than usual after a long day of hiking.
Ash furrowed her brow. "What? How?" The firelight reflected in her eyes and made them glimmer. For some reason, I was reminded of gemstones.
"The key is to find a clear sheet of ice," I continued as Blaine and Gina joined us. "River ice is perfect. The top part, anyway. You don't want the cloudy pieces deeper inside. Cut out a small section of ice, shape it with your knife, then use the body heat of your hands to smooth it into a lens. Angle it over kindling and the sun gets concentrated into a point, like a magnifying glass. The kindling ignites. Fire from ice."
I saw Ash and Gina exchange a glance. "I doubt it's as easy as he makes it out to be," Ash told her.
"I never said it was easy. But it does work. The best shape is a sphere because you can keep rotating the ice until you find the best angle."
Ash shrugged. "I'll stick with a lighter."
That made me chuckle. "Touché."
Darkness settled on the camp and with it came the night chill. We huddled closer to the fire for warmth. I could think of someone else I wanted to huddle closer to...
Me and Blaine distributed sandwiches. We always ate those on the first day because the bread and lettuce got moldy fast. I'd also brought along some instant oatmeal but for most of the next three days we'd be eating rations of pemmican, Momma Jeanne's special recipe borrowed from the Native Indians. Made of dried beef mixed with fat, salt and spices, pemmican never went bad, as far as I knew.
I'd also managed to find space for a bag of marshmallows, a little treat I'd bought along for the girls. I handed them out after we finished the sandwiches and Blaine snapped off some nearby branches and carved the tips with his pocketknife so we had roasting sticks. For fun, I reached into my pack and pulled out the circular drill.
"What's that?" Ash said.
I took off the drill bit and speared a marshmallow right onto the shaft. I winked at Ash. "Marshmallow roasting machine. Cooks all sides equally, every time."
I activated the drill, applying only a little pressure, and the marshmallow began to revolve. As I'd promised her, all sides were toasted evenly. When it was ready I offered it to Ash and she slid it off the drill.
She took a bite. "Mmm, it's perfect. So good." Some of the goo spilled over her lip s and I had the craziest urge to wipe it off with my fingers.
Or my own lips.
I forced myself to lie back on the ground. I had to, before I did something I regretted. Those lips of hers filled my mind. So kissable.
"Let's do something fun ," Gina said out of nowhere.
"Like what?" Ash sounded wary.
"I don't know. How about a game of truth or dare?"
I pretended to groan from where I lay on the ground. "God. That's for thirteen-year-olds."
"It's for adults, too," Gina said.
"I hate that game." Actually, I liked it but felt like being a rascal tonight. Blaine gave me a sly look.
"I hate it, too," Ash said. "And it is for kids."
I tilted my head so I could see her from where I lay. Her pure blue eyes actually seemed a little wider than usual. Wide with...fear?
Gina wouldn't take no for an answer. "Come on, let's play."
"I'm game," Blaine said.
I sat up and gave Ash what I hoped was a comforting grin. I lowered my voice. "Don't worry, this is the one game where you can lie your ass off and still win."
"I heard that," Blaine said. "Trust me, I can tell when you're lying, Kade."
"We'll see." I rubbed my hands together. "If we're going to play this game, then we're going to play the Canadian version."
"The Canadian version?" Gina sounded just as worried as Ash now.
"Yes." I grinned deviously and saw the glint in Blaine's eye. The 'Canadian' version was something I played at the bar when I was working on a girl, a harmless little game that sometimes got sexual. "Truth, dare, kiss, love, or torture?"
"Torture." Gina said right away.
I pressed my lips together. "Looks like we've got ourselves a sadomasochist here, Blaine."
"Hey!" Gina tried
Ash furrowed her brow. "What? How?" The firelight reflected in her eyes and made them glimmer. For some reason, I was reminded of gemstones.
"The key is to find a clear sheet of ice," I continued as Blaine and Gina joined us. "River ice is perfect. The top part, anyway. You don't want the cloudy pieces deeper inside. Cut out a small section of ice, shape it with your knife, then use the body heat of your hands to smooth it into a lens. Angle it over kindling and the sun gets concentrated into a point, like a magnifying glass. The kindling ignites. Fire from ice."
I saw Ash and Gina exchange a glance. "I doubt it's as easy as he makes it out to be," Ash told her.
"I never said it was easy. But it does work. The best shape is a sphere because you can keep rotating the ice until you find the best angle."
Ash shrugged. "I'll stick with a lighter."
That made me chuckle. "Touché."
Darkness settled on the camp and with it came the night chill. We huddled closer to the fire for warmth. I could think of someone else I wanted to huddle closer to...
Me and Blaine distributed sandwiches. We always ate those on the first day because the bread and lettuce got moldy fast. I'd also brought along some instant oatmeal but for most of the next three days we'd be eating rations of pemmican, Momma Jeanne's special recipe borrowed from the Native Indians. Made of dried beef mixed with fat, salt and spices, pemmican never went bad, as far as I knew.
I'd also managed to find space for a bag of marshmallows, a little treat I'd bought along for the girls. I handed them out after we finished the sandwiches and Blaine snapped off some nearby branches and carved the tips with his pocketknife so we had roasting sticks. For fun, I reached into my pack and pulled out the circular drill.
"What's that?" Ash said.
I took off the drill bit and speared a marshmallow right onto the shaft. I winked at Ash. "Marshmallow roasting machine. Cooks all sides equally, every time."
I activated the drill, applying only a little pressure, and the marshmallow began to revolve. As I'd promised her, all sides were toasted evenly. When it was ready I offered it to Ash and she slid it off the drill.
She took a bite. "Mmm, it's perfect. So good." Some of the goo spilled over her lip s and I had the craziest urge to wipe it off with my fingers.
Or my own lips.
I forced myself to lie back on the ground. I had to, before I did something I regretted. Those lips of hers filled my mind. So kissable.
"Let's do something fun ," Gina said out of nowhere.
"Like what?" Ash sounded wary.
"I don't know. How about a game of truth or dare?"
I pretended to groan from where I lay on the ground. "God. That's for thirteen-year-olds."
"It's for adults, too," Gina said.
"I hate that game." Actually, I liked it but felt like being a rascal tonight. Blaine gave me a sly look.
"I hate it, too," Ash said. "And it is for kids."
I tilted my head so I could see her from where I lay. Her pure blue eyes actually seemed a little wider than usual. Wide with...fear?
Gina wouldn't take no for an answer. "Come on, let's play."
"I'm game," Blaine said.
I sat up and gave Ash what I hoped was a comforting grin. I lowered my voice. "Don't worry, this is the one game where you can lie your ass off and still win."
"I heard that," Blaine said. "Trust me, I can tell when you're lying, Kade."
"We'll see." I rubbed my hands together. "If we're going to play this game, then we're going to play the Canadian version."
"The Canadian version?" Gina sounded just as worried as Ash now.
"Yes." I grinned deviously and saw the glint in Blaine's eye. The 'Canadian' version was something I played at the bar when I was working on a girl, a harmless little game that sometimes got sexual. "Truth, dare, kiss, love, or torture?"
"Torture." Gina said right away.
I pressed my lips together. "Looks like we've got ourselves a sadomasochist here, Blaine."
"Hey!" Gina tried
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