Best Dating Rules: A Romantic Comedy (The Best Girls Book 2)

by Tamie Dearen

  *****

  Emily arrived at the trailhead at ten thirty, her travels devouring more time than anticipated, but she felt optimistic she was still ahead of the hiking club. Either way, she knew time was of the essence. She pulled out her printed directions and started hiking. The first mile and a half were relatively flat, with the worst encumbrance being the rocky crud she encountered on the footpath. But as promised, when she took a right turn up to Indian Head’s summit, the path became steeper. Her back protested the weight of her pack with a steady ache. Carrying a lot of water significantly increased the load, but all her research emphasized the necessity. Nothing to do but plunge ahead.

  A few miles in, she encountered her first chute. Astounded, Emily checked her directions again. Surely people didn’t actually climb these things? It was nothing but a steep rocky slide. To her dismay, two guys whipped past her, attacking the chute with relish.

  “This isn’t part of the Devil’s Path, is it?” she called out.

  “Sure is.” One guy stopped, turning back to chuckle at her question. “Awesome views at the top, though. It’s worth it.”

  Emily was thinking she didn’t care at all what the view was like. These hiker people were crazy.

  “Are you hiking alone?” the other guy asked. “You can hang with us if you want.”

  “I’m supposed to meet some friends at the Devil’s Tombstone.”

  “That’s a long way to hike by yourself.”

  “I’m pretty slow. I might not be able to keep up with you.”

  “We’re in no hurry.” The guy with close-cropped hair and a goatee gave her an encouraging smile. “I’m Brad.”

  “I’m Josh.” The blond guy winked at her. “Don’t worry, we’ll be glad to slow down and take breaks on this hike. If you’re along, we can use you as an excuse.”

  “I’m grateful,” she said.

  “Well, come along, Grateful.” Josh laughed.

  “Emily. I’m Emily.” She let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps everything would work out after all.

  *****

  “I can’t believe it!” Spencer repeated the words for probably the tenth time. Emily had gone on the stupid hike with the intention of talking to him, and he wouldn’t even be there. And she shouldn’t have gone when she’d just gotten out of the hospital. He had a panicky feeling in his chest.

  “Read the note to me again,” Anne said.

  He held it up with shaky hands. “I’m going on the overnight hike so I can talk to Spencer. I left early so I can take my time and meet him at the camping area. I knew he might not go if I showed up at the beginning. I did my research and packed everything I need, so I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back Sunday with the group. Sorry to leave you, Charlie, but you know this is the only way. He said he’d give me a second chance if I did something dangerous for him. I thought about it, and this is my best shot. Love you, Emily”

  “Can you call someone, Spencer? One of your friends on the hike? So they’ll be looking out for her?” asked Anne.

  “No, Mom. They usually can’t get a cell phone signal out there. They won’t even have their phones on.” Charlie paced the floor behind the couch.

  “I have to go find her,” said Spencer. “I’m already packed. I can go now and run most of the way until I catch up with her. I’ll bring her back safe tomorrow.”

  “No,” Gherring argued. “We’ll need to know you found her. I can tell you right now Anne won’t be satisfied until we know she’s safe. We can’t wait until tomorrow afternoon.” Then he walked over to a utility closet. “But I may have a solution. I’ve got a sat phone.”

  “Of course you do. I should’ve guessed.” Charlie chuckled, and Gherring gave her a crooked grin.

  “What’s a sat phone?” asked Anne.

  “A satellite phone,” explained Gherring. “I think the best plan is for Spencer and I to go up together. When we find her, we can call you on the sat phone to let you know she’s safe. Because just in case she’s having ill effects from the drug overdose, it might take both of us to get her down.”

  “What about me? I’m great at hiking. You can’t leave me here.” Charlie crossed her arms, twisting her lips sideways.

  “Yes, I know you are. But I’m betting you don’t have your gear in New York.”

  “No.” She gave a small stomp with her foot.

  “Anyway, I don’t want to leave your mom alone.”

