Page 3 of Alice & Meg, Girls Trip

I reached up and cradled his face in my hands, feeling the roughness of his stubble under my fingertips. “After all these years, you still worry about me?” I asked, my voice softening.

Lo wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close against his chest. “I’m not worried about you,” he murmured into my hair. “I’m worried about anyone on the road.”

I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “One time, I accidentally squeezed a Beetle off the road, and you won’t let me live it down. Their car was fine, and they weren’t hurt. I think that was the best outcome I could have asked for.” And in my defense, that Beetle was like the size of a chicken compared to the RV.

“I know,” he admitted, his voice tinged with reluctance. “But I’m worried you won’t have as much luck this time.”

I scoffed, laying my hands on his chest and feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat. “I’ll have the girls with me, and I’m meeting Alice and her girls at the campground.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” Lo countered, his brow furrowing. “That’s just about ten girls who are just like you, spending a week in the wilderness together.”

I rolled my eyes again, shaking my head at his exaggeration. “I really wouldn’t call the campground wilderness. They have two in-ground heated pools, a tiki swim-up bar, two other bars, and an arcade. Plus, our site has water and electricity. The only thing wilderness about where we’re going is the fact it’s called Modern Wilderness Campground.”

I could see the concern still etched on his face, so I added, “This is going to be Alice’s first time out with her camper without Wrecker, and I wanted to make it as easy and comfortable as I could for her. The more amenities the campground has, the better.”

Lo wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, well, I know trouble is going to follow you even if I wrap you up in bubble wrap for the next six nights.”

I raised my hand in a mock oath. “I swear that nothing crazy will happen.”

Lo raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

“I swear nothing so crazy will happen that I will need to call you for help,” I amended.

“Meg,” he warned, his tone serious.

“Or bail money,” I added quickly, grinning up at him.

He couldn’t help but laugh, pulling me close again and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “That is such bullshit,” he chuckled, shaking his head.

“I really don’t see us needing bail money,” I laughed along with him. “But would you really be with me if our life was boring and you didn’t need a bail money fund?”

“It would definitely be a change of pace to not have to jump every time the phone rang when you were gone,” he conceded, though I could see the warmth in his eyes.

“Boring,” I drawled, stretching the word out. “It would be boring as hell.” I patted his cheek gently, looking up at him with a playful smile. “Now, kiss me and pretend like you’re going to miss me.”

“I always miss you,” he growled, his voice low and rough as he leaned in.

The kiss was passionate, full of all the emotions he didn’t always put into words. His hands slid up my back, pulling me even closer as his lips claimed mine with a fierce intensity. My heart raced, and I could feel the heat between us rising, a familiar and thrilling sensation that left me breathless.

When we finally broke apart, I gasped for air, my head spinning. “Okay,” I managed to say, a bit dazed. “Maybe you are going to miss me.” I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. After all these years, the man still drove me absolutely crazy. “At least after that kiss, I won’t be dilly-dallying to get back to you, handsome.”

Lo grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he gave me a playful pat on the butt. “Get out of here, babe,” he teased, his voice warm with affection. “That way, you get back to me faster.”

I laughed, giving him one last peck on the cheek before grabbing my bag. As I headed out the door, I couldn’t help but glance back at him, feeling that familiar tug in my chest. No matter how much time we spent apart, coming back to him was always the best part.

“Come home to me, Meg,” he called.

“Always, handsome,” I promised.

Chapter Two

All Aboard

Alice

I gripped the steering wheel, and the hum of the engine vibrated through my hands. The girls were settling in, and I could already feel the energy of our weekend escape building. We’d packed up the van, left the chaos of our daily lives behind, and were headed to the campground for some much-needed downtime with Meg and the other Devil’s Knights ol’ ladies.

“Roll call!” I called out over my shoulder, trying to sound official as I glanced at the rearview mirror. The back of the camper was like a mix between a cozy hangout spot and a disaster zone, bags and snacks scattered everywhere.

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