She recovered one second faster. “Oh! Um. Actually—”
But the woman clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling. “I’m so glad we booked with you guys. It’s great to have another couple guiding us. This is going to be so fun. Isn’t it, Jake?”
Jake nodded enthusiastically. “This is going to be epic.”
Sienna made a sound that could only be described as a strangled cough. They thought we were together.
I had no idea what expression my face was making, but it wasn’t reassuring.
I felt heat climbing up my neck. “We’re—well—we’re actually…”
The woman laughed. “We might be a tad hungover from our reception two nights ago, but we’ve rallied the best we can.”
Sienna snorted, and I choked.
Nothing better than guiding a couple of city slickers getting over the brown bottle flu a couple of miles journey to a campsite. Thank goodness they didn’t book a complicated trip up north, where caverns and rivers actually offered some obstacles.
Jake stepped forward and shook my hand with the grip of a golden retriever in human form. “Jake Butterfield. This is my wife, Emma. We’re so excited.”
“Great to meet you,” I managed.
Sienna stepped forward to greet Emma and tripped. I caught her elbow, and Emma smiled wider.
“You two are adorable,” Emma whispered loudly into Sienna’s ear. “Are you newlyweds too?”
Sienna’s eyes went wide with panic.
I swallowed a laugh I absolutely shouldn’t have felt rising.
She shot me a death glare, and I raised my hands in innocence.
We should have corrected them, but the longer the moment stretched, the more impossible it became to redirect.
“Let’s, uh…” Sienna gestured vaguely toward the gear shed. “Let’s start with the equipment overview.”
Emma beamed. “Lead the way, Mrs. Harper!”
Sienna made a noise that might have been a prayer or a threat.
I stepped beside her as the couple walked ahead.
“You okay,dear?” I murmured under my breath.
She elbowed me in the ribs.
Hard.
I deserved it, but the warmth blooming in my chest was dangerously satisfying.
We gathered outside under the grey-blue morning sky. Frost kissed the grass, but the air wasn’t biting anymore. The forecast said high forties, possibly low fifties, unusually warm for this time of year. Overnight temperatures had hovered in the mid-thirties, which made the whole trip feel infinitely more comfortable.
“Lucky timing,” I said, sliding open the gear shed door. “Weather’s warming up.”
“Perfect adventure temperatures,” Emma agreed, bouncing lightly on her toes.
Sienna handed her and Jake each a gear bag. “If it gets uncomfortable, remember, we’re only four or five miles from the lodge. This adventure is designed to be flexible. If you’re miserable, we head back. No shame in that.”
Jake grinned. “We’re not quitters.”
