Chapter 8 #2
“You’ll make naturalists of them yet, Hawk,” she said softly.
“Speaking of which, I talked to the parents about getting involved in your environmental group. Most of them have been too busy to make it to the town assemblies, but they’re very interested in protecting this place.
Maybe you could make up some informational flyers? ”
I nodded, mentally adding that to my to-do list, along with creating some temporary signage to place in the parking area at the trailhead and up near the peak. “Maybe ask them to follow my new Instagram account? I already posted some pictures I had in my phone, and I’ll be adding more every day.”
Maryanne agreed, then began the long process of rounding up the kids for the trek back down the mountain. Each of them gave me an enthusiastic high five before they departed. “What plants are we gonna see next, Mr. Hawk?” Luna demanded.
“Purple hyssops. Who here likes purple?” Every one of them raised their hands. “Awesome. And we’re also gonna learn about bats, so be ready.”
“Sounds like fun! What do we say to Mr. Hawk, Herd?” Maryanne asked.
“Thank you, Mr. Hawk!” the kids chorused before pairing up with their buddies and heading back down the path.
“Wow. Someone’s been a busy beaver,” Crys said, entering the clearing as the kids were leaving. “You’re really popular with the small humans, huh?”
I shrugged. “I started doing summer hikes with the Mini Scouts when Aiden was that age. I wanted to show him the mountain like my dad did with me. And then… I just kept doing it, even after he aged out. There’s something about kids this age that’s special. They’re little sponges.”
“If you say so, boo. I have zero patience.” She turned and surveyed the bushes and plants around us doubtfully. “So… this is your new home away from home? It’s… cute.”
I snickered. “Not here. There are marked areas for camping where you can pitch a tent. Mine’s a little ways up the trail.” I bumped her shoulder and nodded in the direction of the peak. “You wanna come see?”
“Obviously. I didn’t climb five billion miles up this craggy mountain on a mission of mercy just to turn around and head back right away. Besides, I have supplies for you.” She reached around to pat her bulging backpack.
“You’re the best.”
It hadn’t taken me long to realize that storming out without my sleeping bag had been a mistake.
The cold front that had blown in over the weekend had decided to stick around, at least at the higher elevation where I was camping.
I’d rather have taken my chances with hypothermia than head back to town and deal with my family again, though, so I’d called Crys, who had a huge assortment of outdoor gear shoved in her closet, and asked for a favor.
It took about ten more minutes of hiking to reach the little camping area I’d chosen. It was set back about twenty feet from the trail for privacy and ringed with tall pines.
I swept out an arm. “Home sweet home. For the next little while, at least.”
Crys pushed a clump of sweat-damp pink hair off her forehead and set down her backpack with a clink.
“Sleeping bag,” she announced, pulling out a quilted bag and unrolling it inside the tent.
“And some other necessities.” She removed two poly bags of dehydrated food, a wickedly sharp-looking knife, a Taser, and…
“Are those night-vision goggles?” I demanded.
“Yep. My ex-girlfriend left a bunch of shit before she moved out of our old place. She was a ten, but she was a prepper, so really she was a six, tops, if you know what I mean. Still, handy stuff, right? Also…”
She opened a different compartment and withdrew a glass bottle of vodka, some orange-pink juice, two plastic cups, and a tiny cooler of crushed ice. “Don’t worry, the bottle and cups are recyclable. Couldn’t exactly toast your protest with Earth-killing stuff.”
After we got settled atop the sleeping bag inside the tent, she bartended us into some killer-looking cocktails, then settled in and began the interrogation I’d known was coming.
“So, boo, I’ve gotta ask… What the fuck was that all about at the diner?”
“It was about me not waiting anymore, obviously.” I lifted my chin stubbornly. “It was about me making changes. Like we talked about. I’ve already gotten a bunch of stuff started on Instagram, and—”
“Hold up. I don’t recall suggesting that you should announce to the entire town your…” She hesitated. “Freshie status.”
“You can say virgin,” I muttered. “I’ve decided it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m gonna own it. In fact, I might start a Virgin Club and invite other-Chris from the Bugle to join me. We can both wear grandma-knit sweaters and proudly proclaim that our flowers have never been plucked.”
“I’m not sure other-Chris would qualify for your club.” Crys tapped the lip of the cup against her chin. “He’s got the heart of a marauding Viking hiding beneath those glasses and granny sweaters.”
I snorted. “If you say so.”
“Besides, I’m not sure you are gonna qualify for your club much longer. Didn’t you agree to consider a date with Simon the Enviro Geek?”
