LITMIR.BIZ

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gaze snagged on Jake. He wore a pale yellow-colored pullover sweater that heightened the darkness of his hair and eyes. Faded jeans hugged his long, lean legs. She met his gaze. He stared back with polite attention. But then his eyes seemed to darken and his mouth curved into a charming smile. Her pulse quickened, nearly making her lose her train of thought. She wondered what his face—his eyes—would look like across the warm light from a camp fire. Would he still look at her so intently? Could his interest ever be more than just guide and client? Did she want it, too?

      Casey forced herself to keep her gaze moving. Jake’s daughter, on the other hand, made it clear by her crossed arms and bored expression that she wanted to be anywhere but here. Her fuzzy coat and bright-colored leggings wouldn’t work on this trip, but they certainly made her stand out from the crowd. Casey hoped the tall, strawberry-blonde and delicately pretty child would have the stamina to make the long journey. Casey would keep an extra-alert eye on Veronica.

      “I’m Casey Donner, your guide for this tour. The emphasis of our trip will be making sure each of you garners the most enjoyment of your Alaska’s Treasures tour experience.”

      She gestured to the long metal table behind her, where she’d laid out a backpack and everything that would need to go inside. “As you can see from the items on this table, there is a lot of equipment that will be brought with us. Goods and services included in your adventure are food, cooking equipment and safety gear. We spread the weight out through everyone’s backpacks so that no one person’s pack is too heavy.”

      She picked up a stack of papers from the chair to her side. “Each of you will receive a packet with a checklist of the items you’ll need to provide for yourself. Give careful consideration to clothing. Fabrics that wick moisture away from the body and dry quickly are preferable. One thing you should keep in mind is how much hiking you’ll be doing, so good shoe wear is essential.”

      “Will regular tennis shoes suffice?” Stan asked, as he lifted the camera slung around his neck and snapped off some pictures of Casey.

      Disconcerted by the camera, Casey looked away as she answered. “I’d suggest hiking boots.”

      “Like yours?” Marie asked, her green eyes wide, in a face lightly lined with age. She and her husband were in their sixties but could pass for much younger.

      Casey lifted her foot to show her worn, clunky boots. “Yes, like these. Something waterproof and with a good tread.”

      “They’re ugly,” groused Veronica, her vivid blues hostile as she stared at Casey.

      Casey blinked in surprise that the girl had even heard the conversation, with her earbuds blasting whatever she’d loaded on her attached iPod.

      “Veronica, be polite.” Jake admonished the girl with an apologetic glance at Casey.

      Casey made a gesture for him not to worry about his daughter’s rudeness.

      “I agree,” Amelia said. She stood slightly apart from the rest of the group and looked regal in her designer stretch pants and frilly top. She’d taken off the shearling jacket she’d arrived in. “Do they come in colors other than brown?”

      Holding on to her patience and trying not to take Veronica’s dark looks personally, Casey said, “I’m not sure. You can purchase boots at The General Store on Treasure Creek Lane.”

      Amelia moved to stand near one end of the table. Her bangle bracelets clinked as she gestured. “We have to carry all of this stuff?”

      “Yes, you do.”

      Amelia picked up a freeze-dried dinner package. “What’s this?”

      Suppressing a smile, Casey said, “Food.”

      Amelia made a face. “You’re kidding, right?”

      “Nope. Each pack will hold a little over eight pounds of food that will last for the seven days we’re out.”

      “Wait,” Amelia said, her gaze narrowing. “We don’t have a pack mule, or something, to carry our food?”

      Casey shook her head, sure now Amelia would back out. “No. This isn’t City Slickers, the Alaska version. This is the real deal.”

      Looking almost green, Amelia stepped away from the table.

      Turning back to the others, Casey said, “We’ll be walking four to six miles a day, making camp each night. We’ll loop around the Chilkoot trail, crossing through some mountainous territory and skirting along the Taiya River, where you’ll get a chance to do some fishing. We should have mild weather, with the high temp in the midsixties and lows at night in the thirties or forties. But everyone should be prepared for rain, as well.”

      “Just kill me now,” Veronica groaned. “I can’t walk that much.”

      “You’ll do fine,” Jake said, between clenched teeth.

      Casey smiled at Veronica. “Don’t worry. We’ll take breaks and have plenty of time to savor the breathtaking views.”

      “Oh, goody,” Veronica replied, her tone full of sarcasm.

      Amelia sidled up to Jake and Veronica. “Stick with me, kid. We’ll make it happen.”

      Veronica’s gaze narrowed. “Did you make your necklace?”

      Seemingly unfazed by Veronica’s surly tone, Amelia touched the gold, beaded trinket at her neck and arched her eyebrow. “No. This a Marc Antonio original. Worth way more than that iPod you’re attached to.”

      Veronica blinked. “Oh, a Marc Antonio? Wow.”

      Casey couldn’t believe it. The kid hadn’t even flinched at the insult, and was impressed by her sister’s gaudy jewelry. Casey didn’t even know who Marc—whatever—was.

      Forcing her attention back to the orientation, Casey talked about the trip a bit more, showed some slides highlighting points from past trips and then answered questions. When everyone was satisfied and had taken a packet of necessary information, Casey headed over to Jake and his daughter, hoping to connect with the kid. Jake seemed to be having a hard time with the preteen as they conversed near the door. Veronica’s pretty face was pulled into a sullen pout as she stared at her father’s feet—while he bent to catch her eye.

      “Remember what I told you. How you experience this is up to you,” Jake was saying as Casey approached. Veronica snorted.

      Jake glanced Casey’s way and straightened. His be leaguered expression tugged at Casey’s heart. She could tell he was really trying. Not that she had much experience with adolescents, but she wanted to reach out to Jake and his daughter just the same.

      “It won’t be as awful as you’re anticipating,” Casey said.

      Veronica didn’t look up. “Yes, it will.”

      “Veron—”

      Casey held up her hand to cut off his words. “I remember the first time I went out on a full-blown backpacking trip. I was about your age when my uncle loaded me up with a pack that weighed more than I did. I’ll admit, in the beginning it was very tiring and I was sure I couldn’t go on, but after a while you get into a rhythm.”

      “Like a conga line?” Amelia asked, as she joined them. “I can get into that.” She started doing the conga, rolling her arms, kicking her feet out to the side.

      Casey blinked in surprise to see her sister, usually so very staid and controlled, act so goofy. And even more surprising was the tug of a smile on Veronica’s face.

      “Well, I don’t know about the conga, but it will be fun,” Casey said.

      “I’m looking forward to being out in nature and away from all the electronics,” Jake said, his gaze directed at Casey.

      “Whoa. What? No electronics?” Veronica looked scandalized.

      “No electronics,” Jake stated, firmly.

      “You

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