The
next
morning
Dare
got
up
bright
and
early
and
stood
on
the
porch
enjoying
a
cup
of
coffee.
AJ
was
still
asleep,
which
was
fine,
since
the
two
of
them
had
stayed
up
late
the
night
before.
Thorn
had
finally
called
to
say
he
couldn’t
make
it
due
to
a
deadline
he
had
to
meet
for
a
bike
he
had
to
deliver.
So
it
was
final
that
it
would
only
be
the
two
of
them.
After
loading
up
the
supplies
in
the
kitchen
after
Thorn’s
call,
they’d
gathered
wood
for
a
fire.
Nights
in
the
mountains
meant
wood
for
the
fireplace
and
they
had
gathered
enough
to
last
all
three
days.
Then,
while
he
left
AJ
with
the
task
of
stacking
the
wood,
Dare
had
gone
into
the
kitchen
to
prepare
chili
and
sandwiches
for
their
dinner.
They
hadn’t
said
much
over
their
meal,
but
AJ’d
really
started
talking
while
they
washed
dishes.
He’d
told
him
about
the
friends
he
had
left
behind
in
California,
and
how
he
had
written
to
them.
They
hadn’t
written
back.
He’d
also
talked
about
his
grandparents,
the
Brockmans,
and
how
he
had
planned
to
spend
Christmas
with
them.
Now,
Dare
glanced
around,
deciding
he
really
liked
this
place.
It
had
once
been
jointly
owned
by
one
of
their
cousins
and
a
friend
of
his,
but
Jamal
had
talked
the
two
men
into
selling
it
to
him
and
had
then
presented
it
to
Delaney
as
one
of
her
wedding
gifts.
It
was
at
this
cabin
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