Finders Keepers

Chapter 11

Sloan had parked in a municipal lot near the Mercado La Paloma and was standing near the entrance waiting for Olivia. She had not been agreeable to meeting him at first after her meeting with representatives from The Millionaires Club, but he reasoned with her that she was going to be downtown anyway. And then, after Olivia agreed to the midweek date, Sloan almost had to call to cancel himself, when a report came into the agency that looked like he’d have to respond to. He didn’t though, and his rendezvous plans had been saved.

It wouldn’t have been a tragedy if he and Olivia had to forego the evening together. He’d already persuaded her to meet with him for a hike over the weekend…and he had a foolproof excuse why she should stay with him for the night. The two of them had, in his mind, made significant headway in their blossoming relationship, and Sloan didn’t want to lose any momentum. He’d made up his mind that Olivia was the one, and it was his responsibility to provide the emotional impetus to her to get her to think in the same way. He didn’t want to lose her, and he knew that could still happen.

Sloan had also been performing a stringent self-interrogation as to why he was so sure he wanted Olivia. Maybe she believed there was too much against a them. He hadn’t believed that from the instant he’d met her. But the pragmatist in him needed justification. Sloan didn’t want to make the same mistakes he had in the past—not believing his own strong instincts or proof.

“Hi. I made it.”

The calm and light announcement came from behind him, and he was immediately amused that she’d gotten the drop on him, so to speak. Olivia probably didn’t have a clue that was the case. He turned to face her, and it honestly took more presence of mind than he’d ever needed before not to smile at seeing her. Sloan took a moment to appraise Olivia, noting her smile, of course, her gaze bright and open, and the way a late-afternoon breeze briefly caught her hair and blew it toward her face. She used her hand to brush the strands across her forehead and back into place.

Sloan covered his pleasure at seeing her and quickly leaned in to peck a kiss on her mouth. “Hi yourself,” he said in a low growl.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” Olivia said. “I got a little confused about the parking lot entrance, so I think I’m around the corner or something.”

“You didn’t make me wait,” he lied. “I’ll make sure you get back to your car and headed home.”

He touched her elbow to indicate she should walk with him and headed into the market. He saw that Olivia was looking around with curiosity and interest, forcing Sloan to slow his steps to keep pace with her roaming gaze.

“You’ve never been here before?”

She shook her head. “I avoid having to drive into downtown. Too much traffic, noise, people…” She glanced over her shoulder. “But this seems like a fun place. Bright and kind of exotic and…”

“A lot of people. It’s commercial, but the food is good. We can explore the stores if you want.”

Olivia grinned at him in a knowing fashion, and Sloan realized she’d picked up on when he was sincere and when he was just trying to be accommodating for her. “You don’t want to spend your time shopping.”

“Not really,” he admitted, liking her awareness. “But I can tolerate an hour if you really want.”

“I don’t really want to. But I am hungry.”

“Do you like Mexican? Let’s go to Chichen Itza. It’s actually Yucatan cuisine.” He accepted her silence as assent. “It’s nothing formal, but the food is great.”

Olivia raised a brow at him. “Stop apologizing. I trust your decision.”

Sloan couldn’t think of a response. He was, by now, well aware that trust would not be a given with Olivia. The trick was just to be completely honest with her.

“You weren’t kidding,” Olivia observed dryly, noting that the eating arrangement at the restaurant was a casual countertop with high stools. When they were seated and exploring the menu, Sloan felt himself relaxing into the moment, into the company of Olivia. Into a sense of normalcy that was both peaceful and somewhat scary. Scary because he realized he’d begun to let his guard down around her. He’d learned to be careful around his ex-wife when he’d figured out all her motivations and decisions were about her. She always believed that she was right. He never had to worry about Krissy because he’d been clear from the start that with her it was never going to be a permanent relationship. He’d never counted on someone like Olivia or feeling the way he did now, so quickly. But he was starting to put together all the reasons why.

He ordered beer with his cochinita pibil, and Olivia ordered two tacos de pescados and sangria. Dinner was light, fun, a little messy for Olivia when the contents of her tacos squeezed out of the sides upon each bite, plopping onto her plate.

