The winding mountain road was narrow and had hair-pin turns that appeared to dive right off the side. As the Jeep climbed higher, Nadia felt her ears pop. She cringed into the passenger seat, no longer interested in looking out the window. On her side of the vehicle was the stony mountain; on Perry’s side was a steep drop to the wilderness below. “How much farther?” she gulped.

Perry casually drove with one hand, unfazed. “Scared of heights?” he asked with a grin. “Don’t worry. We’re almost there.”

Nadia met his gaze. His mesmerizing blue eyes were steady, calm. She found a smile for him as he anchored her to the earth.

“When we get to basecamp, we’ll go over some safety precautions before I take you into the woods,” Perry explained. “Each core lesson spans one week, with the first one being the hardest, but it does get easier after that. We’ll go out into the woods with nothing but the clothes on our backs and a knife.”

Nadia’s nervousness returned with a vengeance. “Has anyone ever gotten seriously injured out here with you?”

“Not once in the three years I’ve been doing this.”

“You must be really good at what you do.”

Perry chuckled. “I told you not to worry. You’re in good hands.”

Good hands, she thought. Last night those hands had been all over her body. This morning her father had reminded her that—even in the remotest locations—she had to refrain from doing anything scandalous. Perry’s good hands would have to stay in their proper place from now on.

They arrived at the cabin that belonged to Perry’s friend Clyde MacAskill, who was currently laid up at the hospital. Nadia had envisioned a cozy little hut, but the spacious two-story house boasted five bedrooms and a sitting room with a daybed. Every modern amenity was present, even a hot tub.

“Girl’s gotta have her hot tub.” Nadia beamed as she toured the house.

“Don’t get comfortable. We won’t be here long.” Perry ushered his two students to the kitchen table and pulled a folder from his satchel, handing out papers to each of them.

“What’s this?” Lincoln asked. Under the table, his foot absently stroked hers. His attention was on Perry’s instructions, but the casual touch sent butterflies fluttering through her.

Nadia tried to focus. “I didn’t expect literal classwork,” she said as she scanned the top sheet, which outlined basic safety precautions.

“We’ll get some hands-on experience for the stuff that requires it, but a lot of what I have to teach you is based in critical thinking.” Perry lounged against the kitchen peninsula, a quirky half-smile tugging at his lips in a way that reminded her of what his mouth could do.

Focus, focus, focus, Nadia chanted inwardly. One of the documents was a checklist of items every family should have on stand-by in case of disaster. It included practical things like nutrient-rich nonperishables, first aid kits, tools and weaponry. Her father would be proud of Perry’s attention to detail. Maybe I should propose that he hires him instead of me.

“I also emailed this to you when you signed up for the class. That covers that. Now,” said Perry as he handed them wicked looking hunting knives, “any health issues I need to know about before we make our trek into the woods?”

Nadia considered mentioning she was operating on high arousal, which might complicate her ability to think clearly. She bit back a smile and shook her head in response to his question, though. “I sent you a copy of my history and physical from my primary care physician.”

“Me, too,” said Lincoln. “I’m excited to get going.”

“Then, let’s make it happen. You guys take a guest room and leave your belongings upstairs. Get dressed in your course-approved gear and meet me back here in five minutes.”

“Special request?” Lincoln asked hopefully.

Perry crossed his arms. “We’ll see. What is it?”

Lincoln held up his sketchbook. Nadia clasped her hands together, pleading, “Yeah! One notebook and pen or pencil each. Please? I promised my friend I would write to her.”

“And since you trashed my phone, the only way I have to preserve these beautiful sights is through my drawing,” Lincoln pointed out.

“Fine,” Perry sighed. “Just know you won’t be starting any fires with paper. Everything else about this survival training course is going by my book. Understand?”

Nadia and Lincoln’s buoyant excitement carried them on a comfortable stroll along a well-worn path behind Clyde’s cabin. The chilly air filled her lungs, but the warm layers of clothing kept her comfortable, and hiking boots made the walk easier. She drank in the experience.

The strong scent of evergreens made her think of Perry’s cologne. Birdsong was punctuated by rustles in the underbrush and the buzz of insects, and a light breeze swirled thin, wispy fog that hung low. About a mile from base camp, Perry directed their attention to the sound of running water.

“You hear that? That’s life,” he said. “We want to build shelter near a water source.”

He showed them how to make a round-lodge by using their knives to cut flexible green saplings that were about thumb thick. It was time-consuming, labor intensive work, but Nadia was pleased with herself for keeping up with the men. They assembled the long wood into a rounded conical shape attached to thicker bows and tied together with cord that Perry showed them how to make with dry grass.

It would take days to make enough cord to assemble the structure; so, after he taught them how to make the binding, he retrieved readymade lengths of cord from his backpack and helped them use it to bring the round-lodge together. Once done, they insulated the lower half of the building with mud and grass from the streambed.

By the time construction was complete, the sun had sunk beneath the tree line, and the clearing was cold. Perry beckoned for Nadia to step into the shelter with him. Her eyes widened in surprise. “It’s warmer in here.”

“Mm-hm. It’ll be even warmer once the three of us are in here together.”

“This is amazing.”

“Shelters like these were predominantly used by early settlers in the Midwest. It’s a strong design that will provide temporary shelter in nearly any situation until you can build something sturdier. Told you that you were in good hands.”

Nadia conceded that she trusted him. Their eyes locked, and Perry hesitantly touched her cheek with the pad of his thumb. She licked her lips as the heat in the room went up another few degrees. The spell was broken when Lincoln stepped into the spacious lodge. “What’s next, boss?”

“Now, we learn how to build a fire.”

