She swallowed hard before nodding. “We do. But I’ll make an extra note to discuss the spring runoff with our environmental team just to be sure.”
Tilley made another note on her clipboard before tucking it under her arm and clapping her hands together. “Great. Let’s keep going.”
Chase and Becky started walking, and Mason threw a pinecone for Summit to chase as Jess turned to look at me. Our eyes locked, and I could see it clearly.
A new determination in her gaze as she realized who exactly she was up against.
Jess
It was going well.
At least as well as I’d expected. Maybe even a little bit better.
I’d expected Preston to be a class-A dickhead, but surprisingly, he’d actually been pleasant.
For the most part.
I’d been ready for his objections regarding wildlife, but he’d thrown me for a loop with that runoff and water business. None of the environmental reports had mentioned anyconcerns of that nature. I think I handled it as well as I could have, but I didn’t like being unprepared. Not in anything.
Thankfully, as we continued our hike, there were no more surprises, and I found that I was enjoying myself.
The puppy was adorable and endlessly entertaining as he chased the pinecones Mason tossed ahead on the trail for him to pounce on. Both Becky and Chase were easy to talk to, and Tilley could always be relied on for interesting stories and plenty of gossip, of course.
Preston didn’t say much, and I didn’t object to that, because I was fairly certain that whatever hedidsay would be in direct opposition to me.
In order to see some of the natural springs and creeks he’d mentioned, Preston led us off the main trail, onto a much less traveled one. The mud squished under my boots, and I almost slipped a few times, but it felt good to do some actual hiking again. I hadn’t realized how long it really had been since I’d challenged myself in the woods.
“This is one of the creeks that can really swell up with a big runoff,” Preston said as we came to a crossing. “Right now it’s mostly mud, but if we have a big snowpack in the mountains, followed by a wet spring, this innocent-looking little trickle can turn into a raging river that can cause a lot of flooding farther downstream.” He looked at me. “Right where you plan on building.”
I clenched my teeth and nodded curtly.
“Right,” he said with a notable trace of laughter. “Mason, can you carry Summit across so he doesn’t get stuck in the mud? Everyone, watch your step. It can be slick.” He winked at me with that final word, and I shook my head with a groan.
Chase hopped across the rocks and logs with ease and reached back for Tilley’s hand, all but pulling her safely across before lending Becky assistance as well. The three of them, along with Mason and the puppy on the other side, movedfarther along the trail to give Preston and me space to make the crossing.
“It’s slippery,” Preston said as he easily moved through the obstacle and turned back, careful.
A memory flashed through my mind of a moment decades earlier when, on a class trip, a much younger Preston had said something very similar before offering me his hand when we’d had to cross a log bridge that I was too scared to go over.
“I got you, Jess,” he’d said. “Just don’t look down.”
My heart clenched at the memory. Especially when I remembered how safe twelve-year-old me had felt trusting him in that moment and how proud of myself I’d been when I’d reached the other side.
I looked up now, at that same boy, a man now. A man who didn’t bother to hide his dislike for me.
Did I trust him now?
Not likely.
“I’ve got this.” I pushed his hand away as I stepped out on the first rock. It was slippery. More than I’d expected. My foot slid a little, but I caught myself.
“Just take my hand.” He sighed.
I didn’t look up, choosing to ignore him as I moved for the second rock. It was farther away than I’d judged, and at the last minute, I had to leap a little. When my foot made contact, it slipped out sideways, and I knew I was going to go down hard in the mud.
Preston
The moment Jess’s boot slipped on the rock, exactly the way I knew it would, something instinctive sparked inside me.
