Chapter Nine
Piper
“Are you sure you want to do this, Mom? You’ve never slept in a tent before. It’s almost the same as sleeping on the ground,” I say, desperately trying to get my mother to reconsider the camping trip she insisted on booking with Benson and me.
I’m really doing my best to sell the whole ‘camping is basically torture’ angle, but she’s not buying it.
Instead, she laughs my question away. “Oh, Piper, don’t be so dramatic! It’ll be fun. I’ve always wanted to try camping. Besides, how hard could it be? We’re not climbing Mount Everest. It’s just one night under the stars, and Benson is our guide. Everyone in town talks about how your boyfriend is one of the most experienced backcountry hiking guides in Fog Harbor.”
I shake my head. “That’s not a big achievement, Mom. It’s not like the place is packed with hiking guides.”
“That seems highly unlikely. We’re close to the Appalachian Mountains.”
“Yeah, but Mount Katahdin is hundreds of miles from here.”
“Still, with the coastal forest and the amazing views, there must be a ton of hikers around.”
“Not really,” I lie, just as I notice a group of hikers with big backpacks and trekking poles passing over the trail behind the Lakeside Serenity Glamping Haven. I quickly avert my eyes, hoping my mom doesn’t notice them. If she does, she’ll know I’ve been talking nonsense.
It’s no use, though. My mother always sees everything. She turns her head just in time to catch a glimpse of the hikers, two of them waving cheerfully at us.
“Well, would you look at that,” she says with a smile. “Looks like Fog Harbor is a hiking hotspot after all.”
“All set?” Benson’s voice cuts through the air, causing my stomach to release a flurry of butterflies.
Don’t ask me why. My body clearly has faulty wiring.
I look up at his beaming smile as he puts three backpacks on the ground. Two smaller ones and one big one.
“I sure am,” Mom says. “Maybe I’ll love camping so much that I’ll become an outdoorswoman myself.”
I suppress an eyeroll. Sure, my mother, who’s always impeccably dressed, without a hair out of place and her manicured nails is going to become a lover of the outdoors. Benson and I dating is more believable than that.
“Are you sure about this?” I repeat again.
She gives me a quizzical look. “I am. Why do you keep asking me that? It’s almost like you don’t want to go on this trip.”
“Fine, we’re going, but please don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re shivering in your tent tonight and regretting every life choice that brought you to this moment.”
“I packed you each a small backpack with gear. I’ll take the big one,” Benson announces.
My mother stuffs her clothes and toiletries inside and slides the straps over her shoulders. “Look at me, guys. It’s like I’m a professional hiker. Can you snap a quick picture, sweetheart? When I told Debby I was going hiking and camping, she demanded proof because she didn’t believe me. Can you imagine?”
I can, but I don’t tell her that. Instead, I snap a couple of pictures like she asks, and hoist my own backpack onto my shoulders after filling it with my personal belongings.
Mom claps her hands, looking more excited than I’ve ever seen her. “Lead the way, Benson. Show me those expert hiking moves of yours.”
He laughs, the sun hitting his face just right, and I notice how genuinely handsome and kind he looks. I’ve never realized it before, probably because I was too busy hating him, which, in hindsight, now seems like an exaggeration on my part. Still, I know that it’s only a matter of time before Benson acts all insufferable again. Bad habits die hard, no?
We start walking to the trail, and I give Lakeside Serenity Glamping Haven one last look over my shoulder before leaving it behind. Just like Benson, I have someone keeping an eye on things for me, but it’s still hard for me to leave my business like this, even if it’s only for a couple of days. I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to running my campground.
The narrow trail snakes through the woods, with tall pine trees and thick foliage forming a green tunnel around us. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and I can’t help staring at Benson’s muscled calves. Not that I want to, but he’s right in front of me.
“Isn’t this refreshing?” Mom asks, inhaling deeply. “The air is so crisp and clean! You know, Debby says that breathing forest air increases your red blood cell count. Or was it white blood cells? Either way, it’s good for you.”
“And you have a blood cell count problem?” I ask.
“Oh, come on, Piper. Why the sarcasm? We’re on an adventure! This is supposed to be fun,” Mom says, beaming.
I give her a weak smile. I love hiking, but not when it involves a fake boyfriend whose rolled-up flannel shirt shows way too much of his muscled forearm. It’s distracting, and the last thing I need is to trip over a root and fall straight into a patch of poison ivy. I don’t see any around, but theoretically, it could happen.
We continue up the trail, the path getting rockier with every step. Fifteen minutes in, and I can already hear Mom’s breathing start to change. I bet she’s regretting the Prada sneakers she insisted on wearing, despite my warnings. Mom claimed real hiking boots weren’t stylish enough.
“Are we almost there?” she asks after another ten minutes, her voice a little strained.
Benson turns around. “We’ve got a bit to go, Claire. Just take it slow and steady. There’s no rush.”
Mom’s eyes widen a bit, and she glances at me. “A bit to go? How much is a bit, exactly?”
I shrug. “Oh, just a mile or two more uphill. Think of all the red blood cells you’re making.”
Benson laughs and shakes his head. “Let’s take a quick break. There’s a nice spot right around the next bend.”
We follow Benson into a small clearing that opens up to a breathtaking view of the bay. The water glistens under the midday sun, tiny boats bobbing along the surface, their sails bright against the blue. I watch as my mom collapses onto a flat rock, pulling out her phone to document this moment and send proof to Debby.
“Smile, Piper,” she calls, holding her phone up for a selfie. “Come on, it’s not every day we do something like this together.”
“Thank goodness for that,” I mumble, but I squeeze in next to her for the picture. Benson steps back, grinning, and I feel a weird flutter again in my stomach when I see that smile. What is that about?
She takes a deep breath. “What a triumphant moment.”
“Triumphant? We haven’t even done anything yet, Mom. We’re not even halfway.”
“We’re not?” she asks with a frown.
“Not really.”
“I’d better get some more pictures before we go on our way again,” she says as she gets up.
She busies herself with snapping pictures of the lake below before taking a few selfies with the trees in the background.
I exchange a look with Benson, who’s biting back a smile. “Your mom is really getting into this,” he murmurs.
“Don’t encourage her,” I mutter back, but I can’t help the grin that’s spreading across my face.
Just when I think she’s done, Mom waves to us. “Come on, I want a picture with the three of us.”
We go to stand next to her, but it’s not enough for Mom.
“Scoot closer, Benson. You don’t have to feel like you need to keep your distance from Piper while I’m around.”
I feel my cheeks heat up, and Benson shifts awkwardly beside me. “Uh, sure,” he says, stepping closer until his arm brushes against mine. His touch is warm, and my skin tingles where we make contact. I try to ignore the sensation, focusing instead on Mom, who’s happily arranging us like we’re the cover models on some cheesy holiday card.
“Say ‘Cheese!’” she instructs, holding her phone at arm’s length.
She snaps a few photos, and then, seemingly satisfied, she takes a look at the screen and nods approvingly. “Perfect! These are going to be great on my feed. Now, let’s get moving. We’ve got a lot of nature to conquer.”
Benson and I exchange another amused glance as Mom marches ahead, full of newfound determination and her breathing normalized again.
I readjust my backpack and try to ignore how comfortable it felt having Benson so close just now. The way his skin set mine on fire.
I shake my head. This is all for show.
But then why does something about it feel so real?