“Y’all ready to do this, gentlemen?” Harlem rubbed his hands together in excitement.
His brother and best friend clapped their hands and nodded. “It’s been a minute. The snow is nice and thick, but we’ve got some rivers to claim,” Eli declared.
“Shiiidd! You hope we claim them, and they don’t claim us,” CJ stated.
“We got this, man,” Eli replied.
“Yeah, you mean like you had it last year?” CJ asked, laughing.
They all laughed, and I looked at Harlem. “Babe, what’s he talking about?”
“Last year, Eli’s ass oversteered and almost got his Jeep stuck in the river.”
“Stuck?” I asked.
“Snow?” Isla asked.
“You’re gonna be fine. I won’t get us stuck. I’ve been doing this for years. Eli’s a novice. He’s only been doing it for the lasttwo years, and his ass don’t listen,” Harlem explained, sucking his teeth and shaking his head at his best friend.
“You didn’t tell me there was snow, Eli,” Isla stated.
“Why do you think I told you to pack your skiing clothes, sweaters, boots, and a coat?” Eli asked incredulously.
“You’re going to be fine, Isla. I saw all that you packed, and there will be heat in the vehicles while we’re off-roading. The only thing you have to be concerned with is when we unpack our trucks to get set up for camping tonight,” Jenna stated.
“How cold does it get up there in those mountains?” Isla asked with a worried look.
“Sis, I ain’t gon’ hold you. It’s not for the faint of heart, and it does drop below freezing,” Jenna replied.
“That’s why you’ve got me there to keep you warm,” Eli remarked, pulling Isla against his body.
She forgot all about her complaints and burrowed into his arms with a smile.
“You guys had better stop before Baby backs out,” Jenna warned, watching me closely.
I laughed. “You’re right, Jenna. They’re not selling me on this too well, and it’s not too late to change my mind.”
“Don’t listen to them, Baby. I’ll protect you and keep you warm. You know I wouldn’t do anything to put you in harm’s way, right?” Harlem kissed my temple and then my lips slowly as he held my hips.
“Yes,” I answered shyly after I pulled back from the kiss.
“Good. Man, can we get on the road now?” Harlem asked his brother and best friend as he packed the last of our bags into the back of his Jeep.
Within the next ten minutes, we were on the road, and Harlem announced that we should be there by one, because it was a three-hour drive. We would be heading into a rural area just outside of the small town of Mistletoe Falls.
The air was crisp and bitter cold. Although the sun shone brilliantly above us, it was no match for the freezing cold temperatures. There was no possibility of the snow melting any time soon.
“You know you’re acting like white folks with all this off-roading in the mountains through the snow, don’t you?” I asked Harlem as we drove over our third river.
The first time it happened, I was certain that we were going to get stuck and drown, especially when the snow and ice gave away, but he assured me that he had a handle on things. The second time it happened, I was a little less apprehensive, but I didn’t abandon my prayers.
Smiling, he turned and glanced at me as we made it out of the river. “Babe, are you telling me that this isn’t fun?”
I giggled. “It is, but it’s also dangerous and cold as ice.”
“Once we get everything set up at camp, you’ll be fine. I promise it’s not as bad as you think; it’s adventurous. Besides, you said that you love the outdoors.”
“I do. When it’s warm, honey.”
