Page 127 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

“Darn right,” she said, secretly worrying that Lucas might have a point. But there was no time to dwell on that, because the guys were getting ready to set up the tents.

They weren’t those easy vinyl pop-up tents she’d seen on social media. These were canvas, and they looked ancient. They dumped the supply bags onto the ground, and out tumbled poles, connectors, ropes, stakes, and a bunch of other stuff that looked like way too much hardware for two tents.

“What is all this stuff?” Lucas asked.

“I think they’re the parts we need to set up the tents.” He picked up a pole, eyeing the other parts littering the ground. “This’ll be an adventure. I haven’t set one of these up since I was a kid.”

“I can help,” she offered.

“It’s okay, I got it,” Seeley said.

“Then I’ll help Lucas.”

“I want to set up my own tent,” Lucas said. “Besides, you’ve never even been in a tent.”

“He’s got a point,” Seeley added.

“Neither has he,” she insisted. It was like they got into the wilderness and turned into cavemen.

“Yeah, but it’s in my blood,” Lucas said.

How could she argue with that? Especially when he said it bursting with pride, and hearing it brought a shine to Seeley’s eyes. “Whatever,” she teased, and took Wynnie’s advice, letting them do their thing while she collected sticks for a campfire. She got a kick out of listening to them egging each other on and racing to see who could figure out how to erect their tent first.

They ended up helping each other. When they were done, Seeley showed them how to make a campfire as the sun went down, while doling out lessons in fire safety. He taught them about checking for local fire restrictions, never lighting a fire if it’s too windy or too dry, clearing the area of any flammable brush, and making sure to bring enough water, or having a natural water source nearby to put out the fire afterward. Hence, the lake.

“And when you put a campfire out, there are three steps to follow,” he explained. “Douse it with water, mix the water with the embers, and as my grandfather always said, douse it again, because Mother Nature’s a finicky gal.”

Watching Seeley teach their son the things he probably would have taught him years ago had he been given the chance warmed her heart. He was firm but kind, making sure Lucas knew these were serious lessons.

“And when you think it’s completely out, stick your bare hand in it,” Seeley said. “If you feel any heat, the fire isn’t out, and you need to do it all over again.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Juliette said. “He could get burned.”

“That’s why it’s a three-step process,” Seeley said. “Too many people do a half-ass job of putting out campfires. That’s how many forest fires are started. If you know you can’t walk away until you’ve put your bare hand in the remains, you tend to take the time to do it right. You got that, Lucas?”

Lucas gave a curt nod. “Douse it, mix it, touch it.”

“Attaboy,” Seeley said.

They cooked hot dogs over the fire and enjoyed the potato salad Dwight had sent along. They made s’mores and had a contest to see who could stack theirs the highest. They cracked up as they tried to fit the monstrosities into their mouths and ended up with chocolate and marshmallow all over their faces. Seeley pressed his chocolate-marshmallow lips to Juliette’s cheek, getting her all sticky, which Lucas thought was hilarious.

“You think that’s funny, huh?” She got up and went to kiss him.

He jumped to his feet, walking backward, waving his hands. “No way.”

“Oh, there’s a way!” She lunged toward him, and Lucas took off running.

She chased him, and he hollered, “Doc! Save me!” Seeley ran after them, but he grabbed Lucas from behind. “What the…? Traitor!”

Seeley laughed, and Juliette sauntered over making kissing sounds.

“No!” Lucas was cracking up, throwing his body from side to side, trying to break free. “Doc, lemme go!”

“No can do, buddy.”

Juliette planted a sticky kiss on Lucas’s cheek, and then she planted one on Doc’s. Big mistake. He went after her, and so did Lucas. The three of them ended up tumbling to the ground in a heap of flailing limbs, bursting with laughter.

She couldn’t remember the last time she or Lucas had laughed so hard.