“Come on. They don’t hate you.”
Her hand fell to her side. “You weren’t there, Cara. You didn’t see their faces, their disappointment. It was bad. And his mother? She couldn’t even be around me after we told them.”
“That does sound bad. What are you going to do?”
“I have to leave. Obviously.”
“You’re in Yellowstone. Camping. You don’t even have a car. Where will you go? And how will you get there?”
“I don’t know yet.” Suddenly exhausted, all she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep and pretend this week hadn’t happened. Except the part where she got to know Tyler, fell for him, kissed him. Yeah, that part she never wanted to forget.
“Do you want me to come and get you?”
“Cara, get real. It’s a twelve hour drive.”
“I was hoping you’d say that, but I had to offer.”
Shaking her head, Brielle smiled. “Thanks, but I’ll figure something out.” I hope.
“Okay. Keep me posted.”
“You know I will.”
Brielle tucked her phone back into her pocket, then leaned against a tree. This was crazy. This whole thing. But now she had to deal with it.
She glanced around. Though she could see a few campfires in the distance, she realized she’d walked a lot farther from their campground than she’d meant to. A branch snapped. Is that a bear?! The terror she’d felt when they’d seen the bear on their hike came roaring back.
“There you are,” she heard a familiar voice say, and then Tyler came into view.
Relief, pure and sweet, surged through her. He was there. He would protect her. “Hey.” He was also the reason for the predicament she found herself in. If he hadn’t lied… Right. But then she never would have spent this time with him. She wouldn’t want to change that.
He stopped in front of her. “Are you okay?”
“Not really, no.”
He stepped close to her, then he pulled her into his arms. The warmth of his body enveloped her, made her feel safe. Even so, she couldn’t continue this trip. Not when she would have to be with his family. But she couldn’t tell him her plans. No doubt he would try to talk her out of it. Maybe when they were both back in Sacramento they could see each other, but for now? For now, she needed to leave.
“That didn’t go so well, did it?” he murmured against her ear.
She couldn’t think of how it could have gone worse—except for being immediately banished. In her mind’s eye she pictured Rob pointing an accusing finger her way and asking Then who’s she? Being the center of attention for that reason had been awful.
“Are they still mad?” she asked, although she knew the answer.
Tyler released her and met her gaze. “Give them time.”
And in the meantime it would be uncomfortable for everyone—at least as long as she was there. She wasn’t going to be the cause of a ruined family vacation. “Right.”
“Tomorrow’s a new day.”
“Uh-huh.”
She let him lead her back to camp, and fortunately everyone had gone in for the night.
Tyler walked her to the door of the RV. “I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
She nodded, and when he leaned down and brushed a kiss across her forehead, she had to restrain herself from sliding her arms around him and never letting go.
“Good-night, Brielle,” he said before turning and striding to the tent.
She reached for the door of the RV. Here goes nothing.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The moment Brielle opened the door all conversation inside the RV stopped.
Great. They must have been talking about me.
Jeff was sitting in one of the two recliners, and Ann and Mia were sitting on the couch.
With a quick smile at them, Brielle went straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed. After a few minutes, there was a soft knock at the bathroom door.
“It’s me,” Mia said, her voice just above a whisper.
Cracking the door open, Brielle braced herself for the accusation she was sure she’d see in Mia’s eyes, but instead, Mia smiled, her expression friendly.
“Hey,” Mia said, “Don’t feel too bad, okay?”
Warmed by Mia’s sincerity, Brielle nodded. “Thanks.”
Mia glanced toward the living area where her parents sat, then she faced Brielle. “They’re just embarrassed that they fell for…well, for everything.”
That made Brielle feel even worse. From the moment Tyler had suggested this scheme, she’d known it was wrong, but the lure of the cash had been too difficult to resist. No matter. Tomorrow she would leave and Tyler’s family would be able to enjoy the rest of their vacation without the distraction of having her around.
“I’m so sorry, Mia,” Brielle said. “I…” She shook her head.
“They’ll get over it.” She smiled once more, then she turned and walked away.
Brielle finished getting ready for bed, then she stood in the isolation of the bathroom. She couldn’t go to bed until everyone had cleared out of the living room. Tonight was her turn to sleep on the fold-out couch, so she would have to face Tyler’s family until they were ready to go to bed.
This is going to be so awkward. I hate this!
Sucking it up, she opened the door to the bathroom and took the three steps down into the living room. Jeff and Ann were focused on reading books, and Mia was scrolling through her phone. Not sure if she should say anything, Brielle sat in the corner of the couch and stared at her phone. When no one said anything, she decided to do a web search on Tyler. Now that she knew his last name and that he played for the NFL, she easily found all kinds of info on him.
Beyond impressed by all he’d accomplished, when she remembered the way he’d held her in his arms, the way it had felt when he claimed her mouth with his, she totally forgot about his family. All she could think about was him and how much she’d fallen for him.
It would be hard to leave tomorrow, but it was for the best.
Eventually, Jeff and Ann stood, told her and Mia goodnight—Brielle was relieved they hadn’t ignored her—then they went into their room and closed the door.
