Wonder what they put in the sleeping bag. Or on the tent.
Just show up, they said.
Best way to make sure we’re not missing anything is to let us handle it all.
“Pull your car around back so it’s not in Laney’s way,” Theo says.
“We’ll finish up,” Grey adds.
Both of them grin again.
I didn’t earn my reputation as the friendly Rutherford brother by scowling and grumbling, so I smile back, nod, and pull my car around back as requested.
Laney’s nowhere in sight, but I wave at two gray tabby cats in the front window.
They stare at me like I’m a moron.
Probably am. But if Emma’s family wants to put me through trials and tests, I’ll let them put me through trials and tests.
Theo and Grey have the truck loaded when I get back to the front of the house, so we hit the road.
I’m in back.
Naturally.
They humored me and gave me the location of the campsite we’re going to so that I can humor my brother. He’s still keepingmy mother at bay. I’ll also have a security team on standby somewhere close. Not that I expect to need them.
Probably.
Still not entirely certain I can reach them if I do. I’ve been told there’s no cell signal where we’re going.
I ask Grey questions about his research and Theo questions about the bigger house he and Laney are building on their land, and answer a few questions about if I’ve fished, hunted, or geocached.
“My brother and his wife have formally been asked to not geocache anymore by the Geocache Society of America,” I tell them. “I skip it in solidarity.”
Grey turns around and looks at me.
Theo slides me a look in the rearview mirror.
I shrug. “Last time they went, their dog was helping them look for a cache and caused an incident while a funeral was going on nearby.”
Theo stays silent.
Grey gets a look on his face like he’s contemplating how that would work. “Huh.”
“You two know anything about Emma’s hot tub?” I ask.
“It’s broken,” Theo replies.
“Figured that out. Does she use it?”
“No. It’s broken.”
Grey coughs, clearly hiding a laugh.
“Would she use it if it wasn’t broken, or is it something she has and never used?”
Theo hits me with another glance in the rearview mirror. “Why?”