“I should have asked for a bib,” Sloan teased, watching her try to gracefully manage the traditional finger food. She had a very relaxed sense of the absurd and clearly loved to laugh. He loved listening to it…and loved that about Olivia.

She confessed that the only Mexican food she’d ever eaten were empanadas, guacamole, and enchiladas.

“Hope you’re not disappointed.”

“No! This is all great. You have a poor opinion of me, Sloan. I love trying new things. Since my accident and…divorce, I’m determined to expand my horizon. I may have spent far too much time deferring to Marcus. He was very handsome, very smart. In the end he wasn’t all that. I’m building my own worldview. Bring it on,” she said in a challenge.

Sloan took a deep drink of his beer. “Does that new stuff include me?”

Olivia took a thoughtful sip of her sangria. She wiped her hands on her napkin but didn’t look at him. Her voice dropped, however, to something a little shy but definitive. “I’d think you’d know that by now. It does.”

He studied her profile until Olivia turned to gaze at him. They looked into one another’s eyes, and Sloan gave her a wink. He could tell that, in her own way, Olivia blushed and gave him a look filled with warmth…and trust.

Sloan drew out their evening as long as he could. But he also wanted Olivia to get home before it got too late and driving became more horrendous than it usually was during the day on any of the LA freeways. He wanted to rush through the rest of the night because he had the weekend to look forward to.

When they finished dinner, they walked past a stand selling fresh churros, the warm, sweet smell of the deep-fried dough filling the air around them. Sloan purchased one for each of them, and Olivia bought four more, giving them to him to take home. It was the kind of simple, insignificant gesture that he was not used to and that was humbling in an odd way. Like, did he deserve this kind of sweet attention? Instead of the mostly difficult, calculated agenda of so many women he’d been drawn to in the past.

In a very spontaneous move, as they finally headed to the parking lot, Sloan asked about her meeting with the rep from The Millionaires Club. Olivia recited briefly that she was very pleased with the meeting, that she liked Patrick Bennett. He was very engaging, and she was comfortable with the discussion.

“So are you going to hand over your millions to this guy?”

Olivia laughed. “I can tell you from my research that I’m probably among the poorer millionaires who are members. Anyway, I will be able to set up the kind of giving I want for the students. I’ll have to write up my own purpose and intentions to advertise it to schools and parents and even churches. I want the funds to go to those who really need it.”

Sloan spontaneously reached out for her hand, and she curled her slender fingers around his. They continued walking for a while, and Sloan realized they weren’t making much of an effort to find her SUV and get her on the road headed home. They at least had arrived at the area of the lot where she said she’d parked her car. They stopped near a lamppost and continued talking.

She became thoughtful for a moment and then looked directly at him.

“And…I’ve made another decision. I think it’s the right one.”

Sloan stood alert, waiting for Olivia’s announcement. “Okay,” he encouraged calmly.

“I’m going to sell the house my great-aunt left me.”

“When did you decide on that? Why?”

She sighed, averted her gaze for just a moment, and then brought it back, steadily, to him.

“I think it was after you…when you had to rescue you me the day I fell through the floor into the basement.”

Sloan felt his jaw clench. He knew how Olivia felt about ever needing to be rescued. Her ex had really done a head thing on her.

“Are you sure?” he asked, squeezing her hand gently.

“Yes, I’m sure. It’s a beautiful house. Great structure and wonderful space, but…I won’t ever feel that it’s mine. Even if I put a ton of money into a renovation. I’ll take care of all needed repairs, and I’ll have the whole house painted. And then it goes on the market. I’ve already told Jackson.”

“He’s okay with it?”

“He doesn’t really have a choice. It’s my house.” She grinned. “I did promise that I might gift him with some of the proceeds. He said he’s so glad I’m his sister and that he didn’t sell me when I was a teenager and got on his nerves.”

“Yeah, me too. Otherwise, we might never have met,” Sloan replied, his gaze searching her face for reaction.

She looked momentarily startled, blinked several times, and grimaced. “Oh. You’re right.”

Before he could add to his assessment, Olivia beat him to it.

“I wouldn’t have wanted that. I…like that we met. I like…now.”