  “We should go now,” urged Spencer. “It’s a long hike.”

  “Where is it?” asked Steven.

  “It’s Harriman State Park—the Long Path Loop. Have you been?”

  “I’ve been a few years back. How long is it?”

  “It’s about eighteen miles. They’ll go about ten before they set up camp.”

  “What if she gets on the wrong trail, hiking by herself?” asked Charlie.

  Spencer gritted his teeth. “I’ll find her. And when I do, I may tie her to a chair for safekeeping!”

  *****

  “Now, we get to go down a chute instead of up. You should like that,” Josh said to Emily with a smirk. Each time they faced another steep rocky chute, she questioned whether they were truly on the right path. Even with pants on, she had bruises and scratches on her legs from scrambling, climbing and slipping on the loose rock climbs. She hurt in every part of her body, but she refused to complain. She was afraid her companions would lose patience with her and leave her to fend for herself. She looked dubiously at the steep descent as Josh crawled down.

  “You go next,” said Brad. “Just let him get down a bit so you don’t knock rocks on top of him.”

  Emily wanted to stop and rest, but she kept the thought to herself. She managed to climb down the precipitous drop with only a few additional injuries. At the bottom she stood up and felt herself sway a bit.

  Josh frowned at her. “Have you been drinking enough water? You look a little washed out.”

  She tried to remember. “I’m not sure. Maybe not.”

  “Sit down and drink something.” Obediently, she sat and dug into her pack for a water bottle.

  “Why are you out here by yourself, anyway?” he asked. “It’s actually dangerous—you should always hike with a buddy. Why are you meeting your friends instead of hiking with them?”

  She dropped her face in her hands. “It’s a long story.”

  “It’s about a guy, isn’t it?” Josh grinned before taking a long drink of water. “Girls do really stupid stuff for guys.”

  “Hey!” she objected.

  “Guys, too.” He held up his hand. “Brad once ran naked in the snow to impress a girl.”

  “And she really was impressed.” Brad plopped down beside Emily. “It was worth it.”

  “So,” Josh asked, “are you trying to impress some guy by doing this hike by yourself? Because, he might think it was a dumb thing to do.”

  “Do you think so?” She hadn’t considered her plan might backfire.

  “Oh, yeah,” said Brad. “He’ll think it was a dumb thing to do. You should tell him you planned to hike with us all along. Except, I guess that might make him jealous. Who is this guy, anyway? If you were my girlfriend, I’d be hiking with you. I’d never let you out of my sight.”

  “I agree,” Josh said. “In fact, this guy sounds like a jerk. I’ll be glad to take his place.”

  “He’s not a jerk. He doesn’t know I’m coming. It’s a surprise.”

  Brad raised his eyebrows. “You’re doing this to surprise him?”

  “Okay, fine.” She covered her face and spoke through her fingers. “I screwed up and hurt his feelings, and I’m trying to impress him so he’ll give me another chance.”

  “Well if it doesn’t work, my offer still stands. I don’t get my feelings hurt easily. And I’ve never met a girl who’d hike a trail like this just to impress me.” Josh stood and offered her a hand up.

  “We should pick up the pace.” Brad tightened the strap on his backpack. “We’ve got another t
ricky downhill before we start back up. And then it’s going to get really steep.”

  “Steeper than it’s already been?” She felt queasy at the thought.

  “I’m afraid so,” Brad confirmed.

  Time blurred in Emily’s head. It seemed she’d been climbing forever. Even when the trail took a downturn, she couldn’t relax due to the sheer angles and the loose rocks.

  “This is the last climb before a fairly flat part with a nice view.” Josh patted her arm as she stared at the cliff before her.

  “This is not just steep,” she declared. “It’s straight up.”

  “You’ve got to go up, or else go back the way you came. Do you want me to refill some of your water bottles?” He stowed away two water bottles he’d filled from a spring using a filter pump.

