Chapter 5

A little further back along the trail, Sam and Neil had fallen into an easy rhythm beside one another.

The kind that didn’t feel forced.

Just comfortable.

The forest stretched around them, tall trees casting broken patches of sunlight over the path while voices and laughter echoed somewhere ahead.

“It’s really nice here,” Sam said quietly, glancing around.

Neil nodded.

“Yeah. Better than I expected, actually.”

“And there’s loads more people than I thought would turn up.”

“Honestly?” Neil admitted. “Same.”

He adjusted the strap of his ridiculously overprepared backpack.

“I thought maybe five people.”

Sam smiled.

“You came ready for survival either way.”

Neil looked mock offended.

“This is preparedness.”

“Neil,” she laughed softly, “you’ve got enough Lucozade and snacks in there to survive a minor apocalypse.”

“You’ll all thank me if we get stranded.”

“In Sherwood Forest?”

“You never know.”

Sam shook her head, smiling.

“But no,” she admitted after a moment. “I was nervous.”

Neil glanced at her.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “I nearly didn’t come.”

“How come?”

Sam shrugged slightly.

“Just anxiety, I suppose. Meeting loads of people in real life after only talking online…”

Neil nodded.

“Yeah, I get that.”

She smiled.

“But honestly? It’s been really great.”

Neil smiled back.

“Yeah.”

Then—

Chaos.

White fluffy chaos.

Without warning, Fawkes came barrelling down the path like he’d suddenly remembered he had somewhere very important to be.

“FAWKES!” Dan shouted from somewhere in the distance.

Too late.

The giant fur missile shot straight past Sam—

Very nearly taking her out in the process.

“Oop—!”

Sam stumbled awkwardly.

Her foot slipped.

That horrible split-second feeling hit—

Oh God, I’m going down.

But before she could go completely arse over tit, Neil reached out quickly and grabbed her arm, steadying her.

“You got you,” he said quickly.

Sam blinked.

Still upright.

Somehow.

Fawkes paused two feet away and looked back at her with absolutely no guilt whatsoever.

Honestly, his expression practically screamed:

Out the way, lady. I’m free.

Then—

Off he ran again.

Completely unbothered.

Neil pressed his lips together, very clearly trying not to laugh.

“You okay?”

Sam burst out laughing herself.

“Yeah.”

She shook her head.

“Told you…”

She pointed accusingly at the ground.

“I fall over absolutely nothing.”

Neil laughed softly.

“To be fair, I think being assaulted by a giant cloud dog counts as something.”

“That dog nearly ended my whole walk.”

“Fawkes fears no one.”

Ahead of them, Dan finally caught up, slightly out of breath.

“Sorry!” he shouted. “He saw freedom and forgot manners.”

Sam laughed.

“It’s fine!”

Fawkes sat proudly beside Dan like he’d done absolutely nothing wrong.

Tail wagging.

No regrets.

Neil glanced at Sam.

“You sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah.”

She smiled.

“Thanks for catching me though.”

Neil shrugged casually, though he looked quietly pleased with himself.

“Couldn’t let you faceplant in front of everyone.”

“How thoughtful.”

“I’m basically a hero.”

Sam laughed again.

“Steady on.”

And somehow, just like that—

The awkwardness disappeared a little more.

The walk continued.

Fawkes remained a public menace.

And Sam managed to stay upright.

Mostly.

Further up at the front of the group, Karen, Susie, and Heidi had somehow fallen into conversation with Mark.

Which had very quickly turned into chaos.

Mostly because Mark had casually mentioned he coached hockey.

Heidi stopped walking for a second.

“Oh…”

She looked dramatically at Karen and Susie.

“The boy aquarium.”

Mark frowned immediately.

“The what?”

Karen already looked like she understood exactly where this was going.

“Oh no,” she laughed.

Heidi held her hands up defensively.

“You’ve seen their warm-up though!”

Mark blinked.

“What?”

Susie looked far too amused already.

“She’s not wrong.”

“The stretching,” Heidi said dramatically. “The skating…”

Karen nodded solemnly.

