Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“Thanks, Zahra,” she said simply but very sincerely.
Zahra flashed her million-dollar smile. “I did pack food, not trail mix. And chocolate. And treats for the dogs.” She scratched the dogs’ ears until they were leaning into her, nearly moaning with happiness. “No grumpy bear is eating our chocolate tonight. I suppose we’ll have to eat it all in one night. I brought enough for two nights if you’re staying that long.”
Two nights? Zahra had come prepared to camp for the two nights Shabina was staying. That meant she took two days off from her work, all to do something she didn’t enjoy that much so she could support Shabina.
“We can use the bear container to ensure the chocolate is safe,” Shabina said. “Even if they come around, which I’m really sure they won’t, they wouldn’t be able to get to the chocolate.”
Zahra wasn’t supposed to eat very much chocolate. She always carried it, claiming she needed it in case her blood sugar dropped too low. Mostly she carried it to share with the others. She knew each of her friends had their favorites, and she brought those particular types along on their backpacking trips or on the nights they got together.
“It won’t be safe from Stella,” Zahra said, setting a lounge chair in front of the ring of rocks surrounding the firepit, which wasn’t lit.
“Stella?” Shabina echoed. “Is Stella planning on camping with us? She can’t do that. She has to make sure her guests are on the right shuttles tomorrow morning.”
Zahra shrugged. “She has staff to do that if she decides to take a couple of nights off.”
Shabina didn’t know what to say. The idea that Stella would come camping as well made her happy but also put a huge lump in her throat. These women were good friends to her, offering unconditional friendship, and what was she giving in return? She shut the thought down. Zahra was there, and she wasn’t going to waste time feeling guilt. She was going to enjoy her company instead of second-guessing everything going on around her.
Two more cars drove up, one following the other. Harlow and Vienna. That was crazy and made Shabina laugh. How they’d both managed to get time off to come camping at such short notice, she couldn’t imagine. They both had to have called in so many favors with other nurses at the hospital—all for her.
Harlow went over to Vienna’s car, opened the back passenger door and ducked inside. Shabina’s breath caught in her throat as Raine wrapped her arm around Harlow’s neck to allow her to pull her out of the vehicle. Raine? She shouldn’t be camping yet. Her doctors would have a fit. She couldn’t imagine what they would say to her.
“Zahra, Raine’s here.”
Zahra shrugged. “You know no one can stop her when she wants to do something. I’m sure she didn’t tell anyone. She just signed off, closed everything down and left.”
“We could have four branches of the military looking for us.” Shabina was only half joking.
“That’s true, but Raine’s probably found some way to shield us from discovery.” Zahra didn’t sound too worried about the possibility of troops showing up. She could handle irate men with ease.
Vienna hurried ahead to arrange a chair for Raine to sit in. Shabina and Zahra helped carry backpacks and tents and set them up. Vienna was the one to start the low fire in the deep pit. She put a screen over the flames to ensure no embers could fly up to the leaves in the trees.
“Raine decided to join us,” Vienna announced while the others fussed over Raine’s leg, adding a chair to elevate it. “She’s going to get in so much trouble.” The last was said gleefully.
“Unlike the rest of you, I don’t answer to anyone,” Raine objected.
Harlow burst out laughing. “I’m not sure that’s true. I’ve heard a certain doctor bossing you around.”
“If you’re speaking of Rush, he bosses, but that doesn’t mean I listen.” Raine rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Unless he’s talking about my leg. I do listen to him when he’s giving me medical advice. Anything else is pure nonsense, and I have no intention of allowing him or anyone else to tell me what to do.”
“How did you know where I was camping? I didn’t tell Stella which campsite I was using.”
This time she got the Zahra mysterious smile. “I’m psychic and I told everyone.”
“Or Raine was spying with some kind of satellite,” Shabina guessed, glaring at Raine. “She pinpointed my phone, didn’t she?”
Zahra laughed. “I still found my way here, which is a miracle.”
That was true. Zahra could get lost in a parking lot. The others joined in with Zahra’s contagious laughter.
“What did everyone bring in the way of food?” Harlow asked, opening her pack. “I’m starving. By the time we’ve got everything ready, Stella should be here.”