And a big-city woman with a fancy career like her wouldn’t be satisfied with my humble life for long. Besides, I spent more nights out in the woods than at home.
Would she be satisfied sitting at home waiting for me to come back from another hiking tour?
Naw.
Leah’s lips curved into a patient smile I imagine she’d given to many other men before in her life.
“Sure thing, Jameson,” she said as she rolled out of bed sleepily, her whole body on display, naked and fearless in the morning light. “But we don’t have to pretend we didn’t enjoy last night.”
Leah hunted for her clothes, putting them on slowly as though she didn’t mind being naked with me.
I was already fully dressed and ready to go, every cell in my body vibrating uncomfortably.
When she bent to tie her hiking boots, I let my eyes trace the curve of her back, remembering how it had felt beneath my hands. Her curls fell in front of her face, and she gave me a shy, confident smile, as though she knew secrets about what was happening inside my heart right now.
“You okay with this?” I growled as we walked out and left the cabin behind.
“Of course I am. I’m a grown woman, Jameson. Don’t worry about me. But I did have fun. I wouldn’t mind hearing you admit that you liked it, too.”
I opened and closed my mouth half a dozen times, trying to find the right words to tell her how I felt about last night.
Leah was magical. She was everything awomanshould be. She was soft and delightful, and I wanted to keep her forever.
In the end, I didn’t find the right words, so I tucked my hand on her lower back as we started the hike to the trailhead, hoping that my touch could tell her how I felt.
It seemed to communicate something, because her smile widened, and even though we walked the rest of the way in silence, I felt like we were having a quiet conversation that only our souls could hear.
The morning sun dappled through the trees, and birdsong filled the air. The only faint reminders of the wild storm we’d ridden out last night were the damp earth beneath our feet and the fresh ozone scent of rain in the air.
But what happensnow? The question hung unspoken in the air, and I didn’t have an answer for it. Even though I knew I better find some words fast, or she was going to slip right out of my life forever.
Tucker’s truck was already at the gate when we arrived, the park ranger climbing out with his coffee thermos in hand. He raised an eyebrow when he saw us emerge from the trail together.
Tucker’s mouth twitched like he was holding back a grin. “Well, well,” he said, unlocking the gate. “Didn’t think I’d see you bringing company out of the woods at sunrise, Jameson. Folks’ll start thinking you finally retired that ‘no women’ rule of yours.”
It was impossible not to notice the wary look in Leah’s eyes when Tucker said that.
Tucker chuckled under his breath. “Boone’s gonna owe me money. He swore you’d never be the type to get tangled up with a tourist. But I knew you’d fall for one eventually.”
I ignored the look Leah shot me and focused on tightening the straps on my pack needlessly instead.
Then Tucker turned to Leah. “Don’t worry about me, hon. I’m just razzing. Everyone in town knows Jameson doesn’t do relationships.”
My blood began to boil.
“Someone namedTuckerlocked us in last night,” I explained. “We weretrappedin here. A cell tower must be down because we couldn’t even call you to come unlock it. Did you know your emergency phone by the gate’s broken?”
Tucker’s eyes creased. “Damn. Sorry about that. Is that why you two spent the night? That phone’s been busted for years.I saw the rental car, but figured whoever drove it must’ve carpooled out with someone else. And I knew you were probably planning to camp down in the hollow anyway,” he nodded toward my truck. “I recognized your rig.”
“It worked out fine,” I growled. “We sheltered in the old trapper cabin.”
“Smart thinking.” Tucker took a long sip of his coffee, his eyes moving between me and Leah with obvious curiosity.
Leah excused herself to put her things in her car, and I waited until she was out of earshot before stepping closer to Tucker.
“Listen,” I said quietly, “quit razzing us, okay? You’re going to scare her off.”
“You usually do that all on your own.”
