“You realize we probably won’t see a soul on our hike, right?” I tell her. “We’re more likely to run into a bear than a human being.”
“Don’t remind me.” She reaches for her purse and pulls out the bear spray. “Mia gave me this. She said to take it with me when I’m in the wilderness.”
“It’s a real thing,” I say. “Running into a bear.”
An hour later, we actually do see a black bear ahead of us on the trail. Ashley whips out her bear spray and whispers, “Should I use this?”
“No,” I whisper back. “Let’s just turn around and go a different route.”
We do, and the rest of our hike remains bear-free.
We see a bunch of deer, an elk, and a pair of hawks, and Ashley documents all of it. She’s like a little kid at a natural zoo for the first time with her wide eyes and big smile. She jumps around with enthusiasm as she snaps photos with her camera phone, and I tease her that all of her pictures are going to be blurry.
“Just one more,” she pleads with me as I stand in front of a massive pine tree. “You look so small. I’ve never seen you look small before.”
“Darling, this is not good for my ego.”
She sticks out her tongue. “Oh, please. You could stand to have your ego taken down a peg. You’ve got a very healthy dose of confidence, Storm.”
“Pretty sure that’s partly why you love me.”
The words slip out.
Why you love me.
Shit.
Ashley freezes, but her hand holding the phone starts shaking.
She covers it up by snapping the photo and shoving the phone into her coat pocket, but the rest of our hike is awkward.
Say something, you asshole.
I can’t.
I don’t know why.
Something just feels off.
Maybe it’s the timing. My brothers arrive in town later today for tonight’s game, which means Ashley’s girlfriends are coming too. Getting the whole gang back together when she and I are just figuring out where we stand…it’s not ideal.
When we get back to my truck, we drive into town, but instead of eating out, we both say at the same time,
“Let’s get takeout.”
We both laugh.
“You wanted to eat out, I know,” Ashley says. “And I would like to do a traditional date. Soon. But not today.”
“We’ll be out plenty this weekend,” I agree. “The usual?”
She smiles. “Yes.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE
Ashley
Two hours later, the Mexican food containers are empty on the coffee table, and Jared and I lie naked on the couch underneath the pretty Western-style blanket.
