Full Tilt (Full Tilt #1)(63)
It’s real. Like Lola said. I can’t pretend this away.
Jonah heaved a breath and turned away, wiping his cheek on the sleeve of his shirt. “It’ll be hard enough as friends,” he said, his voice full of gravel. “It’ll be so much worse if we try to have more. If we make love. If we fall…” He shook his head, frustration coloring his agonized expression now.
“Jonah…”
“It’s late. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
I couldn’t take the cold finality in his tone. I nodded mutely and reached for the door. “All right. Thanks for dinner and my first time in a casino…”
And my first kiss.
Jonah reached across the seat to take my hand again. He held it tightly, pressed my fingers to his lips, and then let me go.
In the early morning hours on the Friday of Oscar’s camping trip, my phone chirped with a text from Kacey.
Yesterday @ lunch, Tania told me she found a $250 bonus in her paycheck.
Who said nickel slots don’t pay? I typed back.
Wasn’t me. Smartass. :P
I eased a sigh of relief. Things hadn’t been tense between Kacey and me that last week, but they weren’t 100% back to normal either. She was as sweet as ever, still bringing Tania and me lunch at the hot shop or sending me random, funny texts like this one. She was doing what I’d asked her to do: she was being my friend. Upholding her end of the bargain, while I had been the selfish bastard who kissed her and nearly f*cked everything up between us.
None of us—Oscar, Theo, or myself—had a car or truck big enough to hold six passengers and our camping gear, so we each drove up in pairs. The drive to Great Basin National Park was a four-and-a-half-hour drive. I thought for sure Kacey and I would spend the entire time in an awkward silence, the kiss and everything after hanging between us.
But long silences and Kacey Dawson didn’t mix. She was all smiles when I picked her up at her complex, and chatted nonstop about various topics, and camping itself.
“I never spent a night outdoors,” she said. “Will we see stars?”
“You’ll see so many stars, it’ll look unreal,” I told her.
“I’ve never seen a sky packed with them. City lights always drown them out.”
“I know. The first time we went, I couldn’t believe the canopy. You’ll love it.”
“I know I will,” Kacey said, settling into her seat, kicked her boots up on the dash. “But I still don’t know if bringing my guitar was a good idea. I’ll be that gal who breaks into song at the party.”
“You’ve been depriving us of your talent long enough. You owe us at least one song. Consider it the price of admission.”
She peppered me with dozens of other questions about the trip, none of which concerned the sleeping arrangements. Not that I even knew anything. Oscar assured me he ‘had it taken care of’ and muttered something about Holly and Kacey sharing a tent.
When we arrived at the campsite, Theo’s black truck and Oscar’s silver SUV were already parked side by side, facing a flat clearing of dirt at Upper Lehman Creek. Trees—fir, pine, and oak, rose up amidst tall, pale green grasses carpeting the forest floor. I could just see the creek from our site. It meandered all through the campgrounds, rushing softly over smooth stone. A metal fire ring was at the center of the site, and Theo was already setting up his orange tent on the east side.
Kacey jumped out to hug everyone, and Oscar pulled me aside.
“Holly changed plans on us, bro,” he said. “She can’t be parted from Theo. Looks like you and Kacey are going to be tentmates.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow. “You’re so full of shit.”
Oscar laughed. “You and Kacey. One tent. That’s the God’s honest.”
“I know but…Never mind.”
“Wow, this is amazing,” Kacey said, joining us, her gaze sweeping over the view. She was adorable in her slouchy, oversize jeans rolled up to mid-shin, black combat boots, a tight white tee and a green plaid shirt about ten sizes too big. I put the day’s temp at eighty-six. Kacey wore a knitted beanie on her head anyway, as if it were fifty-six.
“Oscar, this place is so beautiful.”
“Isn’t it?” His smile was nostalgic. “I used to come here with my parents every year when I was a kid. They eventually got burnt out on it, but I never stopped coming. I force my closest friends and my best gal to come up with me at least four times a year.”
“At least,” Dena said, wrapping her arms around Oscar from behind, her chin against his shoulder. “But I love it here. I find it inspirational.” She turned her dark eyes to Kacey. “I hope you find it the same. I hear you brought your guitar?”
“Yeah.” Kacey glanced down, kicked an acorn. “Maybe I’ll play something. I do a mean Kumbaya.”
Oscar jerked his chin at me. “J, why don’t you show her around our site, get her familiar with the area. We’ll get Theo to put up your tent for you.”
“The hell I will,” Theo grunted from behind, on his knees in a shallow pond of orange nylon, directing Holly on how to help him.
I turned to Kacey. Her blue eyes seemingly more stunning in the overcast haze of the Basin, instead of the relentless white heat of Vegas.