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‘This is the most annoying bunch of moaning city dwellers that I’ve ever dealt with,’ I thought to myself.
From the moment I’d led this gang of corporate suits to the trail, they’d started to complain.
Everything — literally every darned thing — was apparently too much for them.
Too much bugs this, and too much walking that. And ‘my feet hurt’ this, and ‘is that a bear?’ that.
‘Did any of them read the damn brochure before they came out here?’
Luckily, my job today was to simply guide the group through the forest this morning. And, with any luck, this task would be done within a couple hours.
‘That’s if I’m able to keep them moving, and we’re not stuck out here come nightfall.’
Thankfully, Margaret and Steve, (the owners of this whole cabin getaway), would be dealing with this whiny lot the rest of the weekend.
I was only here to make sure no one wandered off in the night, and got lost in the nearby forest.
And the forest was looking particularly beautiful this morning. Crisp morning sun-rays splintered through the impossibly green tall trees that lined our pathway.
The path was well trodden, (I’d walked it often enough myself), and there were local wildlife tracks all along it.
And I would have showed this group some of that wildlife, if they could have stayed quiet long enough to not scare the critters off.
“How many miles have we covered so far?” Evan sidled up to me, his hands clutching the sides of his waist, as a faint wheeze eased from him.
I bit back my criticism at the hefty backpack he insisted on bringing on this walk. What it was filled with, God only knows. Yet, what I did know was that the bag was heavy enough to leave Evan winded by the end of the first mile.
“About three or four miles. We’re already past the half way mark,” I answered, indicating the path ahead of us, “we should be looping back around. We’ll be back at the cabin village soon enough.”
“Oh thank goodness,” I heard Evan whisper to himself, before turning around to speak to the group. “We’re half way there, guys!” Evan said loudly, his arm waving around as he drew a loop in the air, “we should be looping back around, and be right back at the village in no time at all.” Evan repeated my answer almost verbatim.
“Yeah, we know,” a voice commented from somewhere behind me in the crowd. “Ben just said that. We’re tired, Evan, not deaf.”
I held back a chuckle and peered over my shoulder to find out who the commentator was. That’s when I noticed the speaker from back at the cabin meet and greet — Casey was it? — jogging towards me.
He didn’t seem winded like the others in the group. ‘Looks like he keeps himself fit enough,’ I thought, mentally nodding at him in silent appreciation.
“We need a bit of a break,” Casey pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the other hikers behind him.
Casey didn’t seem like he needed a breather, but I shrugged. I had to admit, I had been keeping a fast pace. I wanted to get the hike done quickly, so I could get away from all the grumbling.
I nodded. “Fair enough, Casey,” I said and then addressed the group. “Let’s take a break. Drink some water, stretch a bit, and will get back to it in ten minutes. And don’t wander off.”
Mutters of ascent rose up from my not-so-merry band of hikers. And some of them collapsed to the floor, as though they’d just run a half-marathon.
I ruefully shook my head, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught Case staring at me.
When he noticed he’d been caught, I watched as a curious glance of something — I don’t know what — flash across his features. But, it was quickly replaced with clear embarrassment.
“Yes? Is there anything else?”
Casey sheepishly rubbed his chin. “It’s Case, by the way,” Case answered, as I continued to gaze at him with interest. “Evan has a bit of a problem with nicknames, finds them too informal so he claims. But people call me Case.”
I nodded at the rambling, filing away the information for later. I could feel something, a hint of tension maybe, pass between Case and myself.
But, as soon as it came, it disappeared. And I mentally shrugged it off.
It’d been ages since I’d last had a man in my bed. And I wasn’t about to get back on the dating wagon by hitting on the first straight guy that caught my eye.