Page 17 of Mess With Me
He took in the view with her. “It is.”
After a few minutes, she turned to him. “Please tell me there’s a rest period before we hike back down.”
“Yes, and downhill is a lot easier. You hungry?”
She nodded.
He gestured for her to follow him to a flat boulder and offered her an apple.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a big bite. “This is better than a granola bar.”
“Agreed.” He ate his apple and kept an eye on her for signs of falling asleep. She was actually perky, bright-eyed, looking around as she chomped the apple enthusiastically. Fighter all the way. Something in the vicinity of his heart shifted. Hereallyliked her.
Some of the other hikers came over to fist-bump her and congratulate her for conquering her first hike.
“Still have to make it back,” Ally said.
“You got this,” one of the Matts said. “This is a tough trail for a first-timer. Your boyfriend should’ve told you that.”
Ally smiled and crinkled her nose. “We’re just friends.”
Matt checked in with him and Ethan narrowed his eyes. Matt smirked and Ethan’s hackles rose. He stood to face Matt eye to eye, man to man.Seriously going to move in on the woman wearing my shirt in front of me?
Matt turned and walked away.Thought so.
Ethan sat next to Ally and finished his apple in three fierce bites.
“What was that about?” Ally asked.
“I didn’t appreciate his smirk.”
“You smirk all the time.”
“Not like that.”
“Oh-kay.” She finished up her apple. “Where should I throw this away?”
“We take out whatever we take in. Here.” He held out his palm.
“You want my chewed apple core? My slobber is all over it.”
He laughed. “I’ll live.”
She gingerly placed it in his palm.
“Ah!” he exclaimed. “Girl cooties!”
She laughed. “Tough guy does have a sense of humor!”
He tucked the apple cores into a sandwich bag in his pack. “Not as good as say, a knock-knock joke, but ya know…”
“Hey, some of my knock-knock jokes are very funny.”
“To first graders.”
She poked his shoulder. “To everyone, tough guy.”
He met her eyes. “Tough girl. I’m impressed with how hard you worked to get here. Some people would’ve taken the easy way out and gone back to civilization.”
