Page 94 of Flirting with 40

The shouts from the men as they barge through the woods toward us, their hero capes flying.

“Blake? Heather?” They shouted over and over.

“Over here,” I shout back.

“Bear!” Heather screams again before suddenly pushing off me a second before the men come into view.

“Are you guys okay?” Testosterone Ted reaches us first, but Slade is right behind him with Harley Hal and one of the activity directors from the lodge. They all look around cautiously, the activity director holding a can of bear spray up toward the trees around us in defense.

“Whatever it was is gone,” Heather says, her hands now shoved into her pockets to keep everyone from seeing how badly they are shaking.

“The way you screamed, I could have sworn it was eating one of you,” Hal says, huffing from the run to us.

There is more thrashing through the foliage, and we all spin around to see Maddie and Gemma jog to a stop.

“Who’s the one with those ear-splitting lungs?” Maddie asks, her gaze immediately landing on me.

For a split second, I stare at Heather, at her wide eyes and her suddenly composed demeanor, and I know it would be so easy to out her. I could let everyone know the catty woman who made fun of me for being scared of bears is actually the one who was terrified when it came down to it.

I could use the moment to make her look just as bad as she has made me look time and again, but I don’t. I refuse to be her. I choose to lead by example.

Yes, I’m the older of the two of us.

Yes, I’ll be the mature one.

Yes, I’ll show her that we aren’t in competition, and that, at times, yes, I’ll take one for the good of our partnership.

“It was me,” I say with a laugh and a bashful raise of my hand. “You know how much I fear bears.”

And out of the corner of my eye, I see Heather stutter in motion, lips falling lax, eyes blinking rapidly.

Yes, I just covered for you. Now it’s time for you to grow up and do the same, I say with the look I give her.

“Thank god it was just a scare,” Gemma says as Slade slides a hand around my waist and presses a kiss to my temple.

“Let’s get out of here,” the activity director says. “Just in case it was one.”

He turns to lead the way out of the woods, but Slade tugs on my hand, his head dipping down so he can look straight in my eyes.

“You okay?” he murmurs quietly.

“Fine.” My smile is quick, strained.

When I go to walk, he keeps me in place.

“What?” I ask.

“That wasn’t you who screamed, was it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve heard you scream my name plenty on this trip”—his grin is lightning quick—“and that wasn’t you.”

I shrug coyly, and then we both jump when there is loud rustling at our backs. Slade pushes me behind him for safety as we turn so that when he throws his head back and laughs, I have no idea why.

I step out from behind to see what’s so funny.

And there with his green waders on, fishing pole in one hand, and bucket hat loaded with hooks sitting atop his head, stands Heather’s bear, Ed. His grin is huge and his eyes are mischievous.