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“Guiding? No. But roughing it out in the woods and being a pint-sized survivalist? Yeah. Pretty much since my mom and dad found hiking boots in my size, I’ve been on the trails. Speaking of…you do have boots, right?”
“I do. I like to get out and hike, though it’s usually just day trips.”
“At least, there’s that, newbie,” I teased. “Tomorrow, we’re going on a test run. I’ve gotta get you up to speed before the kids get here Friday. Since today’s Monday, that should give us a couple nights to make sure you look good in front of the boys.” I took a sip of my own beer. “Better get a good night’s sleep. We’ll leave at nine, and I emailed you a list of what you need to pack before we hit the trail. And make sure you dress in layers.” I set my bottle on the coffee table. “Ready for me to show you your place?”
“Yeah,” he said before finishing his own drink. “Sounds like I need to get unpacked. So I can repack.”
But a flicker in his eyes told me he didn’t mind at all. The idea of us alone out on the mountain interested him—maybe as much as it interested me, not that I’d admit it.
Five
Mikaly
My Flower was a sadist. I was in fantastic condition. That wasn’t ego; it was a necessity for my profession. Still, the woman was kicking my butt on this outing.
We’d left at nine on the nose and, laden down with our gear, had been hiking for hours, with only two short breaks. Honestly, I thought maybe I should re-nickname my little dynamo Energizer Bunny. She really did keep going and going and going. And I wanted to find the nearest boulder and lean on it for at least an hour.
“Are we almost there?” I asked, feeling like a kid on a long car trip. I swore it was getting colder, though I’d worked up some heat on this excursion, so it was difficult to tell.
“Almost. The trail flattens out into a small clearing in about fifteen minutes. We can setup there.” She threw me a grin over the shoulder of her pink puffy coat, twisting slightly to see around her pack. “You need a break?”
“No.” Even if I did, I would have said the same. Pete might not officially be my woman yet, but I didn’t want to look weak—weaker—in her eyes. I wanted her to know she could rely on me, that I was a partner and not a liability.
My feet felt like lead after hours plodding on the shallow upward trajectory, but I forced myself to keep going. It wasn’t weariness that had me pausing when we broke through the trees into the clearing, however.
Sun glistened on the pristine snow covering the ground, unbroken by human or animal tracks. The icy crystals coated the branches of the pines surrounding us and created a breathtaking, sparkly winter paradise. Though it was cold, a stream ran nearby. The breeze seemed to lessen some, too.
“This is my favorite camping spot,” Pete told me. “Isn’t it great?”
I glanced over at her, seeing the same sunlight glinting off her hair, but the luster in her eyes was all her inner light. “Gorgeous.”
“Yeah” she breathed, turning in a small circle and unaware she’d stolen my breath. Again.
How was it that this dynamic powerhouse hadn’t been snapped up by some man? Everything about her enticed me. Of course, knowing her was a new thing. Maybe, something I disliked would emerge. Doubtful. I’d endured this death march up a mountain while she’d teased me, and I just wanted more of her.
She pointed. “We’ll set up camp there. The trees will somewhat shelter us from the wind.”
“Okay.” I started to take off my pack.
“We need to dig out our area before the tent goes up. Setting up on top of the snow won’t work because it’s fresh and not packed down. You start digging there.” She pointed. “And I’ll clear this spot and get a fire started.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
“Glad you understand how things are,” she teased. She paused and lifted up her face, then took off her glove and reached out her arm. She pointed to the west. “When you shovel, make a bank there. It will act as an additional windbreak for our shelter.”
“Will do,” I agreed again, already in awe as she took charge and showed me what to do. I liked to be outside and to hike, but I’d never been winter camping. I had a feeling, without direction, I’d do everything wrong.
“Is this where we’ll camp with the boys?” I asked while we worked.
“No. We have a spot farther down the mountain nearer to the lodge. With them, I prefer to be closer to help if we needed it. Plus with them getting here in the afternoon, it’s better to choose someplace we can get to quicker.”
“But not with me?” I countered.
“I wanted to see what you have in you.”
“You mean if I’d wuss out halfway up?”
“Something like that,” she laughed. Finished clearing the snow where she intended to build the fire, she started digging a divot into the ground for the firepit. I finished clearing the area for our tent.
