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ELLIE: Okay. But you’d better bring some snacks, too, or I won’t even make it out of the car.
JACK: As far as I’m concerned, you ARE the snack. But fine…
I’ll bring fancy cheese, just for you.
ELLIE: CHEESE! You said the magic word. It’s a date. See you soon, sexy.
JACK: Not soon enough.
CHAPTER 15
Jack
Day 9 Thursday 8/9
“So what other things around this gorgeous place might be hungry for our blood?” Ellie snags my arm, holding on tight as I sidle up next to her on the primitive hiking trail. “I’m all about the trees, but I’m not good with wild animals, Jack. Especially bears!”
“It wasn’t a bear. It was a fisher cat.”
“It looked like a bear. A small bear, but abear. No doubt.”
“It’s more like a weasel, technically. Besides you can’t blame the little guy for wanting a bite.” I give her a playful smack on her ass—the one that only moments ago was bared to the entire state of New York from the top of a nameless, rarely traversed mountain on the outskirts of the Catskills.
We’d just completed our second “team-building” exercise of the morning—the first happening in the car at the deserted trailhead parking area—when a furball scuttled onto the rocks and screeched like a tiny demon, scaring the hell out of her.
“We could’ve been attacked,” she says, clearly unamused.
“No way. You showed him who’s boss with that primal scream of yours. I bet he’s already back in his hole, warning his friends about the fierce, five-foot terror of the Catskills.”
“Five-foot-four, thank you very much.” She shudders. “Do you know how many cases of rabies were confirmed last year in New York state alone?”
“How many?”
“I don’t remember, but it’s a lot. And the treatments are horrible.”
She shivers again and tries to speed-walk ahead of me, but I overtake her easily, grabbing her hips and backing her up to a maple tree on the side of the trail.
“Hey.I’vegot teeth and claws and you like to hang out with me.” I lean in to nibble her neck, making her laugh as she twines her arms around my neck and kisses me full on.
“How did you even find this place?” she murmurs against my lips.
“Do you like it?”
“God, it’s beautiful,” she says, eyes wide with appreciation as she takes it all in again. “But it’s like the trail that time—and park maintenance—forgot.”
“It’s always been like this. My parents used to bring me when I was a kid. Every year or so I find myself gravitating back to it. It’s not on any of the maps, and most people stick to the more popular routes, so it’s the perfect getaway.”
Itisperfect. Sunny and clear blue skies, a light breeze to keep us comfortable, and no one else on the trail but the forest dwellers. No fretting about stock valuations, no mind-numbing meetings, and—best of all—no interruptions.
And I love sharing this place with her.
“Thanks for bringing me,” she says. “It’s been way too long since I’ve stepped on actual dirt and grass outside a city greenspace.”
“I thought you’d enjoy it. Couple years ago, I did a solo backpacking trip up here—little farther in. No human contact for ten days.”
“Impressive. And it gives me an idea for my next story.” Ellie grins, holding up her hands to frame my face. “Jack Edward Holt. From Wall Street tycoon to wilderness wanderer. How does he find the time to be so consistently fascinating?”
“Admit it.” I hook a finger through her belt loop and tug her close. “You love hanging out with me in the wild.”
