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“Are you okay?”
Other than the racing heart and slightly shaky hands, there’s no harm done. The ants didn’t bite, thank goodness. “I think so. Thanks.”
His smile just might be my undoing. “In some cultures, black ants are lucky.”
“Why do I feel like you just made that up?”
He smiles, leaving me hanging on whether or not I can expect good luck on my trip out here. We draw apart, and I skim my hands down my legs again, just in case. Pretty sure I just unlocked another core memory. Thanks very much, wilderness.
“Whether you’re setting up your tent or finding a place to sit, it’s smart to check your surroundings.” Deena launches into a tip I wish she’d offeredbeforewe got to camp. “You probably sat down in the middle of their trail to food. Ordinarily, that’s all they’re after.”
She’s right. The scattered ants have already formed back up into a long line winding its way past the rock I’d opted to sit on. I shuffle around, looking by my feet, half-expecting the forest floor to be crawling with more bugs, but I don’t see anything.
Doesn’t mean they aren’t there, though.
Eventually, I pick a safe-looking section of dirt and sit down again to comfort myself with the last of the chocolate in my trail mix. My heart rate’s finally back to normal, but my skin keeps crawling as though tiny feet are walking all over it.
“So,” Scott drawls, “how are you enjoying yourself so far?”
Honestly? I already regret this trip.
FOUR
GRANT
I already regret this trip.
I should have just checked straight into the hermit cabin and holed up like I’d originally planned. Mountain biked during the day and sat on my tiny porch every evening watching the stars come out. Ignored Rhett’s calls and tried to pin down what’s had me so restless for the last several months.
But this backcountry trek had offered a closer look at the national forest without the hassle of arranging permits and renting gear, and I’d signed on without a thought. It was supposed to be easy and low-stress.
Now, I’m here in the woods with a woman who unknowingly makes everything difficult for me, and I amstressed.
The shiver of awareness that shot through me when Lila and I shook hands hasn’t gone away. If anything, it’s intensified with every scrap of conversation, every glimpse of her smile or her expressive brown eyes. I’m buzzing like a live wire, and I can’t decide if I should give in to the spark, or keep doing my best to douse it.
It makes no sense to get caught up in someone I’m only going to know for a handful of days. Doesn’t mean I can totallyshake Rhett’s mantra from my head, though. Every time she smiles at me, stupid things spring to mind.
Then I remember all the reasons following Rhett’s advice is a terrible idea, and I slam back down to reality.
I arrange my gear in my tent, trying not to listen to the commentary buzzing around camp as Mitchell helps Lila with hers. He explains everything to her in a patient, fatherly way, and that alone will make me rate this trip five stars when I get back home. Nobody should ever be made to feel stupid when they’re trying something they’ve never done before.
If only someone would tell Brian and Scott. They’re not completely malicious, but they’re not going to let Lila forget her newness out here either. Even their applause when she finally gets her tent up seems more like mockery than good-natured cheering.
One of the key traits I’ve insisted on from new hires in my family’s outdoors stores is that there’s no such thing as a dumb question. Everybody who comes into our store is treated the same, no matter what their skills or interests might be. Our goal has always been to encourage people to get outside and enjoy whatever activity they like best. No judgment, no snobby elitism, no dreaded mansplaining.
I would never hire these guys, is what I’m saying.
After a quick lunch of bean and cheese burritos, we head out on the day hike. Deena said it’s only a mile each way, but it leads to clear views of three of the most prominent mountains in the area. I was in Oregon a few years back to climb Mount Hood, but I’ve never seen this part of the state. It’s the same mix of pine forest and volcanic rock from ancient lava flows that runs from Northern California up through British Columbia—and comfortably familiar, since I’ve summited several of the peaks in the Cascades.
“What do you think?” Scott says to me. Our group hasshifted somewhat for the shorter hike, with Scott and Brian lingering in the back with Lila and me. Their wives are up front with Deena, and Mitchell ambles along between us. “Is hiking growing on you?”
“It just might.” I’ve been systematically crossing U.S. mountain peaks off of my bucket list for almost two decades, but I get the feeling he wouldn’t like to hear that. He wants to be the one offering advice, and I don’t mind letting him.
“We know it isn’t winning over Lila.” Brian tosses a smirk at her over his shoulder.
She throws a bright smile right back. “I’m not rushing out to book a second trip.”
“It’s only been a day.” My comment’s pointed at the two men, not her. They’re writing her off too easily, and it doesn’t sit right. Giving her a hard time will only crush whatever tiny interest she might otherwise have had. “That doesn’t seem like enough time for us to decide.”