“Elite viewing.”

Mark looked horrified.

“You lot are ridiculous.”

Karen ignored him completely.

“Honestly,” she continued, “those hockey lads know what they’re doing.”

“They really do,” Heidi agreed.

Susie shook her head.

“See, this is why I can’t go watch sports.”

“Why?” Mark asked.

“Because apparently I stop paying attention to the actual sport.”

Karen burst out laughing.

“Fair.”

“And don’t even start on the warm-up,” Heidi added. “Damn.”

That sent the three women off again.

“Right?” Karen laughed. “Suddenly I’m interested in hockey.”

“Very interested,” Susie added.

Mark just shook his head slowly.

“You’re all pervs.”

Karen looked at him completely unapologetic.

“We’re single…”

She pointed between herself, Susie and Heidi.

“…and pervs.”

A beat.

“Duh.”

Susie and Heidi burst out laughing.

Mark groaned dramatically.

“You lot need help.”

“No,” Karen said proudly.

“We need season tickets.”

That nearly finished Susie off.

“Oh my God.”

Mark shook his head again, trying—and failing—not to laugh.

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” Karen grinned, “here you are walking with us.”

“Poor bloke doesn’t stand a chance,” Heidi laughed.

“Honestly,” Susie added, “if he keeps talking hockey, this conversation’s only getting worse.”

Mark sighed dramatically.

“Remind me never to bring sports up again.”

“Too late,” Karen said cheerfully.

“We’re invested now.”

A little further ahead, the conversation had drifted again.

Somehow—from hockey players and questionable warm-ups—it had turned into nights out.

Which, naturally, meant chaos.

Susie laughed as she walked beside Karen, Heidi, and now Deena, who had wandered over after overhearing half the conversation.

“You know what?” Susie said. “We genuinely need a Lifted girls’ night.”

Karen looked interested immediately.

“Oh, I’m listening.”

Susie grinned.

“For my friend’s fortieth, we went to Edinburgh.”

Heidi gasped.

“Ooooh.”

“And,” Susie continued dramatically, “we ended up in this place called Coyote Ugly.”

Karen already looked intrigued.

“The bar?”

“The bar,” Susie nodded proudly.

“And oh my God…”

She laughed to herself.

“They only let women dance on the bar.”

Heidi stopped walking.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Karen pointed immediately.

“I already love this story.”

Susie shook her head, laughing.

“We’d had drinks, music was blasting, everyone was hyping each other up…”

A pause.

“Next thing I know…”

She held her hands up dramatically.

“I’m dancing on the bloody bar.”

Karen burst out laughing.

“No way!”

“Yes way.”

Heidi looked delighted.

“Oh, I am so in for this.”

Karen nodded immediately.

“I’m already there.”

Deena, who had clearly been listening from the side, suddenly appeared beside them.

“I’m so up for that.”

The four of them burst into laughter.

“Imagine it,” Susie said. “Lifted girls’ weekend.”

Karen grinned.

“Oh God.”

“Get us all dancing round a pole,” Heidi laughed.

Deena nearly choked laughing.

“Can you imagine the chaos?”

Karen wiped tears from her eyes.

“Honestly? We’d either become best friends or get banned from somewhere.”

“Potentially both,” Susie admitted.

The four of them absolutely cackled.

Nearby, several of the men glanced over.

The kind of cautious look men gave when women were laughing too hard together.

Like they were quietly plotting something dangerous.

Or expensive.

Mark narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“What are you lot laughing at?”

“Nothing,” Karen replied far too quickly.

Which obviously made it worse.

Jake looked concerned.

“That sounded like trouble.”

Heidi grinned.

“Probably is.”

Neil glanced over.

“Why do you all look like you’re planning world domination?”

Deena folded her arms dramatically.

“Because maybe we are.”

“Should we be worried?” Mark asked.

Karen smiled sweetly.

“Yes.”

The men exchanged looks.

Then collectively decided—

Nope.

Better not ask.

Meanwhile, the women had already dissolved back into laughter.

Because honestly?

A Lifted girls’ weekend sounded dangerously fun.