be manageable.
“I want to try camping,” Sara said without realizing how out-of-the-blue the statement sounded.
Christopher's eyebrows drew together in confusion. “And where did that idea come from?”
“You.” In her mind she began a list of items she'd need. She saw a shopping trip in her future.
“Me? You must have me confused with your other boyfriend.” Christopher continued to look confused.
Sara slid to the edge of her seat. “The camping trips with your family you told me about got me thinking. I've never been camping. I've never even been inside a tent.” She squeezed his hand. “Let's try it.”
“You want to sleep in a tent on the ground?” The look of amazement remained on his face.
“Stop looking at me like that. It'll be fun,” she answered her excitement building.
“The ground is hard and bugs sometimes get into a tent. And Sara, you don’t get your own bathroom when you camp.”
Crossing her arms across her chest, she glared at him. Why was he trying to change her mind? Did he think she couldn't handle it? “If you don't want to come, I'll ask someone else.'” She reverted back to her polite professional tone. “Maybe Jake and Charlie will come with me.”
The disbelief vanished from his face. “If you really want to camp, we'll camp. I haven't gone in a while but I still remember how.” Gently he pulled her arms apart. “How about the end of next month?” He trailed a hand down her arm. When he reached her hand he brought it to his lips. “Deal?” he asked before kissing the back of her hand.
Most of her annoyance washed away but not all. If he'd only agreed because he thought she'd change her mind, he was in for a big surprise. “I'm going to hold you to it, Mr. Hall.”
Chapter 11
The Billionaire Princess Page 25