“That’s the spirit. You know I’ve got your back whatever happens.”
“I’m sensing a but here.”
Cece reached out and touched her shoulder. “You want me to lie or be real?”
“Real.”
“Money motivates a lot of people, but when it comes to Thorn, I’m not so sure. You need to be prepared for his refusal if it comes.”
Lilac grimaced. “Ouch, can you think positively for me, please?”
“Oh, I am. But you have to consider the worst case. You also need to be able to call someone if you need help.”
“That kind of goes against the whole going off the grid concept,” Lilac said.
“I don’t give a shit,”CeCe snapped.
“I’ll keep my phone in the car.”
“That’s not going to help you if for some reason he does wig out.”
“I’ll have my knife on me and bear spray. I’ll be fine,” Lilac insisted.
“It’s a start.”
“He’s not a mutant. Those two things will at the very least ward him off long enough for me to get away.”
“I know you think I’m being over the top, but they call the Marines ‘the few, the proud’ for a good reason. The man’s been trained to survive. Hell, he teaches others how to overcome insane circumstances. He’s not someone to be underestimated.”
“You should write fiction because your imagination is through the roof,” Lilac teased.
Cece scoffed. “Fi
ne, go ahead and mock me because I care.”
She hugged Cece. “Now don’t be sore at me. I’m not poking fun. I just know a month is a long time for someone to be mad at the only person they have to keep them company. It’ll all work out.” Lilac forced herself to sound more optimistic than she truly felt.
“What do you think he’ll have you doing?” Cece asked changing the topic.
“Identifying edible bugs and flowers. Making sure I know how to start a fire and find water. Things of that nature I’d imagine.”
“So Girl Scouts on crack delivered in a crash course fashion?”
Lilac laughed. “I guess? He has a place out there, so I’ll see how it operates, and how he sustains himself. I imagine he has to have some livestock, or a bartering system set up with someone who does. You can hunt year round, but the big game gets scarce. So, you’d need a way to stockpile food for the late winter, and the variety and nutrition that would come from poultry or even dairy would be of great benefit. I wonder if he has a garden, too.”
“Are you into this whole wilderness woman thing?”CeCe asked.
“It’s fascinating to me. I mean, think about it. We’ve grown so dependent on electricity, stores, and buying everything we need. What would it be like to let go of that and truly live off the land and our skills?”
“Insane? Back breaking? Dull as dirt?”
“Maybe. It’s a lot of hard work for sure, yet I can’t help but think it would also be simpler in so many ways. No emails, cell phones, or television. What would all that time be used for instead? I’m excited to write this article.”
“Keep that attitude, Polly Anna. You’re going to need it when you tell your big brothers and Daddy dearest what you plan on doing.”
“You seem to be enjoying this way too much,” Lilac groused.
Cece grinned. “I’m just enjoying your bad assery. Normally I’m the one in the hot seat.”