“You seem surprised.”

“I am. But…I’m also glad.”

The full admission rocked him, sent a spiral of…of something shooting up his gut. He couldn’t think of anything else Olivia could have said in that moment that would have made him feel more alive and hopeful. It wasn’t what he intended to do, but without any thought he straightened, pulled Olivia into his arms, and held her close. She circled her arms around his waist, her hands splayed across his back, massaging him through his shirt.

Sloan kept it simple. “Ditto,” he said against her temple. “I don’t think you have to worry about wanting to sell the house, Olivia. You’re thoughtful and careful in everything you do. At least that’s what I see. Think of it this way—something great is going to come of it.”

“Thank you,” she said, seemingly moved by the faith he’d placed in her.

“And what are you going to do for yourself? Besides buy a new car, because that’s the first thing everyone wants when they come into a lot of money.”

Olivia chuckled as they pulled apart, finally stopping beside her car once Sloan had magically located her SUV in the lot.

“I want to have fun,” Olivia said with feeling. “I think I’m overdue.”

“Probably,” he murmured, enjoying her animated features.

“I want to…to…go skydiving and learn to swim better and drive the entire length of the Pacific Coast Highway. I want to hike so I can really see the land and snorkel and learn how to make cassoulet…in France! Maybe even camping. As long as there aren’t too many creepy-crawly things.”

Sloan coughed, cleared his throat. She had almost succeeded in making him burst out laughing. He’d not done that in…he couldn’t remember how long. But he had a feeling it might be great to let himself go.

“Make a list. If you want, we can work on it together,” he said. “You should go. Traffic is not going to get any easier while we’re standing here. Do you remember everything I told you to pack for the weekend?”

“Yes, sir,” she responded smartly, as if she were talking to a military commander.

“I’ll pick you up and—”

“I can drive to your place,” Olivia said firmly.

Sloan opened and held her driver’s door. “I’ll pick you up. Eight. Don’t oversleep.”

“Grouch,” she said sweetly.

Sloan’s response was to gladly bend to capture her smiling mouth in a kiss he’d been putting off and waiting to do all evening. He didn’t intend for it to be passionate but a strong warning of things to come. A promise. He let his mouth caress hers, inviting Olivia to part her lips so that he could engage her tongue. They briefly separated, but he kissed her quickly once more. When he drew back so that she could climb into her car, Olivia looked at him a moment longer, moistened her lips as she lightly touched his cheek. His jaw clenched against the gentle action. Olivia got into her car.

Sloan closed the door and stood back. “I’ll see you Saturday morning.”

She started the engine and then gave him her signature smile. “Yes,” Olivia murmured, before driving away.

Sloan turned away to walk to his own car. He was feeling elated and more than a little concerned.

Slow down.

Was this all too good to be true?

“Hello?” Olivia said, absentminded, as she considered the last remaining items piled on her bed. Not all of them were going to fit into her backpack.

There was a longer-than-usual silence on the other end.

“Hello?” Olivia said again, paying attention now to the lack of response.

“I’m glad I won’t have to ask for a welfare check from the local precinct,” Jackson drawled.

Olivia gasped quietly, turned, and sat on the edge of her bed. “Jackson. Eh…er…Hi! Have you been trying to reach me?” she asked, knowing immediately the question was a foolish one and meant to feign ignorance and pretend guilt.

“I was waiting for you to call. As you should have last week. What’s going on?”

“Jackson, I’m…so sorry,” Olivia fumbled breathlessly.

“Apology accepted,” he said briskly. “What’s going on?” Jackson repeated.

Olivia nervously played with a small flashlight. She put it aside on the nightstand. She was not going to need a flashlight to go hiking.

“Nothing, really. I’ve been so busy. I—”

“Hey. It’s me. Your big bro. The one you can depend on even when you don’t want to. Are. You. O. Kay?”

Olivia sighed, giving in to her brother’s genuine concern and annoyance. She chuckled. “Jackson, yes. I…I’m fine. And I really am sorry I missed our call last week.”

“Must have been some week. Or weekend. You didn’t even respond to my voicemail. Where were you?”

