Page 15 of Love in the Time of Wildfires

Even though Logan had said that he’d take her hiking within the next couple of days, River didn’t necessarily believe it. And after what he’d said about the fire in Redding, she’d be okay if he changed his mind. Perhaps she hadn’t given everything enough thought when she’d asked him in the first place. River felt bad about bothering him with her personal mission and decided she wasn’t going to push him anymore. Besides, after the evening at Lucky Duck, it probably would be for the best.

Her mind kept wandering back to those few minutes she’d spent with Logan in the parking lot. She had no idea why her brain chose to obsess over the details. Nothing had happened, and she hadn’t expected anything to happen, only . . .

Well, maybe it had been the way he’d looked at her. It had been a long time since anyone had gazed at her that way—like he was attempting to see through her, to figure her out. Heck, she couldn’t remember the last time her ex had looked at her in a way that wasn’t more than a passing glance. He’d gotten used to her, not believing there were any more surprises to find. But with Logan—a small part of her almost wished he’d pushed things a little further. When he’d leaned in and said he liked when she called him Logan, her breath caught in her chest, her stomach flipping.

And while she’d rather talk her way out of a situation, there was a spark of excitement fizzling inside her torso when Logan’s eyes had become hard flints as he confronted that creep, Robert, in the bar. River could believe he was as tough as his occupation needed him to be. Maybe it wasn’t Damon’s wisecracking personality but Logan’s sheer will that made big wildfires his plaything. Stuff like that could make a person grow weak in the knees. Well, not her, because she didn’t need any of that and wasn’t interested in jumping into a relationship when she’d recently escaped from one. Her new freedom was too important, and she wasn’t tying herself down for anyone.

Hearing a knock on her door, she paused the movie, confusion settling in. Who in the world would be coming to see her? The sound repeated.

River tiptoed to the door, peeking through the peephole. Well, for goodness’ sake. It was Logan. On her day of loafing, she wasn’t dressed to impress—not that she normally cared. River wore an oversized T-shirt and black sweatpants. She debated answering, but her curiosity got the better of her.

Scraping her fingers through her hair, as though she weren’t embarrassed to be greeting him in her veg clothes, River opened her door. “Hi.”

He opened his mouth before stopping, his gaze roaming over her. She tried to pretend this didn’t affect her even if it made her insides hot. When his eyes met hers again, she gave him a close-lipped smile, and he rubbed his neck, as though unsure of himself. Logan said, “Time to go hiking.”

It wasn’t a question as much as it was a statement. “What?”

“You wanted to go hiking. So we’re going hiking.” He looked annoyed at having to state the obvious, and that she wasn’t jumping at the opportunity.

Everything about the situation made her want to laugh. “Today? Like right now?” She didn’t know what to expect when he agreed to take her, but she imagined there’d be a discussion beforehand—that she’d get a warning. Apparently, not.

“We’re not getting called out today, but it might be different tomorrow. We should go now.”

“Um, okay.” Perhaps River shouldn’t be surprised Logan had to live his life spontaneously when he didn’t know when everything would change. It was taking her brain time to catch up to the fact that this was happening and he was keeping his word. “I . . . I just need to change. Is that okay?”

He nodded. “I’ll wait for you in the parking lot.”

“Sure.” River shut the door, taking a moment to lean against its surface. She knew spotting the fox, especially during daylight hours, was rare. But if she knew the location, she could explore it later during a more ideal time and not have to depend on him. That’s all this was, she insisted to herself. Because traipsing through the woods with a hot grumpy guy made her feel all kinds of things she shouldn’t be feeling.

Not wanting him to wait for her too long, she ran to her room, throwing on an appropriate hiking outfit. Grabbing a few essentials, she tossed them into a bag and made her way downstairs.

He leaned against a gray truck while going through his phone. The wind tousled his dark hair, and she may have slowed her steps while taking it all in, especially as the weathered black boots he wore struck her as sexy as hell. When his gaze lifted from his phone with his usual intensity, she fought the urge to sprint back to her apartment. It was all too much in a period of her life when she didn’t want anything at all. Oh, this was a bad idea.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, his face morphing into concern.

“Uh-huh.” River shuffled through the contents of her bag like she wasn’t hot and bothered by his presence.

“What’s that?”

“What’s what?” she asked, glancing up.

He fingered the worn bag on her shoulder.

“It’s a tote bag,” she replied slowly, stating the obvious.

“You’re bringing a tote bag? On a hike? What about a backpack?” He jabbed a thumb at his. The item was old and ratty, the fabric a sun-faded grayish brown.

His question, which seemed to be a prelude to an oncoming lecture, did a good job of snapping her back to the reality of the situation. The guy was nothing but judgmental opinions stacked on top of each other in a fireproof trench coat. One thing River didn’t need was a new person telling her how to live. She was over that.

“What if we come across a cute shop? I might need to buy something,” she said sweetly, with only a little sarcasm sprinkled in before switching it off. “I didn’t know I was going hiking today, and I haven’t had a chance to go shopping for a backpack. All I have is water, a couple granola bars, some bug spray, and my keys. Do you think I’ll need more than that?” River was beginning to get nervous that she approached this hike too casually and was unprepared, according to an expert. She’d gone hiking before but not enough for her to claim she was experienced at it.

He sighed, setting his bag on the ground. “Let me have your stuff. I’ll put it in my backpack.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s fine. I just want to get going.” Except he made it sound as if this was a hassle. River wasn’t about to argue if he was willing to carry almost everything. She handed over her few items, except for her phone and keys.

As he zipped up the bag and lifted it, she said, “Say cheese,” not giving him a chance to react before snapping his picture.