Page 112 of The Emma Special

James: Don’t you have a fire?

Emma: Nope. Summer said it would “Give away our location.”

James: I’m confused. Are you hiding or spying?

Emma: Summer is spying. I’m hiding from whatever wildlife might be roaming around here tonight.

James: Want me to bring fire?

He added an emoji of a flexing arm and a flame.

Emma: You can do that?!?!?!

James: Anything for you, m’lady.

Swoon. Emma fanned her face.

Emma: Yes, I would like to order a small fire.

James: Where are you?

Emma: Again… I thought you didn’t want to know these things.

James: My wife is sitting in the dark. Let me in on a “need to know” basis.

Emma: Behind Summer’s cottage. Somewhere in the forest.

James: I need more details, please.

Emma: I’m next to some tall trees and a bumpy log where it’s the most dark. With the mosquitos.

James: Aight. Thank you. Any other landmarks of interest?

Emma: Hard to say. It’s dark, remember? We walked for about fifteen minutes.

James: Send me your location.

She laughed quietly and shared her location and stared at her phone as she waited for a reply. The bag of cheese puffs she’d been destroying lay forgotten on the plastic floor beside her.

James: Will that be all, m’lady?

Emma peeked out of the tent flap and gazed toward the other side of the clearing where Summer and Allison’s tent was set up. She couldn’t make it out, but it was there… probably.

Emma: Let me check with Summer first. She was really strict on the “no boys allowed” rule earlier.

She’d just pulled up Summer’s contact when a rustling outside the tent had her muscles tightening. Something was definitely moving out there.

Instead of texting, Emma pressed the button to call Summer.

“Hey.”

“Did you hear that?” Emma asked quickly.

“I did. I⁠—”

The noise started up again, louder and closer than before. Whatever was out there was big, and Emma reached behind her to grab Katie’s leg.

“Hey, what⁠—”