Olivia suddenly recalled, in vivid, minute, Technicolor detail. She was with Sloan, letting him ravish her with tender, deep soul kisses and touches, letting him guide her through the kind of physical ecstasy she hadn’t known for over two years. Letting him make her feel precious…and loved.

“I was invited to a wedding…that turned into a true all-day and all-evening affair.”

“Had a good time?”

Olivia grinned, although her brother couldn’t see her. “I had a very good time. There…was one incident. An elderly man had a crisis. But it was handled well, and he was taken to a hospital.” She saw no need to go into the exact exciting details of Sloan’s part in the circumstances. Her brother didn’t know Sloan. Yet. “It all sort of flowed right into Sunday, and I lost track of time. You know I’m more reliable than that.”

“Well…as long as everything is fine. I do have one other question. Did this most excellent weekend happen to involve that guy you were telling me about? The one who shall not be named?”

Olivia chuckled silently at the Harry Potter reference.

“I…well…yes. But I didn’t know that. What I mean is, I ran into him at the reception, and I didn’t even know he was going to be there. We were both surprised to see each other. Really.”

“Umm,” Jackson murmured.

Olivia laughed. “You are so funny. Still being overprotective?”

“You’re the only sister I have. I’m your only brother. Both our parents are gone. We only have each other.”

“Enough. I get your point. But you do have Brett…”

“And you have…what’s his name. The only man you’ve seen fit to even mention to me, who happens to be white.”

There was no getting around it. And there was no point. Her brother was being protective.

“His name is Sloan Kendrick. I told you.”

“Sloan Kendrick. If you tell me a little more about him and that there’s no cause for me to worry, I promise I won’t Google him.”

“He’s an FBI agent here in LA.”

“And what had you done that caused you to have contact with an FBI agent?” Jackson asked, his voice stern.

“Remember when I told you about all that money I found in our great-aunt’s house? The police turned the case over to the FBI and…and that’s how Sloan and I met.”

“Are you going to tell me it was something like love at first sight?”

The question was totally unexpected, and Olivia couldn’t even think how to respond.

Was it?

“I’m teasing. You don’t have to answer. But I do want more details eventually, Liv. You understand that, right?”

“Yes, Jackson,” she answered, contrite.

“So why were you so distracted when you answered the call? Is Kendrick there with you?”

“No. But we’re getting together tomorrow, and I’m still…getting ready.”

Again there was a long silence from her brother before Jackson responded.

“Go finish getting ready. Don’t forget to pack everything you might need.”

Olivia cringed. She understood. “Of course I will.”

“Then have a great time.”

Sloan had never been particularly fond of LA, especially after his divorce and deciding to stay with the FBI LA field office. He hadn’t been sure where he wanted to live…and he wasn’t sure he wanted to ultimately stay with the FBI. But there were benefits to the setting. The near-perfect Southern California weather was one of them. After more than two years of Middle East desert climate and temperatures in uniform, carrying heavy military gear, LA had been, at least, a weather bonus. And there were the many incredible parks, the mountains, the ocean.

And it was a morning like this—sunshine, no clouds, no smog or air pollution due to either traffic or burning northern fires—that made Sloan think the decision to stay had worked out. Now he had more of a reason.

He was tired of having a job that required wearing a weapon, but he had yet to identify another career, job, or position that offered as much stimulation, purpose, and structure. He was working on it.

For the time being, this morning, he felt lighthearted, a description he would have scoffed at in the past, but now something like…the future…a purpose was stirring within him. And as he was able to speed along the 405 toward the 10 to get to Olivia, he knew she was the reason. But still…

Why her?

Where had that instant thing that happened that first day come from? Why had he felt so sure then…that she was…

Why?

Sloan frowned, breathed deeply, and let out an exhausted, disquieted sigh. He was very uncomfortable feeling at odds. And he wondered how his focus on Olivia would ultimately play out. He could only say for sure that he felt so much more himself around her. She never seemed to ask for more than that. Not more than the real him that wasn’t posturing because of how he’d been trained or his experiences…or what he’d lost. All of that had come together like soft clay and been molded into someone who was skeptical and alert, and who couldn’t…wouldn’t…smile. But Sloan was aware that Olivia was definitely making headway at breaking down his facade.

