10. Chapter 10
Chapter ten
Jonathan
J onathan and Lucy pulled up to the trailhead a little after eight. Since it was early, the parking lot was still empty. He turned Betty into a corner spot along a row of boulders and got out. Lucy scanned the area as she followed. The lot was small, with only enough room for a few cars. Opposite the access road was a grassy clearing with a single picnic table and a rickety vaulted toilet.
“That’s my first stop.” Lucy chuckled, pointing to the outhouse. She held up her half-drained Nalgene and cringed playfully. “I’ll be right back.”
Jonathan watched her trot across the street. Nerves danced up and down his spine, pinpricks caused by anxiety, frustration, and a hint of lust. Ok, more than a hint. The drive out had been interesting, to say the least. Between the prolonged awkward silence and the idle chit-chat that meandered its way to Cynthia, the last forty-five minutes had been far from comforting. He didn’t like to talk about his deceased wife—especially with strangers—and it felt even more problematic discussing the topic with a customer he had a sex dream about that morning.
The next few days were sure to be a challenge. While Lucy was a bit on the quirky side, even when she was trying to assert herself back at the office, she was also adorable. And sexy. He would love to release the thick chocolatey hair from that swaying French braid of hers and run one hand through while he slid his other down and cupped her full . . .
Nope!
That’s the last thing he or his business needed. Keeping the hike professional was a necessity. People talk— customers talk—and write reviews online. It would be a horrible idea to hook up with a customer only to have the whole thing spewed all over some blog, tarnishing the business his dad had built from the ground up.
Keep it light, keep it casual, and maintain distance.
Striding around to the back of the car, Jonathan pulled open the hatch to take stock of their supplies. All her gear looked brand new: backpack, trekking poles, boots. Everything was fresh and clean like it’d never been used. It called into question how experienced she really was. Perhaps she’d burn out before making it to camp, and this whole one-on-one-potential-clusterfuck could be avoided.
“Pump way too much then it’s rub rub rub,” she murmured.
“Huh?”
She vigorously massaged her hands together then held them up and wiggled her fingers. The antiseptic smell of alcohol wafted over to him. “Hand sanitizer.”
“Ah.”
A fat drop of water landed on the end of Lucy’s nose, and a little gasp escaped her parted lips. Jonathan’s blood warmed at the sound. Get it together, buddy. Craning his head out from beneath the hatchback, he looked up. Dark clouds were steadily rolling in, as they had been since leaving downtown, despite his weather app giving no indication of rain over the next few days. Maybe a slight drizzle would scare her away. Though usually, in Jonathan’s experience, the universe wasn’t so accommodating.
Jonathan glanced over as Lucy scowled up at the sky. Her pert nose scrunched up, a cute little sneer playing at her lips .
Wrong.
She wasn’t cute. She was a liability .
“We aren’t supposed to get rain today, but what do the weather guys know?” He feigned a look of disappointment and continued, “If you want to cancel, I completely understand. I would be happy to refund your money, and—”
“Woah, there,” Lucy interrupted him. “You aren’t getting rid of me that easily. I’m not going to be scared off by two little raindrops. My boots are waterproof, and so is my jacket. I’ll be fine.” She stepped beside him under the hatch where he’d been going through supplies.
He leveled his gaze on her, one eyebrow cocked, taking measure. “Ok.” He shook his head. “You’re the boss.”
“And don’t you forget it,” Lucy ribbed, giving Jonathan a punch on the arm with her pointy little fist. “Besides, if I can’t see the sunshine, I’ll just have to be the sunshine.”
“What?” Jonathan scoffed, reaching up and rubbing the spot where she jabbed him. She sounded like a corny fortune cookie.
“Nothing.” She waved a hand, cheeks pinkening as embarrassment washed over her pretty face. “Just a stupid affirmation my mom says. Please forget I said it.”
“Happily,” he snorted then changed the subject. “Tell me you got the supply list email we sent two weeks ago and that you managed to get everything on it.” He held out a laminated sheet with the words 2 Night Backpacking Trip at the top. Maybe she hadn’t seen the email, like the one that confirmed which hike she’d picked and missed a critical piece of equipment. They couldn’t go out if she’d forgotten, say, a tent or first aid kit. It would be a convenient way for him to end the whole thing.
To Jonathan’s dismay, she replied, “I did.” Taking the list from him, she gave it a once over. “And I did. I’ve got everything.”
Damn.
“Good.” One in each hand, he pulled the fully stocked packs from the back of the car. He set Lucy’s at her feet and swung his on in a swift, easy maneuver. The straps settled onto his shoulders like the bag was a natural part of his large frame. Something about the heavy weight of it made a buzzing energy ripple through him. It was the same every time. Hiking, backpacking, climbing. All of it revved him up and filled him with energy. It even dulled the concern he had about leading this woman on a solo trip. She’d be able to handle it. The hike was challenging, but she looked fit enough to manage. Maybe she’d surprise him and bound up the switchbacks like a gazelle.
Adjusting and clipping everything into place, Jonathan looked to Lucy and bit the inside of his cheek to hold back a laugh.
The pack was still sitting on the ground in front of her. With a foot braced on either side and two hands on one strap, she seemed to be giving herself a pep talk. Something about: you got this and one foot in front of the other and so forth . Then, following a few deep—and noisy—breaths, she hoisted her pack up and around behind her, aiming for her shoulders. However, clearly the combination of psyching herself up and overestimating the weight of her pack, she nearly toppled over with the momentum of the swing. With a little yelp and a quick stumble, she was able to catch herself before falling, and somehow the pack managed to land on her back. She shimmied, tugged, and adjusted until everything was in place and secure. Then blew a wayward strand of hair off her nose. A mixture of relief and pride lit up her face.
Strike that. Not a gazelle.
“Need anything before we head out?” Jonathan asked with a forced, straight face.
“Nope, I’m ready to get going,” Lucy chirped, beaming at him like a kid about to go to Disneyland for the first time.
Genuine excitement filled her grin. Smile wide, apples of her cheeks pink, eyes glittering. The expression mirrored how Jonathan felt whenever he was about to explore someplace new. Maybe this one-on-one thing wouldn’t be so bad. Beautiful location and beautiful company. He chose to be optimistic; what could go wrong?