Chilled (Bone Secrets, #2)(23)

Now he smelled like a baby. But in a good way.

What he didn’t find was a tent.

Did they plan to sleep exposed to the elements? He examined the sleeping bag. It was down filled and appeared it would come up around his head like a mummy. He’d briefly scanned the sleeping bags that morning at the sporting goods store, but knew there would be a bag waiting for him at the base camp. Alex had been in and out of the store in twenty minutes. He’d told the way-too-young salesclerk where he was going and what he’d be doing and the kid led him on a lightning-fast trek around the store, throwing clothing in a basket. Alex put on the stuff in the changing room, slapped down a credit card, and then paled at the total.

He’d been glad he didn’t need to buy a bag. He’d seen one for $600.

He hefted the sleeping bag from his pack. It couldn’t weigh more than five pounds. He rooted some more and found a pad to go under the sleeping bag. Was this the extent of his nighttime gear?

“Hey, Ryan.”

The other man had his mouth full but managed an inquiring mumble.

“Am I supposed to have a tent?”

Ryan swallowed and twisted up his lips. “I’ve got one. We usually only pack one for every two or three people. We worked it out before we left. Brynn sleeps with Jim and her dog. The rest of us will fit in my tent.”

Alex exhaled. Thank God. At least he’d have a roof over his head.

“Did ya think we’d sleep out in the snow?”

Alex snorted. “I didn’t know what to think. I was hoping not to get a lesson in snow caving.”

“Not enough snow at this level.” The other man’s eyes danced at Alex’s obvious discomfort. “Snow caving’s not that bad. Especially with these sleeping bags. You’re gonna be amazed at how toasty they are. If it weren’t snowing, I’d consider sleeping under the stars. Nothing better than being in a warm bag as you study the sky at night.”

“No thanks,” Alex said wryly. “When this trip is over I’m headed somewhere warm for a week. Hawaii, or maybe Mexico. I don’t care where as long as it’s warm. I’ll check out the stars when I get there.”

Alex pulled a compass out of a side pack pocket. It was set into a rectangle of clear plastic with ruler marks and an arrow.

“Ever use one before?” Ryan sounded politely curious. He had to have seen the completely blank look on Alex’s face as he studied the compass. The only navigation Alex had ever done was with a GPS system in a rental car. He doubted the compass would speak graciously to him and recalculate his route when he made a wrong turn.

“No.” He’d seen Ryan check their route several times with a compass and map. Every time the weather briefly cleared or they had a good view of their surroundings, Ryan double-checked their progress. He seemed to be the main navigator. Both Jim and Thomas deferred to the younger man and clearly trusted his guidance. The GPS units were still giving different readings and Alex had been surprised when the other men shrugged off this obstacle. They had confidence in Ryan’s skill with a compass.

Ryan was a smart kid behind all the cockiness and chatter. But he’d been quieter as evening approached, coughing and occasionally rubbing at his gut. Alex hoped Ryan wasn’t coming down with the flu. This wasn’t the environment to get sick. Alex frowned as he felt sweat trickle down his back. They’d been resting for ten minutes, so he shouldn’t be sweating. Was he catching something too? Shit.

“You feeling OK?” Alex thought Ryan looked too pale.

The younger man shrugged. “Seem to be picking up a cough. Stomach’s not feeling so great. Almost feels like I need to—”

“Hey. What was the deal with Brynn freezing over that river? She doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d do that.” Alex rapidly changed the subject, not wanting to hear details about Ryan’s digestive tract. He nervously rubbed at the sweat on his temples as he glanced around for Brynn. She was practicing hand commands with Kiana thirty yards away. Too far to overhear his questions.

And he’d been wondering since the incident. After the crossing, the rest of the crew had exchanged words and looks that spoke of a deeper understanding of what happened to her. Alex had felt left out and figured it was none of his business. He’d told himself he shouldn’t be interested, because what went on with these people had nothing to do with him and his goal. These people were simply a means to an end.

But now he felt a little more connected, sucked into their lives. He knew Ryan the best. He had helped Alex out of the mud, talked his ear off, and teasingly harassed him about the fake bone.

He felt comfortable asking Ryan about Brynn because he seemed like one of those guys who was impossible to offend. The guy would talk about anything. Unlike Thomas. Alex had yet to hear him get chatty, but that was all right. Ryan was chatty enough for the whole group. Alex usually didn’t say a word; Ryan carried both sides of a conversation just fine.

Surprisingly, Ryan bit his lip and hesitated at the question about Brynn.

“Hey, if it’s private…”

“Nah, it’s not like that. Everyone knows what happened. I was thinking it’s her story to tell, but I know it rips her gut every time she has to talk about it.”

“Oh.” A twinge of guilt made Alex sit back and reconsider. It was none of his business. But for some reason the thought of that confident woman having a painful past made his chest hurt. Maybe hearing about the state of Ryan’s digestive system would be better.