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“That looks fun,” Maisy said. She turned her head to look back at the building as they passed.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Xander twisted to look back at the sign advertising the business. “Maybe we can go back after the hike.”
“That would be fine, if you stay together and take a few selfies.” Safa must have been listening, even though she was looking at her tablet, because she answered the unasked question seamlessly.
“Oh, I don’t know. It does look fun, but I’ve never driven an ATV.” Maisy bit her lip. “Is it safe?”
“Quite safe,” Xander said. “If you wanted, we could even ride one together.”
“You’re very confident that the pancakes worked and that we’re friends now, aren’t you?” Maisy raised her eyebrows.
“I am. My pancakes are magic.”
Maisy rolled her eyes and turned away. Xander grinned. He felt that his strategy really was working. Then he caught sight of Safa, who was looking at the two of them with a slightly bemused expression. It was one of the few displays of emotion Xander had seen from the woman, so he took note of it. He needed to be careful.
The road climbed a narrower and narrower route into the hills. Eventually, they reached a parking lot where a few other cars were already parked.
“You might run into some of the general public today, as we weren’t able to close the area,” Safa told them as they got out of the car. “Which means?”
“Newlywed vibes only.” Xander held out a hand for Maisy. “We’ve got it.”
She slipped her smaller hand into his, and Xander gave her palm a quick squeeze. He wished he didn’t notice how well their fingers locked together, like they were two pieces of a puzzle.
Or like they were just people with hands. There was no reason to get all sappy about it.
Safa led the way up a small path. It climbed higher and higher through a jungled area, and Maisy and Xander soon fell behind as they stopped to admire winding vines, tall palms, and a river that ran alongside the path. Birds sang somewhere high above them, and the river let out a soft babbling sound.
As they rounded a corner, they came face to face with a metal staircase anchored into the side of a rocky outcropping.
“Okay, two miles is starting to feel like a lot.” Maisy looked up to the top of the stairs high above.
“Are you scared of heights?”
“No. Heights are fine. But a gazillion stairs are a lot.”
Safa was already halfway up the stairs, so Xander released Maisy’s hand (not without a small pang) and gestured for her to lead the way. They began to climb. Soon, even Xander had to admit that two miles were sounding far, if this much of the trip was stairs. He was impressed with Maisy, who climbed the stairs with ease despite her complaining.
Around halfway up there was a small landing, and Maisy stepped to the side and leaned against the railing.
“The view is already pretty great.”
Xander climbed the last few steps and came to stand beside her. The view really was spectacular. Below them, the jungled hill they stood on rolled out into the foothills where their villa was, then down to the sea below.
“I think?—”
“Hey, you’re that princess, aren’t you?”
Xander and Maisy turned to see a family dressed in the classic sandals, hats, and board shorts of tourists descending the stairs from above. From the sound of the little girl who’d spoken, they were probably from the United States.
Maisy’s eyes widened. But then she adopted a sweet smile and bent down to the girl’s height.
“I sure am. I’m Maisy. How about you?”
“I’m Cassidy.” The little girl beamed at Maisy. “How come you aren’t wearing a fancy dress and a tiara?”
“Cassidy,” the mother said in a warning voice. “That isn’t very polite.”
“It’s fine.” Maisy smiled at Cassidy. “I’m wearing shorts and a hat because hiking in a fancy dress and a crown isn’t very easy. Even for princesses.”
