I’d been hoping to see my cousin, then head to the hotel to have a nap.
“Scavenger hunt,” Grant said, sounding as pleased as I was. “Kara has a list of places for everyone to go. She wants everyone to, I don’t know, see the property and her favorite spots, I guess. She also wants me to get to know her friends and family.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I was living alone in the woods when we met, so she knew I wasn’t exactly house-trained, but she is determined that everyone get to know each other.”
“She may have used the wordhermitto describe you,” I admitted.
He scowled. “That is the common opinion around here.” Grant scratched the back of his neck. “I’d love to offer you abeer, but—”
“But you’ll have so much fun, you won’t need one,” Kara said, appearing from somewhere.
“How are we bonding if we’re alone in the woods?” I asked, already wondering if a nap against a tree was an option.
“You’ll be assigned a partner,” Kara said brightly. “And don’t forget you can’t argue with the bride.” I suspected she’d defended this plan to Grant more than once already and was taking no shit.
When she invited me to her wedding, she’d mentioned she wanted me to come a few days ahead of the wedding for ‘activities.’
I wasn’t what you would call ajoinereither. Especially not when sleep deprived.
Please don’t let my partner be a chatterbox.
Kara stepped up onto the deck and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. I was grumbling, but really I was fine to do whatever would make my cousin happy. She lived in Colorado and I lived in Springwood, BC, in western Canada, so we didn’t see each other often, but it was still nice to have something to celebrate when the world was a shitstorm.
“Thanks for coming.” She was beaming and it helped me push my crankiness aside. “Everyone I talked to said they wanted to do some hiking while they were here, so I thought a scavenger hunt would be a fun way to do that.” She stepped down from the deck and moved through the small crowd, letting everyone pick a slip of paper from a bucket in her hands. “Everyone has the same spots on the scavenger hunt but in a different order. There is a number on your paper. Find the person with the same number and then I’ll give you your map and location list. Make sure you have supplies. This should take until dinnertime,then we can meet back here for steak and beer.”
This didn’t sound so bad. I did want to look around while I was here, and hell, I wasn’t going to turn down steak and beer afterward.
I looked at my paper. There was a carefully designed graphic at the top with their names and wedding date on it. Kara was a graphic designer by trade, so it made sense. My paper had the number four on it, so I looked around to see who else had the same number.
People paired off, and as the crowd cleared, my eyes landed on a familiar face. It took me a moment to place her.
Once I did, my nostrils flared and I cursed my shitty luck.
The woman from the airport was looking at me, her hair pulled back in a slick bun. She had on a green t-shirt, a pair of khaki shorts, and a look that could melt ice.
What was with all the khaki, seriously?
She had well-worn hiking boots on her feet and a rigid posture.
It was going to be a long fucking day.
She held up four fingers, a scowl on her lips. I noticed belatedly that her eyes were an intense shade of green. It took me a second to focus back on reality enough to nod.
Jet lag was a bitch.
I shouldered my pack and moved towards her like a man walking to his execution. I had packed a good amount of things I’d need for a safe hike in the woods… in my checked bag. Which, of course, hadn’t arrived here in Iron Peak with me.
Kara appeared beside us, seemingly oblivious to the tension.
“Have you two met?”
There was a loadedquestion if I ever heard one.
“Not officially,” I said.
The woman rolled her eyes.
“Wren, this is my cousin, Jasper. Jasper, this is my good friend, Wren.” She beamed at us and I forced myself to plaster a smile on my face. “Here’s your list and map, Team Four. Have fun.” She flitted off to the next group. My cousin was a practical person, but clearly being in love had her all but floating through life.
I held my hand out to her. “Guess we’re partners in this.”