  “I think I have plenty,” she said, checking her pack. “Oh, wow! I only have two left. It still feels so heavy. I thought I had four or five. Yes, Josh, thanks. I guess I need some more.”

  “No problem.”

  “Do you want to let me carry your backpack up this last steep part?” Brad offered.

  She shook her head. “Y’all have been great, but I’m determined to at least carry my own pack. I need to prove to myself I can do this.”

  “You’re a bit on the stubborn side, aren’t you?” Brad flashed a grim smile.

  “So I’ve been told.” The climb was even more difficult than it appeared. To her great consternation, she found the backpack pulled her so off balance she couldn’t keep her grip. After numerous attempts she found herself at the bottom, bleeding from multiple cuts.

  Josh threw a small rope down from the top. “Brad, tie her backpack on.”

  Her shoulders screamed their relief as Brad pulled the pack off. This time, she offered no resistance.

  “Don’t feel bad,” he said. “You gave it a good try. But it’s too heavy, and you’re too small to climb something this steep with it on. If it makes you feel any better, I’m planning to send mine up by rope as well. Too bad we don’t have the equipment to set up a climb with a belay for you.”

  She was in so much pain she didn’t argue. Not for the first time, she questioned whether this hike was a good idea. But she was way past the point of turning back. She had no choice but to struggle on.

  Arriving safely at the top, Brad pulled out a first aid kit. “We should all take a minute to wash out these cuts and doctor them up a bit.” Emily noted the guys only had a few small cuts, compared to her multiple gashes. But she accepted the help and the antibiotic ointment with gratitude.

  The next part of the trail wasn’t flat as promised, but it was broader and not nearly as steep as the previous parts. Comparatively, Emily guessed she could understand why Josh would call it flat.

  At the edge of another drop, she looked behind her. “I’m surprised they haven’t caught up with us yet. We’ve been going pretty slowly, haven’t we?”

  Josh considered her question. “Who is they? If it’s a large group and there are girls in the group, they may be slower than we were. No offense, but girls do tend to slow things down, especially when they’re carrying packs.”

  “I’m really not sure what the group is like. I only know two people that were going. There’s at least one girl—probably more.” Her mind wandered. What would happen when Spencer caught up with her. She glanced at her filthy hands and clothes. She must look awful. Maybe she could wash her face and freshen up a little before she saw him. What if he refused to talk to her?

  “Are you sure they’re camping at the main campground?” asked Brad. “They might go up the trail a bit to a more remote part. Sometimes the campground is crowded.”

  “Crowded? That many people come up this horrible trail to go camping?”

  Brad shook his head, chuckling. “No. But you can access the campground without doing the whole hike.”

  “Now you tell me,” grumbled Emily, as she scrambled downward, leaving her skin on the rocks.

  *****

  Despite their best efforts to hurry, it was twelve o’clock before Gherring and Spencer parked the car at the trailhead. Quickly shouldering their packs, they started out at a slow trot.

  “Don’t take any chances,” warned Gherring. “We can run when the trail is flat, but not on the climbs and not when we hit the loose rocks. We can’t afford for either of us to be injured.”

  “Agreed.” Spencer led the way with Gherring close on his heels.

  They made steady progress, speeding along the broad, smooth areas, and making quick work of the climbs. In three hours, they were approaching the area Spencer expected the group to camp.

  “We’re almost there, I think,” said Spencer, breathing heavily. “If she left early this morning, she’s probably already with the group. My biggest worry is actually Becca.”

  “Becca? The Becca that went hiking with us?”

  “Yes. She’s turned out to be sort of a... a witch.”

  “A witch? Is that the word you really mean?”

  “No sir. It’s not the word I really mean.”

  “What did she do?”

  “I can’t prove it, but now I think she’s the one who took your picture and sent it to the tabloid. And she took a picture of Emily cozied up to that Denning guy and texted it to me. And she and I had words this morning before the hike. She’s the reason I didn’t go. I... I think she hates Emily.”

  Gherring’s eyebrows furrowed. “Hates her? Why? What did Emily do to her?”

