Page 44 of Love By a Landslide

Jonathan barked out a laugh. “I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself. Deal?”

“Ok. But . . . I still want to stay up for a bit longer. If that’s cool.”

“Absolutely.”

Silence befell them once more. Despite his assurances, Jonathan could still feel the tension coming off Lucy in waves, even from across the campfire. She needed a distraction.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” she offered.

“Why was it so important for you to come on this hike?” For the life of him, he couldn’t quite figure that part out. “Are you on the lam or something?”

Lucy winked. “Yeah, I finally offed Clyde and vamoosed with the loot. I left my old-timey machine gun in my Kia so I wouldn’t have to pack it up here. Uh-oh. Maybe I’ve said too much.” She narrowed her gaze on Jonathan.

Holding up both hands, he assured her, “I’m no snitch, Bonnie, so don’t blow your wig.” Her laugh made the width of his grin double. It was such a sexy sound—velvety and musical—one he enjoyed being the cause of. “But really. Why?” Because he wasn’t going to let it go. He had to know more.

“Have you ever seenEat, Pray, Lovewith Julia Roberts?”

“Yes.” She shot him a skeptical look. “No, really. My mom and sister used to watch it all the time. I’d come home from college to visit and they’d pick it for our movie nights whenever it was either of their turns.”

“Respect to your mom and sister. It’s one of my favorites too. Anyway, I’m in that type of mindset right now. Post breakup, trying to find myself,blah blah blah. And I used to hike all the time but stopped when I started dating my most recent boyfriend. I was going to call and beg for a refund, but my best friend, Todd, convinced me to keep my reservation. I assumed that with an experienced guide, this was an easy way to get back into the swing of things. Though in hindsight . . .” She cringed and scanned their makeshift campground.

“I bet you’ll be taking a break from the great outdoors after this, huh?” This poor woman. Jonathan would be surprised if she ever wanted to hike again. Putting on a backpack would probably give her PTSD flashbacks.

“Nah. This isn’t ideal. But aside from almost dying and losing several hundred bucks worth of new gear, I’m still getting the same feelings we talked about yesterday. It just feels right, ya know?”

He did know. When he wasn’t worrying about all the dangers of their current situation, he was also enjoying himself, appreciating the return of summer. After this trip, any other excursion would feel like a walk in the park by comparison.

“How long did you and your ex date?”

“Four years.”

“And when did you last go on a hike?”

“Almost four years ago.” Lucy flinched.

“Wow.”

“Yeah. It’s hard for me to swallow that too. Four years wasted.” Somehow Jonathan didn’t think she was only talking about missing out on hiking seasons.

“Why didn’t you try to convince anyone to come with you?”

“I did try. My mom said no thanks. Honestly, she doesn’t vacation without my dad. Ever. I invited my brothers, but they were busy.”

“Friends?”

Lucy shook her head, shame playing across her features. “The two close girlfriends I had were casualties of my recent relationship. We’re on shaky ground right now while I try to get back in their good graces.”

“What about Todd, who was so adamant that you go?”

“I couldn’t pay Todd enough money to go on a hike with me, let alone leave the city. His element is in a nightclubperforming lip-syncs in six-inch heels.” Lucy’s expression lit up with adoration.

“Oh, so Todd’s a drag queen. That’s cool. I’ve been to a few drag shows, mostly back in college. It’s a good time. Where does he perform?”

Lucy’s eyes were wide and she wore a pleased yet shocked grin. “At The Tackle Boxx in SoDo, but . . . Really, you? Mr. Mountain Man? Didn’t you worry your friends or other people would judge you for going to a drag show?”

“Not at all. Not a single one of my friends would judge. And I wouldn’t give a damn if anyone else did.”

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