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She bit her lip and studied the map on the screen. “It may be nothing.”
“If we leave early, we can be back by midafternoon. There won’t be much to see, but I’ll take you. It’s been a while since I’ve been out to the backcountry. I’ll pack supplies, and you can take photos or notes or whatever you need.”
“Okay. Thank you so much for doing this for me, Remy.”
The way her face lit up made my heart dance. God, she was beautiful.
“Do you have boots? Bear spray?” I asked.
She frowned. “You know me. Bear spray comes in real handy in the libraries and universities I hang out in.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I bumped my shoulder against hers. “I’ll hit the supply shed. Pack what you need. Wear good shoes and lots of layers. And I’ll sign out a radio so we can reach camp.”
She threw her arms around me and squeezed, her face pressed to my shoulder. “You are the best husband ever.”
“You know,” I said, holding her tight, letting my body respond to the way she felt in my arms, “most wives want jewelry and flowers.” With that, I pinched her nipple just the way she liked it.
She squeaked and startled, but she didn’t pull away. “Oh Remy, we both know I’m not most wives.”
I rolled her onto her back and hovered over her, kissing her neck as she wiggled beneath me. “True. You are one of a kind. And you’re all mine.”
Chapter35
Hazel
We set off early, packs ready and a charged radio in tow. We rumbled up the dirt roads in Remy’s truck until we reached the end of the old road. Just as we suspected, there wasn’t much here.
Except for two trails. One heading west and the other north. No markings, but they were cleared and moderately wide.
I consulted the map and the route we had found while Remy unloaded the ATV. “We’re definitely in the right place.”
He nodded, strapping his pack of supplies behind the ATV’s seat. “Don’t get your hopes up, okay? This very well could be a long, bumpy ride to nowhere.”
I took the helmet he held out to me. “Aren’t you the pessimist? I’m going on an adventure with my sexy, mountain-man husband. I’m good, no matter what we find.”
I had never ridden an ATV before, so I clung to Remy’s back with all my might and tried not to fall off. He went fairly slowly, given how bumpy, narrow, and tricky the trail was. Very quickly, I realized this was not my preferred mode of transportation, no matter how hot Remy looked driving. It didn’t take long for nausea to take over, so I spent most of the trip willing my body to keep it together. All the while, my stomach roiled and I broke out into a cold sweat.
After about half an hour, Remy came to a stop. When he cut the engine, I finally peered over his shoulder. Five minutes in, I’d grown tired of holding my breath and tensing my shoulders each time we came close to a tree stump or the ATV wobbled its way over ruts, so I had been hiding behind him.
He killed the engine and pulled off his helmet, then worked to unbuckle mine. I, on the other hand, was awestruck.
“What is this?” I asked, finally hopping down and spinning in a slow circle, marveling at the scene before me.
Between walls of towering pines was a lush, colorful meadow. Waist-high flowers. Long grass and small trees. Birds chirping and insects buzzing. What had to be three or football fields of life spread out far and wide, then tapered back into the forest at the edges.
I walked out of the tree canopy, tilting my head and closing my eyes, soaking in the sunlight warming my face.
“This is what happens after a wildfire,” Remy explained. He pointed out some of the plants. “I don’t know all of these, but that’s hawkweed, and that over there is devil’s paintbrush.”
I marveled at the beauty before me, taking in the sounds and smells.
“Nature has a way of fixing itself. After a fire, certain species take root, returning nitrogen to the soil and making the ecosystem even stronger.”
“It’s breathtaking.”
“I’m glad you like it. Usually, the wildflowers do their job and the trees grow back. Like that. See the immature trees over there?” He pointed to the far end, where a mini forest had sprung up. “But in this patch here, the flowers took root and never left.”
My heart beating wildly, I turned and threw my arms around his neck. “Thank you for showing me this.”
