“I’d like to hike up to Lake Agnes too and try out that teahouse I keep hearing about. You up for that?”
“Yes.” Krista turned to the window, but that constant crinkle on her brow was still there, irritating the hell out of him.
“Did you tell your friends at the hotel that you were leaving with me?” he asked.
“Yes. I texted Ryan too.”
“What did he say?”
“Nothing yet. I guess he’s got other things on his mind.” Her bottom lip quivered. “Did you text Zoey?”
“Nope.” Shane’s curt word cast an even darker shadow over Krista’s face, but what more could he say? He didn’t owe Zoey an explanation. He didn’t owe her anything. Although, he liked to think that his impromptu take-off with Krista had put Zoey’s nose out of joint. Just as he intended.
But enough about Zoey.
“So you’re all good with doing the hikes I planned to do with Mikey?” When they’d left the hotel, Shane had handed Krista the details of the hikes he’d researched and where they’d be camping these next six nights. Krista now had the trail maps and leaflets on her lap. Shane had seen her look at them, but she had yet to comment. “Don’t feel like you have to do the longer hikes though. We’ve got some tough ones planned, but you could do the shorter circuits.”
That got her sitting up—just as he’d hoped.
“I can handle the distance,” she said. “And the elevation and terrain. Don’t you worry about that.”
Meaning—don’t treat me like a dainty flower.
Now that he knew she had buttons to press, Shane sucked in a cheek. “Well, I’m taller than you. I’ll need to adjust my pace to suit your slower one.”
“Oh, I’ll match your pace, Mister Hot Shot. Hiking’s my thing.”
It was his too. The Canadian Rockies offered some of the best hikes in the world, which only made Shane more irritated with her. If Krista loved hiking so much, why had she gone with the majority vote and opted to stay in the hotel? From what Zoey had told him last night, the only hikes the group had planned were the ones around Banff. Picturesque, yes, but there were so many stunning trails beyond the town limits. Obviously Krista wasn’t the captain of her ship, and that pissed him off. Was she so in love with Ryan that she put his wishes before hers?
Now that really bugged him, because once upon a time, he too had been so in love that he’d bent to each and every one of Fiona’s wishes—lavish nights out, the city apartment, a pedigree toy dog that always yapped at him, a big fancy car, and the big, fancy white wedding...
Krista’s phone bleeped, saving him from revisiting that well-trodden, bitter road down memory lane that led exactly nowhere. He glanced at Krista as she yanked her phone out of her bag and stared at the screen.
“Ryan?”
“Yes.”
“What’s he say?”
“He wants to know if I’m okay. He’s confused as to why I’ve gone hiking with you, and he’s asked if I’ll be back on Sunday for the flight home.”
“Did he mention Zoey?”
“No.” Krista’s shoulders sagged, and Shane had that urge to shake her again.
“Love sucks, Krista,” he snapped. “The sooner you accept that, the better.”
