“You’re all probably very good at what you do, used to success and things going your way. But toughness in the boardroom, on the court, or in the operating room doesn’t always translate in the wilderness. This trip will test you mentally and physically. You’ll have to get your hands dirty. Some of you will have to put your taste for the finer things on hold. You paid to rough it, and I plan to give you your money’s worth. So, buckle up!”
CHAPTER FOUR
Logan
Logan left the orientation, head spinning from information overload. Bears, coyotes, snakes, fishing for food, pooping in the woods, rappelling from cliffs, navigating using the sun, and a whole day on his own? It was possible he was out over his skis. He called his brother while eating dinner at a place called The Rusty Nail.
“What the heck did you sign me up for?” he asked. “You trying to kill me?”
“You wussing out already?” Cooper teased.
“No.” Logan huffed. “It’s just that it sounds a little more ‘off the grid’ than I expected. The lady made it sound like we’d be fighting off bears and sleeping with snakes. And if we don’t catch fish, we starve.”
“Lady?”
“Yeah. The guide is a woman.”
“Really?” Logan could imagine Cooper perking up in his chair. “Is she cute?”
“I mean, yeah. Shiny brown hair, pretty hazel eyes, legs that go on for days.” He shook his head. “That’s not the point. I’ll be lucky to come home in one piece.”
“Oh, you’ll be fine,” Cooper said. “Good thing Dad taught us to fish. Did you check out the property?”
“Yeah. I sat at a park across the street and watched the entrance to gauge traffic—steady flow of people in and out. ThenI went in, roamed around, checked prices to see what they were charging for things, and mapped the layout for changes we’d have to make—not many. And made a ballpark estimate on what renos would cost. It actually looks pretty good.”
“So, you think the whole package is a go?”
“Yeah. I say go ahead and have the lawyers draw up the offer. I’ll be incommunicado for the next week. No phones allowed. But you won’t need me unless the seller counters or something.”
“Sweet. Well, mission accomplished then. Now you can have some fun and relax.”
“I have a feeling this campout will be anything but relaxing,” Logan said. “In fact, I may need an extra couple of days to decompress afterward.”
“Take your time. I’ll hold down the fort.”
When Logan entered the inn, Max was behind the counter, watching over Lilly, who sat on the floor coloring at a coffee table in the lobby.
Logan stopped to compliment her artwork. “I like the color you chose for the eyes,” he said. “My eyes are green too.”
The little girl looked up at him. “Yup,” she confirmed. “Like my mommy. Her lives in heaven with Jesus.”
The innocent statement punched Logan in the chest. He knew she was too young to understand condolences, so he said the only comforting thing he could think of.
“Heaven’s a real nice place.”
Lilly nodded, but continued to color.
This explained a lot—why Max watched Lilly during the day, the delays on the renovations, and the overwhelming, underlying sadness in Max’s eyes.
Logan left her to her drawing and approached the check-in counter.
“Hey, Logan,” Max greeted. “How’s it goin’?” He said nothing about Logan’s conversation with Lilly. Either he hadn’t heard it, or didn’t want to discuss it, which Logan respected.
“Good. Good. I was hoping to take you up on your offer to store my stuff while I’m gone. That still an option?”
“Sure, no problem. Just leave it with whoever’s here at the desk. We’ll lock it up in the office.”
“Cool. Also, I was wondering if I could tack on an extra day or two at the end of the week.” After getting the campout details of how this was going to go down, he figured he’d probably need to sleep for a day when he got back. And shower for another after that.
