What a Neanderthal! How dare this jerk of a next door neighbor try to shoot her dog. What kind of person thought a cute, wheezing little Pekingese was rabid? Wookie was curious, nothing more.

So much for Lily’s brilliant idea to let Wookie on her own to do her business before they settled into the cabin. She’d stupidly thought that maybe once Wookie investigated the nearby scenery that she wouldn’t confuse which cabin was hers. Whatever that caveman had put into his trash must have been an irresistible perfume to her little dog.

Holding Wookie to her chest, Lily tramped back to the cabin she’d been allotted and stormed inside. Was it safe for her dog outside with a trigger-happy neighbor like that? Never mind that getting an up-close look at him had revealed he had dreamy brown eyes, one of those clefts on his chin she found irresistible in other men and that his chest and arms were packed with solid muscle.

Oh and he’d smelled like cookies and leather, too. An odd combination but it was no wonder Wookie couldn’t resist getting a closer sniff. But if he might hurt her poor, innocent dog, Lily had to do something about it. Something less spur-of-the-moment than throwing herself on top of him.

She would talk to Ruby about moving to another cabin. There were a dozen of them at least, so it shouldn’t be an issue. All Lily had to do was hike to the main lodge and ask. But first, she had frozen dinners to unpack and if she was walking all the way to the front lodge, she should change into the Converse tennis shoes she’d packed for the woods.

The moment she opened the door to the cabin and reached for the grocery bag containing her meals for the week, she stopped. She’d never taken the time to investigate the inside of the cabin as she’d been busy unloading and then taking Wookie for a tour of the woods and then saving her from getting shot. Now that she saw the room in front of her…

Where was the microwave? The oven? The coffeemaker?

Did that tiny fridge even have a freezer section?

The only furnishings in the room were a woodstove with a pan hung on the wall like a mocking reminder that no one could cook here. Not that Lily was particularly skilled in the culinary arts to begin with. There was a reason she hadn’t been hired to run the food section of the newspaper. The rest of the room contained a loveseat, a round table surrounded by four chairs, and the obnoxiously small minibar fridge atop the square cabinet. Lily froze, her gaze darting from object to object as if she had magically overlooked some vital part of the cabin. No luck. Could the real kitchen be tucked away behind one of those closed doors?

She remained frozen until Wookie wiggled to be set free. Lily set her pet on the floor and approached the first door with trepidation. It led to a bathroom, thankfully furnished with a shower stall, a toilet, and a sink. The next room led to the bedroom, holding only the bed, two nightstands, and a squat dresser. Her stomach plunged into the soles of her shoes. How was she going to eat?

Wookie yipped, as if sensing her distress. Lily clenched her fists, reminded again of the groceries. She stuffed them, bag and all, into the fridge. Better that than the open air.

What was she going to do?

Maybe one of the other cabins had a real kitchen. She pulled her items from the duffel bag and strewed them across the floor in her haste to find her tennis shoes. Why had she brought so many pairs of shorts and not enough jeans? The mountain air was a lot chillier than the city and even though it was warm now in the full sun, the nights would likely get colder.

She didn’t have enough sweatpants and jeans to last the week. She’d have to wear the shorts during the day even if her legs got a bit chilled. She located her tennis shoes and hauled them on over her bare feet without even tying the laces. Her heels squashed down the backs, but she didn’t care.

Maybe her parents were right all along. She had no common sense. She didn’t think ahead. She wasn’t good enough to get anywhere in life. Maybe this silly little competition was too much for her, after all.

Wookie whined, leaning against her leg and lending Lily her support.

Lily patted Wookie’s silky fur and squared her shoulders. No, she wasn’t willing to give up just yet. But one way or another, she had to get out of here. Change cabins. One of the others would be far, far away from the shotgun-toting cookie-scented new neighbor and something on this campground had to have a microwave. It was the only way she was going to survive this stupid competition.