He felt…naked.

His cell began to vibrate in a pocket of his vest just as he was exiting the 10. He set the device into the hands-free stand on his console. He quickly checked the ID before answering.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hey. Bad timing?”

“I’m on my way to meet someone. I’ve got time for you.” Sloan continued to Venice Boulevard and pulled into the parking lot of a fast-food eatery to take the call. He wanted to give his father his full attention.

“Good to hear. I won’t keep you long.”

“Is everything okay? You?” A sliver of guilt raced through Sloan as he asked the question, but he already knew the answer.

“Haven’t heard from you in a bit. Didn’t see you on the news, so I figured you’re okay. Wondered if I’ve fallen out of favor,” the elderly voice said smoothly. Not unlike his son, Sloan’s father’s humor was light and dry.

“I guess we haven’t spoken recently. I’m sorry about that, Dad.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Work. Busy. I’m okay. Nothing much to report.”

“I get it. I don’t have much of an excuse this time. I guess I’ve been distracted.”

“As long as you’re okay, Son. Have they made you director of the field office yet?”

Sloan snorted, impatient. “I’m not interested in rising through the ranks. The folks at the top are never really as…you know…”

His father laughed. “Smart?”

“I’ll just say that their focus changes. It’s not like they don’t do the job. We keep plenty busy. But…power is an interesting aphrodisiac.”

His father chuckled.

“You know what I mean.”

“I interpret that to mean it can be dangerous. And political.”

Sloan sighed, staring out his car window. Olivia lived just minutes from where he sat talking with his father. “Right.”

There was a momentary pause. “You sure you’re okay? I’m not going to nag or keep pressing like your mother used to do.”

Sloan straightened, played with his steering wheel. “Okay, you win. I am a little distracted, but it’s nothing bad. I’m not in trouble. Nothing like that…”

Another momentary pause.

“I’ve met someone,” Sloan volunteered, just like a kid or teenager who knew sooner or later the truth would be wrangled out of him.

“Have you?” his father asked with just the right amount of surprise, interest, and awareness. “Serious?”

“Could be.” Sloan was cryptic.

“Well, tell me about her? Or…am I keeping you from this person you’re supposed to be meeting?”

“It’s her. We’re going hiking. Her name’s Olivia.” He finished on a very quiet note.

And another brief pause. “Like your mom.”

“I haven’t told her yet.”

“Yet. So it is sort of, kind of, maybe serious. Why haven’t you told her?”

Sloan silently chortled. Immediately he remembered that he’d been outwardly fighting displays of amusement at anything Olivia said to him. Part of his profile. Part of his schtick! He was pretty close to losing it.

“I don’t know.” Sloan gave in. “I thought it might sound calculated. Like I was using the similarity to score points.” He felt a certain relief at bringing this truth out of the closet. “I want her to believe me. I want her to believe I…really care.”

“Good! Good, Son. I’m happy for you. You certainly make it sound like she’s special.”

“There is something else… I’m actually glad you called. I wanted to ask you…”

“You know very well you don’t need my permission for anything. You wanna come up, come on up. Of course you can bring your Olivia, too. I want to meet this wunderkind”—he laughed—“who’s obviously got you tied up in knots.”

When Sloan drove onto Olivia’s street, he saw that her front door was ajar. As he slowed to a stop, Olivia suddenly appeared, dressed stylishly in sporting fashion. Sloan was not used to seeing her so dressed down…short of being absolutely naked, which he’d already had the pleasure of experiencing. A very quick appraisal assured him that she was dressed appropriately for the day ahead. Olivia had, once again, used a folded bandana to tie around her hairline to hold her hair back from her face, her smooth, beautiful features on full display. On top of her head was perched a pair of sunglasses. And he did notice with amusement that she was fairly color coordinated. The scarf was a print in shades of purple. Her Henley tee was pink, and the color picked up in her sturdy walking shoes. She was wearing black capri yoga pants.

And she was even wearing lip gloss in an attractive berry color on her full mouth.

