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I laugh and then answer honestly, “I don’t really have anyone to think about these days.” I glance out the window, and the silence extends. “Are you working today?” This is my attempt to change the subject. He lets me.
“I am, though Wyatt and I reduced our schedule recently. We drop down to two days a week of running tours in the fall to take a breather before snowboarding season starts.” He slaps the table. “Gotta get ready for the winter.” He glances out the window. The later it gets, the more crowded the walkway outside grows. “If I could live on my board on the slopes year-round, I would.”
“Work hard, play hard,” I supply.
He smirks. “Nope. The saying ends at playing hard for me. It’s all you responsible people with college degrees who think you have to work hard to get to the playing part.”
“It takes money to play,” I argue.
“Fact,” he says, pointing at me. “But if you find a way to make money doing what you love to do, you won’t work a day in your life.”
“Touché,” I say. I finish the last of my latte.
“I’ve got to get going,” Benji says, sliding from the booth.
“It was fun, running into you.” I smile at him as the entrance to the place opens again and more people walk in. I rise to give him a hug. “I probably stink,” I warn, pulling him closer.
“Your sweat smells sweet, Lo.”
His words draw another smile from me.
“Do they teach all you mountain men how to be smooth?” I quip as we pull apart.
He smirks and looks off into the distance before pulling his eyes back to me. “Nope. It just comes naturally.”
My laughter follows him out the door.
And then I take my time walking home, stopping by the local bookstore on the way to buy a few more books to keep me company during my stay.
CHAPTER FIVE
WILLOW
Wyatt sends me a text, inviting me to a cookout the next day. I’m waiting on the front porch when he arrives, and he gets out to walk me to his Jeep, opening the passenger door for me after we hug hello. I’m surprised he’s picking me up, alone. I just assumed this would be another group outing. And I start to wonder if he’s looking at this like a date. He seems to be treating it like one.
“Are the others coming?” I ask.
I spoke to Chelsea earlier, and she has plans with her family tonight.
“I know Benji is, but I haven’t talked to Zane today,” Wyatt answers, glancing at me before focusing on the road again. He looks handsome but casual in his jeans and sweatshirt.
We make small talk, and I enjoy the scenery as we drive into the park. We’re heading to Colby Bay, a place I’ve been to many times before with my parents. It houses a campground in one part and a giant lake at the base of the mountain chain with the bluest water in the other. The views are unbelievable. A little slice of heaven on earth. There’s a designated area for cookoutsoverlooking the lake. It’s beautiful there. Honestly, there isn’t a bad spot in this entire park.
Wyatt whips his Jeep into a parking spot when we arrive thirty minutes later. There are half a dozen cars parked in the lot, and each one is coated in a layer of dust and dirt from the elements. I find myself searching for Zane’s SUV, and I’m disappointed when I don’t see it.
Wyatt slings his arm across my shoulders, and we walk down a short pathway. When it clears, I see ten or so people standing around a space with several concrete picnic tables and firepits. My gaze gets caught on the mountains in the distance, majestic in their size and stature, across the sparkling water. The sun is setting behind the peaks, leaving a pink and orange glow in the sky. I’m mesmerized by it until I see Zane.
He’s standing next to a few guys I don’t recognize, stealing the spotlight. But it’s his expression that captures my attention the most. He’s glaring at Wyatt and me, like he isn’t happy to see me here. Or he isn’t happy to see me here with his friend.
“What’s up, guys?!” Wyatt exclaims, lifting his arms in the air theatrically, making a grand entrance.
I’m learning that Wyatt likes attention. Guys, girls—it doesn’t matter. Heads turn, and a few eyes linger on me curiously. My companion notices.
“This is my girl, Willow—for those of you who don’t know her.”
I smile and give a small wave to the crowd, uneasy with everyone’s attention suddenly focused on me. I’m not sure if Wyatt’s laying claim to me or simply using a term of endearment, but I don’t say anything.
I look back over at Zane just in time to see Jessica, the waitress from Cowboys, step up beside him. She’s talking whilemotioning behind her, and Zane follows her down the path we just came from after a brief glance in my direction. I watch them go, thinking about how great they look together.
