Kinley laughed. “Like she’s really worried about that.”
Within a mile, Ryder slowed again and turned onto a dirt road Kinley might’ve missed if she were driving. No signs alerted passersby to its existence. “It’s not a driveway,” Ryder said before Kinley could ask. “Promise I’ve been here before.”
“Good. The day’s been going so well. I didn’t really want to end it with being shot for trespassing.”
Ryder slowed when the trees thinned and a lake emerged. He maneuvered the truck so the back pointed toward the water. Their picnic view was the most stunning of the day yet, and best of all, they had the spot all to themselves. “Thought we might have that picnic on the tailgate. Mountain view and all that.”
If Kinley told either Ava or Laurel about this day—more particularly this moment—they’d bombard her with squeals of excitement about howromanticthis all was. Alaska and all its beauty had that effect on people.
“You never told me why youreallycame home,” Ryder said to Kinley as he secured Rowdy on a long lead attached to an anchor in the bed of the truck. Until the food was no more, she doubted Rowdy would be tempted to run off.
“You want to know the truth?” she asked, no longer feeling it necessary to keep the secret guarded.
Ryder hopped onto the tailgate next to her and reached for the rolled-up paper bag. “Kind of why I brought it up.Again.”
“I came back to find out who my dad is,” Kinley admitted, taking the foil-wrapped sandwich he offered her. “If you remember, my mom never told me.”
“She said she didn’t know.”
“Well, a letter she wrote me said differently. I didn’t get it until I turned twenty-five. But you remember Mom. It’d be too easy if it had the answer right there in black and white. Her letter told me to talk to Patty Whitmore; she had the answer.” As Kinley unwrapped her sandwich, she explained everything to Ryder about the unexpected letter and the path it led her down. “Guess I’m not meant to know.”
“Try your sandwich before it gets cold,” Ryder encouraged. “Or before Rowdy leaps up and steals it out of your hands.”
Kinley bit into the toasted hoagie bun, savoring the tasty flavor of bacon, ham, salami, sweet mustard, and onions. She moaned in delight with the second bite. Swallowing, she said, “Wow, this is amazing. I see why you drive all the way out here.”
“Right?”
They finished their sandwiches in comfortable silence. Ryder tossed Rowdy a couple of generous bites before it was gone. “I can help you figure it out. Who your dad is. I’m not so bad when it comes to detective skills.”
Tempting as the offer was, Kinley shook her head. “No, thank you. I got so caught up in finding the answer when I first came back that I almost missed out on the important things. I might’ve missed out on this beautiful day.”With you. “Mom had a reason to keep it a secret. It’s probably time I trusted her about that.”
“If you change your mind . . .”
Kinley covered his hand with her own. “Thank you, Ryder.” She made the mistake of meeting his eyes, exhilarated by the intensity that lingered there. Her gaze dropped to his lips, then back to his intimidating dark eyes. Memories of that first kiss flooded back to her. Sunlight shining through the pillars beneath the pier, the way her heart raced as though she’d just sprinted a mile, the graze of his lips against her own.
Rowdy let out a series of barks, causing Kinley to jerk her hand back as if they’d been caught doing something inappropriate.
“Rowdy, girl, shh.” Ryder hopped off the tailgate and knelt beside the dog to soothe her as Kinley looked across the expansive lake. There on the opposite shore, a giant brown bear—a Kodiak if she had to guess—strutted to the edge of the water.
“Ryder?”
He turned his head over his shoulder at her while he continued to calm the dog with his long strokes down her back. “We’re fine, Kin. Long as we don’t make it feel threatened.”
“It’s abear.”
“Way over there.”
“Bears can swim.”
“If it starts to, we’ll pack up and leave. It’s a big lake.”
Alaska was a beautiful place, but also a dangerous wilderness. With a couple deep breaths and Ryder’s reassuring words, Kinley released her panic and watched the bear with interest.
“Ever thought what you might do when you get out of the Army?” Ryder asked, taking a seat on the ground next to Rowdy. Kinley preferred the false sense of safety the tailgate provided.
“Not really.” Up to the day she left Sunset Ridge after graduation, Kinley had no plans to go to college. No dream of being a doctor or lawyer or teacher to chase like so many others in her class. All she wanted was out. “I’ve taken some college classes. Almost done with a business degree. But not really sure what I’d do with it.”
That was the biggest problem of all, she mused. If she decided to let her military enlistment expire, what came next?
