Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73794 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“No sharing bunk beds with Cosmo?” I teased.
“God no.” His shudder seemed genuine, not faked for my benefit. “And I’m really enjoying the time with John and the football team.”
“You seem good at helping them. Funny how I’m closer in age to them, but you seem to relate better to the kids.”
“Yeah, well, all those years dealing with eighteen- or twenty-year-old new recruits didn’t hurt.” Tony reached toward the center console and clicked over to the GPS feature. The destination he entered appeared to be little more than a teeny dot in the vast forest surrounding Mount Hood.
“I’ve done some hiking around Mount Hope and closer to Mount Hood, but I’ve never heard of this hike. Does it even have a name?”
“Nope.” Tony gave a sly smile. “It’s one of those well-kept secrets that if you know, you know not to mention, especially on tourist sites or best-of-area lists. Eric shared the hidden trailhead with me years ago.”
“So you’re saying I’m special since you’re telling me?” I preened to get a laugh from Tony.
“You’re something all right.” He leaned back in the seat and took a sip of coffee. Despite the early hour, the sun was already up with temperatures threatening to break one hundred degrees before evening.
“I’m not sure how waking up early and hiking will keep us cooler.” Despite my complaints, I enjoyed the drive out of Mount Hood and into the national forest as we gained elevation and left civilization behind us.
“Trust.” Tony waved a hand like trust was no big deal. I opened my mouth to protest, then closed it, instead swallowing hard. Somehow, I did trust Tony, and on a different level than I relied on my crew or other friends. I believed Tony had my best interests in mind. Given the bullying I’d experienced when younger, that sort of faith was something I’d struggled with. But I trusted Tony, which was both weird and awesome at the same time.
We drove in companionable silence before Tony asked, “Did you bring water?”
“Of course.” The next turn indicated by GPS took us onto a skinny side road deeper into the rocky forest. The road featured steep edges without guard rails, so I kept my eyes on the terrain, not Tony. “And I brought a few things that might resemble food.”
“Ha. I’ve got lunch covered.”
“Did you pack us a picnic?” For a not-a-date outing, Tony sure had leaned into romance—secret location, special food, and personalized coffee.
“Picnic might be overselling it.” He offered me a boyish smile that made him look decades younger. “More like glorified crackers and cheese with fruit and some deli meats.”
“Better watch out, I’m going to think you’re a closet romantic.”
“I wouldn’t know romance if I tripped over it.” Tony let loose a laugh that was closer to a bark. I was nowhere near convinced as he wagged a finger in my direction. “You, though, you’re the romantic.”
“How do you figure that?” I scoffed.
“You’re on a break from looking for a relationship, not a permanent hiatus. And you’re not jaded. You believe in love and all that crap.”
“For others, possibly.” I shrugged, hoping I managed to appear indifferent. “Maybe I’m destined to be the king of hopeless crushes.”
“Nah. You’ll find your someone.” Tony said it offhand like there was zero possibility I already had, pouring a bucket of ice water over the flicker of hope in my chest.
“Perhaps.” I flipped on a playlist to get us the rest of the way to the trailhead. The skinny road widened slightly to allow for parking on the shoulder near the start of the trail. Barely marked with a wooden post, the trailhead was one of those squint-and-miss-it things. Tony hadn’t been kidding about needing to be in the know to find it. Given the remote location and early hour, I wasn’t surprised when we were the only vehicle parked nearby, and indeed, we hadn’t passed another car in many miles.
Tony hadn’t been lying about it being cooler up here though. The spot was way cooler than town had been all week, with a gentle breeze ruffling the trees and foliage. The hike started out relatively flat and easy, but the terrain turned rockier as we gained elevation through several switchbacks.
“When do we get to the creek?” I tried not to sound too whiny.
“Soon.” Tony chuckled before grabbing my elbow, helping me save myself from slipping off a rock. “Careful. It’s steep through here.”
“I see.” I quirked my mouth. “You’re living dangerously by bringing my lack of coordination on a complicated hike.”
“You’re not that clumsy. I’ve seen you at work.”
“Thanks.” My cheeks heated. “Maybe it’s simply team sports I’m allergic to. Or anything involving a ball.”
“I’ve seen you play with balls.” Tony’s eyes sparkled as I groaned. I’d walked right into that one. “Besides, coordination starts in the brain, not the feet. Yesterday, I laid out a set of exercises for the kids designed to stretch their brains as well as their muscles. Reflexes are tricky because you can lift weights and get ripped yet never improve your reaction time.”