Page 5

Chapter five

Loading Up the Buses

At the law office parking lot of Drew King, where I worked, two big buses were parked, disrupting the view of the large glass and brick building.

Probably thirty or forty people who I did not know were mingling and loading equipment underneath in the storage compartments.

Okay, to be fair, I did know a lot of them.

They were from the firm, but they’d also brought friends and family.

And I kind of knew some of Danny’s friends like Levi.

But it still felt overwhelming, like I was in over my head.

Entirely too many people for my comfort.

Put me in front of a courtroom, and I was better than fine—I was fire.

Outside of that?

Not so much.

I wanted to hide.

And to top it off, I didn’t have any equipment to shove under the bus, making me feel less than with this crowd.

I left it to Danny to figure out who I could bunk up with.

Or tent up with—whatever.

But it wasn’t looking good.

I had a duffle bag full of T-shirts and swim trunks.

I also brought flip-flops and a beat-up pair of sneakers along with the hiking boots I wore.

But nothing else.

No bedding or pillows.

And certainly not a tent.

And I was not going to sleep out in the open.

Mosquitos.

And I was not going to sleep with Danny and Lee.

Newlyweds.

I was ready to get back in my car and leave when Danny said he found someone to share a tent with.

“So, no worries. We’re all adults. There’s plenty of room. So, get your sassy-ass on the bus.” He practically corralled me, and that made me super nervous.

“Who am I bunking with, Danny?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He shoved me toward the bus.

“Let’s go already. You’re holding up the works, man.”

I got on the bus, but I worried.

All the way there…

I sat by a window, looking out at the road flying by.

Mostly, a whole lot of nothing.

We weren’t going all that far north of Tampa, but certainly far enough that the buildings and businesses gave way to trees and fields.

A lot of excited chatter droned on around me, oblivious to the scenery.

They were talking about getting on the water.

Rainbow Springs was known for its crystal-clear water.

We were also going to go hiking nearby, and Danny alluded to some surprises along the way.

What kind of surprises could you have at a campground?

I didn’t know.

Finally, the bus pulled off the highway and drove farther into the countryside.

Small houses and farmland replaced the trees as we wound around the road.

Then, eventually, we pulled onto an even smaller road and then into a gated drive.

The bus driver punched in a code that lifted the gate and drove into the campground.

Up and around a windy road until we parked in front of what looked like an office and a small shoppe.

Big oaks, dripping with Spanish moss, lined the area along with other trees and lush vegetation.

I didn’t know what kind they were, but green—everything was vivid green.

“Okay. Hang tight, everyone.” Danny jumped up from his seat.

“I’ll get our assignments, and then we'll unload the bus.” He scampered off to the little store, and while he took care of business, I helped with unloading equipment. I didn’t have much of my own, but I happily lent a hand to everyone else.