Despite her relatively comfortable bed, Brielle didn’t sleep well, and soon after the sunlight began streaming through the blinds the next morning, she got up. She got dressed, then went outside. No one else from their group was up, so she started a fire in the fire pit. Eventually Tyler and Rob joined her.
“Thanks for starting a fire,” Tyler said, obviously impressed that she’d been able to.
“Yeah,” Rob said as he warmed his hands near the flames. “It’s chilly this morning.”
Glad she’d done something right, Brielle smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Breakfast was awkward—Tyler’s parents were polite to her, but she still felt a bit of a chill from them. She couldn’t blame them. She would feel stupid and gullible if she were them. It was no wonder they were upset with her and Tyler.
Later, after breakfast had been eaten and cleaned up, Brielle took Tyler aside. “I’m not feeling well, so I’m gonna stay here while you go hiking with your family.”
His eyebrows tugged together. “What’s going on?”
Could he see through her ruse? “My stomach’s kind of upset. That’s all.” That wasn’t completely untrue. Her stomach had been in knots ever since they’d confessed the truth to his family the night before.
“I’ll stay with you,” he said, his gaze steady on hers.
He was such a good man. She hoped once they got back to Sacramento they could still see each other. The thought of this being their final good-bye made her stomach hurt even worse. At least she didn’t have to fake not feeling well.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’ll be fine on my own. I just want to sleep.” She pushed a smile onto her lips. “Go with your family. Please.”
He looked uncertain, but he finally nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure.”
/> Relieved he’d agreed, she nodded. “I’m sure.”
An hour later they were gone and Brielle was left alone.
Once she was sure they were gone, she quickly packed her small bag, tucked a map of Yellowstone into her pocket, then she left the RV.
Now that she’d completed the first part of her plan she didn’t know what to do next. She wanted to get to West Yellowstone where she could spend the night while she arranged to take a bus back to Sacramento, but it had taken over an hour for her and Tyler to drive to their campground from West Yellowstone. Too far to walk, and she didn’t think there were any Ubers in the area.
Then she remembered seeing a young man and woman the day before holding a sign along the road asking for a ride to another part of the park. She didn’t have a sign, but she could hitch. Surely someone would pick her up.
Three hours later she’d made it as far as Canyon Village. It had taken over two hours before someone had stopped to give her a lift, and then, due to a bison jam, it had taken forty-five minutes to get to Canyon Village. Her ride wasn’t going any farther than that, so now she had to start all over again and see if someone could take her the rest of the way, or at least part of the way, to West Yellowstone.
It was one o’clock, and she was starving.
The hike hadn’t been the same without Brielle, and as Tyler drove back to the campground with his family, an eagerness to see Brielle swept over him. He should have stayed with her. As much as he loved hiking in Yellowstone, they still had days to do that before they went home. Why had he given up a day with Brielle? At least his family had finally forgiven him for his deception, and they seemed to have softened toward Brielle too. She would be relieved.
When they arrived at the campground, he was the first one to enter the RV.
“Brielle?”
Nothing but silence.
“Maybe she’s in the bathroom,” Mia said as she entered the RV behind him.
“Yeah.” But he had a bad feeling. A very bad feeling. The kind he got just before barely missing a catch on the football field. Like a sixth sense that something was off.
“I’m ready for a nap,” his mom said as she walked inside the RV.
“That makes two of us,” his dad said.
“I’m ready for a snack,” Rob said.
Mia laughed. “You and Tyler. Always hungry.”
Hardly hearing his family, Tyler turned to Mia. “Where did Brielle put her stuff?”
Mia stepped to the row of cabinets above the couch and pulled open a door. “Up here.” Mia turned to him with a frown. “Her suitcase isn’t here.”
“She’s gone,” Tyler said, completely certain. Why else would she have begged off that morning and insisted she be left alone?
“Gone?” his mother said, her eyebrows furrowing. “Where would she go?”
Concern surged within him. “I don’t know.”
“It’s my fault,” she said as she sank onto the couch. “I should have…I don’t know…told her I wasn’t upset anymore.”
Sighing, Tyler faced his mother. “It’s not your fault. I mean, I don’t blame you for being angry with us. What we did was wrong.” He shook his head. “It’s my fault.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed her number, but it went to voicemail. “Brielle, it’s me. Where are you? Call me back, okay?” He glanced at his family, then added, “We’re all worried about you. All of us.” He disconnected the call and tucked his phone in his pocket. “I’m gonna go look for her.”
“Do you want company?” Rob asked.
When he found her, it would be better if he was alone. “No. Thanks though.” He took a step toward the door before turning back to his family. “Let me know if she shows up.”
They all nodded, and he left the RV.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Brielle listened to the message on her phone. So, Tyler had returned from his hike and had figured out she’d fled. Touched that he’d called, she debated what to do. If she called him back, he’d insist on coming to get her. But now she’d only compounded the problem and would be more embarrassed than ever to face his family.
It was nearly two o’clock. She needed to get going—she had to get to West Yellowstone before dark. The idea of being stranded in Yellowstone with no place to spend the night terrified her. What wild animals stalked the park at night? Bears, certainly. Probably wolves too. Weren’t they nocturnal? Yeah, she needed to get a ride ASAP.
