“I’m worried about her,” Jase squatted down next to Denise. He watched Bree laugh at something Chris said. The tightness around her eyes and stiffness in her shoulders belied her carefree response.
Denise set the last tent peg in the ground and stood. “She’s good.”
Jase rose from his squat. “Why’d you guys leave the dogs at the rescue?”
“There’s too much going on out here for them.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “We’ve brought them hiking before. But with so many people, and since we’re staying out here a couple of nights, it was better to leave them at the kennel.”
“What if she needs Polly while she’s out here?”
“Polly helps Bree because she senses her moods. She touches her to provide her comfort. To bring her back to the moment.”
“Okay. And?” What was she getting at?
She raised her eyebrows and gave him a small smile. “Jase, you do the same thing.”
“What?”
“Jeez. You’re telling me you’re worried about her? That’s sensing her mood. You touch her all the time. Bree is a touchy-feely kind of person. She leans into your touch and takes comfort from it.”
He pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I didn’t realize that’s what I was doing.”
She smirked. “That’s probably not why you were touching her, but that’s what she takes from it. Most of the time, anyway.”
He rocked back on his heels. “Thanks.”
“She’s family.” She shrugged. “But I’ll still feed you to my dogs if you fuck up again.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“I figured.” She turned and looked back at the group of people. “So is there a plan or are we just going to sit around and drink all weekend?”
“Just tonight. Probably tomorrow.”
“So, all weekend then?”
He grinned. “Yeah, pretty much. There’s fishing and hiking tomorrow, if people want.”
“Cool. Let’s get to it then.”
They joined the group standing off to the side of the small fire burning in a good size circle of stones.
“Denise, this is Paul Coleman. We call him Cole.” He pointed to each guy in turn. “Jordan Grant. You know Chris. Matt Baldwin. Patrick Shaw. Guys, this is Denise Reynolds.”
“WhyColefor you, but everyone else goes by their first names?” Denise asked.
“We had six Pauls in our unit. It was either that, or number us,” Cole explained in his thick Texan drawl.
Jase pulled Bree close to his side and lay his hand on her hip as they talked with Patrick and Matt. She leaned her weight against him and rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. He smiled. Denise was right.
He used every opportunity to touch Bree. The small of her back. Holding her hand. Every time she smiled at him. Returned his touch in some way. He never realized the power of something so small. Not to arouse lust or slack desire, but to reassure and comfort.
“We doin’ a beer hunt?” Matt rolled the bottle in his hand, sloshing the little bit of liquid in the bottom.
“We’re hunting bear?” Bree asked.
“Bear’s not in season for another five months.” Denise said over her shoulder.
“Wow,” Paul said. “I’m impressed you know that.”
