Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

me. And besides, you’ll owe me enough for all that great cooking you’re going to get this weekend. No need to add to your tab.”
    Kat was an awesome cook. She happened to work at the Bakery Erotica, but she was in no way limited to the production of delectable baked goods. Ever since we discovered her cooking talents, the guys and I had paid her to do all our cooking at these events. It was worth it. She fed us. We cleaned up. Everyone was happy.
    * * * *
    Thanks to our midafternoon-on-a-Thursday departure, we managed to miss rush hour traffic. Once we got out of downtown Denver, we made pretty good time. Northward ho!
    I loved that there were so many nearby places to camp in Colorado. We were headed to a sweet little campground, about twenty miles north of Estes Park. The campsites were close enough to socialize for the Faire, but far enough apart if you need to get away and chill for a bit.
    We drove for a ways, just listening to the radio, while we ate our sandwiches. I tried to sleep after I finished eating, but it wasn’t going to happen.
    “Do you want to talk about Colby, or anything else?” Kat finally asked.
    “Not yet. I’m tired of crying today. How did you know he had a big dick?”
    “I saw him coming out of the shower one morning. He forgot to lock the bathroom door on my side. Not that he minded me looking. He hit on me and suggested a threesome. He said he’d always wanted a blonde and a brunette at the same time.”
    I couldn’t catch my breath for a minute while her words sank in. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “I laughed it off, so he acted like it was a joke. You seemed to be happy. I didn’t want to mess things up for you.” She was quiet for a long minute. “If it’d been anyone but Colby, I would have said yes.”
    That’s it. I’d work on my yet-to-be-accomplished sobriety next week. I was so going to drink tonight. “Kat?”
    “Hmmm?”
    “If we’re ever together, I don’t want it to be part of some threesome for a pervy boyfriend to get off. And please don’t say anything about Colby to Leo. I don’t want him to do something stupid and get into trouble.”
    She sighed. “Okay. I won’t tell your brother, but I think you should.”
    I queued up our driving playlist and closed my eyes to lose myself in the music. I guess I drifted off at some point, because when I woke up we were at our regular rest stop in Estes Park. We always pulled in here to top off the gas tanks and visit the local facilities. You learn to enjoy a nice flush toilet when you get the chance. With cold beverages and driving munchies in hand, we were back on the road in no time at all.
     

 

Chapter Three
    Arrival at the Sylvan Faire
     
    We arrived at the campsite with plenty of daylight to spare. The sign at the entrance informed the world this was a private party. SYLVAN FAIRE ATTENDEES ONLY! I smiled. Finally it was time to leave the mundane world behind and escape for the next few days.
    It was at camping events kind of like this where the four of us became such good friends. We’d all gone to these historical recreation events. They were fun, but something was missing. It turned out that we were all in agreement—we liked the camping and socializing and costuming, but were less enamored of the rules and overabundance of historical correctness. Berto heard about the Sylvan Faire from a friend. It sounded different, so we decided to give it a try and it was so much fun. Everyone came as whoever or whatever they wanted, and as long as no one got hurt, no one judged.
    We found Wendy and her crew hard at work on the pavilion loop. Since she was in casual clothes, we could still call her Wendy. In a few hours, and until the end of the weekend, she’d be Queen Gwendolin to the rest of us fairy folk. Lori—Loralei—was posting the volunteer sign-up sheets to remind everyone what they’d agreed to do for the weekend. Kat, as usual, had volunteered to help with the community dinner on Saturday