The crunch of footsteps reached me, and I heard a voice. The moment I did, a prickle of awareness rose on the back of my neck, racing down my spine. It had to be Cole Silver. A moment later, there he was.
My heart started kicking hard and fast again, and tingles radiated from my belly as it spun in a flip. My reaction to him was inconvenient.
“Well, hey there, Adele,” Cole said easily.
“Hi,” I said, forcing myself to stay seated on the boulder. The urge to stand and make my presence a little larger was almost pressing, but I ignored it.
A moment later, another Silver brother appeared. I wasn’t sure which one. Cole had introduced me to all of them, but they looked a whole lot alike. I tried to guess.
“Asher?” I asked, a question in my voice.
He flashed a grin and waggled his brows. “You got it. How are you, Adele?”
“Doing well. That stretch is steep.”
“No kidding,” Asher said, rolling his eyes as he propped his sunglasses atop his head.
The two men sat down across from me. Cole leaned back on one hand as he eyed me. “You’re hiking all over the area, right?”
“I am. I’ve mostly traveled up in the Northern part of the state and the Southeast outside Juneau and Ketchikan. In this part of the state, I’ve been to Anchorage, but that’s it.”
“Anchorage is a big city,” Asher cut in.
“Didn’t you say you were training for something?” Cole asked.
“Well, I’m not really training. I’m planning to do a trip in Katmai. I hike a lot.”
“We do too. We go over to Katmai sometimes,” Cole replied.
“You could come with us,” Asher offered.
“Yeah, come with us,” Cole replied.
I slid my gaze to his. “I don’t need guides.” My tone was a little sharp.
“Didn’t say you did,” Cole replied smoothly. “Just that there are a lot of bears in that area.”
“It’s smart not to be alone,” Asher added.
I freaking knew he was right, and I hated it. I clenched my teeth slightly. “Fair point. I haven’t settled on a plan, so maybe I’ll take you up on that. But I’m not paying.”
Cole narrowed his eyes, lips twitching at the corners with a sly grin. “Wouldn’t dare suggest that. You’re clearly an experienced hiker. I think we have a Katmai trip scheduled soon. Do you know when?” he asked, glancing toward his brother.
“I think it’s next month,” Asher said.
Cole’s brows arched as he caught my eyes again, and I was grateful for the glare of the sunlight. My cheeks were burning up, even though it was almost spring.
I knew going with a group was the better option, so I shrugged lightly, trying to play it cool. “That might work out. You sure though?” I asked.
“Of course we’re sure,” Asher said. “You’re not staying at the resort, but you count anyway.”
I laughed a little. “I don’t think I could afford to stay there. I hear it’s expensive.”
“Where are you staying, by the way?” Cole asked.
“A short-term rental in town.”
“Here for the whole month?” Asher prompted.
