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He wasn’t sure who changed up the signs every few weeks with washable paint, but it made everyone smile. No one worked too hard to catch the vandal. In fact, if it was going to make Lia smile, he might just do it himself, because something about this woman touched him like no one had before.
Lia felt lighter with every mile they traveled. Gone was the constant reminder of her inability to operate. In its place was a curiosity about her surroundings.
Exactly what Dr. Beth had ordered.
A couple of quick miles past the ridiculous town of Phail, they arrived at a gated lot on the edge of the woods. A huge wooden barn was visible from the road. Wait. Sawmill, not barn according to Tansy.
Joe hopped out and unlocked the gate and drove through. She wanted to help, but with her injured arm on the right, she wouldn’t be fast or efficient.
And she was right back to the pity party.
Stuffing down her embarrassment, she looked around the area as Joe drove behind the sawmill. Several charging stations for electric and hydrogen powered cars sat in an orderly row. Joe pulled the rental in front of one. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized she was in an electric vehicle.
Talk about self-absorbed. She probably should have heard the difference. Maybe she could blame it on not having ever owned a car. She’d lived only a couple of blocks from the hospital and hadn’t had any need for one.
While Joe plugged in the car, Lia worked out the easiest way to get out. Her hand was usable, but it ached from the air pressure changes and she didn’t want to irritate it. Using her left was awkward, but she had her feet on the ground by the time Joe arrived to open her door. He frowned slightly, but didn’t comment. Instead he grabbed their luggage from the trunk.
Lia slung her first bag over her shoulder and reached for the rolling suitcase. He beat her to it and slammed the trunk. When she reached for it again, he just grinned at her. “Not a chance. You ready for a hike?”
She’d forgotten that part. Tansy had told her the lodge itself was a two-mile hike in from the road. The walk would feel good after all the sitting, but Lia knew her body wasn’t going to be impressed. She hadn’t slept well since the surgery on her hand and she wasn’t spending eighteen hours a day on her feet anymore. Her fitness had taken a hit. At least she was wearing sneakers. Slip on sneakers because she couldn’t do laces. Without another choice she was willing to make, she nodded. “Ready.”
Joe tilted his head and studied her. How bad did she look?
“You sure? We can hang out here for a bit. Or even head back into Phail for something to eat if you want. I should have thought of that earlier. Sorry.”
She wasn’t wimpy enough to take him up on that, although it was a closer call than she liked. “I’m good.”
The look he gave her wasn’t quite skeptical, but it was close. She straightened her shoulders and looked for the trail. One day she’d like to check out the sawmill, but not today. Once a two-mile didn’t daunt her, she would use that as a reward. She needed something to motivate her.
Although not embarrassing herself in front of Joe was a big motivation. There was no way she was going to slow him down on this hike.
Joe led the way past the row of vehicles and into the woods. The trail was obvious and well used, but it was still a forest trail. Not something she could pull her suitcase along. “I didn’t even think about the hike in when I chose what bags to bring. I shouldn’t have brought a wheeled case. Why don’t we leave it here? I can come back for it later.”
He raised an eyebrow. “It’s fine, I’ve got it. There’s a side handle to carry it and it’s not heavy. Just watch your footing. The trail is flat enough for the golf cart and the ATV, but there are still some roots that pop up here and there. You don’t want to twist an ankle.”
She really didn’t. One injury was enough to handle.
It only took moments for the forest to surround them. The bright sunlight filtered through the leaves. She didn’t know much about trees and bushes, but they were sure pretty. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been surrounded by trees before. It’s beautiful.”
Joe’s voice showed his surprise. “Really? That’s not something I can imagine. No hiking trails in Atlanta, I guess?”
She smiled. “There might be, but I have no idea.”
He chuckled. “Not a hiker then. What did you do for fun in the big city?”
No matter how she answered, she was going to sound pathetic. “I mostly worked. There was always need for a trauma surgeon.”
He nodded but didn’t answer. She tried to think of something interesting she’d done in Atlanta, but she couldn’t come up with anything. Not since Carlotta had died.
Definitely pathetic. She needed to learn how to relax and have fun.
Joe chuckled as they walked. “I think we can help you with that.”
Damn. She’d spoken aloud. Nothing like letting the sexy man know the only thing she had to offer as a human being was her skill set as a surgeon. Which was now zero.
“You’re going to be able to try lots of things at the lodge. One of the arms of Midnight Security is fitness training. There are obstacle courses and rope courses that take you up into the trees. We’ve got orienteering activities to learn how to use a compass and survive in the bush. Graham Buchanan, one of the partners, has a driving course set up at an old airstrip. He teaches defensive and offensive driving techniques out there. And there’s a gun range for shooting. Bella has a fire lab set up for investigating arsons. Josie and Nico are renovating one of the cabins into an art studio for her. Aisling’s a carpenter and does amazing woodworking stuff back at the sawmill. Tessa does a lot of analysis and recording of the wildlife around here. And Tansy does whatever her brain finds fascinating at the moment. There’s always something interesting happening. You can try out it all or simply sit and soak up the sun.”
His long speech highlighting his friends and their work had two effects on her. First, it made her feel isolated and pitiful. But second, it made her curious. She hadn’t been curious about much in a very long time.
