Page 7 of Trail to Trouble
“Where did it come from?”
Hunter grinned. “We have staff that services the campsites. They check on each site daily to make sure there’s enough firewood, food, and water, and to make sure the campers and guides are okay.”
He winked at her. “So, I guess our campers aren’t getting the full outdoors experience since they don’t have to find and split their own wood. But hey, if you don’t want to use that, you can go scavenge for your own.”
Hannah opened her mouth to respond, but Bianca beat her to words. “We’re good, we’ll use it.”
A hint of sound escaped Hannah’s lips, and Bianca shot her friend a silencing glare.
Hunter nearly chuckled out loud, sure that Hannah would have offered to gather her own firewood.
Once the coals in the fire pit were red hot, Hunter flipped the grate over it and set the pot of pork and beans on it.
Alyssa looked at him. Her pert nose wrinkled. “What is that?”
“Pork and beans.”
“Seriously?” she asked.
“Hey, nothing but the best for my campers. And that’s just not any ole pork and beans. I cut these venison hot dogs up myself to put in those beans, so technically it’s venison and beans.”
Alyssa’s eyes widened. “Venison?”
“Yep. I’m giving the most outdoorsy experience I can. You gals paid for that, and I will not let you down.”
Alyssa’s olive colored skin turned pale, Bianca’s hand went over her mouth, and Hannah’s lips curved upward.
He figured if the girls were hungry enough, they’d eat the venison. Heck, they may actually find they like it. Hannah accepted the bowl of food from him while the other two moved with apprehension and ate in silence. The ladies were probably rethinking their choice of vacation. In fact, their choice puzzled him. They probably had enough money to go anywhere, yet they chose the remote wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.Odd.There had to be something more to this story.
After they finished eating, he sent Bianca to the river with an empty pot to fetch water for washing the dishes. Alyssa took more photos while Hannah stoked the fire.
Bianca returned with the water and handed him the pot and then stayed next to him, shifting from foot to foot.
He shared a knowing glance with Hannah, then looked at Bianca. “You can’t hold it for three days. You’re just going to have to use the pit toilet.”
The model-grade woman sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and chewed on it for a moment as she looked past him to the pit toilet shielded by one wall. The wall served as a privacy screen from the campsite, but beyond that, it was open to the great outdoors.
“How often does that motorized boat come by to check on campers?”
She wasn’t the first city girl to ask that question, but it still amazed him when they did.Did they honestly think he’d call the staff for a bathroom run? Yes, they did.
“Unless I do an emergency call, they’re done checking on campers for the day.”
She eyed him intently. He waited for the customary eye-batting to start and it came quickly.
He shook his head. “Sorry, princess, this is not an emergency. Plus, there isn’t much for phone reception in these parts.”
Bianca bounced her gaze between her friends.
Alyssa shrugged.
Hannah offered a crooked smile. “For crying out loud, it’s not going to kill you.”
Hunter pulled a roll of toilet paper from his bag and handed it to Bianca.
“Fine,” Bianca said.
She stomped down the path to the toilet. Her long legs carried her there quickly.
