“Something to do.” The quiet scraping of the knife filled the silence.
Okay then. She checked her watch in the firelight. It was only nine thirty. She’d never wanted to knit, but she was starting to wish she’d learned how.
“How do you feel about the area we’re in?” she asked. “Is it feeling familiar at all?”
“It’s too hilly. I think the area I’m looking for is higher up in the mountains.”
“Maybe tomorrow then.”
“We won’t have a lot of time; need to leave time for our return.”
“There’s a road that loops up into the mountains about a half mile from the creek. We can take that back—it’ll be a lot faster.”
“That’ll help.” He kept whittling. Didn’t seem to have anything else to say.
Grace pulled out her phone and opened a game. She probably shouldn’t waste the battery, but she had to occupy herself somehow.
She was fifteen minutes intoAngry Birdswhen she heard Wyatt shift. His attention had zeroed in on something behind her.
Grace turned as the guy in the ball cap appeared in their circle of firelight. He offered her a smile and a small paper plate. “I know you brought your own food, but I thought you might enjoy a couple brownies.”
She took the offering. “Thank you.”
“I’m Evan by the way.”
“Grace. And this is Wyatt.”
Evan gave Wyatt a nod.
The two guys remaining at the campsite were sniggering, making Grace feel like she was in the middle of a sixth-grade camp dare.
“Luke actually makes a pretty good brownie. I was just giving him a hard time earlier.”
Grace took a bite of the brownie. “It is good. Tell him thank you.”
She offered the other to Wyatt, but he shook his head and went back to whittling.
“Where you from?” Evan asked.
The laughter down the way was louder. The beer had been flowing awhile.
“Bluebell. How ’bout you?”
“Me and my buddies are from Tennessee, but we’re staying with a friend in Hollis for a while.”
“If you’re hoping to make it back tonight, you’ve got a bit of a drive.” Grace hoped Evan was the designated driver because it sounded like the other two were already hammered.
“Yeah, we do. I’ll let you get back to your...” He glanced at Wyatt. “Evening.”
“Thanks again for the brownies.”
Evan’s friends got louder as he returned to the site, some of their conversation carrying over. Enough to know they were talking about her. One of them made a vulgar reference to what he’d like to do to Grace.
Her face heated.
Wyatt’s hands froze as he stared at the guys, a muscle flinching in his jaw.
Maybe they noticed because Evan shushed them and their chatter grew quieter.