  Spencer felt his face heat up. “Becca’s jealous of her. She knows I like Emily.”

  “Ah. Got it. Hell hath no fury and all that.”

  “Right.”

  “Well, hopefully we’ll get there in time to save Emily from the... uhmm... witch.”

  “We should. I’ve never made a pace like this on a hike before. I’ve sweated all the way through my backpack.” Spencer picked up the pace as he spotted the camping area, praying the group had chosen to stop here rather than continue to the next area. Relieved, he spotted a familiar face.

  “Landon! Hey!” He ran to his friend, frantically scanning the group looking for Emily’s face.

  “Spencer? Hey, man. What’re you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming?”

  “I came for Emily.” He doubled over, panting for breath. “Oh, man. I’m so tired. Have you seen her?”

  “Who?”

  “You don’t know her, I guess. But she was planning to meet me here, meet us here. Tall, pretty, brunette, with a long braid?”

  “Uhmm, no I haven’t seen her. But we only got here ten minutes ago. Why don’t you ask around?”

  Spencer’s heart turned over. Gherring was already making the rounds, calling her name. Where could she be?

  “Spencer?” He suppressed a shudder as he pivoted. “You came!” Becca smiled as she threw her arms around him. “I’m sorry I made you mad.”

  “Becca, do you know where Emily is?” He peeled her arms away.

  “I have no idea where she is. That’s the truth.”

  “She left a note saying she was going on the hike. But now I think about it, she didn’t know where the hike was going to be. Did you tell her?”

  “I didn’t know she was going on the hike. I promise.” She jutted out her chin, and her lower lip quivered. “Why don’t you ever believe me?”

  “Never mind.” He left her to join Gherring in his search.

  “No one seems to have seen her. Maybe I should call and see if the girls have heard from her. Maybe she went back home.” Gherring dropped to a rock, rifling though his backpack.

  “Spencer?” A petite blond girl walked over to join them. “Are you looking for a girl named Emily?”

  “Yes! Have you seen her?”

  “No, but... Becca was so mad after you left this morning,” She glanced over her shoulder at Becca and bit her lip. “She was ranting about a girl named Emily, and she said something about the Devil’s Path. I mean, I don’t know for sure. But maybe she went there instead.”
>
  Spencer’s rage was building inside him—he could feel the blood pulsing in his head. He turned toward Becca, but Gherring stood, putting a hand on his shoulder. “No. Let me talk to her. Less emotion.”

  Spencer followed as Gherring marched to confront Becca. He towered over her, his eyes harsh, his eyebrows furrowed, the muscles in his jaw bulging. “Becca. I’m going to ask you some questions. And you will tell me the truth. Where is my daughter? Did you send her to a different hike?”

  She swallowed convulsively, and her pleading gaze darted toward Spencer. But he crossed his arms and glared back without sympathy.

  “I... She said she wasn’t going on the hike. She said her sister might go. She told me she just wanted to know where the hike was. I swear!”

  “And so you told her the hike was on the Devil’s Path?”

  Her mouth dropped open. “How did you... I mean, I didn’t know she’d actually go.”

  “And you remember clearly? You told her Devil’s Path? What else did you tell her?”

  “I think I told her we were camping at the Devil’s Tombstone. But I didn’t think she’d actually go. I mean, after she had that ruffie, you’d think she wouldn’t go on a two-day hike.”

  He pinned her with his eyes. “Who told you that? Who told you she had a ruffie? You were there weren’t you? It was you!”

  “No... No, I...”

  Gherring loomed over her, his entire body shaking. Spencer wondered if he was going to hit her. “I’m going to deal with you after I find my daughter. Attempted murder is a serious charge!”

  He turned to Spencer. “How do we get out of here? We need to get to Devil’s Tombstone now.”

  “Don’t you have a helicopter or something?”

  Gherring laughed bitterly. “No, only a jet. But I might buy a helicopter after this, just in case.”