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Yet again, he’d considered telling the Mavericks about his strange conversations with his mother. Only, was there really anything to tell them? No matter how he tried to downplay it, they’d probably put a full-court press on Mom, trying to wring out what was bothering her. They’d feel duty-bound to help her in any way they could. But was that the right thing for her, when she seemed so anxious about whatever the problem was? So he’d decided to say nothing for the time being.
“I have to thank you too.” Tasha broke into his thoughts, her voice earnest. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“I’ve enjoyed every moment. We all have.” The rest of the materials she’d purchased had been delivered yesterday, but as much as he liked working with hammer and nails, it would do them both a heck of a lot of good to get away for a little while. “You know what we need to do today?”
“Yes,” she said. “You’ve done so much to help me with my place, I want to help you with yours.”
It was a generous offer, one he’d happily take her up on later—not only for her excellent building skills, but because he’d take any opportunity to be near her. For now, though, he waved it away with a better idea. “A hike and a picnic.”
“A hike and a picnic?” She said the words the way she might have said, You want me to eat big hairy spiders for lunch?
He couldn’t help laughing, but he wasn’t going to let her hide out in her cabin a minute longer. She enjoyed the work as much as he did, but there was so much more to life, and he wanted to remind her of it.
“We both deserve time off.” He led her into his kitchen, where he had a backpack and water bottles waiting. “Plus, I already packed lunch for us. I’m sure you don’t want my efforts to go to waste.”
She looked suspiciously at the bag. “Please tell me you didn’t pack your secret stash of caviar in there.”
He slapped a hand to his chest. “Words to strike at a billionaire’s heart,” he joked. The guys had talked up Will’s excellent imported caviar, but Tasha had scrunched her nose. “Even though I know you’ll love caviar when you finally try it”—her eyes widened at the word when, but he wanted her to get used to the idea that this feeling growing between them didn’t have an end date—“if I promise there’s no caviar on the menu today, will you agree to come hiking with me?”
She thought about it for a moment. “I wouldn’t want all your hard picnic-making work to go to waste, but we could always eat it when we take a break later today.”
“Work, work, work.” A smile creased his lips simply from the sweetness of looking at her. “Aren’t you ever lazy for just a little while?”
“No,” she said. But her eyes lit up, and suddenly she was laughing. “And you never give up on your goals either, do you?”
“No, I don’t.”
He wouldn’t give up on his goal to win her heart, that was for sure.
She held up her hands in surrender. “All right, you win. But what about the puppies?”
“They’ll be fine in the pen in the shade. The hike to Grass Lake is too far for them. Plus, we’ve got to cross some streams. We can leave extra water and plenty of kibble to tide them over until we get back. You’re going to have a great time,” he promised her. “I won’t let you down.”
With those words, he was asking her to trust him. He understood it was a huge deal for her, with so many more implications than a mere hike. After all, her family had let her down in the worst of ways.
But Daniel meant every word, and he refused to hold back any more than absolutely necessary. Not when Tasha was everything he’d given up hope of finding—smart, independent, compassionate, and oh-so-sexy.
“All right,” she said at last. “I’ll put on my hiking boots.”
At her house, she plopped on a pink ball cap, pulling her hair through and letting her ponytail cascade down her back. His fingers itched to tangle themselves in the silk.
He laughed when she turned, pointing at the stitching. “That’s a good sign.”
Tracing the letters, she smiled, turning his heart as soft as the center of a chocolate crème. “Not adulting today.” She shrugged. “Very millennial, I know.”
“I for one am glad you’re not adulting today.” He wanted her carefree and happy, without the shadows she’d lived under for so long.
They took care of the puppies, then hit the trailhead, climbing to the lake along the fire road, passing waterfalls gushing with the last of the snowmelt. She walked slightly in front of him, and he enjoyed the mesmerizing sway of her ponytail and the strength in her calves.
“You’re a great hiker.”
“Thanks,” she said with a smile. “Dad and Drew and I used to—” Her smile fell halfway through her sentence. “I’ve always loved hiking,” she said instead of whatever family tidbit she’d been about to reveal.
He wished she’d feel comfortable sharing more, but who was he to judge when he hadn’t shared his concerns about his conversations with his mother with anyone? Yet he still didn’t feel it was right to saddle Tasha with his stuff when he didn’t even have his facts straight.
“Anyway,” she continued, “I’ve been dying to know, how did the Mavericks meet their wives?”
He saw the question for what it was, a way to take the focus off her and her family. But his answer could, if used skillfully, draw her out. Let her get to know him until she didn’t notice she was revealing more about herself too.