“Welllll,” I hedged. “Sort of. I maybe typed out a message to him earlier, but I was too keyed up to send it.”
“Boo. It’s because you’re so keyed up that you need to send it.
If you de-escalate the importance of the cherry-popping moment and just let it happen with any decent guy, then maybe you’ll stop stressing about it so much.
Things with Jack will have more time to develop naturally… if they’re going to develop.”
I looked up from my drink to stare at her. “You think I’m stressing myself into rejection?”
“No,” she said with a laugh. “It’s just… sex doesn’t have to be such a big deal. It’s fun and powerful and beautiful and transcendental even, but sometimes it’s more like a stress reliever. Like knife throwing… but with penises, in your case.”
I choked on my drink. “Considering how badly I failed at knife throwing, that’s maybe not the best comparison.
But… okay, let’s say I agree with you. Simon only asked me to dinner.
How would I even go about getting him to agree to no-strings sex?
Hello, Simon, I would like you to throw your penis at my target? ”
“That would do it.” Crys had a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Then let the conversation flow naturally from there.”
I set my cup down and buried my face in my hands to cool my burning cheeks. “I’m being serious. How do you ask a guy for sex?”
“Hawk.” She shook her head. “You are the most precious pearl, and never change, okay? But also… do we really need to revisit the dirty probable meaning of his leaf emojis? He’s already on board, and if he’s gone anywhere in the Hollow today, I can guarantee he’s heard exactly what’s on your mind right now, too.
Just let him know you’re interested. He’ll take it from there. ”
I nodded to let her know I heard her, but when I tried to picture it—Simon’s lips on mine, Simon’s hands on my body, the scent of Simon’s cologne in my nose—it felt exciting but wrong.
And when the two of us heard the crunch of approaching footsteps coming up the trail to the campsite and I peered out the tent in excited expectation… it wasn’t Simon I was hoping to see.
But when the visitor ducked down to peek into the tent, it wasn’t Jack or Simon who’d come to visit.
“Webb?” I blurted. “What are you doing here?”
“Bringing you a sleeping bag.” He tossed the bag on the ground inside the tent on top of the one Crys had brought. “Drew said you left without yours, and he was worried. We all kind of were. Can you and I…” He coughed uncomfortably. “…talk, or whatever?”
Anyone who’d only known Webb since Luke came into his life would probably be pretty shocked to learn that the man had never been particularly comfortable with emotions.
Since I tended to run on emotion the way cars ran on gasoline, that meant Webb and I hadn’t deliberately sat down for a heart-to-heart since…
Well, ever.
Crys lifted an eyebrow in unspoken question, and when I nodded, she zipped her backpack and crawled out of the tent.
“I’m leaving you the bottle, boo. Be good, okay?
May Mother Earth keep her pet snakes safely tucked into their beds tonight.
” She held an imaginary phone to her ear. “Call me if you need me.”
“Spotty cell reception up here,” Webb and I said at the same time. I added, “I’m gonna climb to the peak every day to post pics and check email, though. I’ll be in touch.”
Crys waved and headed back down the trail, and Webb stood outside the tent for a moment. “Can I…?” He gestured at the spot on the sleeping bag that Crys had vacated, and I scooted all the way to the edge to make room for him, looping my arms around my knees.
Webb ducked inside, drawing up his long legs. The tent immediately seemed way, way too crowded with his lumberjacky shoulder pushed up against mine. “So. Camping, huh?” Webb scratched at his beard with one fingertip. “I love camping.”
“I’m not up here for recreation. I’m protesting. I’m strategizing.” I shrugged. “I’m sucking in whatever remaining moments I can in case I fail and all of this goes away.”
I expected an argument. An eye roll. An Oh, Hawk, stop being dramatic! But Webb just looked pensive.
“You seem calmer now,” he ventured. “You were pretty upset at the diner earlier.”
“Yeah. Being up here, talking with the Mini Nature Scouts… it cleared my mind a bit.” I picked at a frayed spot in my jeans guiltily. “Look, I’m sorry I yelled at you. You didn’t deserve that. Luke definitely didn’t deserve it. I’ll apologize to him.”
He nodded. “That’d be good. Luke loves you, and he was a little worried he’d upset you. I told him it seemed like you had something else on your mind, though.” He gave me a sideways look. “Given what you mentioned about… cherries?”
I set my jaw. If Webb was expecting me to confess all my deepest feels, he was in for a long wait. None of the things I was feeling were suitable for discussion with the man who still thought I was a kid.