CHAPTER THREE
Tess
“Hope!” Tess greeted the barista at the Rise and Grind. “You’re back. We missed you.” Hope was Faith’s younger sister and had just returned from college.
Hope gave a little courtesy. “Missed you too,” she said. “I’ve been home about a week, but this is my first morning shift. Faith says you’re off to the mountains tomorrow?”
“Yep. Orientation’s this afternoon, and then we leave tomorrow before dawn. Today’s my last shot at good coffee for a week, so give me a large.”
“You got it. Is the weeklong thing new? I thought you just did weekends.” Hope put Tess’s money in the till, wrote something on a cup, and handed it to her coworker, Willie.
“Yeah,” Tess said, dropping the change into the tip jar. “It’s the ultimate survival version. We started offering it last year. I’m not a huge fan—I hate going so long without a shower—but we’re only doing them in the summer and just one per month, so it’s not too bad.”
“Faith also said Moody is selling The Outpost. Will the new owner keep doing them, do you think?”
Tess shrugged. “No idea.”
The bells on the front door jingled, and they both watched as a tall, handsome man in cowboy boots entered. The boots looked well worn, but the brand-new jeans and button-up dress shirt screamed big city.
“Howdy, Tex,” Hope drawled, causing the man to look over his shoulder. Hope and Tess giggled.
“So, enough about me. Spill it,” Tess said, turning back to Hope. “How was your first year at college? You’re studying communications, right?” She felt the man move into line behind her.
“It’s fun living in another town—and away from Dad—but I did kind of miss it here.”
“And the boy sitch?”
“Well.” Hope leaned in, but before she could say anything, the man in the boots fake-coughed, clearly signaling he was waiting.
Tess spun around and glared. “Ya in a hurry, Haus?”
“Just trying to get some coffee,” he said. “I mean, it’s a coffee shop, right?”
The women shared a look—out-of-towner alert! Tess rolled her eyes at Hope and scooted over toward the “pick up” counter, as the cowboy ordered a large black coffee.
“Dollar fifty. We only take cash and cards,” Hope said when he tried to pay with his phone.
“Oh,” he said. “I didn’t bring my wallet. I always pay with this.”
“Sorry,” Hope said. “We’re not set up for that.”
He looked uneasy. “I’m staying at the inn. Could I open a tab? Or come by and pay you later?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Tess interrupted. “Here.” She handed Hope two ones.
“Thank you,” the man said.
“Number one,” Willie yelled, holding up Tess’s order.
“I know what it’s like to need coffee,” Tess replied, walking away from him to grab her cup at the end of the counter.
He grabbed a napkin, wrote “IOU $2” on it, and offered it to her. “That’s as good as money.”
She did a double-take, wondering if he was quoting from Dumb and Dumber —one of her favorite movies. He winked, confirming that he was, and she had to smile.
“Nice,” Tess said, taking the napkin and shoving it into her pocket. “Don’t make me Better off Dead you for payback.” It was a reference to another silly 80s movie where the protagonist is relentlessly hounded by another character over two dollars. He laughed, which told her he’d seen that one too.
“Fancy Pants Cowboy,” Willie called.
“I wondered why she didn’t ask for a name,” the man said with a chuckle. “I’m assuming that’s me?”
“If the cowboy boot fits…”
He picked up his cup, thanked the barista, and returned to Tess. “How will I find you to pay you back?”
“Just leave it here,” Tess said.
“I don’t even know your name.” He glanced down at her cup, probably thinking her name would be on it.
“Tell ’em it’s for number one. They’ll get it to me.”
He raised a brow but gave a curt nod. “All right, Number One. Well, thanks again. Catch ya later.”
“Flirt much?” Hope teased once he’d cleared the door. “He’s hot, Walker. You should’ve given him your number. Or at least your name.”
“It’s a dance, Hope. If he wants it, he’ll find a way.”
“I have so much to learn,” Hope said wistfully, and they both laughed.
“The out-of-town stuff never works anyway,” Tess said, swiping the thought away with a hand. “Been there, done that.”
“Well, if I don’t see you. Good luck on your campout.”
Tess waved on her way out and walked to the bookstore next door. Faith’s mom had owned Page Turners ever since Tess could remember. But she’d passed away two years ago, leaving the store to Faith.
“Hey, girl,” Tess said, popping her head into Faith’s back office. “Just want to make sure you’re still cool to water my garden this week. There’s no rain in the forecast, so I’m counting on you.”
“You thought I forgot,” Faith said. A look of indignation morphed into guilt. “And I may have. But now that you’re here, I’m going to write myself a note and put it where I can’t miss it.”
Tess shook her head but laughed. “I’ll text Nick too. As a backup.”
“Good idea. Hey, you wanna get lunch later?”
“Sure. I’m heading home to pack right now, and I’ve got orientation at one. Meet you at Karla’s at noon?”
“See you then.”
Lunch took longer than expected, and she didn’t make it back to The Outpost until right at one o’clock. As she approached the small classroom, she heard the men talking and stopped just outside the door.
“I heard the guide’s a chick,” one said. “Hope she’s hot.”
“I just hope she can do what they say. I don’t want to die on the mountain because some incompetent woman got stuck taking us up.”
Tess took that as her cue to enter. “Afternoon, gentlemen,” she greeted, striding to the front of the room. “Sorry to interrupt…”
Two men slumped in their seats, giving themselves away as the two who’d been talking about her.
