Читать книгу An Alaskan Proposal - Beth Carpenter - Страница 14

CHAPTER FOUR

“NO WAY.” Sabrina looked up at Leith’s face, expecting to find that he was teasing her, but he wasn’t smiling.

“I’m serious. We need to stay back.” He nudged her closer to the car.

Sabrina squinted at the animal, who was now hovering at the very edge of the woods, holding his head low as though ready to run. “Are you sure? I think he’s wearing a collar.”

“He is,” Leith agreed. “A radio collar.” He opened the car door and reached under the seat, pulling out a pair of binoculars. After focusing, he handed them to Sabrina. “Take a look.”

She put the binoculars to her eyes, and the animal jumped into focus. A black collar with a boxlike attachment under his chin almost disappeared in the dark gray fur. Now that she could see him more clearly, he looked a little rangier than most dogs. He lifted his head to stare straight at her with amber eyes, and then he was gone.

“A real wolf.” Sabrina returned the binoculars to Leith. “That’s incredible.”

“Yeah. You don’t see wolves often, especially this time of day. They’re generally too skittish.”

“Were we actually in danger?”

“Probably not. They had a little trouble with a pack north of Anchorage several years ago following people and attacking their dogs, but I haven’t heard much about them lately.”

“Do wolves ever attack people?”

“Almost never. Every case I’ve heard of is a lone runner attacked by a pack, and in the middle of winter when food is scarce. This wolf seemed to be alone. I suspect he got separated from his pack and that’s why he’s wandering around this morning, trying to find them.”

She nodded. “Does this mean we can’t stay here?”

“I’d suggest we give him a fifteen-minute head start while we make as much noise as possible unloading the equipment, and then carry on with our plans. We’ll keep Tal on a leash today, just in case.”

“Good.” Sabrina walked to the back of the Land Cruiser. “Because this lake is lovely.”

Leith eyed her, his eyebrows raised.

“What?”

“Honestly, I thought you’d be scared.”

“Why should I be? From what you said, a wolf fifty yards away is not much of a threat. Now, scorpions in your bed. That’s scary.”

“You found scorpions in your bed?”

“Once. I didn’t sleep much that night.” Scorpions weren’t the only scary things around the apartment building they’d moved to after Sabrina’s dad declared bankruptcy and disappeared from their lives. She’d seen a cockroach in the hallway that looked like it could take on a Chihuahua in a fair fight. And some of the people living in the building were even scarier than the roaches. But she didn’t like to think about those days. She smiled at Leith. “So, what’s my first lesson today?”

“Eager to get started?”

“Got to get that management position.”

“Right. Well, I figure since your goal is to impress with your product knowledge, we should experience as many different activities as possible today. I thought we’d start with how to load a backpack and take a short hike first. Then we can set up in one of the campground spots.”

“Sounds good.”

He pulled out a red backpack. Sabrina wasn’t surprised to see the Orson Outfitters logo on the flap. “First, I’ll show you how to adjust the straps so that the pack fits you. Then we’ll load it up.”

Once he had all the buckles and belts adjusted, the pack felt quite comfortable on her back. At least when it was empty. He had her take it off and load it up with a tent, a sleeping bag and other equipment, then put it back on. It didn’t feel too bad. “How much does this thing weigh?”

“About twenty-five pounds. Rule of thumb is not to carry more than twenty-five percent of your body weight.”

“I think sometimes my purse weighs this much.” Sabrina buckled the waist strap and followed Leith and Tal along the flat trail that circled the lake. Maybe the climb during the team-builder had toughened her up, because she wasn’t having any trouble keeping up with them.

They reached a Y in the path. Leith looked back at her. “Doing okay with that pack?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good. Then we’ll go a little farther.” He took the path off to the right.

Sabrina followed. The pack grew heavier, but he’d said it was a short hike, so she didn’t want to wimp out. This path seemed harder than before. Eventually she realized they were climbing steadily uphill. Leith glanced back a few times, but he never slowed down. Sabrina was sucking wind when he finally stopped.

She stopped, too, resting her hands on her knees and drawing in vast lungfuls of air. Tal came to stand in front of her, staring. The dog had probably never seen a human panting so hard. After a few minutes, Sabrina had recovered enough to speak. “Sorry. I can’t climb any farther without a rest.”

“That’s okay.” Leith handed her a bottle of water. “We’re here.”

