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When he reached the end of the trail, he slowed the ATV as they entered the forest, taking the emergency trail out of the forest that he had added when he’d first opened Blackshaw Survival. As the thick forest opened to an area that he had cleared, he stopped the ATV, turning off the ignition.
Emma immediately got off the ATV, approaching a shelter in the center of the cleared area. “What is this?” she asked.
He slid off the seat then leaned against the side of the ATV, crossing his arms. “This is my business.”
She examined the shelter, made of branches and leaves. “As in, you work from here?”
He shook his head. “This is what I’m paid to teach the military. To survive in the wilderness. To use the elements to their advantage. To make it out alive.”
She regarded the shelter again, reassessing. “How did you get into this line of work?”
“Boy Scouts.”
“Boy Scouts?” She laughed, running her hands along the branches of the shelter.
He gave a firm nod, liking t
hat twinkle in her eyes. “It’s where I was first introduced to all the ideas that my business is based on. After that, throughout the years, living out in the wilderness became a hobby of sorts. I’d go out for weeks at a time just to prove to myself I could survive. When I came home from LA, I decided to attempt to make a business out of it.”
“You were successful, obviously.”
Again he nodded. “My father had a lot of pull and knew some important people. Without him, I doubt I would’ve gotten the government contracts as easily as I did.”
She considered him, then gave a cute smile. “I think you should give yourself some credit. Sure, knowing the right people is always good, but your work spoke for itself.” She paused then pointed inside the shelter. “Can I go in?”
“Of course.”
She vanished inside and he stayed out; the shelter wasn’t big enough for two people. It was meant to allow a solider to keep dry and safe from the harsh elements of living in the wilderness for an extended period of time. The compliment she gave him stayed outside with him, however. This woman made him feel good.
“Oh, my gosh,” she said, breaking the silence. Then her head popped out from the entrance. “It’s a spoon.” She held up the wooden spoon. “Did someone make this?”
“It looks like Josh’s work—he’s part of my team.”
“Cool.” She examined the spoon, turning it side-to-side. “What exactly does making a spoon have to do with surviving the elements?”
“Part of surviving in harsh conditions is keeping your mind busy,” he explained. “The mind is the fastest thing that can destroy you, so we teach the team things to do to keep yourself busy.”
“That’s so friggin’ cool, Shep,” she said before ducking back inside. When she came out, she wasn’t holding the spoon any longer. “So, after the team leaves, do you take this down?”
He nodded. “We’ll get this one down and burn the wood before the next team comes in.”
“And you do this through all the seasons?”
“That’s right.”
A gleam appeared in her eyes as she continued to glance around. “What else do you teach people?”
“How to build traps to catch their food, what mushrooms and other greens they can eat that the forest will provide them. Things like that.”
“Wow,” she breathed. “Just wow.” She turned to him and smiled. “I like this about you.”
Shep returned the smile. His chest lightened under her pride.
Emma moved then around the shelter, touching the branches as if she were exploring this side of Shep’s life and appreciating it. When she stopped, glancing into the forest, Shep took the few steps he needed to see what had captured her attention. “You’re wondering what the fence is for?” he asked.
She glanced over her shoulder and frowned. “It’s so out of place.”
Shep wouldn’t argue with her there. “The fence was installed when I was a child to show the boundary line between our land and Clint Harrison’s land.”
