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Actually, calling it a fall was somewhat of an exaggeration, too.
It was more of a… slip. Eight feet down, where you could easily access the trail.
Either way, I wanted to be in bed.
I couldn’t deny the thrill of this, though. I wouldn’t be here unless I really wanted to be, and there was a gentle buzz of excitement that only increased with every step I took up the trail. Knowing that Josh was meeting me at the top made the pitch-black hike worth it, even when I stumbled on a tree root that was sticking out of the ground.
It was a good thing I knew this track like the back of my hand, or I’d have ended up on my ass.
I shook all my feelings out of my head and focused on the uneven path. It wound through the fir trees and bushes, and it felt as though it took forever until I saw the wooden sign that said Peak Point was just ahead.
I paused for a moment to check my phone. I was five minutes late and had no reception on my phone, so I tucked it back into my coat pocket and redirected my flashlight to the end of the trail. The entrance to the peak was overgrown, but an orange haze was visible through the branches as they parted.
Sometimes, it was a little like Narnia up here.
I pushed through the last of the branches and stilled. A small fire was burning in a pit surrounded by rocks, and Josh was sitting in front of it. His features were illuminated by the dancing flames when he turned his face toward me. A smile spread across his face the moment our eyes met.
I felt like I was the only person in the entire universe who mattered to him.
And that feeling was worth the hike.
“Hi,” I said softly, stepping into the clearing.
“Hey.” He got up on his knees as if he were going to stand for me, but I waved a hand, so he patted the blankets next to him instead.
Two large picnic blankets were laid out on the ground with a couple of cushions, and I eyed the duffel bag next to him as I joined him. “Are we camping?”
“Did you want to camp?”
“God no. I hate camping.”
“Thank God. I don’t own a tent.”
Laughing, I accepted the fluffy blanket he gave me and put it over my legs, grateful for the warmth of the small fire. It was letting off a surprising level of heat, and it warmed my chilled fingers.
“I do, however, have hot chocolate.” He pulled a large thermos out from the duffel bag that was, actually, a large hiking backpack. Two travel mugs followed, and so did a packet of marshmallows, graham crackers, and a bar of chocolate.
“S’mores!” I gasped, clapping my hands to my cheeks.
Josh looked at me. “Shit. If I knew it was that easy to get you excited, I’d have made you s’mores years ago.”
“Shut up.” I nudged him and grabbed the huge flask of hot chocolate. Using my legs as cup holders, I carefully poured the steaming liquid into each one and secured all the necessary lids.
Josh pulled skewers from his bag and gave me one. “You know these things stabbed me like ten times in the back on the way up here, right?”
“Then you need a new backpack because yours is crap,” I retorted, taking the skewer he offered. “A good hiking backpack is made for skewers. S’mores are a vital part of hiking.”
“Since when?”
“Since we live in Montana and it’s cold all the time.”
“It’s not cold all the time.”
“Most of the time.”
He paused. “That’s fair.” He opened the marshmallows and handed me one with a grin. “Pretty good date, huh?”
I peered at him. I really didn’t want to admit it, but it was. It was pretty perfect, actually. “It’s not too bad.”
“If you weren’t grinning, I’d think you were trying to hold out on me.”
“Shut up.” I looked down because, yep, my dumbass was grinning. “Although a fire up here is pretty risky. What if someone sees and comes up? Or calls the fire department?”
He pressed a finger to my lips and pulled his toasted marshmallow from the fire. “I hiked up here last night. You can’t actually see this specific spot from the ground because of the tree cover. And nobody will be hiking up here.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because it’s due to rain.”
“You brought me up here knowing it’s going to rain?”
A hiss filled the air, and I turned to see my marshmallow splatted on the edge of the firepit.
Aw. Damn it.
“Here.” Josh’s lips curled up, and he pointed his skewer at me. He’d already made the s’more, and his smile only widened as I pulled it off and took a bite.
“Thank you.” I wiped some goo from the corner of my mouth. “But it doesn’t excuse you bringing me up here when you know it’s going to rain.”