She gratefully accepted the water and gulped down half the bottle. “Where’s here?”

He offered his hand. “Come see.”

She took his hand and he led her a few steps out of the forest, toward the edge of a bluff overlooking the lake. She dug in her heels several feet from the edge. “This is close enough.”

“What’s wrong?” He studied her face. “Oh. Not a fan of heights?”

“No.” She hated this. It was embarrassing to be the one who couldn’t do something simple, like cross a bridge. The one whose fear inconvenienced everyone in the group. She knew the danger was in her head, but her pounding heart never listened. She tried to shrug it off. “Not from ledges.”

He nodded. “No problem. Here. If we stand on this rock away from the edge, you can still see.”

He climbed onto a boulder and Tal scrambled up beside him. Leith reached down for her. The boulder was at least ten feet back from the edge. Sabrina took his hand and climbed onto the rock. He was right. It did give a magnificent view without that sense that the earth was falling away. And he’d done it without making her feel small.

Sabrina shaded her eyes with her hand and looked outward. The lake stretched out below them, a few puffy white clouds reflected on the deep blue surface. Furry dark spruce lined one edge of the lake. On the other side, cerise buds scattered like confetti across the branches of white-barked trees. “It’s gorgeous here.”

“I thought you’d like it.”

She looked up at him and that amazing smile was back. The blue eyes were watching her again, but now they seemed friendly. It was obvious that Leith was in his element. Sabrina realized she was still holding his hand, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to let go. After a pause, Tal pushed between them and the spell was broken. Sabrina dropped his hand, rubbing along Tal’s head to cover her sudden awkwardness.

“It’s almost worth the climb.”

Leith raised an eyebrow. “Almost?”

Sabrina sucked in another deep breath. “Totally worth the climb. Just maybe not while carrying another fourth of a person.”

He laughed. “You did well.” He jumped down from the rock and she followed. “It will be easier going downhill. We’d better get started if we’re going to cook in camp today. By the way, I brought supplies to make chili. Is that okay with you? I should have asked if you eat meat.”

“I love chili.”

“With kidney beans?”

She grinned. “You trust me with a can of beans?”

“Absolutely. I figure that lesson is one you’ll never forget.”

“You’re right about that. I just wish it hadn’t been such a public lesson. I’m afraid Walter and the others will never forget it, either.”

“Don’t worry about it. Someday, it will be one of those funny stories they tell each other about how they knew you before you were a big shot.”

“You really think so?”

“Why not? You say you’re willing to do the work. You’ve lined me up to teach you the skills you need, which shows excellent judgment. How can you lose?”

“Too bad Walter can never know about my excellent choice of instructors.”

“You can impress him in other ways. Maybe volunteer to staff the Orson Outfitters’ sponsor table at one of the events this summer.”

“Great idea. Thanks for the suggestion.”

“No extra charge. Let’s go.” He set a brisk pace on the return trip, but as he’d said, it was easier going downhill.

Once they reached the parking lot, they dumped their backpacks into his car and Leith drove to the campground. “Since we’re not staying overnight, I could take us to a picnic area for the practice camp, but I want to show you how to build a fire, and they’re only allowed in designated campsites.”

Only four of the campsites were occupied, three with giant RVs parked and one with a tent. Leith drove away from the others and stopped at an isolated spot near the lake. He got out of the car, so Sabrina followed him. His gaze swept the campsite and then he turned toward her. “What do you think of this spot?”

Sabrina looked around. A metal picnic table was chained to concrete sunk into the ground. Beside a gurgling creek was a flat place under some trees where she assumed the tent would go. A round metal firepit sat in the clearing, with an unobstructed view of the lake. “It’s beautiful. But I can tell by that little crinkle in the corner of your eye there’s something I’m supposed to notice.”

He laughed. “You’re good.”

“Not good enough to figure out the problem with this campsite.”

He nodded toward the creek. “Today, there’s no problem. But if this warm weather keeps up, the water coming off the glacier will cause the creek to rise, and you might wake up in the middle of the night with the creek running through your tent. In a public campground like this, the host will probably put up a sign not to camp here, but it’s something to keep in mind for wilderness camping.”

“Wilderness camping? Is that out in the open without designated campsites?”

“Exactly. But today, this will work just fine. I’ll go back to the gate to check us in, and we can get started.”

