Page 9

Chapter Five

Canyon

Mr. Darian—no, he said I could call him Wade during the retreat—complains most of the drive about the meeting setting us back.

I drown it out after a while. The closer we get to the campsite, the more I realize this is a big mistake.

It’s been ten years since I’ve been anywhere close to the woods. And I’d happily go another ten years.

The more I focus on it, the more aware I am of how fast I’m breathing. I try to slow down by taking deep breaths. But then I’m assaulted by Wade’s cologne. Why does he need to smell good in the damn woods?

It’s easier though. Easier to fight my stupid attraction to this stupid man than to fight the memories of the last time I went camping. The last time I saw my parents.

“Why are you slowing down? In the passing lane?” Wade yells at an unsuspecting motorist. “Learn how to drive.” He pulls closer and the car in front of us must get the hint because they move into the right-hand lane.

Normally, I don’t like aggressive drivers.

But for some reason, I feel safe with Wade. His bark is worse than this bite…

And now I’m thinking of his bite and where I’d like to be bitten.

This is torture. Great. I’ve signed up for a torture retreat. Work through grief and childhood trauma all in one go and get extra torture points by practicing self-control so you don’t jump your hunky boss.

Not that I’d ever indulge in my fantasies. That would require exposing myself and my scars.

Not that Wade would ever be interested in me. The desire in his eyes earlier had to be a trick of the light.

Sleeping with my boss is not even in the realm of possibility.

And if by some miracle Wade were interested, I can’t risk my temporary job and my brother’s real job for hot sex with my hot boss. And even though I have nothing else to compare it to, I instinctively know it would be hot.

But it wouldn’t be worth losing our home.

Crashing on Alex’s couch is not appealing. I snort. How ridiculous is it that I’m talking myself out of something that would never happen in a million years? Wade Darian is way the heck out of my league.

“What’s so amusing?” He shifts his gaze from the road to me.

Winter gray. The color of his eyes changes with his mood.

And right now, they’re not exactly cold.

Sharp. With white specks that spread to the darker edges.

He blinks and once again focuses on the traffic that thins out the farther we get from the city. “Canyon?”

My face heats and I stare at the cup holder. Safe. Almost safe. His hand reaches for the energy drink. His strong fingers wrapping around the?—

“Canyon?” His sharp tone breaks through my senseless spiraling. “What’s so amusing?”

“Nothing. I—” But what can I say? “Nothing.”

I’m actually relieved when we reach the campgrounds.

Until Wade parks the car and turns it off.

The area is beautiful. The main building is an A-frame log cabin.

But there are smaller cabins in the distance and worn paths leading to them.

Beautiful oak and ash trees. A lake with canoes.

I’m relieved it’s more than just tents in the woods, which is what I envisioned, but anxiety creeps under my skin. This was a bad idea.

I’m not sure I can even get out of the car.

“Meredith needs to control every little thing,” Wade says as he unbuckles his seatbelt and opens the door. “And now we’re late?—”

Late? Is he kidding? I jump out just to correct him. “It’s not even five o’clock.”

He checks his watch. “It’s four-fifty-eight.” As if that proves his point. It doesn’t.

“Exactly.”

He shakes his head and starts unloading the bags.

Except for Wade’s Integra, the parking lot is completely empty. I turn all the way around. “No one else is here.”

“Why would I arrive after everyone else? We need to prepare.”

But as it turns out, there’s not much left to do. My brother has been thorough. He prepared a packet for Wade and one for me. Or for himself, actually. The kitchen is stocked, and the cook arrives soon after.

We walk the paths, checking each building.

They’re more spread out than I expected.

“We have four cabins,” Wade says as we arrive at the first one—the North cabin.

“But we probably won’t need all of them.

” One room has three sets of bunk beds, and the other room has one set.

“Two of the cabins are this size. And if you use the couch in the living area, one cabin can hold a total of nine people.”

Why didn’t I ask how many people would be here?

The cabin is standard. Not as fancy as I initially thought. But we’re not in tents, and I count that as a win. “So people will be sleeping on the couches?”

He’s checking the cabinets in the kitchen area and stops to look at me. “No. Why would they?”

I press my lips together. “This is you just being factual, then?”

