Page 20 of Camping with the Boss

Late? Is he kidding? I jump out just to correct him. “It’s not even five o’clock.”

He checks his watch. “It’s four-fifty-eight.” As if that proves his point. It doesn’t.

“Exactly.”

He shakes his head and starts unloading the bags.

Except for Wade’s Integra, the parking lot is completely empty. I turn all the way around. “No one else is here.”

“Why would I arrive after everyone else? We need to prepare.”

But as it turns out, there’s not much left to do. My brother has been thorough. He prepared a packet for Wade and one for me. Or for himself, actually. The kitchen is stocked, and the cook arrives soon after.

We walk the paths, checking each building. They’re more spread out than I expected. “We have four cabins,” Wade says as we arrive at the first one—the North cabin. “But we probably won’t need all of them.” One room has three sets of bunk beds, and the other room has one set. “Two of the cabins are this size. And if you use the couch in the living area, one cabin can hold a total of nine people.”

Why didn’t I ask how many people would be here?

The cabin is standard. Not as fancy as I initially thought. But we’re not in tents, and I count that as a win. “So people will be sleeping on the couches?”

He’s checking the cabinets in the kitchen area and stops to look at me. “No. Why would they?”

I press my lips together. “This is you just being factual, then?”

“Shouldn’t I be factual?”

He’s actually cute when he’s not being a jerk.

The camp has several outdoor areas for activities. There’s a basketball court, a volleyball net, and a pit for Gaga ball. “Not exactly roughing it.”

His smile is unexpected. “I’ve got a good group. Mostly.” The sparkle in his eyes dims for a second. “But they can barely handle the coffee pot breaking. Or someone accidentally eating their dessert.”

“Coffee and dessert are both important.”

“True.” He leans closer. “They complained when they had to stay at a two-star hotel—due to bad weather. No breakfast buffet. And cheap towels.”

I laugh, and then he laughs, and we’re grinning at each other. The world seems brighter. Like anything is possible.

“Is this the party?” The woman joining us is slender, with long red hair pulled back in a single braid. She’s wearing a sun hat, and with her sharp blue eyes, she reminds me of a flame. Her flowing green dress is beautiful but not practical. She smiles. “I came right from the office. Don’t worry. I have appropriate clothes.”

“Um—”

“Vivian, this is Canyon Drake, River’s brother.”

“Wonderful.” Her voice is warm. Earthy. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. You provide tech support to agricultural centers, right? Do you enjoy doing that?”

“Yeah. I do.” I can’t help but like her.

Wade stares at us. “How did you know that?”

“River, of course.” She side-eyes Wade and turns to me. “He talks about you all the time.”

“Complaining?”

“Eh, here and there. But it’s mostly positive.”

“I’m not sure I believe you. But thanks.”

She laughs and holds her hat on her head with one hand. “Where is River?”

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