Seven Nights with Her Ex by Louisa Heaton

thrust to the side and a grin on her face.
    â€˜Problem, Gray?’
    Of course she would remember his fear of the kitchen. When they’d been together, Beau had done all the cooking after his one disastrous attempt at a beef stroganoff had resulted in a weird brown splodge on their plates that had tasted, somehow, of nothing.
    He’d never learnt from his mother. The kitchen had been her domain—the one place she’d been able to escape from the men in her family and know they wouldn’t disturb her. The mysteries of the kitchen and its processes had always eluded Gray, but that had always been fine with him. The hospital had a canteen, and when he wasn’t there, he ate out.
    â€˜Maybe.’
    â€˜I thought you’d camped before? Whatever did you eat?’
    â€˜I brought army ration packs. They were self-heating. I didn’t have to do anything.’
    â€˜Okay...what ingredients do you have to work with?’
    Beau headed over to the bags Mack had pointed out and rummaged through the ingredients. There were butter beans, tomatoes, potatoes and a small can of sardines.
    â€˜That’s not a lot for thirteen people,’ she said.
    Mack grinned. ‘Well, this is a survival course. Be thankful I’m not making you forage for ingredients. Yet.’
    Beau’s face lit up. ‘Of course !’ She disappeared into her tent and came back out holding her guidebook on Yellowstone. ‘This will tell you what we can eat. We could get some of the others to forage for foodstuffs and add them to the pan. You stay here and chop up the potatoes. Leave the skin on, Gray—the most nutritious part of the vegetable is just under the skin.’
    â€˜Is that right?’ He was amused to see her so energised. It reminded him of the sweet Beau he’d used to know so well. ‘Are you chaining me to the kitchen sink?’
    She shrugged. ‘Stops you running away.’
    Then she headed off to clear her plan with Mack and gather some of the others to help find food.
    He watched her. Asking Mack for advice on foraging and safety. Organising people. Arranging them into teams. Showing them what they might be able to find. One pair was dispatched to gather more firewood. Another pair to collect water for purifying.
    She was in her element.
    Gray sighed, sat down by the potatoes and grabbed a small, short knife, ready to start chopping.
    Considering she hadn’t even been able to bring herself to even look at him earlier today, they had already taken huge steps towards bringing about a ceasefire. Maybe soon they could have those peace talks they so desperately needed.
    * * *
    While everyone waited for dinner to cook, Mack began teaching the recovery position.
    â€˜If you come across a casualty who is unconscious and breathing, then you’ll need to put them into the recovery position. Anyone tell me why?’
    Beau’s hand shot into the air and Gray smiled.
    Mack looked for someone else to answer, but when everyone looked blank, he allowed her to. ‘Yes, Beau?’
    â€˜Rolling a patient onto their side stops the tongue from blocking the airway and also helps prevent choking in case of vomiting.’
    â€˜That’s right. Beau, perhaps you’d like to be our pretend patient?’
    She nodded and went over to the ranger and lay flat on her back on the pine-needle-covered ground.
    â€˜Before we put the patient into the recovery position, what should we check for?’
    â€˜Check breathing again?’ suggested Conrad.
    â€˜You could. But let’s assume she’s still breathing. You’ll need to check to make sure there’s nothing in her pockets that will jab into her when we roll her over. So, things like car keys, pens, pencils, sticks—things like that. We should also remove the patient’s glasses and turn any jewelled rings towards the palm.’
    He demonstrated by sliding a ring round on Beau’s