Page 36 of The Enemy Plot
Or is he? I never once saw him dating in New York, but maybe that’s not because he’s a grump who’d rather be alone, like I first thought. Maybe his heart belongs to someone else. Someone he was forced to leave behind.
“Well, we should catch up while you’re here,” she suggests, being as obvious as a neon sign.
I steal a glance at Lola, who scrunches her nose—exactly how I feel. I wonder if my face is just as transparent.
“Um, yeah,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I won’t exactly have time this week, and it’s a family trip, so . . .”
My heart jolts at the same time that Nat’s shoulders drop. He just said “family trip.” And I’m a part of it.Take that, Nat.
But the girl looks genuinely disappointed, and suddenly, I feel bad for her. When did I turn into such a crappy person?
“Well, I’d better go, then. Bye.” She waves before hurrying toward the back of the store.
Deacon doesn’t look one bit bothered by that encounter. Now I feel really bad for Nat. Men are so oblivious to women’s feelings sometimes, and even if they don’t mean it, we often end up hurt in the process.
Once we reach the parking lot, we meet more of Deacon’s fan club before heading back to our home away from home for the next few days. I really wish I could go back in time and see what he was like when he was living here. It’s as if I’m seeing the real Deacon for the first time, and he’s so different from the one I know. But that doesn’t surprise me one bit. I read way too many romance novels to stop at appearances, especially when it comes to brooding men with attitude problems.
“So,” he says, bringing me out of my reverie as we zip down the tree-lined road. “I was thinking tomorrow, we could go on the hiking trip. The forecast for the next two days is perfect, so that way, we don’t take any chances. There’s a great place to camp out near a cascade.”
“Sure. That works for me,” I say, trying to muster up some enthusiasm, even though I hate everything he justsaid. But I know it’s important to him. He really needs this. Besides, I know Lola is only here because of me.
“Great,” Lola mumbles with a fake smile. “Can I at least have my own tent?”
Deacon’s frown returns in full swing. “I don’t think that’s—”
She blows out a long breath. “Of course. Why did I ask? I can never be alone for one second, even if you’d literally be in the next tent over.”
“Deacon, I think it’s not such an unreasonable request.” I know contradicting him on this is a risky move, but I do want this trip to be fun for Lola. I don’t see the big deal, and that way, she can have the sense of freedom she desperately needs.
He glances at me for a second, and I urge him with my eyes.
He sighs, gripping the wheel tight with both hands. “Fine,” he grumbles at me. “But I only have two tents, so if she gets her own, you and I will have to share.”
“Yes!” Lola exclaims from behind.
Thank heavens I’m safely seated in the passenger seat. Otherwise, I would have knocked down an entire aisle of the supermarket with that blow. I wanted a one-bed situation, and the universe just served it to me on a silverplatter. But you know what they say. We should be careful what we wish for, because it may very well come true.
15
Only One Tent
Deacon
As soon as I hopped out of bed this morning, I laced up my running shoes. And with each stride, I feel better and better. There’s nothing more relaxing than jogging around a lake. You’d think a good night’s sleep would do the trick—and I thought I’d finally have that here. But I wasn’t accounting for the fact that I’d be sleeping in the same house as Alice Beaumont.
And by “sleep,” I mean lie in my bed while thinking aboutherlying in bed next door. It’s a good thing herbedroom back home shares a wall with the spare bedroom, and not mine, or I would never get any sleep. Still, having her here feels right somehow. Like it was always supposed to be this way.
Alice and Lola stayed back at the cabin to prep for our hike slash camping trip this afternoon. Even if I have zero chance of getting any sleep tonight, I’m still looking forward to it. I don’t know if Lola’s plea for independence was genuine, or if she just wanted to play with my nerves. But either way, it’s working.
The thing is, if circumstances were different, I might have reconsidered my lone-wolf policy and asked Alice out. As the thought surfaces, I almost bump into a tree. What am I thinking? Alice doesn’twantto date me anyway. As if I’d ever have a shot with a girl like her. She’s way too precious, not to mention her expectations are higher than Mount Washington. Plus, I already have one girl to look after in my life, and that’s plenty.
I’m tempted to keep running. If I push a little further, I’ll reach my old house and my grandma’s. My chest constricts, and I stop, holding a tree for support as I catch my breath. No. Going there would dredge up too many memories, and I don’t want to see what the new couple has done with the place. Besides, we have a three-mile hikecoming up this afternoon. I don’t want to tire myself out before we even start.
When I return to the house, Lola and Alice are sitting on the back porch, chatting, and I can’t help but notice how nice it feels to come home to this. And for the first time, the idea of having a family doesn’t scare or repulse me. It’s actually soothing.
“What’s going on with you?” Lola calls, her eyebrows scrunched together. Alice is wearing the same look.
My eyes widen slightly. “Nothing. Um, let’s get ready for our trip. We’ll head out right after lunch.”