Nadia whispered to herself, “I thought we covered that lesson last night.”

Lincoln blushed, but Perry ignored the comment. They used friction build-up, rubbing two sticks together to ignite a carefully constructed fire pit. Nadia pouted when Lincoln mastered the task quickly while she struggled to get the hang of it.

“Take your time. This isn’t a race,” Perry murmured.

“He’s done this before.”

“Yeah, I was a Boy Scout,” Lincoln acknowledged.

“See!”

Perry grinned and shook his head. “So what? Does that mean you shouldn’t learn how? Stop being a spoiled brat and keep trying.” Within minutes, the blazing fire warmed the clearing around the round-lodge, and the heat radiated to the shelter where Nadia sat down to rest. “Aren’t you proud of yourself?”

“I’m not spoiled,” she grumbled.

“You are, but that’s okay. We’re all products of our environment.”

“Shade thrown?”

“Not at all. My point is, we’re sculpted by our challenges. Challenge yourself, even if no one else is challenging you. When you step back and see what you’ve accomplished with your own two hands, you gain the confidence to do more. Now that we’ve got a shelter and a fire going, what’s the next priority?” Perry asked.

“Food and water,” Lincoln answered immediately. His stomach growled audibly. The hard work of building a shelter had taken a lot out of them.

Perry reached into his backpack and brought out three large fabric canteens. “We can’t hunt tonight, but we can forage, and, tomorrow, I’ll teach you how to make these.” He dropped the canteens inside their shelter. “Nadia, you need a break? Lincoln, come with me. Let’s go see what we can find to eat.”

“Ugh! I think I’m losing some of my enthusiasm for this,” he complained with a laugh.

Nadia chuckled and moved closer to the fire. “No, I can help, you guys. I’m not the weakest link.”

“It doesn’t take three people to forage. If you want to help, I can show you how to make a bough bed. Let’s get the frames in place. Then, you can fill it with dry leaves and grass. You’ll want to make the mattress about six inches thick to get us off the ground and provide insulation against the cold. Can you handle it?”

“We’ll see,” she replied. That smoky quality tinged her voice again.

* * *

Perry found downed branches that were large enough to provide the frame of the bed, and Lincoln lugged them with him to the shelter despite the fact that his muscles ached and his blood sugar was crashing. He could not wait to get back to civilization to give Mitch Trepan a piece of his mind. What made the director think this experience was what he needed to be a better actor?

His hands were dirty and blistered from sawing through boughs all afternoon. He was sweaty. He hated to think of what he would smell like after a few more days of this. Lincoln blew out a frustrated sigh as Perry gestured for him to join him foraging for food.

“Why would anyone want to do this?” Lincoln muttered. “With all the technological advances we have, this is work for the sake of work. And what the hell is on the forager menu?”

“Weeds, roots and bark. Berries, if we’re lucky.”

“What about protein?”

“Pick a rock. I’ll show you the best grubs and larvae you can find,” Perry chuckled.

“Please tell me you’re pulling my leg!”

“You’ll eat anything you have to, if you get hungry enough.” Perry led him closer to the stream where the waning light fell upon nothing that looked remotely edible. “You have to know where to look. You don’t want anything from the roadside or anything that might have been exposed to dangerous pollutants and pesticides. Forage from places with low traffic, like out here.”

They found dandelion and chicory, wild leeks and elderberry and returned to camp with the bounty of “food.” Nadia was still working on the beds. Perry used a flat stone slab and made a salad. Finally, the three of them settled close to the fire and ate together.

The greens were bitter, but the elderberries were sweet and tart. Perry lauded the benefits of eating clean. Nadia tentatively tried everything laid before her as her expression ranged from perplexed to bravely determined. Lincoln found the meal barely palatable, and his stomach begged for real food. “This feels like a punishment.” He tried to force a laugh, but was obviously struggling to find the humor in the situation.

With a grin, Perry gestured back the way they had come. “The moss grows on the north side of the tree. If you don’t like how I do things around here, you’re welcome to make your way north to the cabin.”

“You’re getting a kick out of this, aren’t you?” Lincoln accused. Something about Perry’s smug grin made him angrier. The survival instructor spread his arms and shrugged.

“I’m just giving you your options. You can eat this, go hungry, or go home.”

Nadia’s eyes swung from Perry to Lincoln.

“And I’m just saying,” Lincoln fired back, “you could offer protein bars or something. It’ll do your business some good. You’ve got us eating weeds like nut jobs. I mean, you don’t like Rick Feldman, but I saw his brochure. Whatever he’s doing is working.”

Perry’s jaw tightened perceptibly, but he spoke calmly. “Oh, thanks for the business advice. Better yet, you can quit now and sign up for Rick’s course. See where that gets you.” Perry chuckled bitterly and shook his head. “You don’t take this seriously anyway. For you, this is about a character you’ll be playing in a movie.”

“Oh, come on! I don’t take this seriously?’” Lincoln exclaimed defensively.

Perry pinned him with a look. “I’m not here to entertain you or to stroke your ego. I’m here to teach you how to have a chance at making it in a dangerous world. So, my offer still stands. You don’t like how I run things? Get the fuck out of my camp!”

“Guys,” Nadia interjected. She swept her hands through the air in a slicing motion. “Enough with the pissing match. We’re in this together.”

Lincoln backed down. He hated to seem like a jerk, but Perry was pushing his buttons. He wondered if things would have gotten as heated if they had not slept together. The argument was laced with tensions from sexual frustration, a desire to dominate, a need to regain control of a situation none of them seemed to have control over.

“You’re right,” he sighed. “We’re in this together.” Lincoln stuck out a conciliatory hand which Perry pointedly ignored.