“I’m Tess Walker, and I’ll be your guide for the next week. Today, we’ll review the rules and what to expect. I’ll take questions and do an equipment check. Anything you don’t have or that’s not up to par, you can rent or buy from the store.”
As she spoke, she glanced around the room, making eye contact with each man. She fought to hide her surprise when she landed on a pair of pale green eyes—Fancy Pants Cowboy.
“First, since we’ll be spending a lot of time together, let’s introduce ourselves.
Just basic stuff. First name’s fine, where you’re from, and any camping experience you have.
I’ve found that most campers come up here to leave the grind behind, so telling us what you do is optional. Let’s start over here.”
She hitched her chin toward a man who looked very familiar but whom she couldn’t place.
“Hey, guys. I’m Carter. I moved to Boston recently and like to play basketball.”
Ah, that’s where she knew him from. Carter McNair was a Boston Celtic! He’d only signed last year and wasn’t a starter or anything, but still, how cool.
“I don’t have much camping experience,” Carter said. “Looking forward to some quality time with nature though. Oh, and I’m single.” He winked at Tess with his last statement.
“Great,” Tess said, ignoring the flirtation. “Next?” She raised an eyebrow at one of the men she’d caught talking about her.
“My name is Joseph. I’m a heart surgeon, and I live in Connecticut. I’m married, three kids, and my whole life is work, so that’s about it.”
“Done any camping?” Tess asked.
“I’ve studied a lot.”
That meant no. He came across as a haughty, know-it-all, which in a heart surgeon might be a good quality, but would probably be annoying as a student camper. Tess guessed he was in his fifties, probably here trying to avoid an early-onset midlife crisis.
She turned to Fancy Pants next.
“I’m Logan, from Houston. I camped some as a kid, but never in mountains like these. Look forward to learning some new stuff.” He ended with a smile.
“Nice to meet you, Logan,” Tess said. “You know you can’t wear those boots for hiking, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. I brought others for the trip.”
Tess nodded and went on to the next camper, a handsome guy who oozed arrogance.
“I’m Ashton. You might recognize me, ’cause I’m an actor. Still kind of B-list right now, but working my way up. I’m up for a role where the lead is good in the woods, so I’m here to do research. Also, single.”
“And last, but not least…” Tess jutted her chin toward a shy, nerdy-looking guy who appeared to be trying to melt into his chair.
“Oh, yeah. I’m Grayson. I guess I’m what you’d call a tech bro? Into coding and stuff like that. I’m trying to push out of my comfort zone, and someone recommended this. No camping experience. Hope I don’t slow you all down.”
Tess made a mental note on each man. Carter—Celtic’s player and a flirt. Joseph—doctor, kind of a jerk. Logan—green eyes from Texas, seemed nice enough. Grayson—shy tech bro. And Ashton—arrogant actor.
“Great start. By week’s end, we’ll either be BFFs or have killed each other. Let’s shoot for the first, shall we?”
Everyone gave a courtesy chuckle.
“All right. Campout rules. No alcohol. No phones or video cameras. Regular cameras are fine, but no pictures of people without consent. No judging others. All food and food trash is kept sealed in plastic bags at all times . You pack it in, you pack it out. Business talk is not strictly prohibited, but read the room on it. Like I said, lotta folks are up here to take a break. Any questions?”
“What if there’s an emergency and no one has a phone?” Grayson asked.
“I’ll have a satellite phone and will teach y’all how to use it.
” When no one else piped up, she continued.
“Today we’ll go over the agenda and talk about basic skills that you’ll need from day one—hiking stuff, how to keep wildlife away, specifically bears, and what to do if that doesn’t work and you have to face one.
We’ll talk about food prep, personal hygiene, including bathroom stuff, make a chore list, and discuss individual responsibilities.
To finish up, we’ll end with a gear check to make sure everyone’s prepared. ”
She paused for comments or questions, and when there were none, continued.
“This campout’s different from the basic weekend warrior.
Most anyone can ride out forty-eight hours, but it takes grit and gumption to get through a whole week.
This campout focuses more on practical survival skills—catching and cooking your own food, building a shelter, navigation, first aid, and so on.
We find food, we eat. We don’t, we starve.
” She shrugged. “It’s called ultimate survival for a reason. ”
They spent the next few hours going over the basics. She patiently answered questions and addressed concerns.
The arrogance, nonchalance, and this-will-be-a-walk-in-the-park attitudes faded quickly.
And by the end, ten eyes alight with a healthy dose of fear stared back at her.
Which was exactly what she wanted. To be successful, they would have to check their cocky, I’m-in-charge personas at the door, be willing to try and fail at new tasks, and learn to follow directions.
“Before we do the gear check,” Tess said.
“I need to be clear about something. You’d think it would go without saying, and it pains me to have to clarify this, but you can’t bring a roller suitcase into the woods.
Everything you take, you pack on your back.
There is no concierge, and your luggage doesn’t magically show up at the top of the mountain. ”
“Did that really happen?” Carter asked.
“No comment.” They all chuckled.
After the gear check, she left them with a pep talk.
“You’re all probably very good at what you do, used to success and things going your way.
But toughness in the boardroom, on the court, or in the operating room doesn’t always translate in the wilderness.
This trip will test you mentally and physically.
You’ll have to get your hands dirty. Some of you will have to put your taste for the finer things on hold.
You paid to rough it, and I plan to give you your money’s worth. So, buckle up!”