Page 17 of Love By a Landslide

He turned sharply and walked behind the lobby desk. Finding a few papers there, he ruffled them around, needing something to do with his hands. Maybe he’d look professional doing so and she’d listen to the decisiveness of his words.

“The problem is that you didn’t call and warn us of the change in advance. I don’t mind refunding your money for this circumstance. I’ll call Janet up, and she can sort everything out for you. I’m sorry you wasted your time coming here.” He looked up at her, gave a brisk nod, and turned toward the back office. About to march through the door, he heard her squeak something he couldn’t quite make out. Pausing, he turned. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

Lucy squared her shoulders and stood up straight, clearing her throat. With more volume, she repeated herself, enunciating each word with force. “I said that’s not going to work for me.” Her voice managed to crack a little anyways. The pink of her cheeks turned bright red. From anger? Anxiety? Jonathan wasn’t sure. “Why does it matter if you only end up guiding one person rather than the original two? You can keep the full two thousand.”

Jonathan waved his hand dismissively. “It’s a liability thing, Miss O’Malley. I prepared for certain circumstances, and you springing this on me is unacceptable. Your trip is hereby canceled.” He hoped he spoke firmly enough, with absolutefinality.

Clearly, he hadn’t.

“Hereby canceled?” She snorted. “What are you, the hiking police?”

Jonathan strode silently back to Lucy and stopped directly in front of her. He stood so close that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. Her cheeks were flushed, and her green eyes blazed a maddening emerald. She was pissed; so was he, but hewouldmake her understand the situation.

“I’m the owner of this company and, therefore, have the final say.”

“Fine,” she squeaked. “Then maybe I’ll just go by myself.”

Jonathan narrowed his eyes, evaluating the petite woman standing rigidly before him. “What you do on your own is entirely your business.” She wouldn’t dare go by herself. He didn’t know Lucy, but he was certain she’d hired a guide for a reason. There was no way she’d go off and hike on her own. The notion sent a ripple of anxiety through his chest. He shook off the worry and turned, dismissing the vexing customer.

“Wait, I promise I’m fully capable. I hike all the time, and I can look after myself. I—” Jonathan turned back around as she paused, licking her lips, swallowing convulsively, eyes darting around the room. She clearly wasn’t a poker player. He liked a woman who was uncomfortable lying, and he wondered what falsehood she’d attempt to lob his way. “I-I was an Eagle Scout!” she blurted.

He tilted his head, calculating, and took a step back toward her. Raising one eyebrow, he said levelly, “Girls aren’t allowed to be Eagle Scouts.”

Lucy put her hands on her hips, voice laced with indignance. “Isn’t that a little sexist?”

“You misunderstand me. I didn’t say that I don’t think girlsshould be Eagle Scouts. I’m saying they haven’t been allowed to be Eagle Scouts,” Jonathan challenged back. He was losing his patience with the exchange. How could one woman be so exasperating?

“Not true!” Lucy spoke quickly. “The first official group of female Eagle Scouts reached the ranking just last year. Er . . . but I was an honorary Eagle Scout back home because I was that good . . . at all of it before girls officially could hold the rank . . .” Chin in the air, she stared him down. “Your website didn’t say anything about your stupid rule. In fact, I’m a notorious fine print reader, and there was nothing in writing about changing plans. Either way, I amnottaking no for an answer. I will sit here in the office all day if I have to, recounting the . . . the injustice to any customer who will listen.”

She squared her shoulders and crossed her arms with a huff. Stepping to her left, without breaking eye contact, she moved to lower herself into one of the chairs that sat at the perimeter of the small waiting room. Her aim was off, and she landed on the armrest, toppling the chair over and only narrowly missing the rack of brochures and postcards nearby with her flailing arms.

Jonathan’s lips twitched. With the staring contest over, he started feeling the awkward pang of pity creep up in his chest.

“Fine,” he sighed and scrubbed a hand over his jaw. After righting the tipped-over chair, he pointed a finger straight at her face. “But you are responsible for yourself. I am just here to show you the way, got it?”

Smiling widely, Lucy clapped her hands together. “I promise I can pull my weight. I’m such a pro; you are gonna be so impressed.”

He blinked at her, feeling a mix of apprehension and intrigue. Not an equal mix; apprehension won out three to one. A big part of him was convinced the trip wouldn’t end well. Butthe other part of him kept highlighting the money he’d be making in the process. The out-and-back route was straightforward: one way in and one way out. As long as she stayed on the trail, there was zero chance of getting lost. Really, if she was the experienced outdoorswoman that she claimed—even if she wasn’t (which he highly suspected)—she could handle it all on her own.

Simple hike or not, the anxiety of having a singular person so reliant on him for safety still made him anxious.

Before he could change his mind, Jonathan marched into the office, snatched a couple of donuts and his coffee, and strode back out to the lobby and passed Lucy. Over his shoulder, he called to her with a saltier edge than he meant to. “Grab your pack. We’re heading out.”

Chapter nine

Lucy

The mountain man from The Rooftop Tavern was her guide.

The idea of spending two nights alone in the woods with that hunk of flannelled perfection should have made Lucy jump for joy. Unfortunately, the verbal spat they shared a minute ago, plus her clumsy near destruction of his business’s lobby, hadn’t quite set the right tone for a potential woodland romp. And that was A-okay with her since the last thing she wanted was to get mixed up with another guy anytime soon.

After throwing their packs in the back of Jonathan’s old Subaru Forester, Lucy climbed into the passenger seat, and the two left for the trailhead. She buzzed from head to toe with anticipation as she scanned the tall trees and mountain ridges that surrounded the town, soaking it all in. A few clouds crept in on the blue-bird morning that initially greeted her, but that was fine. After years of remaining holed up in Seattle, she was finally on her way to soak in the splendor of the great outdoors. Rain or shine, she wouldn’t let anything—or anyone—tarnish her excitement.

Forget tarnish; fifteen minutes ago, it was almost decimated completely.

You springing this on me is unacceptable.

Fortunately, convincing Grumpy-Guide Jonathan had been easier than she’d expected, and she smugly puffed up her chest at Lucy 2.0’s persuasive abilities. Instead of slinking away witha two-thousand-dollar refund, preparing to wallow in another burger at The Rooftop, she was sitting in his car on their way out of town, holding a comically mammoth powdered donut that he’d dropped into her hands once she buckled her seatbelt. The image of white powder smeared all over her face (and possibly in her hair) kept her from digging into one of her favorite baked goods. Not that she was a slob; there were just some foods that couldn’t be eaten in a cute way. Chicken wings, BBQ ribs, and this donut hit the top of the list. It was a disaster just waiting to happen.

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