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VERA
The spot we parked at wasn’t ideal, but nothing in life was. The trees were too close together, and many of them were too horizontal for my liking. The ground was covered with fallen pines.
I checked the tree line, trying to find a spot where we wouldn’t get crushed in our sleep. Sean didn’t seem to care. He started unpacking the tent right where we were. He was lucky he was so cute, or this might’ve been a deal-breaker.
“Sean, where are you planning to pitch it?” I asked.
He pointed at the spot that was clear enough that we wouldn’t need to move the branches around.
I looked up to check for dangers and pointed at the dead pine. “That one looks like it wants to fall in this area. If we go up that hill, we’ll be less likely to get crushed, boy scout.”
“Huh. You got a point.”
Sean put the tent back in the carrying case and followed me up the steep hill. It wasn’t as bad up here. Still a lot of dead trees, but we were able to pick a spot where we’d be reasonably safe.
It took us a couple of trips back down to get everything to the camping site, mostly because we brought everything but the kitchen sink. He spent forever and then some unpacking, so I used the time to get more familiar with the area.
The moss that covered the ground showed we’d be having mosquitoes at night. Some of them were already buzzing around, attracted by the moist environment.
A couple of trees had large claw marks on them. That would be from a bear, so anything that smelled edible would have to be hung high on a tree, away from the camp.
A little further down, the forest changed to something more to my liking–a hardwood forest. With any luck, I could find mushrooms there, but after I got some sleep.
Going camping after working third shift was a dumb idea. My paranoia got away with me, and I was in the woods, alone with a man easily twice my size.
I sighed, pushing my fears away, knowing they were unfounded. It’s not as if he hadn’t had plenty of opportunities to do something over the last few days. My bedroom door didn’t have a lock, and he was huge.
And then there was that other side of me, whispering that if he did something, I deserved it.
Sleep. I just needed sleep to feel better.
I trudged back to the campsite and found something that resembled a backyard. Sean had set up beach chairs and turned the cooler into a table. Next to it stood a propane camping stove with two burners. I had been hoping for a campfire.
“Hungry?” Sean asked.
He already had a couple of sausages cooking, and even though I would’ve preferred it if they smelled like some honest to God smoke, I was getting hungry.
Thanking him, I took the disposable plate, fork, and a cup of green tea. Not that I was hungry, but as tired as I was and as much as I knew I needed to sleep, we were still in the woods, and a tent wouldn’t protect me from anyone.
Sean’s phone rang, reminding me he had chosen this camping ground because it was closer to civilization. He had his fledgling security business to run. And there might be more people around than just the two of us. I didn’t want us getting attacked with no way to call for help.
After glancing at the phone, Sean hit ignore and hid it in his bag. So, not work, then. I wasn’t nosy enough to ask. It was none of my business who would be calling him. Hell, maybe he had a few girls banging on his door for a quickie. Ugh.
“I won’t be seeing anyone,” I said. “Romantically or otherwise, I mean. I wouldn’t want to get caught and have it used against you in court.”
He nodded. “I don’t date even short-term. It’s always just been casual hookups, no strings attached.”
“How come?” I asked, despite it being none of my business. I wasn’t here because he was a good-looking guy with muscles growing muscles or because he was so easy to talk to. I just wanted to make sure his little brother was safe. That was all.
“You know how kids sometimes grow up to be like their parents? I had gotten into drinking already. The last thing I need is to duplicate my dad’s relationships.”
Right. There was that, except violence didn’t seem possible with him, at least not directed at those he cared about.
He had been walking on eggshells around Glen, holding his breath for every shred of conversation they had. That wasn’t something a man capable of beating a kid or a woman would do.
“Well, that’s a waste,” I said.
He smirked at me. “I guess I have a fianceé now, so this is the most serious relationship I ever had. Fake or otherwise.”
