1 Chapter 1

1

Liam

“Ev. Get your gorgeous butt in here so we can start.”

I snorted in amusement at Drew’s softly spoken command, lifted my coffee cup, and hid my smile behind it. Their antics always cracked me up.

Everett poked his head in, gave us all a brilliant grin, then locked gazes with Drew. “My butt is fabulous, thank you for noticing. And I just need another minute or two. Have a cookie.”

“There’re cookies?” Jackson asked, sitting a little straighter. He reached for the box I’d brought this morning, but a snuffling woof made him snap his gaze to his dog. A huge Bernese Mountain Dog, big even for her breed. She had a tendency not to be aware of her own size and strength, which explained why she had her muzzle in the fifty-gallon Rubbermaid container we’d set up as a terrarium. “Tinkerbell. Come.”

The dog trotted over and sat obediently at her master’s side, and Everett finally joined us in our small conference room. He scowled at Jackson. “She was only checking on Cherry. You know she needs to. It’s what she does, check on everyone and everything under her protection to make sure we’re all okay.” Everett’s frown deepened. “I can’t believe some asshole just let our sweet Cherry-baby loose in the woods. Thank God we found her, or she would have died. She was already halfway there.”

“We don’t know that’s what happened,” Drew soothed, pulling out the chair next to him.

Everett gave him a scathing look as he plopped into the seat. “How else was a red-footed tortoise supposed to get out there in our forest? They aren’t native to the area.”

From across the table, Wade finally chimed in by clearing his throat, all we needed to quiet down. I took another sip of coffee and sighed happily as the caffeine hit my system. I needed that boost in the morning, and sitting at this table with baked goods, coffee, and my closest friends was the best start to the day.

I took a moment and looked at them, and my chest got a little tight. These men were my brothers in every way but blood, and I cherished the hell out of them. Going into business together three years ago had been the best decision we’d ever made. V Wilderness Adventures was a product of our passion and our friendship and I couldn’t be prouder of what we had accomplished.

“Let’s get started,” Jackson requested. He shuffled his papers, then rested a hand on Tink’s big head. She closed her eyes and huffed a contented breath when he stroked one ear.

Everett held up a hand, then looked straight at me. “Thank you for bringing breakfast, Li-li.”

I gave him a mock scowl. I always brought goodies to our morning meetings since I lived over the bakery in town. “You know I hate that nickname.”

Everett, who had just taken a huge bite of eclair, gave me a wide grin. A little bit of the chocolate and filling oozed onto his lip.

“Gross.” I balled up a napkin and threw it at him. Everett just laughed.

“You start, Liam,” Wade said, effectively cutting off any reply Everett would have made.

I leaned forward and braced my forearms on the table, my hands cupped around my mug. The warmth seeped in. It wasn’t a particularly cold day, but it was autumn and the temperature had yet to hit forty. By the time the sun climbed higher, it’d be warm enough I probably wouldn’t need the fleece I was currently wearing.

“Okay.” I cleared my throat, took another sip, then reached for the piece of paper Everett slid across the table to me. I gave him a smile in thanks and glanced at it. “I’ve got an easy hike this morning. It looks like ten people have prepaid. Starts at eight. I’m thinking I’ll take them up Fox Trail, since the rain two days ago washed out part of Hare Trail. That shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Good plan,” Jackson agreed. “Anything else?”

I shrugged. “The Smiths stopped me on my way in, asking for a more difficult trail to hike, and I pointed them toward Whiteface.”

“They took a transponder with them when they left,” Everett confirmed.

That was a relief. We included safety equipment in our camping packages, but not everyone took advantage of it. The Adirondacks could be dangerous even at the best of times, and I was always pleased when those staying on our grounds chose safety over recklessness. I knew, maybe better than anyone, just how treacherous the terrain could be.

“Wade? What ‘cha got?” Jackson asked, moving the conversation forward.

“A few reservations for canoes. It’s pretty cold to be out on the lake. Neptune and I will be standing by.”

I shot the big blond man a smirk. “And Greg will be in the water?”

“Probably.”

We all laughed. Neptune, a Newfoundland, was trained in water rescue and never left Wade’s side when he was “on duty.” Greg, on the other hand, was a tiny schipperke, and getting him out of the water was a challenge. He loved diving in. Just like his owner.