Lana tensed in my arms. A protective streak coursed through me and I pulled her up against me tightly, placing my hands on her hips. “I’ll have to pass, Nic. I’ve already found someone to spend time with this summer.”
Nicole smirked as she let her gaze travel up and down Lana as if she wasn’t impressed. “You can do much better.”
“I disagree.”
“You need someone with experience after wasting all those years with the preacher’s daughter.”
I heard Ashton ordering Beau to calm down and ignore her.
“I’m not into overused merchandise. I’ve got standards, you know.”
The surprised laugh from Lana had me smiling like an idiot. I loved making her laugh. She’d relaxed and leaned into me when I’d tightened my hold on her. Knowing I made her feel safe and unthreatened was a heady feeling.
“Once the Vincent boys were the hottest thing around. You’ve not lived up to your potential. You’re both boring. One day you’ll crave that excitement you missed out on,” Nicole snarled at me before flipping her dark brown hair over her shoulder and walking over to Kyle, who had stood silently while watching her make a play for me.
“Come on Kyle, I’ve had enough of this place.” She stalked past him and Kyle threw me an apologetic look before following her.
“Why does he put up with her?” Ashton asked as they walked away.
“Because she’s an easy lay,” Jake replied.
Chapter Thirteen
Lana
“If you’re going to sleep in Beau’s tent then who is going to sleep with me? I don’t want to sleep in a tent all by myself. There are black bears in the Cheaha Mountains. I know this for a fact because I googled it.”
Ashton threw me a saucy smile over her shoulder, “Well, I’m sure you could share a tent with Sawyer. I have no doubt he’d rather share with you than Jake.”
I flopped down on her bed and groaned in frustration. Sharing a tent with Sawyer would be difficult. We’d been on two dates since the field party and not once had we done anything more than kiss. After I’d put the brakes on his hand slowly creeping up my thigh, he’d been hands off on my body.
“He hasn’t offered that and I am not asking him. Can I get a lock for my tent?”
Ashton laughed and threw another pair of shorts on her bed to pack. “Bears can’t unzip tents, Lana.”
“Well, chainsaw psychos who wander the woods looking for young girls all alone to chop up into pieces can,” I replied.
“There are no chainsaw psychos! I can’t believe you’ve never been camping. It’s safe, Lana. I promise.”
“Easy for you to say. You’ll be snuggled up safely in the arms of Beau Vincent. I’m more than positive he could take on a black bear,” I muttered.
Ashton pulled a large red backpack out of her closet very similar to the royal blue one that Sawyer had helped me pick out. The excitement for our upcoming trip made me wish I could share in her joy. But every time I tried to get excited visions of black bears, snakes, and chainsaws haunted my thoughts.
“Stop frowning. You’ll be fine. I’ll get someone to share a tent with you. You won’t be left alone.”
Reaching for the tiny little bikini Ashton dropped on the bed, I picked it up and raised an eyebrow in surprise. “So, I’m guessing your mom hasn’t seen this one?”
Ashton rolled her eyes and snatched it out of my hand before glancing back at the door to make sure it was still closed. “No, she hasn’t. I bought it for this trip.”
“I just bet you did,” I teased.
Ashton frowned, “Shhhh... do you not remember all the begging I had to do to make this happen? The only saving grace we have is the fact Sawyer is going to be there and they believe you and I are sharing a tent. And I might have left out the fact Beau will be there.”
“Ashton! You did not! What if they ask his mother?” I asked horrified.
“That ain’t gonna happen. My parents and Honey Vincent aren’t exactly chummy.”
“Okay, if you say so,” I replied just as my phone alerted me that I had a new text message.
Sawyer: What’re you doing?
Me: Watching Ash pack
Sawyer: Why aren’t you packing?
Me: B/C I’m stressing over the black bears that are going to eat me in my sleep
Sawyer: HA! No black bears will eat you. They don’t do red heads. You’re safe.
Me: Very funny. I happen to know that they aren’t very picky and that there are plenty of them in Cheaha.
Sawyer: Naw, I’ve never seen one there.
Me: Well they’re there. Google it.
Sawyer: I’ll keep you safe.
Me: Maybe during the day but at night when I’m alone in my tent they’ll come for me.
Sawyer: Alone in your tent? Um, no. You’re in my tent.
I lifted my head to see Ashton watching me as I texted back and forth with Sawyer.
She was amused to say the least, “Well, what’s he saying?”
“That I’m sharing his tent.”
Ashton raised her eyebrows, “Told ya.”
Me: Are you sure?
Sawyer: Hell yeah I’m sure. Why do you think I’m going on this camping trip?
Me: Um... because you like to sleep on hard rocky ground and get chased by bears?
Sawyer: Funny. Go take your cute little ass to your room and get packing.
Me: Yes, sir.
“Oh, ye of little faith,” Ashton said in a singsong voice as I stood up slipping my phone into the pocket of my shorts.
“Yeah, yeah, you know everything,” I replied.
“You going to go pack now?”
“Yes, I guess I need to get on that. Do we really have to leave so early in the morning though?”
“Afraid so. It’s a five hour drive then we need to hike up to our camping spot and put up our tents before the sun goes down.”
~*~
It was still dark outside when Sawyer drove up in a Suburban that belonged to his dad. It had room for eight. This way we could all drive up together. I’d packed as much clothing as I could in my backpack. Ashton had assured me there were showers on the grounds we could go use. I was not about to get in snake-infested water to wash up.
“Good morning sunshine,” Sawyer said as I stumbled out the door. We had overslept and there had been no time to make coffee.