Page 56 of Bailey

Bailey finally looked up at him and smiled. “It’s a lodge,” she said. “It has something like eight or nine rooms with full bathrooms.”

Reeves swallowed because he wanted to take this step in his relationship with Bailey. They’d eaten out in a restaurant closer to the center of town, and while Reeves liked his privacy and his reclusive lifestyle, he also enjoyed being out with Bailey.

“We could also go home first,” she said. “My mom said they’ll have the burgers and hot dogs done around six.” She spoke with enough hopeful nonchalance that somehow made Reeves want to be at her side tonight.

She made him feel brave and strong, and he found himself nodding. “A barbecue sounds fun. At the very least, it’ll be a meal I won’t have to make.”

“There’s that,” Bailey said with a giggle.

He turned back toward the trailhead and dropped his hand to hers. “Let’s get going,” he said. “And I’ll decide if I want to shower at the lodge or if I want to go home once everything’s packed up.”

“I don’t mind either way,” Bailey said. “If we go home first, we’ll only have to take one car to the lodge.”

Reeves nodded and decided not to decide right now.

“How’s your trip been?” she asked.

He grinned over to her as his boots finally started crunching over the dirt path of the trail. Reeves felt more at home in the mountains than anywhere else, and having Bailey at his side only doubled that.

“Amazing so far,” he said. “But twice as good now that you’re here.”

Bailey grinned at him and shook her head, though he wasn’t kidding.

“And the wildflowers are amazing, my wildflower.” He leaned over and touched his lips to her forehead. “I can’t wait for you to see them.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-FOUR

The trail spread wide enough for Bailey and Reeves to walk side-by-side and hand-in-hand. He chatted easily about the footage he’d been able to get in the past couple of days, and his love of nature and camping shone through like a full, bright moon on a dark night.

She’d looked up this hike online simply because she’d never heard of it before, and she wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting into. Their winter had been long and cold, and the Teton National Forest Ranger Station said ticks should be at a minimum. Still, she’d brought bug spray and sunscreen, though she hadn’t used either yet. She could be outside for a little bit without an issue, but as they came to a clump of trees that bathed the trail in shade, Bailey slowed.

She turned her back on Reeves. “I’ve got some sunscreen in my front pocket there,” she said. “Will you get it out for me?”

“Sure thing.”

She held still while he did that, and then he passed her the can of fifty SPF sport sunscreen. She sprayed her hands, which she then wiped over her face, and then she did her arms and quickly her legs as well. She wore a hat, but it didn’t provide any protection in the back, so she handed the can to Reeves.

“Will you do my neck and any part of my shoulders I missed?”

“Yep.” He took the can, and somehow, when he sprayed the sunscreen, it made her jump. Then his warm hand, rubbing it in and lifting her tank top strap to make sure he got the right coverage, made her shiver way down deep inside.

“Do you need any?” she asked as he finished, turning toward him.

“No, I’m good.”

“Do I need bug spray? I read online that it shouldn’t be too bad yet, and that ticks probably weren’t a problem this year.”

He blinked, and then a slow smile filled his face. “I should have known you’d come prepared.”

“It’s the wild, Reevesy.” She leaned both hands into his chest, glad when he encircled her in his arms. “I seem to remember a very hot mountain man cowboy telling me that I should never go into the mountains without being prepared.” She grinned up at him. “It’s better to have supplies with you and not use them than to not have them at all—I think that’s a direct quote.”

“This guy sounds really smart,” Reeves said.

A tickle of joy moved through Bailey. She laughed with him, and they continued their hike toward the meadow of wildflowers he wanted to show her.

About twenty minutes later, he paused. “It’s right up here, wildflower,” he said. “I’ve gotta get my camera out.”