“She wouldn’t let me leave until I ate two. It felt criminal not to bring you some.”
Joe glanced toward the firepit. A small, blackened percolator sat crookedly on the grate, and there was a suspiciously charred smell lingering.
“Is that your cowboy coffee?” he asked.
“It’s something, alright. Think I let the water boil too long.”
“Rookie mistake. You’ll nail it tomorrow.”
She tipped her head back with a dramatic groan. “Can’t we go back to our own beds? Please? I want walls. And a bed. And a roof.”
“And ruin all the fun?”
Joe turned to the fire ring, stacking fresh kindling and nudging the coals together. The damp wood smoked, then caught, thin flames licking up until they settled into a steady burn.
“At least you got your morning meditation in, right?” he asked, grinning.
“Does sleeping in count?” she asked around a mouthful of biscuit. “Because I don’t think I’ve slept past seven o’clock in, like…three years.”
He looked back at her. She was perched on the bench with her legs tucked up, hair still wild, honey latte balanced beside her. She looked softer somehow. Unwound in a way he hadn’t seen. Like the night under canvas had scrubbed away a layer of tension.
“In that case,” he said, “I’d call it a breakthrough.”
“Speaking of calling,” she said, brushing crumbs from her fingers, “my phone died.”
“Yeah, I figured. I keep a couple portable chargers in my camera bag. Sorry, I should’ve mentioned that yesterday. Mind if I…?” He tilted his head toward the tent.
“Go for it.”
Joe ducked inside, rummaged through his gear, and tried very hard not to think about the fact that the whole place smelled like her now. Vanilla, citrus, and something warm he couldn’t name.
He found the battery pack, stepped back out and passed it over.
“Look at you again,” she said. “My hero.”
Joe shook his head. “You are definitely not a damsel in distress.”
She snorted and plugged her phone in. A moment later the screen blinked awake, notifications pouring in. She scrolled, then paused with a smile.
He caught a glimpse of Elsie’s message as she tilted the phone.
Day One, and your first swap night, raised $487 for your grandparents’ fund. Good luck with your photography today, Krista! You’ve got this !
Some more tension in her shoulders eased, just a fraction. Looked like that number did more for her than any latte he could’ve brought.
“Oh,” she said after seeing another notification. “Zoe texted. She confirmed they’re good at ten o’clock for the hike. That still work for you?” She glanced up at him.
He nudged a log deeper into the fire ring with his boot. “Hmm. I don’t know. My boss might not let me off my shift…”
Krista laughed. “Your boss?”
“At the Hideaway,” he said solemnly. “She’s very demanding. Gorgeous. But she’s pretty hard on me.”
Krista fought a smile. “She rides you pretty hard, does she?”
“Not yet,” Joe said, letting a slow smirk creep in, “but I’m optimistic.”
Krista grinned. “You’re impossible. And don’t worry—Ian’s opening. I told him you’d be in before one.”
