Vega by Autumn Reed & Julia Clarke

Author:Autumn Reed & Julia Clarke [Reed, Autumn & Clarke, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BA
Goodreads: 34120852
Published: 2017-07-25T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Resting my arms on the wooden railing, I surveyed the scene before me and inhaled the fresh air. Perched several stories off the ground, everything was green as far as the eye could see. Apart from camping, I had never felt so at home in nature, and I wasn’t sure I’d want to sleep in a tent again after staying at the incredible tree house.

“Here, gorgeous, have some Prosecco.”

Liam handed me a champagne flute while the rest of the guys gathered on the deck, drinks in hand. Penny nudged her head into my palm, inviting me to pet her.

“Prosecco?”

“Italian Champagne.” Knox leaned against the railing with his whiskey, the sun setting on the forest at his back.

“Actually, it’s not Champagne unless it’s from the Champagne region of France,” Liam corrected.

“Thanks for clarifying,” Knox said dryly.

After Jackson joined us, Liam raised his glass. “Here’s to the birthday girl. And, to a year full of happy memories.”

“A year of new adventures,” Theo added.

“A year of achieving your goals,” Knox said.

“A year of developing your talents.” Chase smiled.

“And, to a year of being fearless,” Jackson finished.

I smiled at each of them as they spoke, still wondering how I had gotten so lucky. A year ago, I was sheltered, lonely, and frustrated. Since my eighteenth birthday, my life had been one big adventure, from the move to Santa Cruz, starting anew on my own in Portland, then finally returning home to the guys.

After everyone drank to the toast, or rather toasts, I felt like I should say something. “Thank you for my birthday surprise. You guys went overboard, but I love it.”

“Did you have any idea what we were doing this weekend?” Theo asked.

“No. I kept wondering if we were going camping, but when I checked the truck this morning, there was a noticeable lack of tents and sleeping bags. I never would’ve guessed we’d be staying in a tree house.”

“We’re one big happy Swiss Family Robinson.”

I saw Chase bristle out of the corner of my eye, and I was surprised that he seemed so worked up about Theo’s innocuous comment.

Jackson jumped into the conversation. “I’ll take our setup over maneuvering a makeshift raft out to our shipwrecked vessel to retrieve food and supplies any day.”

No joke, I thought. Not only did we have a well-stocked kitchen, there was a cozy living room with a futon and wood-burning stove (which seemed like more of a fire hazard than anything else), two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an expansive deck with a hammock and hot tub, not to mention the private hiking trails that spread over several acres. As much as I loved sleeping in a tent under the stars, it didn’t hold a candle to the feeling of being up in the trees.

“Knox did suggest camping, but . . .” Chase hesitated.

“Lord Carlyle will accept nothing less than Egyptian cotton, twenty-thousand thread count sheets,” Knox finished for him in a fake accent.

“You can tease me all you want, but we both know you have expensive taste as well,” Liam said to Knox.

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