Page 83 of Win Big

We point out various landmarks in the panorama in front us and sit for a while, before deciding we’re ready to continue on our hike by retracing our steps then heading east to climb to the Cahuenga summit. Once there, we pause to enjoy the view of the San Gabriel Mountains to the north and Los Angeles on the south.

As we round a corner, the Hollywood sign comes into view.

“There it is!” Everly points like a little kid. “Cool!” She pulls out her phone. “I have to take a picture!”

The trail gets steeper and windier, although the views make up for it. This path is even scrubbier, dry and dusty gold, with leafless shrubs and tree roots here and there. At one point we have to go down, then back up. Finally, we’re there, hopping onto a paved road that goes behind the Hollywood sign.

“Ugh. This fence is in the way.” Everly frowns at the chain-link barrier.

“If you can climb a bit farther, we can get a better view.”

“I can do it!”

I lead her to the hill, where we negotiate a shorter, dusty path to the top, where we’re now looking down on the back of the sign. Again, we’re part of a crowd.

“Ah! This is amazing!” Everly stares. “Not just the sign... look!” She waves a hand at the city below us, the buildings of downtown L.A. and the mountains in the distance. A thin layer of haze or maybe smog softens the vista. “It’s so beautiful!”

It really is, so much natural beauty as well as the city.

“Can you imagine what this was like before there was a city here?” she asks, surprising me. “It’s so... rugged. I feel that there must have been a lot for people to overcome—the weather here is amazing when it’s good, but there are droughts and then floods, even earthquakes.”

“Yeah. So different from where I grew up on the east coast.”

Standing behind her, I wrap my arms around her middle and look over her head. She leans back into me. It’s another moment. For a few minutes, we’re actually alone up here.

“It’s so quiet,” she comments. “Just the wind and the birds.”

Yes, the quiet is striking... away from the noise and hustle of the city.

She turns her head to peer up at me. “Thank you for bringing me.”

“You’re welcome.” I kiss her nose. “I still can’t believe the California girl hasn’t been here.”

A group of tourists arrives behind us, chattering in a language I don’t recognize—Japanese, I think. They’re all excited about the view and Everly and I exchange a smile at their delight.

We walk around a bit, holding hands now.

“Let’s get a selfie,” I suggest. “You can post it on Instagram and everyone will see us on our date.”

“Oh. That’s a good idea. I kept thinking we had to go places people would see is, but we can do it ourselves.”

We position ourselves and snap the pic, then do a few more. Then I take a couple of her alone with my phone, without her even realizing it, as she gazes over the vista. She looks beautiful—the wind tugging strands of hair out of her ponytail, her skin glowing in the sunshine.

Eventually we make the trek back to the vehicle, Everly bounding ahead of me, full of energy. She may not be a professional athlete, but she’s got a lot of get-up-and-go in her.And she may be a perfect princess sometimes, but right now she’s got dirt on the ass of her leggings, sweat and dust on her face and chest, and her hair is windblown. She doesn’t seem to care. In fact, she seems to be loving this, and for some reason the fact that I get to see her like this, all imperfect and dusty and smiling, makes me weirdly happy.

I take my time driving back to her place. When I park, she looks at me. “Coming in?”

“Sure.”

“I can make us dinner, if you want to stay.”

I gnaw my bottom lip briefly. I’d told Heather I might come by tonight. But I still have the rest of the week off to spend time with Owen. “Okay, that would be great.”

She unlocks her door and we step inside. A faint scent greets us, something clean and sort of... oceany.

“I could use a shower.” She grimaces and runs a hand over her hair. “I feel like I’m coated in dust.”

“Great idea. Let’s go.”

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