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Ryan turned back to her but kept walking. If she tried to walk backward on a trail, she'd trip and fall. "I noticed this end of the lake when we were swimming. I thought about swimming over, but it was pretty chilly water." He turned around in time to avoid a big rock.
“It was. It felt great though, didn't it?" She wouldn’t feel guilty at all looking at that picture in the depths of winter.
Ryan nodded. They continued on the trail and came out at the far end of the lake. Layers of stacked gray and red rock reached into the sky. Each rectangular piece was a foot to three feet thick and twenty to thirty feet long, an uneven stairway to heaven.
Ryan looked up, shading his eyes. "Looks like some giant was going to make a wall, and he dropped everything here, doesn't it?"
"It’s pretty awesome." No doubt there was a technical explanation of deposition, erosion, uplift, and glacial action, but who cared? It was amazing. She snapped a picture.
"Hey, let's see if we can get to the top." Ryan grinned at her, his challenge clear.
Erin looked between him and the top of the rocks, letting her skepticism show. "Without killing ourselves, you mean?"
He mock scowled. "We'll be fine. Come on."
Erin shook her head but followed him anyway. Ryan was hard to resist when he turned on the charm. "It's not the up that gets you, it's trying to get back down."
Ryan scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Live a little."
She laughed. "Pot, kettle."
"Okay, but come on." He bounded up the slabs of granite. Their side seemed safer than the other side, which had risen almost straight up from the lake. Erin followed him up the extra-large, odd-sized, slightly tilted staircase, moving more cautiously, and it wasn't long before they got to the top.
Ryan whistled. "Incredible view."
"Yes, it is." Erin snapped a few pictures, carefully stepping back to take a couple with Ryan in the foreground. There wasn't a single man-made object in sight, the landscape fading into folded hills and then hazy mountains beyond. "We should get a selfie up here."
Ryan turned, beckoning her with a crooked finger. Holding her breath, Erin took the two steps and joined him, not looking down. The edge was close, but she trusted Ryan. He slung his arm around her shoulders, turned them both to look over the lake, and pulled her back against his hard chest, his face next to hers. "There. Perfect."
Erin held her phone up at arm's length and snapped the picture, amazed her hand was steady. His warm, muscular frame pressed against hers in all the right places, made her want to turn into him and forget all about pictures, phones, and everything else. But she couldn't.
"One more." Ryan's warm breath coasted over her cheek. As she hit the button, he kissed her ear. She couldn't breathe. Her heart pounded in her chest. Erin pulled away and tried to smile at Ryan, but he wasn't smiling. He was looking at her mouth. Erin caught her breath again. Employee, eight years younger. She forced herself to turn, put the camera away in her pocket, and look for a safe way back down. Nothing about this is safe at all. She clambered down, with Ryan following.
Moving carefully, Erin thought about the kiss. It wasn't a quick press and go, like a cheek-kiss greeting among friends. No, Ryan's lips lingered for a moment, pressing soft and warm against her skin. But maybe it was for the camera.
Ryan couldn't be interested in her. She was too old, his previous supervisor's widow, and his boss. But he wasn't interested in Jules, a beautiful, active woman closer to him in age, or in gorgeous Sam, or pretty Deb. However, lack of interest in other women didn't mean Ryan was interested in her. It wasn't possible.
Erin swallowed hard. But what if Deb was right? What if Ryan was interested in a romantic relationship? Was she missing out on something real because she was too scared to try? Too worried about lawsuits and legalities to see a real possibility?
Erin stepped off the last rock and onto the narrow trail. Or was that possibility a trail to nowhere, petering out in the forest, leaving her lost and desolate?
When they arrived at the cook site, dinner was ready, so they served themselves and sat down on the rocks around the fire ring. Erin was starving but not as hungry as Ryan, who was shoveling down food at a rather amazing rate.
"This is outstanding, Jules. What is it?" Erin tried to make amends for their earlier conversation. She had been so sure Ryan would welcome Jules's attention.
"Veggies and rice noodles in Thai peanut sauce. I'm really glad none of you are allergic to peanuts!" Jules beamed around the group, shimmying in her seat.
"Me too." Erin was grateful Jules didn't seem to take Ryan's rejection too hard. "Life without peanut butter wouldn't be worth living."
"Couldn't have survived all these years without it." Ryan held up his spoonful, nodding at Jules. She grinned but returned to her food.
The conversation shifted into favorite foods, favorite movies, weird places they'd been, and other general topics. When night fell, everyone was ready for bed, yawning with full bellies. Tyler reminded them of breakfast time.
Erin led the way to the tent. Good thing they'd made the trek several times, so they could find the trail in the narrow headlamp beam. Ducking into the tent, she took off her sandals and hiking pants and put on her shorts. "I'm done if you want to come in."
"Okay."
Erin grabbed her book and turned on her side, away from Ryan. She'd meant to switch sides, but somehow, she'd ended up on the right side again. She snorted softly. Old habits die hard. The tent zipper rasped, and Ryan rustled in the sleeping bag far too close to hers. She couldn't face that bare chest until the lights were out. Maybe not then either. Rats. Erin put up her book and clicked out her headlamp. She’d had slept little last night, so hopefully she could tonight.
