what he’d heard was true-sometimes love just wasn’t enough. “At least take out the ten pounds of makeup and hair products.”
“I need it.”
“You don’t.”
“My hair fuzzes at this altitude.”
He shook his head. She was gorgeous, at any altitude. “So braid it.”
“Jack.”
He groaned and tossed up his hands in defeat. “Might as well call back our driver, you’ll be done by noon.”
She looked horrified. “You know we can’t back out. Daddy’ll cut us off.”
Right. And in her mind, that would be a fate worse than death. Heaven forbid they make this work like the rest of the world-on their own. God, she infuriated him.
But she also loved him as no one else ever had, and for that alone, he intended to give this all he had. “Look, just because your father is richer than sin, doesn’t mean he can make us-”
“He’s not making us. He just said that if we wanted to keep spending his money, we had to do this. He thinks we need the togetherness.”
“He’s making us,” Jack said flatly, and turned his back on her to tend to his own pack, frustrated and…sad. Damn sad, because as much as he didn’t want to believe it, he was afraid they-he-couldn’t fix this enough to make it work.
LILY WAS HANDING OUT the supplies for everyone’s packs when Michelle came up to her, still wearing her sunshine-yellow rain jacket. “Um…I don’t have extra room.”
Everyone had read the brochures. They’d been to the meeting, where they’d gone over the particulars of the trip in minute detail, including the fact they’d be helping carry the supplies. “Your portion isn’t more than a few extra pounds-”
“But my pack’s already too heavy.”
“Damn right, it is,” Jack said dryly, then lifted his hands when Michelle glared at him. “Hey, you needed your makeup and hair stuff, right?”
Michelle let out a huff and opened her pack. “Fine. Bye-bye hair products. But if I look like a Bohemian in a day, you all have no one but yourselves to blame.”
“We’ll keep that in mind,” Jack told her and winked at Lily.
Michelle took the supplies from Lily. “This doesn’t look like enough food for four days.”
“We’ll be getting two drops with additional supplies, so we don’t have to carry it all right now. Just your own things.”
“Right.” Michelle looked at her pack. “That’s going to be incredibly taxing.”
Jack let out a huffing laugh. “For once, baby, we’re in total agreement.”
Yeah, Lily thought, she was going to have her hands full with this group. So far, she had a couple clearly on the outs, a woman on the prowl, and a man who was going to be said woman’s lunch.
Jared, wearing his pack, moved into her line of vision, an enigmatic man of few words with a set of eyes that made her both yearn and want to run for the hills.
And a man she wanted for lunch.
“Lily, honey?” This from Rose. “I think you’re right about the shorts. I’m going to change.” She leaned in and whispered, “Wedgie City.” Straightening, she held up two choices; a denim mini-skirt, or a pair of black Spandex short shorts. “Which would you suggest?”
Lily stared at them. “Uh…I really couldn’t say-”
“No problem, I’ll wear one today, and one tomorrow.” Twirling away, she spared a moment to wink at Rock.
Rock, looking a little dazzled, shifted closer to Lily. “I could take on some extra weight for anyone who can’t handle it-”
“That’s very generous-”
“For a favor.”
Lily looked at him. “Which is?”
“My tent goes next to hers.” He nodded toward Rose and grinned, and Lily had to laugh.
“That’s not my decision,” she said. “It’s between you and her.”
“Hopefully, it’ll be my prize for making it through the day.”
She looked him over in surprise. So she wasn’t the only one nearly paralyzed with doubt. “Why wouldn’t you make it through the day? You’re the fittest one here.”
“Yes, but…” He grimaced, and spoke even more softly so no one could hear. “I’m indoor-fit, you know? Gym-rat fit. I’ve never spent much time outdoors, and I’ve certainly never spent four days straight walking through the woods.”
“You put down on your application that you’ve camped.”
Guilt flashed over his features. “Uh, yeah. I’ve camped. In my bathtub with G.I. Joe, when I was seven.”
“Oh boy.” Lily rubbed her forehead while Rock winced.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said. “So maybe you’d better tell me now.” He looked adorably nervous, this big hunk who’d camped with action figures. “Is this going to be too hard for me?”
“Are you kidding?” Lily gestured to Rose and Michelle. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict you’re still way ahead of the game.”
He flashed another grin. “Thanks.”
Lily moved to the front of the group, ready to go, but before she could say so, Michelle sidled close once again. “I’ve got to talk to you,” she said, sounding tearful. “I really don’t think I can carry everything…”
“You could lose any of the five pairs of shoes you’re toting,” Jack suggested.
“But I brought one pair for each day, and then an extra. I’m not repeating, Jack.”
“Tell you what,” Lily said. “You lose the shoes, and I’ll divide up your portion of the food and supplies between myself, Jack and Rock, who generously offered to help.”
Rose looked at Rock, shooting him a sweet smile.
Rock blushed.
“Great,” Jack muttered. “I get extra, and Rock gets lucky.”
“Oh, come on, Jack,” Michelle said. “Just help me here. After all, you like daddy’s money as much as I do.”
Jack shook his head. “There’s no arguing with you.”
They moved aside to fix her pack.
Jared shifted next to Lily, and she looked at him, already tired. “You have a request, favor or demand, too?” she asked in that voice she used sometimes, the one that said, Hurry because she was a little too busy for this.
But damn it, she didn’t want to discuss anything, especially not the kiss between her and Keith, or the fact that she wished it had been with Jared.
She really wished that.
He just arched an eyebrow.
At that, she had to let out a careful breath and remind herself that he couldn’t read her thoughts. “Is that a yes or no?”
He shook his head, looking quite comfortable in his own skin. “Nothing at the moment, thanks.”
“Uh-huh. But you’re reserving the right to make a later demand, is that it?”
His mouth curved, and he let their gazes stay locked for just a beat or so past what was comfortable.
Most definitely, he was thinking about the kiss.
And maybe, just maybe, he was thinking he’d rather it had been him, too.
He let her absorb that a moment, then turned away.
Lily let out another careful breath. Oh yeah, it was definitely going to be a hell of a trip.
4
AS LILY CHECKED and rechecked each person’s pack and straps, Jared moved to the front, just next to the
