Chapter Eight
Skye
Ifelt light as we completed the second half of the hike. At the rate we were going, we’d be back to the cabins by lunch. I had some great pictures for my article.
What I also had was a raging case of ‘want-to-bang-my-brother’s-friend-itis.’
Was that a thing?
It had to be a thing. And it was advancing at a rapid rate.
Kyle was walking on his lead, so I had my camera around my neck.
I flicked through the pictures as I walked, stopping at the image I liked the most. Aaron was standing with his thick arms crossed over his chest, a gorgeous mountain valley in the background, and a white and black tuxedo cat on his head.
It was indescribably perfect.
What was not perfect was seeing the door to my cabin wide open as we approached camp. “What the hell?” I almost took off running towards it, but stopped myself when I considered the potential reasons why it was open.
“What’s wrong?” Aaron asked as he came up beside me.
“My cabin door.” I pointed, and his brows dropped. He dropped his pack and rummaged through it, pulling out a can of bear spray and an air horn. He was in full professional mode now as he herded Kyle and me around the back of my cabin. “You two go into my cabin and shut the door.”
“What about—”
“I’ll be fine, not my first run-in with a bear…assuming that’s what it is.”
I wasn’t about to be that dummy from every adventure movie, the one who charged into danger and made everything worse. I darted around to Aaron’s cabin and slipped through the door. The room was dark and cool compared to outside and it took my eyes a moment to adjust.
I put Kyle into the bathroom and shut the door. If something happened I didn’t want him anywhere near it. Then I hustled back to the front room and watched out the window. A piercing sound split the air, and I watched eagerly to see if a bear would emerge from my cabin.
After a few minutes, the sound came again.
Again, nothing.
After three solid blasts, Aaron moved closer to the cabin door and did it again. Finally, he moved cautiously towards the open door with his bear spray at the ready.
He went into the cabin, and I held my breath. A minute, that felt like an hour, later he emerged and came over to me.
I opened the cabin door as he approached. I didn’t like the look on his face.
“So?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, Skye, no bear in there now, but there definitely was.” He paused. “There’s some damage.”
My heart sank. “Fuck.” I ran towards my cabin, trying to think of what was in there that was of value.
My new camera was still in its little nest of rice.
My laptop. Otherwise, it was just food and clothes.
The laptop was the main concern. I needed it to get this article done on time and submitted.
Not to mention do every other part of my various jobs.
“Hang on, let me go first.” He moved in front of me, and I didn’t argue.
I stepped into the dim cabin behind Aaron, and it took me a moment to take it all in. “Holy fuck, it looks more like the aftermath of a keg party.”
“Can’t blame Kyle for this one,” Aaron said, his hands on his hips as he took in the damage. Everything that could be tipped over, was. Any food that I had was spread everywhere, or gone.
“Black bear probably,” I murmured. They were more persistent when it came to breaking in Yogi Bear style.
I stepped into the bedroom and took in the carnage. The bed had basically been ripped apart. I’d stored some of my dry goods under the bed, so it made sense from a bear’s perspective. Aaron appeared at my shoulder, a warm wall of calm in the chaos that was my cabin.
“Why don’t I make us some lunch and check on Kyle…unless you want some help here?”
I shook my head and sighed.
My laptop and camera had been on the table and were now on the kitchen floor.
When I checked, the laptop still booted up though, so that was a relief.
The camera I would have to reassemble later.
I threw out all the food the bear had destroyed, which was basically all of it that he hadn’t eaten.
Then I righted the bed and took in the shredded mattress and bedding.
This was going to be a problem.
The faint smell of smoke filtered into the cabin, and I headed outside where Aaron was grilling hot dogs. Kyle was on his leash at Aaron’s feet, one end of it wrapped around a chair leg.
He glanced over his shoulder at me. “So?”
“Food’s gone, beds destroyed, laptop survived,” I said.
“Bear must be a relative of your furry friend here.” He gestured towards Kyle with his tongs.
I snorted. “I have the place booked for a few days, but I guess I’ll have to head out early. After lunch if I’m smart.”
Aaron perked up at that. “What? No.”
“No?”
“No…you—you have to finish your article.”
“I can make do. I guess I could sleep in my van, but I don’t have food now, so…”
Aaron turned the hot dogs over and closed the grill before turning to face me with his arms over his chest. “No, you’ll stay in my cabin and eat my food.”
“I will?”
He nodded. “Do you have food for the menace?”
I nodded. “In my van.”
“Then it’s settled. You’re staying.”