Page 12 of Mess With Me
She halted suddenly, grabbing his bicep before quickly dropping it. “Three hours! Are these advanced hikers?”
He lifted one shoulder. “Beginner to intermediate. We stop for hydration breaks. You can always follow the trail back to my Jeep if you get tired.”
“Does anyone ever do that?”
He hesitated before admitting, “No.”
She continued down the stairs. “I’m not going to be that weenie. Charlotte says I already have some nice muscle tone in my quads. I just need to work on my core and my arms.”
He refrained from commenting on her body because he wanted her way more than he had a right to at this stage in their relationship. But hell, she was lush with curves. He longed for softness pressed against him, though he’d never say that out loud. It would ruin his tough-cop image. Even her being a speed demon wasn’t a deal breaker. She was just an enthusiastic person.
“Slow and steady build is better anyway,” he said gruffly, not wanting to give away his lusty thoughts.
“How long did it take you to build strength? I mean, you’re lugging around an extra twenty pounds on a three-hour hike.”
The fact that she noticed his strength was a good sign. She’d been checking him out earlier too when he pulled her over. Some women had a thing for the uniform. “I’ve been working out since high school football days. Then I upped it for my job.”
“Do you have to chase a lot of criminals?”
“You have to be prepared for any situation, but, yes, I’ve apprehended those who broke the law.”
“Have you ever been shot?”
“I’ve been shot at, but never took a bullet. Eastman isn’t a big haven for crime, but there’s enough people to warrant a decent-size police force. Most problems center around drugs.”
“Knock wood—” she knocked her head “—that you keep up that great record of never taking a bullet.”
“Thanks.”
She was quiet the rest of the way down the stairs. He wasn’t sure if his job worried her or she was thinking of something else. There was really nothing to say that would reassure her about his job. It was what it was—long periods of not much going on, sudden high-risk situations. He handled it. And he liked that he could step in and right a wrong. He liked that people needed him most of all. It went a long way for someone who hadn’t felt wanted or needed for way too long as a kid.
He gestured over to where he’d parked.
“I’ve seen this car a few times parked at Garner’s. This is yours? Awesome!” She rushed over to the passenger side of his firecracker red Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. He loved his Jeep, the four-wheel drive was great in all terrain and off-road.
He opened the door for her and she hustled in.
“Will Cali be meeting us there?” she asked.
“No.” He hadn’t bothered to call her. He figured if Ally couldn’t handle being alone with him on a short drive to a group hike, then she couldn’t handle him at all. Better to know that up front. Some women found him too gruff. Maybe they wanted touchy-feely shit. That wasn’t him.
“Oh,” she said, her gaze fixed on his bicep. She jerked her gaze back to his eyes and smiled uncertainly. “Can we put the top down?”
“Yup.” He shut the door. It wasn’t a quick thing to take the soft top down, not if you did it right—taking out the side windows, back window, unlatching everything, pulling the roof back, storing everything safely in the back of the Jeep—but he’d make the effort for her. Several minutes later, he was satisfied that everything was safely stored and climbed in the driver’s side.
“I had no idea it was that much work,” she said. “Thanks for doing that.”
“No problem.” He started the Jeep and backed out of the space. “Hang onto your hat.”
She took off the hat and rested it on her lap. Her hair remained flattened against her head and she ran her fingers through it, shaking it out. He wondered if it was as soft as it looked. Then she lifted her arms and wiggled her fingers out the top of the Jeep. “Whee-ee-ee!”
He chuckled at the reference to his partner’s comically dry take on life and headed out to the main road.
“You have any other hobbies besides fitness?” she asked.
She was definitely interested in him. He played it cool. “Most of my time is spent at work or outdoors hiking, camping, fishing. I spend time with the guys too.”
“Do you miss Zach?” That was his honorary brother he’d grown up with in the same foster home since they were nine. They’d been the youngest boys there at the time, both orphans, and had stuck together. Other kids, mostly siblings, had passed through over the years, but only he and Zach stayed put. If it wasn’t for Zach, Ethan wasn’t sure he would’ve passed high school. Academics had never been his thing. Zach went on to get a PhD. Ethan did his part for Zach, making sure skinny Zach didn’t get his ass kicked. Back then, Ethan would fight any guy that looked sideways at him. He’d been so pissed off for so long because no one wanted him enough to adopt him. He shuddered to think what would’ve become of him without Joe Campbell setting such a powerful example of what a man was, bringing him into the family, along with Zach, and making them feel like they belonged. Ethan didn’t forget that kindness. He was, above all, loyal and remained firmly rooted in Eastman so he could be there not only for the family who’d taken him in, but also the community. He worked for the Eastman Police Department and coached football in the Police Athletic League that had been his haven as a kid.
