Jo took an extraordinary amount of time getting her hiking shoes out of the trunk of Dove’s car, watching Mike over the lid. Shiny wheat-colored hair spilled over his forehead and brushed against his tan cheeks. He wore blue jeans and a white T-shirt covered by an open denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her head tilted to one side, while her hand aimlessly groped for the shoes.
Something dark moved into her peripheral vision. Her muscles tensed. Slowly, she straightened her back and turned her head towards it.
Galen’s light grey eyes stared at her. They looked like they were glowing under the black hair falling across his brow. He stood aloof, one knee bent, his thumbs hanging in the front pockets of his black jeans. His glacial stare reflected both contempt and tedium.
As if she’d been caught doing something naughty, heat flashed on her face, but she stared back, unblinking, lips pursed. Neither one of them said a word.
“Problems, Jo?” April closed her car door and stood with one hand on her hip and the other on the handle of a pink travel suitcase. Her eyes jumped between the two.
“None,” Jo replied, with a Cheshire cat smile. April shook her head and turned her attention to the backseat of her car. When Jo turned back to the trunk, Galen was headed down the side of the cabin. “It’s going to be a tough three days,” she said to herself. She grabbed her shoes.
“This is great!” Lary grinned, revealing two front teeth that overlapped just a bit. “I can’t wait for the hike tomorrow.” Dove was standing a tad behind him watching his stocky frame as he lifted a box of food out of the bed of the truck.
“Ahem,” Jo teased her.
Dove blushed, the corner of her blue eye twinkling, but she continued admiring Lary, who was slightly shorter than Mike, but just as athletic and muscular. Because of his outdoorsy life, he was deeply tanned, with coarse brownish-red hair that set off his hazel eyes.
Mike threw the chalet key up in the air and flashed his perfect smile before catching it. “Yeah, this is nice. The guy said he’s had a hard time renting it, but I don’t know why.”
Ben was quiet, voicing no opinion as he pulled his beloved chess set out of the truck and headed to the cabin door.
April walked over to Jo, dragging her suitcase behind her through the dirt.
“So, how was the ride?” Jo asked, a touch of sarcasm in her voice.
Drew’s lanky form lingered near the truck. He was hard to ignore in pastel-plaid shorts and a brown T-shirt emblazoned with the words, COME TO THE DARK SIDE, WE HAVE COOKIES.
April was oblivious to Drew. She smiled and with a jerk of her head, sent her long, curly tresses sliding behind her shoulder. “It was fine. We had a great talk.”
“I’ll bet.”
“We did.”
Jo folded her arms and leaned on one foot. “Did you find out where he lives?”
“No.”
“Does he go to CSU?”
“It didn’t come up.”
“Does he work?”
“Uh…”
Jo cocked her head. “Well, what did you talk about?”
“Actually, we talked a lot about the Bible. He’s very knowledgeable.”
“So is Satan.”
“Jo!” Dove rebuked her.
Drew banged on his chest, coughing and clearing his throat.
“Sorry,” Jo said. But she wasn’t.
“You’ll have to forgive Jo,” Dove said to April. “Galen’s a touchy subject with her.”
“Why?”
“She thinks he’s here to kill us—or maybe just her.”
A laugh burst from April. “Oh, Jo!”
Jo gave her best friend a mashed-lips look of scorn. “Thanks, Dove.”
Dove and April walked to the cabin porch, giggling and whispering.
Drew stepped over to Jo with the groceries in his arms. He bumped her arm lightly. “I’m with you.” He grinned and followed the two girls. His gait was an odd up and down motion due to a clubbed foot. She rarely payed attention to it, but in view of the hike tomorrow, she questioned if he was going to make it.
“It’s ill-mannered to stare.” The voice was cold and charged with condescension.
Jo’s jaw tightened. Galen was back, carrying an armful of firewood. Before her mind could construct a clever comeback, he was up on the porch. Someone opened the screen door for him and he disappeared, leaving her with her face hot and her mouth agape. She looked up and heaved a sigh of vexation. “You might need to keep me from killing him.”
Everyone was inside the cabin. Jo hurried to the porch.
A gust of wind flustered the tree branches and—she could have sworn—whispered her name. She whirled around. Not a life-form stirred.
She turned quickly to go in. Something silver glistened in the crack between the curtains on the window. When she tried to look more closely at it, it disappeared.