Page 71 of Last Summer

CHAPTER 21

“Too thick.” Nathan takes the liberty of removing the pair of socks Ella added to her shopping basket.

“News flash. I get cold easily.” She tosses the socks back in her basket.

As planned, she checked out of her hotel after breakfast. Nathan texted the location of Alpine Mountaineering, adding that he’d meet her there.

Nathan wears another one of his button-down flannels under a hunter-green jacket. A beat-up vintage Northstar-at-Tahoe cap is on his head. Oakley aviators hang from the collar of his heather-gray undershirt. His rugged handsomeness, his subtle aloe-soap-and-pine scent, and his nearness—most especially his nearness—keep drawing her eye. She can’t seem to get her fill of him.

Nathan replaces the socks, dropping a different pair in the basket.

“Aren’t those a little thin for where we’re going?” she observes.

“They’ll be fine. Believe it or not, they’re designed to keep your feet warmer and allow them to breathe. You’ll sweat in those others, then that sweat will chill in the Alaskan climate and your toes will freeze.”

“If you say so.” She skims the label of the pair he selected.

“We had an in-depth discussion about socks last summer.”

“Did we? Sounds fascinating.”

“It was a surprisingly thorough conversation. We covered the need for ventilation zones and stretch recovery. Don’t you hate it when the elastic fails?”

“We’re talking about socks, right?” She eyes him as she digs through the discount sock bin.

“Absolutely. Socks bunched at the ankle is the worst sort of inconvenience midhike.”

“The horror.” She gives him an exaggerated shiver. “What about seams? Were you one of those kids who wouldn’t put on his shoes until the sock seams laid exactly right over your toes?”

“That was me to a T. Good news, though. These socks have no seams.” He dangles another pair in front of her face. She snatches them and drops them in her basket.

“Tell me, Nathan,” she begins, moving on to the coatrack. Her quilted coat and the hiking jacket she doesn’t remember leaving at Nathan’s house won’t cut it in Alaska’s Pacific coast windchill. “What else did we talk about?”

He removes his jacket and hooks it over his arm. Thinks for a moment. “Your brother. How’s his app coming along?”

“Come Over Rover? Great. He’s found an investor.” She pushes aside coats on the rack. Selecting one at random, she shows Nathan.

“Try it on,” he suggests, and she does. The thick blue parka, lined with sheep’s wool with a faux trimmed hood, fits well. Flipping up the hood, she extends her arms and turns full circle. “Well?” she asks.

“You remind me of a toddler stuffed into a snowsuit.”

She laughs. “Good. It’ll keep me warm.”

“Excuse me, are you Nathan Donovan?” asks a young woman neither of them had seen approach. Two friends flank her. All three are decked in knit snow caps and snowboard pants that bunch at their ankles. Sun-kissed cheeks and windburned noses with a defined outline in the shape of their ski goggles adorn their ChapStick-commercial perfect faces.

Nathan looks to Ella. She can tell he wants to say no, but he pastes on a smile and forces out an “I am.”

“I loved your show,” she gushes. “May we take a selfie with you?”

She has her phone out with the camera app open before she finishes her question.

“I’m going to pay for these.” Ella points at her basket. “Meet you up front.”

Nathan barely acknowledges her. The woman already has her arm around him, and the other two women are pulling out their phones.

By the time the salesclerk rings up and bags Ella’s items, a small gathering has formed around Nathan. They demand autographs and selfies. They want to know when his next series starts. Where does he live? Is he vacationing in Truckee? Who’s the woman he’s with? Does that mean he and Stephanie aren’t getting back together? Are they going to have another kid since Carson died?

Nathan’s face pales and Ella’s stomach lurches. The nerve of some people. A staff member tries dispersing the crowd, but they are all over him. Nathan has been off the grid for too long. Everyone is too caught up in getting his attention and the scoop on his next move.

---