“Shouldn’t I be factual?”

He’s actually cute when he’s not being a jerk.

The camp has several outdoor areas for activities. There’s a basketball court, a volleyball net, and a pit for Gaga ball. “Not exactly roughing it.”

His smile is unexpected. “I’ve got a good group. Mostly.” The sparkle in his eyes dims for a second. “But they can barely handle the coffee pot breaking. Or someone accidentally eating their dessert.”

“Coffee and dessert are both important.”

“True.” He leans closer. “They complained when they had to stay at a two-star hotel—due to bad weather. No breakfast buffet. And cheap towels.”

I laugh, and then he laughs, and we’re grinning at each other. The world seems brighter. Like anything is possible.

“Is this the party?” The woman joining us is slender, with long red hair pulled back in a single braid.

She’s wearing a sun hat, and with her sharp blue eyes, she reminds me of a flame.

Her flowing green dress is beautiful but not practical.

She smiles. “I came right from the office. Don’t worry. I have appropriate clothes.”

“Um—”

“Vivian, this is Canyon Drake, River’s brother.”

“Wonderful.” Her voice is warm. Earthy. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. You provide tech support to agricultural centers, right? Do you enjoy doing that?”

“Yeah. I do.” I can’t help but like her.

Wade stares at us. “How did you know that?”

“River, of course.” She side-eyes Wade and turns to me. “He talks about you all the time.”

“Complaining?”

“Eh, here and there. But it’s mostly positive.”

“I’m not sure I believe you. But thanks.”

She laughs and holds her hat on her head with one hand. “Where is River?”

Wade explains, and I try to keep smiling, but it reminds me that River has been gone for over eight hours and hasn’t responded to my messages. Or my voicemail.

Vivian touches my arm, bringing me back to the conversation. “I hope he’s okay.” Her words sound genuine, and now I really like her.

They start talking shop. Vivian is their head of marketing.

The others arrive, and it’s hard to keep track of everyone. Wade and I didn’t have a chance to go over the campers or the itinerary. I’m in way over my head, but focusing on that and not the other crap lurking in my brain actually helps.

A few people stand out. Carol is in HR. I remember her name because of an It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode: There’s no Carol in HR . She’s petite with shoulder-length blonde hair, probably in her early forties, and she’s very quiet. Even when she talks.

We sit at picnic tables, chatting as everyone arrives.

I count four women. Besides Vivian and Carol, there’s Sheila and Lydia.

Sheila is an older lady with a Scottish accent.

She’s the VP of marketing. Lydia is the chief financial officer.

She’s brisk and to the point but has an amazing laugh that invites you to join in.

“What’s the deal with them?” I ask Wade when he has a moment. He follows my gaze. Lydia’s talking to George. He’s not saying anything, but his body is tight with tension.

Wade rubs his forehead and sighs. “George used to be our CFO. But Lydia took over a few months ago after the whole Tim—At the beginning of the year.” His abrupt stop and the mask he now has back in place pique my curiosity. Who is Tim, and what is Wade trying to hide?

The guys are as varied as the women. Jared—I should have realized he would be here.

Ander, with a sour expression and frequent glances at the exit, like he’s contemplating an escape.

The loudest person here is the head of HR, which amuses me for some reason.

Al loves to tell jokes, and by everyone else’s expressions, they are no longer amused and haven’t been for a while.

He’s white and balding, with a large nose.

Dillian and Owen are the IT guys. They interact mostly with each other, and I realize River probably fits right in with them.

But I also catch them glaring at each other.

There’s an undercurrent I don’t quite understand.

The younger Black guy sitting with the IT guys is also quiet, but it’s different from Carol and Sheila.

He’s paying attention to various conversations as if he’s absorbing as much as he can.

His gaze reaches mine, and I nod. He grins, and I realize he’s cute—and he knows it. I can’t help grinning back at him.

“What are you doing?” Wade asks in my ear. And God does that do things to my body. I try to ignore my inappropriate reaction.

“Making friends.”

“You’re not here to make friends, Canyon,” he says in a hard voice. “Or to hook up with anyone. Got it?”

I give him my full attention. Keeping my voice low, I say, “I see someone reengaged your bosshole mode.”