Sabrina insisted on paying the ten-dollar camping fee. Leith protested, but they were using Leith’s gas and Leith’s food even though this was all for her benefit. She filled out an envelope, enclosed two fives and dropped it in a slot in a post beside the campground sign. A handwritten note on the bulletin board warned that someone had spotted a wolf in the area and to keep your dogs and children close, so the wolf must have tracked through the campground after leaving the parking lot.

She returned to the campsite, where Leith had stacked an armload of wood beside the fire ring. Tal wagged her tail and whined at Sabrina, clearly upset to be tied to a tree. Sabrina hurried over to stroke her head. “Does she have to be tied up?”

“I’m afraid so.” Leith gave the dog a pat. “She’s pretty good about staying close, but in case she spots a squirrel or something, I don’t want her wandering off with that wolf around. Come on. Our first lesson is fire building.” He handed her a bucket. “Go fill this with water from the creek.”

Was he kidding? “Water. To make a fire.”

“Never start a fire unless you have the equipment ready to put it out. Safety first.”

“Oh, I get it.” She filled the bucket and wrestled it back to camp, while he watched. He could have helped. On the other hand, she was supposed to be learning to camp independently, and lifting buckets of water was probably good arm-toning.

When she got to the edge of the fire ring, he did take it from her and set it against a log. “Ready to learn how to build a fire?”

“One second.” Sabrina closed her eyes and took in an exaggerated breath. “I’m unleashing my inner pyromaniac.” She opened her eyes. “I’m ready.”

Leith didn’t laugh but his mouth twitched. “Good thing I brought a fire extinguisher and first-aid supplies.” He nodded toward a large canvas case with a red cross on the front.

“I’ll try to keep it under control. Okay, how does this work?”

Leith took a knife from his pocket and showed her how to create kindling from a branch. She was surprised to discover that fires were literally built; she’d always assumed it was a figure of speech. But Leith showed her how to create an intricate arrangement of tinder, kindling, twigs, sticks and then logs with spaces in between for air circulation. “Now you just need to strike a match.”

“Where do you keep the matches?”

“You didn’t bring matches?” Leith raised his eyebrows as though it was a serious question, but the laughter in his eyes gave him away.

“I guess I missed it on the invisible supply list you gave me. Do you have any matches, survival guy?”

“Why, as a matter of fact, I do.” Leith reached into his pocket. “In fact, I have two matchboxes, so one must be yours.” He handed her an orange plastic cylinder. “Don’t go into the wilderness without it.”

The Learn & Live logo stamped on the side of the box identified it as a promotional goodie. Sabrina clutched it to her heart. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it always.” She unscrewed the top and removed a match.

“Striker’s on the bottom.”

“I suspected as much. I once lit a candle, all by myself.”

“Impressive.” He smirked.

Sabrina tossed a twig at him before she knelt in front of the fire. “So, just hold the match to the dry grass, right?” At his nod, she struck a match. A slight breeze she hadn’t noticed before blew it out. She sneaked a look at Leith, but he didn’t seem to be laughing at her. Yet. She struck another match, this time cupping her hand around it until she could touch the flame to the tinder.

The flame caught for a second, and then sputtered out. Sabrina blew out a breath of frustration. She moved so that the wind was at her back and struck a third match. This time, the grass caught fire and burned, lapping at the kindling she’d shaved from a branch. As she watched, the kindling started burning and began to ignite the twigs.

“It’s going!” She turned to Leith, grinning. “I mean, I realize it took me three matches, but I lit a fire!”

“Three matches isn’t bad. You get a gold star for fire building. Now, while we let the logs burn to coals for cooking, I’ll unload the food, and you can pitch the tent. This is last year’s version of the one you, uh—”

“Almost destroyed?”

“You said it, not me.” He handed her the tent bag, which she dumped out.

“It’s green.” She rolled her eyes. “What a surprise.”

“What have you got against green? It matches your vest.”

“I know. And it matches the camp chairs in the store, and the midweight sleeping bags, and most of the rain jackets. It’s like whoever designs the products for Orson only has eight crayons to choose from. I can’t figure it out. I’ve been looking online at our competition. There are beautiful designs in outdoor gear. Why do ours have to be so...plain?”

“Did you see the prices on those brands? Orson Outfitters is known for producing high quality at reasonable prices. That’s why people like it. They don’t spend a lot on stuff that doesn’t matter.”