“Good morning,” Sloan greeted her as he got out of his car. He leaned over the hood, enjoying the pretty and cheerful vision she made in her doorway, grinning at him.

“Hi,” she responded. She reached inside the door and pulled out a small knapsack, hitching it onto her shoulder before closing the door and hurrying down to his car.

Sloan went to open the trunk, and she handed him the knapsack to store. Olivia climbed into the passenger seat, buckling herself in.

Sloan got in but didn’t start the engine right away. He turned on an angle to regard Olivia with pleasure. And he was also replaying the conversation he’d had with his father just moments earlier. Sloan came as close as he ever had to smiling at Olivia, an open and honest show of how he felt about her. Being with her.

“I’m not packing today. I’m off the clock, and the gun is home.”

Olivia nodded. “Okay,” she said simply.

“ Well…you’re dressed correctly. You pass,” he teased, and was delighted that she understand the reference in her quick laugh. The same assurance she’d given him when they’d first met and again shortly after.

“I’m trusting you not to let me fall off a mountain or get mauled by anything with four legs.”

“Sure you haven’t forgotten anything?”

He was about to face forward, finger ready to push the start button in his car.

“Oh…” Olivia whispered.

Sloan turned to her again, slightly puzzled, and realized that Olivia was twisting toward him, lifting her head and poised to kiss him. Sloan had to quickly adjust so that he wouldn’t miss her effort and the opportunity. He was in the right position when their lips pressed and meshed. But when she would have withdrawn, he placed a hand under her hair, around her nape, and held Olivia so that now he could return the gesture and kiss her again. Her kiss was light, a peck, almost playful. Sloan’s was not.

He was at a point where he never lost a chance to demonstrate his feelings. It was certainly encouraging when Olivia responded so willingly with her own display of feelings.

“That wasn’t what I meant,” Sloan whispered close to her mouth. “But I’m glad you did.”

Olivia didn’t ask where they were headed, and he deliberately gave no information. Until he’d driven just a few short miles and crossed Jefferson Creek, just south of the neighborhood of West Adams. She turned sharply to frown at him.

“I live here. I mean…not that far away.”

“So you know the park?” Sloan asked her.

“Not really. I’ve been here before, but I’ve never walked around much or anything.”

“Do you know about the overlook?”

“I’ve heard of it.”

“We’re here,” Sloan said, parking along the south side of Jefferson Boulevard, at the base of the park. A quick glance at Olivia’s expression before he got out of the car showed bewilderment and maybe a little disappointment.

“You have water?”

“In my backpack.” She pointed.

Sloan let her retrieve the water bottle from the trunk. “You won’t need anything else.”

He got his own bottle from his backpack and closed the trunk. He headed into the entrance of the park and stopped at two distinct trails that could be climbed to the summit. One was a crazy length of stone stairs that went straight to the top. Sloan pointed to the trail.

“We’re going that way.”

He watched as Olivia stood silently assessing the dirt trail. He couldn’t see her eyes, shielded behind her dark glasses. Sloan waited but never doubted her decision. Olivia nodded and stepped next to him, inhaling.

“Okay. Let’s do this.” She started trekking off ahead of him.

Unseen, unaware, and with no suspicion on her part, Sloan allowed a corner of his mouth to lift slightly in satisfaction. He knew Olivia was going to be up for this challenge. He also knew she was not going to complain if she could help it. And he’d deliberately chosen a trail he believed she could manage.

It was still early morning, and the air was dry and comfortably warm. A quick glance ahead showed that they were still alone on the trail. It was a gradual incline but with zigzagging switchbacks up the hillside. It was easy to follow, with no sudden off-track paths that were man-made as other hikers may have tried to forge shortcuts. Sloan stayed just a step or two behind Olivia so that he could gauge how well she was managing the incline and natural, uneven ground. Soon Sloan pulled a little ahead of her, as he noted that Olivia had a tendency to slow down to look around, spotting foliage or a bird or whatever caught her attention. She’d stop to stare down at something on the ground or off to the side in a bush. She’d reach out to examine a branch with a cluster of beautifully formed leaves or to find an old, abandoned nest in the upper branches of a tree. Several times Olivia picked things up to inspect. Most she’d discard, but when they were important enough to her to keep, she held on to them. At one point Sloan stopped and held his palm out to her. Olivia placed a stone into the center, and Sloan dropped it into his vest pocket.

