Lost & Wild: A Joshua Brown Story

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

A few more songs were sang and Gabe played a little before it was again time to turn in. Harper was always a little disappointed when that time of the evening came. She so much enjoyed the two groups coming together and having this little bit of social time. It felt like they were really getting to know each other.

Bam nodded towards Harper as she helped the cousins gather their supplies and guitars. He was able to get her attention, again nodding this time towards the woods. He pointed to his mouth, mouthing the word 'blueberries'. She stifled a grin and shook her head. She held up one hand with all five fingers up, mouthing back 'five minutes'. He acknowledged her, heading back to his shack.

Harper helped organize the supplies she'd gotten as the guys milled around the tent. She put on her pajama pants, cinching them around her hips. The boys did not seem ready to go to bed, instead gathering in a circle, continuing to mess around on the guitars. She groaned to herself. It was not going to be as easy to sneak out this time. She looked up when the tent front opened. Gabe stuck his head in.

"I heard you guys still playing, ok if I hang out?" He said, holding up his guitar.

"Hell yeah, buddy, c'mon in!" Alex exclaimed welcoming him in.

"Maybe, these guys can teach me to play well enough where you can sing along with me." Gabe smiled at Harper, sitting next to her.

"Well I tell you what, you learn to play 'American Hearts' with them, and I'll sing with you." She grinned at him.

"Damn, Harp, that's cold." Koby said, "That's a tough song. But I'm a master," He played a fancy riff, "And it shall be done."

"I don't know really many new songs," Gabe admitted, looking nervous.

"Here, I've got a version of it on my ipod, let me grab it." Harper said, popping up and grabbing her ipod and a speaker dock from her pod. She queued up the song. Watching Gabe for his reaction to the song.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_PX4mDbIYB0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

American Hearts - Acoustic in Wolf Sanctuary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PX4mDbIYB0

Gabe listened as Harper randomly sang along with parts of it.

"I really, really like that song." Gabe admitted at the end, "Do you think you could get me a copy sometime?"

"Sure Gabey, I'm sure I can figure something out." She glanced at the clock in her pod. It'd been 7 minutes.

Trying to seem casual, she checked her empty pockets and looked around confused for a moment.

"Oh no, I left a bag in the skiff, I think..." She said still looking around for the bag she knew didn't exist, "I better go get it." She continued, grabbed a sheathed knife and attaching it to her pajama pants and slipping on her zippered hoodie.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Braden said, starting to stand.

"No!" She said, too forcefully, she tried backtracking," I mean you guys need to work on that song. I'll get Mr. Cupcake and take him with me, it's not that far." She reasoned. Still unsure, Braden sat back down, eyeing her suspiciously as she left the tent in a hurry.

Ducking down the path that led to the blueberries, Harper tried to avoid being seen. It was dark under the cover of the branches, but the sky was bright with a few stars and colors, the sun not completely gone away yet. The stillness of the evening made her heart beat faster. She tried to move as stealthily as she could, each leaf she passed sounded like a train engine to her. She hoped he was still there, she didn't want him to think she was standing him up.