“It is good quality.” Sabrina unzipped her vest to show him the lining. “The workmanship on this vest is excellent. The seams are straight and well finished, they used a heavy-duty zipper, and the stitching on the windproof lining is perfect. But it’s boxy. It’s like they just made a smaller version of a man’s vest without changing the shape.”

“They probably did.”

“It shouldn’t cost any more to curve the seams and use more interesting colors.”

“I don’t see what’s wrong with green.”

“Nothing. I love green. But why couldn’t it be forest green, or sage green, or emerald? Or they could use the nap of the fleece to create some textural interest.” He was looking at her as though she was speaking a foreign language. She laughed. “Sorry. Back to the tent. I can handle this. Now that I know what a shock cord is.”

This tent was just like the other one except that the fabric and the poles were solid green. She followed the same steps and threaded the first pole through the sleeve, as she had on the other tent, but when she was finished, it was too long to fit into the grommets.

Sabrina let out a groan of frustration. “Why doesn’t it work?”

Leith set down a Dutch oven and came to see. “Oh, I should have mentioned. The poles aren’t the same length. That’s why they color-coded them on the new design. I’ve made the same mistake before. I should mark those poles somehow.”

“I’ll do it.” Sabrina set down the poles and trotted to the car for her leather backpack. She burrowed around inside until she located a bottle of nail polish. “Ta-da. I’ll mark them for you. L for long and S for short?”

Leith was shaking his head. “You bring nail supplies on a camping trip?”

“Hey, you brought that enormous first-aid kit.” She pulled out the brush and painted an L on the end of the longer pole. “I’m a whole lot more likely to break a nail than a bone.”

“Maybe so, but if you do break a bone, you’ll be glad to have the first-aid supplies to splint it.”

“Good point.” She carefully painted an S on the other pole. “But you must admit, the nail polish came in handy.”

“I admit nothing.” He looked over her shoulder. “Be sure to mark the other ends of the poles, too.”

Sabrina snorted and looked up to see him grinning at her. “I’ll do that. With my useless nail polish. To make setting up your tent easier next time.”

Once the polish dried, she successfully set up the tent. Leith showed her how to make chili over the fire in a cast-iron Dutch oven, but while that was cooking he had her practice lighting a camp stove and boiling water. It turned out that those metal trivets with silicone rings she’d seen at the team-builder expanded to turn into pans.

He demonstrated inflatable sleeping pads and folding cots, mentioned the importance of using biodegradable products when camping and debated the pros and cons of mummy-style sleeping bags versus conventional bags. She’d never remember all of it, but at least some of those terms she’d read on the company website were starting to make sense.

“Chili should be ready. Are you hungry?”

“Starving,” Sabrina admitted.

“These are the latest silicone camping bowls from Orson.” Leith handed her an orange disk. “They’re heat-resistant and foldable, just like the pans.”

Sabrina pushed on the center and it popped open into a bowl. “Cool.”

“And they’re not green.”

“You’re right. Orange is a favorite, too, I’ve noticed. For some reason our summer bag is only in orange.”

“I know. I have three.” Leith used a thick mitt to grab the Dutch oven by the bale and lift it off the fire. When he opened the lid, the aroma of cumin and chilis filled the air. Tal whimpered.

Sabrina almost whimpered as well. “That smells so good.”

Leith tossed Tal a dog biscuit and handed Sabrina a big spoon. “Help yourself.”

She ladled the rich red chili into her bowl and carried it over to one of the folding chairs. Leith settled into the other chair. He scooped up a spoonful and held it up like a toast. “To outdoor adventures.”

“Outdoor adventures. And successful careers.” Sabrina blew on her spoon and then took her first bite. It was as good as it smelled. “Yum. I’m a good campfire cook. Who knew?”

“Not bad,” Leith agreed. “A little heavier on the jalapeños than usual.”

“Oh? Can’t take the heat?”

“Oh, I can take it,” he said, taking another spoonful of chili. A minute later, Sabrina noticed he took a big gulp from his water bottle, and she smiled to herself. Next time she’d dial down the jalapeños a little. And then she remembered that, unless they served chili at the wedding, there wouldn’t be a next time. This was a business arrangement, not a friendship. Too bad because she’d enjoyed her time today with Leith more than she ever expected to.