Frowning deeply, she walked past the visitor’s center, then made her way to the nearby intersection. After crossing the road so that she would be facing cars heading in the direction she wanted to go, she held out her thumb and tried to think positive thoughts.
A crowd was beginning to gather two hundred yards away on the Canyon Village side of the road. Squinting in that direction, Brielle saw a pair of elk munching on grass. Smiling in delight, she watched them. That is, until a frightening thought occurred to her. Those elk had seemingly come out of nowhere—she’d been in that same area only a few minutes before and hadn’t seen the elk. What if an animal came up behind her? Spinning around, eyes wide, she studied the line of trees in the near distance.
No animals were lurking—that she could see.
Imagining a bear lumbering out of the trees and in her direction, and remembering the bear she’d seen on the hike the day before, Brielle felt her heart began to pound and her chest tighten.
Leaving Tyler had been stupid and now she was all alone in a forest filled with wild animals. It wasn’t as if the animals were safely behind fences like at a zoo. No. They could go wherever they wanted. She was in their house.
Suddenly terrified, she trotted back across the road, then briskly walked back to the visitor’s center. She would be safe inside. At least until it was time to close and they kicked her out. Then what would she do?
She yanked her phone out of her pocket and called Cara, explaining her dilemma. “I don’t know what to do,” she said, desperate for advice.
Cara sighed. “What’s the worst that would happen if you called Tyler?”
Brielle gnawed on her lower lip. “He’d hate me for leaving without telling him.”
“Hmm. Then I guess you wouldn’t be any worse off than you are now.”
Brielle considered that. “Yeah. That’s true.” She paused a beat. “Still, now I feel kind of dumb for leaving.”
“So you’re going to risk being stuck in the forest with wild animals because you’re embarrassed.”
Shaking her head as she grimaced, Brielle knew Cara was right. “When you put it that way…”
“See? You should always listen to me.”
“Obviously.”
“So? You’re gonna call Tyler?”
She pictured his handsome face, the way it felt to be held in his arms, remembered how his kisses had ignited her heart. He would keep her safe. “Yes.”
“Good.”
They disconnected, then Brielle stared at the screen of her phone. An image of Ann’s face filled her mind—mouth tight, eyes avoiding Brielle. How could Brielle face her? Shame and embarrassment burned deep inside her. With a shake of her head, she turned off her phone—she didn’t want to have to feel guilty for ignoring Tyler’s calls—then put her phone back in her pocket before going outside. Gathering her courage, she walked up to a couple who were unlocking a car. “Are you going to West Yellowstone?”
They looked at her with furrowed brows. “No. Why?”
Face burning with self-consciousness, Brielle plastered a smile onto her mouth. “Just looking for a ride. Thanks anyway.” Then she quickly walked away.
Despite the awkwardness of asking, she continued to approach strangers, but no one was going to West Yellowstone. At least, no one who would admit it to her. Discouraged, she sat on a bench outside one of the shops and reconsidered her reluctance to call Tyler.
“Excuse me,” a woman about her own age said.
Startled, Brielle looked at her.
“I overheard you
asking someone if they were going to West Yellowstone.”
Tamping down her building hope, Brielle nodded. “Yeah. I need a ride there.”
The woman looked at a man standing a few feet behind her, then she faced Brielle. “My boyfriend and I are going in that direction. Not sure if we’ll make it all the way, but we’d be happy to give you a lift as far as we can.”
Leaping to her feet, Brielle smiled. “That would be great. Thank you.”
“I’m Tessa,” the woman said as the three of them began walking toward the parking lot, “and this is John.”
“I’m Brielle. I really appreciate this.” Now she wouldn’t have to face Ann. When she made it to West Yellowstone she’d text Tyler and let him know what she’d done. Pleased by this turn of events, she climbed into the back seat of their car and put on her seatbelt.
As they drove west, they asked Brielle what her story was. Not about to tell them the whole truth—she didn’t want them to think she was a nut—she frowned. “My boyfriend and I had a fight.” Forcing a chuckle, she added, “Let’s just leave it at that.”
Tessa nodded knowingly before glancing at her boyfriend. “No explanation needed.”
They chatted about the things they’d seen in Yellowstone, but as they reached the Norris Geyser Basin, Tessa said she wanted to check it out. With no other option, Brielle got out of the car once they’d parked in the parking lot.
“If you want to wait,” Tessa said, “we can give you a lift when we’re done.”
By then it was approaching three o’clock. “I think I’ll see if I can find a ride, but thank you.”
“When we’re done, we’ll see if you still need a ride.”
“Thank you. That’s very kind.”
“No problem.” Tessa tossed her a smile, then she and John walked toward the geyser basin.
Despite asking multiple people if they were headed to West Yellowstone, when Tessa and John reappeared, Brielle was still there. Relieved her ride had appeared, when she saw a mix of surprise and regret on Tessa’s face, Brielle’s hopes began to sink.
Game On (Fair Catch Series, Book Six) Page 16
