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1
SAM
I was cursed.
Or at least it felt that way. Ever since I’d booked my trip to Roanoke for the Wild Woods Private Camping Experience, it’d been misstep after misstep. First, I hadn’t been able to book a flight directly into town, which meant I had to fly into the next airport over.
Which, of course, was four hours away from where I needed to be.
I’d also forgotten to bring my water bottle along with me, which left me paying for bottled water to bring on the plane. Once I’d gotten over my absolute shock and horror about having to pay $5 for water, a liquid I literally needed to live, I realized that I had a bunch of emails piling up in my inbox, too.
They were all from my boss—each and every last one.
I was currently standing at the baggage carousel, wondering if this whole trip had been a mistake. Maybe the universe was trying to tell me something about how I should’ve just stayed at the office and that trying to expand my horizons was a no-good, terrible, awful idea. I’d never done anything like this before, booked a wilderness experience with the purpose of getting out into nature, of reconnecting with myself in ways I never had a chance to in the city. Atlanta was also so busy, always so overcrowded with midday traffic and midday brunches and midday meetings that went on for hours and hours and—
“That one’s mine!” I grabbed for my suitcase on the carousel, like a contestant on a game show who’d just won a huge prize. My fellow plane passengers shared quiet looks amongst themselves, and I wondered if they could tell I was from out of town, that I didn’t belong among the tall trees and the fresh air.
Which would’ve been a fair assessment, based on literally every vibe I’d been exuding since the plane landed.
After a few minutes of struggling toward the nearest exit, I eventually managed to make it out the terminal doors. I smoothed down my shirt before I made a call to Wild Woods, psyching myself up for what was probably going to be an awkward conversation.
Hi. Can you come get me? I booked a flight arriving at the wrong airport.
Of course, I’m willing to pay the exorbitant fee for picking me up.
$10,000? Sure. I’ll just sell a kidney!
“Wild Woods Camping.” A stern, gruff voice answered the phone. “This is Damon. What can I do for you today?”
“Hi! This is Sam Watson. I booked a wilderness experience a few months ago—”
“Sam Watson. Of course. We’ve been expecting you.” Damon’s voice softened, as he spoke. “You’re flying into the airport across the way, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I admitted, guilt coloring my tone. “But I promise I can pay for the gas or whatever it’s going to take to come get me. I’m so sorry about—”
“Don’t be sorry.” He chuckled, just as I noticed a hand waving me down a few feet away, a muscular arm sticking out of a pick-up truck window. “Just come get in the truck.”
Suddenly, the phone call ended with a click.
The pick-up truck started to move even closer to me, not stopping until it was pulled up at the curb.
“I had a feeling that was you, Sam Watson.” Damon smirked as he poked his head out of the window.
Whoa.
My heart started racing inside my chest, as I shamelessly eyed him.
Damon was hot.
Like, unbelievable only-seen-on-TV kind of hot. I almost winced away from him, unsure of how I was going to handle a car ride with someone that conventionally attractive, especially since there was no way that he wasn’t straight.
Because that was the kind of luck I was having lately.
“Really? What made you think it was me?” I somehow managed to recover from the shock of seeing Damon, as I pulled open the backseat door.
“Just a sixth sense,” he replied, before he hastily hopped out of the truck. Before I knew it, he was helping me shove my suitcase into the backseat, expertly stuffing it in place. He then slammed the door shut before he looked over at me, a wide grin already on his face.
“I didn’t mean any offense by that, by the way,” he continued. “I just meant that I can usually tell who’s from this part of the woods and who isn’t. It’s kind of my… superpower.”
