Page 20 of A Bear's Secret

“You’re probably hiked out,” he said, leaning back against the counter. “But there’s a great quick hike to an overlook.”

Yes, I will absolutely go on a hike alone with you, Sloane thought.

Not wanting to seem too eager, she took another sip of her coffee-slash-sugar water, and pretended to consider it.

“How long is it?”

“Four miles round trip,” he said. “Practically a stroll for a girl who’s hiked here from the Canadian border.”

“Is it worth giving up the pirates and the bosoms?” she asked, despite already knowing she’d say yes.

“I think so,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve already gotten your fair share of spectacular views, but this is a good one,” he went on. “Besides, you can’t beat the company.”

“Who’s the company?”

“Me, of course,” he said.

Sloane rolled her eyes in mock-annoyance.

“It’ll be fun,” he said. “I’ll get Barb to pack us lunch—“

“You will?” Barb asked.

“Please?”

“We’ll see,” Barb said. “How’s that fence repair over on the north side coming?”

“Finished yesterday morning,” he said. “Oh, and I chopped the downed tree into some extra firewood for the winter,” he said.

“All right, fine,” Barb said.

“Thank you, Barb,” Austin said, and the gray-haired woman just nodded. It was obvious to Sloane that the two of them had a long-standing, nearly familial relationship. It made her miss her own parents, who she’d barely talked to since starting on the trail, just a phone call here or there to tell them she was still okay, a couple of postcards when she could get to a mailbox.

“Like I was saying,” Austin went on, turning to Sloane, “We’ll have lunch up there and be back by mid-afternoon. Plenty of time to read about sexy pirates and their wenches.”

“I suppose I could make time,” Sloane said, running her finger around the rim of her mug. “As long as I get to the bosoms eventually.”

The kitchen door opened, and a few other men walked in and said good morning. Sloane nodded at the three of them, and Austin moved out of the way of the coffee pot.

“Perfect,” said Austin, sidling closer to her. “We’ll leave after breakfast.”

“Sounds good,” said Sloane.

“Everyone grab a plate and put it on the table, it’s breakfast time!” called Barb.

For the next fifteen minutes, everyone was too busy eating to talk or flirt.

* * *

After breakfast,Sloane put on her light hiking gear, then waited for Austin in the living room, munching on a plate of cookies.

I could really get used to this, she thought. Even breakfast has dessert, hot men flirt with me, and I don’t have anything to do.

Briefly, she wondered again about the unconscious guy, back in the hospital. She hoped he was okay, but was also starting to think that she’d just never know what had happened. By the time everything got sorted out, she’d probably be somewhere in the high Sierra, and the mystery would be the last thing on her mind.

If Sloane was being really, really honest with herself, she was a little tempted to just end the trip there. If she did, she could afford to spend a few more days at the ranch, eating cookies and flirting with Austin, and then she could probably get a ride into Redding and fly home to Seattle from there.

When she’d started, the high Sierra had seemed like a wonderful challenge, spending days and days hiking at elevations above nine thousand feet, through places where few humans went. But then, about a week earlier, a through-hiker heading from south to north had casually mentioned that there was still snow on a few trails, and it had drained a little of her enthusiasm. Maybe she’d done enough.

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