It’s one thing to lose my dignity, but to lose my niece’s respect… that’s rough. She saw me skinning dipping with a stranger. I had my legs wrapped around him for god’s sake. My sister will never let me live this down.
I’m dreading facing Violet, but I have no choice. While Cyrus is getting dressed behind a huge oak tree, I walk over to my niece with my head hanging low.
“I’m so sorry, Violet. I didn’t want to embar—”
She leaps onto me and wraps her arms around my back. Her cheek is pressed against my stomach as she holds me tightly. “I thought you were dead, Aunt Mia!”
“I thought so too,” I say as I cling onto her. “I’m sorry to worry you, kid.”
“What happened to you?”
She pulls back and looks up at me with teary eyes. Awww. She was that worried about me.
“What happened to me?! I went over a freaking waterfall!”
Her eyes light up. “No way! That’s so cool!”
“It was terrifying!”
I tell her all about it and how Cyrus came to my rescue.
“So, are you two like dating now?” she asks.
I smile as I look at him. Oh shit. The purple General is talking to him. Wait a second… Is she flirting with him?! She is! That bitch!
“Aunt Mia?”
Violet’s voice jerks me out of my rage. I guess Cyrus is not the only possessive one in this relationship. I want to push her into the river for daring to talk to my man!
“Yeah,” I say after taking a deep breath. “I guess he is.”
“Mom is going to be thrilled,” she says with a big smile on her face. “She’s always talking about how you need to get a man and settle down.”
I grind my teeth as I stare at her. “Oh, she is, is she?”
My eyes dart back to Carla. She has her hat off and is running a hand through her brown hair as she talks to Cyrus, but he’s only got eyes for me. He keeps looking over her head and grinning at me while she blabbers on about god knows what.
“I’m really sorry I ruined your trip, Violet.”
“You didn’t ruin my trip!”
“I didn’t? But I got lost and made everyone come and look for me.” I decide to leave out the part about me getting caught naked in the river with a mountain man.
“That was the best part!” she says excitedly. “Club Leader Carla said that we’ll all get our Search and Rescue badges if we find you, dead or alive!”
“Oh,” I say, taken aback. “She really said you might find me dead?”
Violet shrugs as she darts off to go talk with her friends.
I’m really starting to dislike Club Leader Carla. I’d like to throw her over a waterfall.
“Everybody!” Carla shouts, gathering everyone over like she’s a queen and we’re all her servants. I scowl at her as I walk over, but she doesn’t notice.
“We’re all in for a wonderful treat for the rest of the trip!”
I’m smiling shyly, expecting her to welcome me back into the group.
“Cyrus will be joining us for the remainder of our Wilderness Excursion!” She claps enthusiastically as everyone looks around confused. Some people join in with lazy claps. “He lives in these woods and is quite knowledgeable about the local flora and fauna. He’ll be a terrific asset to have around.”
She turns and makes a little moaning sound as she stares at his hard abs.
Hey! I want to shout. Those are my abs!
I’ve made enough scenes for one camping trip, so I swallow it down and join in the clapping.
A little while later, we start heading back toward the original camping spot. The kids are all thrilled because they got their Search and Rescue badges. I think they’re more excited about the badges than the fact that I’m alive.
“You’re not going to leave me for Carla the purple bore, are you?” I ask Cyrus when he falls in step beside me.
He throws back his head and laughs. That deep booming sounds ripples through my body into my toes. I love making him laugh.
“Never going to happen,” he says.
I want to charge up to her, tap her shoulder, and say, ‘Hear that, bitch? Never going to happen!”
Instead, I smile shyly as I look at the ground.
“So… do you have a tent to stay in?” I ask awkwardly.
He gives me a wolfish grin. “Is someone looking for their Sex In The Forest badge?”
I grin back at him. “If this tent is a rocking, don’t come a knocking.”
We’re both grinning at each other when Violet comes and elbows her way between us.
“I’m Violet,” she says to Cyrus. “The niece.”
“I’m Cyrus,” he says back to her. “The naked guy from the river.”
She giggles and I can tell she already likes him. “Do you really live out here?”
“I do. In a cabin that way. Do you think I will ever be able to convince your aunt to move out here with me?”