The walk was silent for long stretches, until Olivia would ask him a question about what she was seeing. This became the routine whenever the switchback suddenly opened onto another scenic angle of LA. The first they quickly came upon was a wonderful view from a steep hill south of Culver City.

“Ooooh…” she breathed, pointing to the view in front of them. “What are we looking at?”

Sloan stood next to her, the bill of his baseball cap giving shade to his eyes. He followed her finger. “That’s the Los Angeles Basin. It goes from Santa Monica”—he used a slow sweep of his hand to the right—“east across to the Hollywood Hills.”

“Is that downtown LA over there? All those tall buildings rising into the sky?”

“That’s right,” he confirmed.

“It looks so far away.”

“It’s not. Under ten miles from here. It’s easy to forget how big and flat the county is.” He glanced at her, studying her for a second. “Water,” Sloan said simply, and Olivia opened her bottle without comment and drank.

Other climbers—more fit than Olivia, used to the conditions of unpaved hiking trails, or having already hiked this one at some point—eventually caught up to and passed them. Sloan kept half an eye on her, checking for exhaustion or missteps or a slowing down. Or even behaving as though she’d need his help. Although Olivia was making the trail more like a leisurely walk than a hike, he didn’t care. She was interested in everything around her, didn’t complain, kept moving…surprising him with her quick adaptability and curiosity. Around a corner she found another reason to stop to look and consider the view, the landscape.

Sloan realized he was enjoying their slow progress because Olivia was making it a full experience. She didn’t want to miss anything, and he knew she would not only remember everything, she’d probably pepper him with a lot of questions when they were done. When they reached the top, she stood gazing out over the county spread for hundreds of miles around her, in one direction disappearing into the Santa Monica Mountains above the Pacific. To the right, the San Gabriel Mountains. Sloan could see Olivia smiling at the view.

It was spectacular on a clear day like today.

They stayed for quite a while at the top, looking out at the incredible expanse of LA seeming to go on forever, to the horizon and well beyond. Sloan occasionally pointed out something in the great distance that he knew she’d recognize. Finally, he suggested they get started back down. Quickly they reached the convergence at the top of the stone steps that would have been the straighter path to the starting place below them. He asked Olivia if she wanted to take it back to the bottom. No. She wanted to follow the dirt path again. She would see things differently from the downward approach.

“How are you doing?” Sloan asked casually when they were back at the park entrance.

She beamed at him. “That was great,” she said in a slightly breathy voice.

“And you’ve never gone hiking before?”

Olivia shook her head. “I always wanted to. Just because I’d never done it. Marcus was never interested…and my girlfriends really were not interested.” She studied him. “It was amazing to look over the county like we did. LA looks like it goes on forever. And to think this was right in my backyard. I could have come here anytime.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

She tilted her head. “Really? Why?”

“I got to introduce you to your backyard.” He turned to walk to the parked car and then stopped when she hadn’t moved. “What?”

“I was thinking…I should try to plan a hiking adventure for the kids at school. Something they can do in the morning and then return to school in time for lunch.”

“That’ll work. Sounds like a plan. You always have them in mind, don’t you?”

“I know that they’ve had limited exposure to a broader community, the world.”

“Yeah, I suppose. They’re lucky to have you.”

She beamed at his compliment. It quickly faded. “Are we done? That wasn’t very long, was it?”

Sloan raised a brow at her mild complaint. “One and a quarter miles. The trail is more interesting, but the stairs would have been more challenging.”

She stopped. “You mean we took the easy way up?”

“More scenic, more of a hike, but…yeah.”

Olivia turned around. “Well, we have to go back, do it again. We’ll do the stairs this time.”

“We’ll do the stairs another time. I have something else in mind for now.”

Olivia regarded him with her hands on her hips. “Is that a promise?”

He hid his smile, surprised that Olivia was already anticipating another time. “I swear.”

“If you’re lying to me, I’ll never forgive you.”

“I believe you. Let’s go.”