Page 9 of Resisting My Rugged Enemy

“No boots and not a hiking fan? Guess you leave me no choice but to file a formal complaint with the Maplewood Department of Outdoorsy Affairs.”

She snickers, and the sound hits me right in the chest. “Is that a real department, or are you making up official-sounding things to get me to go hiking with you?”

“Who’s to say?” I ask with a mischievous smile. “One thing’s for sure, though. We could both use a break from laminated timelines. Fresh air is good for your brain cells, you know.”

“I get fresh air. During my breaks.”

I arch an eyebrow at her.

She sighs and throws her hands up. “And what if you leave me alone, stranded on a ridgeline somewhere?”

“I promise I won’t do that, Reese. Besides, once you see the history out there firsthand, you’ll be able to tell tourists about it with way more confidence.”

She shoots me a playful glare. “I’m more than confident, thank you very much. And the Visitor Center has a solid four-point-seven rating. Can’t argue with that.”

The way she looks at me with pride in her eyes does things to me that shouldn’t be happening.

“Four-point-seven is impressive,” I admit. “But I bet you could bump it up to five stars once you experience some of this history firsthand. Nothing beats authentic storytelling.”

She shakes her head and smiles at me. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope.”

“Fine, I’ll go hiking with you, but only because I’m intrigued by the tram lines. They’d better be as interesting as you claim they are.”

“Great,” I say, barely able to contain my excitement. “How about tomorrow? The Visitor Center is closed on Sundays, right? It’s the perfect day for a field trip. I’ll show you those tram cables, you can see how the mining operation worked in the terrain, and maybe you’ll finally understand why I track mud in here every day.”

“So this is about your dirty boots?” She’s trying to look stern, but I can see the corner of her mouth twitching.

“Among other things.”

It’s also about wanting to spend more time with her, but I’m not going to admit that right now.

“I don’t even know where to start. I told you, I don’t have hiking boots.”

“We can swing by Maple’s Outfitters first thing in the morning. They rent gear. Eight good for you? I’ll pick you up right here. And I’ll bring cinnamon rolls.”

“This is crazy,” she says, but there’s something that looks like excitement flickering in her eyes.

“Sometimes crazy is exactly what you need.”

She fidgets with her pen. “Fine. But if I twist my ankle or get eaten by bears, I’m blaming you.”

“I don’t think it’s possible to file a complaint against someone while you’re digesting inside a bear.”

She throws her pen at me, and I dodge it with a laugh. “You’re terrible! I’m being serious here, Sawyer.”

“So am I. Bears are more afraid of you than—”

“Don’t.” She holds up a hand. “Don’t give me the nature lecture right now. I’m already having second thoughts. Besides, I’m the one who usually tells tourists about the bear facts.”

“Fine, I’ll stop teasing you. But fair warning. Once you see those views, you might never want to come back inside.”

“I doubt it. Spending a day hiking with you might be enough to lock myself in here permanently.”

“Fine by me. More fresh air for the rest of us. Though you’ll miss out on seeing me in my natural element, which, I’ll have you know, is pretty impressive.”

“As impressive as your ability to ruin my exhibits?” she retorts.

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