Barbara Boswell - Forever Flint

“I’m Rafe Paradise.” He extended his hand to her to shake.

She took it and introduced herself while scrutinizing Rafe closely. The resemblance to Flint was uncanny, but on closer inspection, she noticed a few subtle differences. Rafe’s face was more open, his expression friendlier in comparison to Flint, who appeared more guarded and aloof. Rafe’s smiles came more easily; she already knew that Flint’s were rare.

Rare and thrilling, she mused, remembering the potent impact Flint’s smiles had upon her. But Flint was not smiling now.

“We were just leaving, Rafe,” Flint said tersely. “Sorry to have disturbed you this late.”

“It’s my fault,” Ashlinn interjected. “I was the one who insisted on coming.”

Rafe didn’t ask why. “Glad you’re here. Come in.” He cupped Ashlinn’s elbow and ushered her inside, giving her no choice but to accept his invitation. Which gave Flint no choice but to follow them both into the house.

“Holly, we have company,” Rafe called up the stairs.

“The evil twin’s out of his crypt again,” announced Camryn who stood on the stairway, eyeing Flint and Ashlinn. “And he brought the queen of Darkness with him.”

“Be quiet, Camryn!” snapped Flint.

“Camryn, go to your room.” Rafe heaved a sigh. “Now.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice!” Camryn flounced up the stairs.

“I know that little brat thinks she has a genetic right to insult me, but Ashlinn should not have to put up with it’” Flint, standing behind Ashlinn, placed a protective hand on her shoulder. His fingers tightened, drawing her back a little toward him.

“What’s going on?”

Ashlinn turned at the sound and was sure that the tall slim brunette gliding regally down the stairs just had to be Holly, Rafe’s wife. She studied the other woman. Flint had neglected to mention how beautiful his sister-in-law, the doctor, was.

Both Flint and Ashlinn stared at Holly, who was tying a knot in the navy silk belt that matched her robe. Her cheeks were flushed, her brown curls tousled. And then there was Rafe wearing only his—hastily pulled on?—jeans.

Ashlinn gulped. It did look as if they had intruded on a private moment between the couple “We’re so sorry to disturb you.”

Holly and Rafe exchanged quick glances. “We were just watching a movie on TV,” Holly said smoothly and introduced herself to Ashlinn.

“I guess you’re wondering why we’re here,” Flint spoke up. “Ashlinn wanted to know if Camryn and Kaylin could come along on the Paradise Outdoors camping expedition, the one Carmody set up before his skateboard accident.”

Rafe gaped, dumbfounded. “You want them to join you and your girlfriend on. . .”

“She is not my girlfriend!” Flint said vehemently, lifting his hand from Ashlinn’s shoulder as if he’d been scalded. He immediately moved to stand apart from her.

Ashlinn tried to ignore her discomfort. “Can the girls come along?”

“Did you know that Camryn and her friends taught Sam Carmody how to skateboard?” Rafe frowned pensively. “We didn’t like him hanging around with high-school kids and told her to stay away from him. Whether or not she listened is a. . .”

“The girls both have their jobs at the mall,” Holly inserted. “They really can’t leave on such short notice, Flint.”

“So you two are going camping together?” Rafe arched his brows, his expression speculative as he studied Flint and Ashlinn. “Should be an interesting trip. Will you be sharing a tent?” he added, his eyes gleaming, unable to hold back from a little brotherly ribbing.

“It wasn’t planned, it just worked out that way” Flint was immediately defensive. A flush stained his cheeks, turning his skin a deep golden bronze. “This is ridiculous” He snatched Ashlinn’s hand and pushed open the front door. “We’re out of here, right now!” He left the house, dragging Ashlinn along with him.

They got into the car and sped away from the house.

“It wasn’t planned, it just worked out that way?” Ashlinn repeated. Her heart began to pound, fast and loud. “Does that mean I’m actually supposed to share a tent with you?”

“You look panicked at the thought. Fearing for your virtue? Have you bought into Camryn’s evil twin accusations?”

“I’m not panicked and I don’t think you’re evil, but I’m not sharing a tent with you or anyone else. I want my own tent! Since Tour & Travel is paying the expenses, just bill them for an extra tent. Because I will not. . .”

“Relax. I don’t want to share a tent with you either. Asher Carey and I were assigned to share one, but Ms. Ashlinn Carey is definitely getting her own. The extra cost can come out of Junior’s lunch money.”

“You were only joking.” Ashlinn tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her hand was trembling. “I knew that.”

“No, you didn’t.” He was clearly relishing her overreaction. “And I warned you the Paradise clan wasn’t one big happy extended family like yours, but you insisted on meeting the girls. Well, I was right, wasn’t I?” Flint’s voice held an unmistakable ring of triumph.

“Are you one of those annoying types who always have to have the last word?”

“I’m not annoying, but yes, I’ve been told that I do like to have the last word,” he admitted, not at all offended by the charge.

“Ohhhh! These next two weeks are going to be interminable.” Ashlinn was vexed, but more with herself than with him. For there was an unwelcome excitement bubbling inside her that she couldn’t suppress.

“Interminable,” Flint agreed.

But his grim pronouncement was at odds with the slow smile playing across his face.

Three

By the time the Paradise Outdoors expedition arrived in Custer State Park the next afternoon, Ashlinn was uncomfortably aware that she had more in common with Presley Oakes Jr. than with her fellow campers. At least the boy publisher enjoyed city life and had never escaped from a war zone or attempted to climb Mount Everest.

Jack Hall, Etienne Bouvier, Rico Figueroa and Koji Yagano had done all that and much more. They were professional out-doorsmen and adventurers, each with a long resume of successful feats and scrapes with death. In addition to writing about their escapades for their respective magazines, all four were proud contributors to The Most Dangerous Places on the Globe, a book Ashlinn had never heard of.

Flint had.

“The title is self-explanatory. It’s a kind of guidebook for the most dangerous places in the world, destinations that aren’t recommended for travelers,” he explained as he drove the party in an enormous rented van to the park in southwestern South Dakota. Ashlinn was sitting beside him in the front while the other four men sprawled two to a bench in back.

“They are places that definitely aren’t recommended for tourists,” added Jack Hall, his tone and expression making it clear that he considered tourists a threat to the quality of life, much the same as flesh-eating bacteria.

“Your state department forbids you to go to many of the places we’ve been,” Rico Figueroa added enthusiastically.

“Then why go? And why bother with a guidebook for unsafe places?” Ashlinn asked what she considered to be the most obvious questions.

She heard a groan. An impatient sigh. And then silence descended.

Ashlinn chewed her lower lip. She’d done it again; it seemed she had a talent for exasperating this crew.

She cast a glance at Flint. At least he didn’t look exasperated.

Flint caught her eye. “Maybe ‘guidebook’ isn’t the best choice of word. Think reference book instead.”

He’d responded politely to all her questions and remarks when the others wouldn’t, Ashlinn mused gratefully.