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I turned onto a side road and followed it for a short while. It changed from sealed to graveled just before a farm gate.
“Are we allowed here?” she asked after I’d opened the gate to let us through and we were bouncing along the rough track on the other side.
“Yeah, but we have to leave the gates as we find them to make sure any stock grazing in the area stay safe.”
We drove a little further and reached our destination. It wasn’t much to look at. A stony path that climbed the side of a lightly forested hill. The view from the top of the saddle would be worth the effort though. I headed to the rear of the car and grabbed my own backpack. I pulled a cap low over my face, shielding it from the morning sun, and turned to Kennedy. She was eyeing the trail nervously, but I knew she’d enjoy herself once we got going. She just needed to remember how it felt to be in the bush.
“Shall we get started?” I asked.
“I guess so.” She marched determinedly toward the trail. I followed close behind. A few hundred meters later, she paused. “My thighs are already killing me.”
I winked. “Hollywood made you soft.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Did not.”
She continued upward, but stopped with a gasp at the first small lookout. She took her bag off and rummaged in it until she found her camera, then fussed around with the controls, aiming it at the view over Destiny Valley. Green trees and bush stretched for miles, fading into the yellower shades of tussock in the distance. I moved closer, eager to see what she was capturing on the screen.
“I’m glad you brought your camera,” I said as she lined up another shot, this one with a branch from a nearby tree artfully framing the image. “Have you kept up with photography?”
“I wish.” She lowered the camera and kept it out while she zipped her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to, and once I started acting, the shine wore off. Being in front of a camera all the time is exhausting. But I’m getting back into it now.”
“I’m glad.” There was a twinge in my heart at the knowledge she’d had to give up something she’d enjoyed so much, but I suspected it was only one of many things she’d sacrificed for the sake of her family.
We continued walking, stopping every now and then for Kennedy to take photographs. When we reached a small waterfall beside the trail, she insisted I stand beside it and pose for her. She leaned back, her forehead furrowed as she tried to find the best angle. I heard the scrape of rock, and then one of her legs slipped out from under her. I lunged forward, catching her around the waist. The air whooshed from her lungs, and she gripped my upper arm, staring at me with wide eyes, her camera still clutched in her other hand.
“Whew, that was close,” she breathed.
My grip tightened on her waist. I should let her go. I knew that. But her slender curves were pressed against me, and holding her felt so right. My heart thudded loudly, drowning out everything else. Her eyes locked on mine and darkened with heat. She swallowed, then her body melted against me, her lips parted, and we were kissing. It was soft, chaste, and over almost as soon as it began, but my mind could scarcely comprehend that it had happened. After all this time, I’d kissed Kennedy Carter, and it had been everything I remembered.
“Thanks for catching me,” she whispered.
“Oh.” I straightened, helping her right herself. My cheeks blazed with heat, and I was sure they must be red. “No problem.”
“I think I’ve got enough photos for now.” She switched her camera off.
Apparently we were going to pretend the kiss hadn’t happened. I shook off my disappointment. I could live with that. For now.
ChapterThirty-Three
KENNEDY
I couldn’t stop smiling.The hike to the saddle had taken most of the day, but if my muscles were rebelling, I couldn’t tell. I was too busy floating on air. The brief kiss I’d shared with Liam had filled me with a sense of hope I hadn’t experienced in too long. It made me think there was a chance we could find our way back to each other. As we returned to the start of the trail, I watched his sexy back as he strode ahead of me. Shoulders broad, butt definitely worth ogling. Mm.
Being with him was exactly what I needed. I’d been in a funk yesterday after receiving that New Year’s Eve text. I’d initially hoped that Nate would be able to run some kind of trace on the number even though it displayed as private—but apparently that was only something that happened on television shows, unless the police had either a full phone number or could run an active trace with a bunch of very expensive equipment during an ongoing call. When I’d showed Nate, he’d had to gently break the news that there was nothing they could do with it. He’d pointed out that the way the message was phrased, coupled with the fact the sender was hidden, meant we couldn’t be sure they were even in the country. It could be someone from back home. But then, it concerned me that someone had my phone number to begin with. It wasn’t listed. In fact, it was very, very private.
But I wasn’t thinking of that today. I was thinking of Liam’s gorgeous blue eyes, his cautious smiles—which were harder to earn than they used to be and more valuable because of it—and the future we might be able to build together. I imagined fair-haired babies with faded denim eyes. A cute house with none of the pomp of my place in Bel Air, and maybe a dog. I’d always wanted a pet, but with the kids around and work sending me all over the country, it hadn’t seemed prudent. Now, if I wanted a dog, there was nothing stopping me. I smiled to myself. Perhaps I’d adopt a rescue. I’d heard a newcomer might be opening a shelter on the outskirts of town. I could be their first customer.
I laughed out loud. I was getting ahead of myself. I wasn’t even sure if this was a date, although it felt like one.
“What’s so funny?” Liam asked, looking back over his shoulder.
“Nothing.” My cheeks heated. “Just thinking how lucky I am to be here and how excited I am about finally being able to live the life I want.”
“Those sound like good thoughts.” He smiled and kept walking. “So, no regrets coming back to Destiny Falls?”
“Absolutely not.” Up ahead, the trees parted, and I could see the clearing where we’d parked. “Hey, Liam?”
“Yeah?”
