Page 56 of Puppy Love

“We don’t camp in this spot. We hike in. Three miles in, actually.”

If he expected that piece of news to slow down the indomitable Sophie Vasquez, he was bound for disappointment. At the thought of an hour-long walk through rugged terrain with only him for company, her face lit with a beaming smile. “Do we? How fun. We’ll be so remote, even cell phone reception won’t be able to reach us. My mother may never recover.”

The power of her smile nearly made him stagger. He’d never met a woman so full of joy for no reason other than because shefeltlike it. He’d grunted like a caveman, resisted every opportunity to grow, and kissed her like someone who hadn’t touched a woman in years, and she’d responded to each with unadulterated pleasure.

He had no idea what to do with so much happiness within his reach.

Actually, he did have a few ideas. That was the whole problem. More than anything else, he wanted that same happiness for himself. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see any way of getting it that wouldn’t involve stealing it out of Sophie’s grasp.

“Yeah, well. Don’t get too excited. Where cell phone reception can’t reach, neither can indoor plumbing.”

Her nose wrinkled at that, but it didn’t stop her. “You’re just trying to scare me.”

“Is it working?”

“No. I’ve suffered worse discomforts in my life than peeing in the woods.”

He laughed and handed her a pack containing most of his food and medical supplies. It wasn’t as heavy as the one with the rest of his camping gear, but she still staggered under the weight. He would have gladly carried it himself—that and everything else he’d brought for the weekend—but he knew her well enough by now to realize that his chivalrous urges wouldn’t impress her. In fact, she’d buck against them with everything she had.

He had no idea what was wrong with Sophie’s family, but they obviously had blinders on when it came to her capabilities. He’d yet to find one goddamn thing this woman couldn’t do, and the way she set her face and hoisted the thirty-pound pack onto her back confirmed it. Especially when she turned to him with her beaming smile and said, “I’m ready when you are.”

It took Harrison a few minutes to get everything bundled on his own person. Every movement of his arms seemed like it would send Bubbles tumbling out of the sling, so he took things slow.

Up and down. Left and right. Twist and turn.

Huh.It seemed to be working. Not once did Bubbles protest or give any indication that she was uncomfortable. In fact, she seemed to be loving it. All it took was one glance at her head, held high as she took in the sights from her exalted perch, and Harrison knew. He could strap that damn dog to the top of the Empire State Building, and she’d eat it up.

Since he knew Sophie would be able to tell if he slowed his pace for her benefit, he finished strapping on his pack and headed toward the trailhead with his usual long stride. He also asked the question that had lingered on the tip of his tongue for the past ten minutes.

“What discomforts?”

“Huh?” Sophie’s voice came from right behind him, her presence so palpable the air between them seemed to crackle with electricity. “What are you talking about?”

“You said you’ve suffered worse discomforts in your life than peeing in the woods.” He did his best to ignore thatthing, that sensation that pulsed in all the places their bodies didn’t touch. From the way his voice almost broke at the end, however, he wasn’t sure he managed it. “I’m wondering what those could possibly be. I mean, I’ve met your sisters. I doubt they duct-taped you to walls and made you eat bugs when you were a kid.”

“Ew. Of course they didn’t. Who eats bugs on purpose?”

He had to laugh. “You will, by the time this weekend is over. I should have warned you that we hold an annual cooking contest for our first meal—but the trick is, you can only use food that you find or catch. Most of us try for fish or small game, but it usually dwindles down to twigs and bugs by the time the deadline’s near.”

“Really?” Once again, Sophie defied all reason and logic by squealing in excitement. He even caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye that he could have sworn was a victory leap. “That sounds so cool. Does anyone oversee the process to determine what’s safe to eat?”

“Nope. The risk is half the fun.”

“Camping is weird,” she said happily.

“So are my friends.” Harrison hesitated, unsure whether he should forge ahead. The logical part of his brain issued a warning to back off, to avoid the personal disclosures that would inevitably bring them closer together.

But he couldn’t help it. His urge to get to know this woman, to talk about her feelings, was even stronger than the urge explore every inch of her body.

“So if it wasn’t torture at the hands of your siblings, what was it?” he asked. “Corporate icebreakers? Blow-up furniture? A clown living in your sewer?”

“Um.”

“I can keep listing uncomfortable things.” He paused. “Oh! I know. It’s those little wooden spoons that come with the cups of ice cream. You know, the ones that feel like tongue depressors? God, I hate those things. There’s something unnatural about putting a stick of wood in your mouth.”

She laughed, the sound tinkling like bells through the wilderness. “You have bizarre dislikes.”

“You only say that because you’ve never tried sitting on an inflatable couch.”