Page 52 of Fire and Ice
He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers, so soft that it was barely a whisper of a touch. Then he wrapped his arms more tightly around her, and she settled her cheek against his chest, hearing his heartbeat.
“I love it when you hug me.” She sighed and melted into him. “You make me feel like everything is wonderful.”
“Everything is wonderful.” Grady rested his chin on top of her head. “You make the sun shine brighter in my life.”
Chelsea breathed in his masculine scent, letting it seep into her lungs and travel through her to her fingertips and toes. She filled herself with him.
After a long moment, she took his hand and tipped her head so that she could look into his eyes. “Are you ready to head back downstairs?”
He gave a gentle smile. “I’m not ready to let you go, but we probably should join the rest of the crew.”
Chelsea and Grady reached the kitchen just as DeAndra removed her casserole from the oven and set it onto a potholder on the granite countertop. “It just needs to cool for ten minutes, then everyone can dig in.”
They all gathered around the dining table, which the twins had set for six, with glasses of iced tea in front of each place setting. Anneka placed the casserole dish on a trivet, then used a large serving spoon to scoop generous portions onto each plate. When everyone had been served, they dug in.
Over lunch, Chelsea’s siblings pelted Grady with questions, and he answered them good-naturedly. Fortunately, they didn’t ask him anything embarrassing. He, in turn, asked each of her brothers and sisters about themselves.
Chelsea watched each of them, and like she’d thought, they all interacted easily and naturally, just as they had on Christmas Eve. When Chelsea and her siblings played board and card games on Christmas Day, they’d told her that so far, they liked Grady—not that she’d been worried about it. But it was good to see how easily they got along, laughing and chatting like they’d known each other for a while now.
Chelsea and Grady decided to go for a walk along Oak Creek after lunch, and DeAndra and Anneka planned to go shopping in Sedona. And—surprise, surprise—Joe and Brad were going to finish the round of Myth Hunter they’d been in the middle of when Chelsea and Grady had arrived.
After they slid into their jackets, the two of them walked down to the creek. A light breeze tugged at Chelsea’s hair. She dug a hair tie out of her front pocket and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.
Grady tugged it lightly. “You look cute in a ponytail.”
She flashed him a smile. “Keeps my hair out of my eyes.”
As they walked toward the creek, the sound of water flowing over rocks grew louder and birds flitted through the trees. They made their way along a forest path littered with the dead leaves of ash, birch, and Arizona sycamore trees, crunching beneath their shoes, along with the snapping of twigs.
Grady looked at the scenery as they strode toward their destination. “It’s beautiful here.”
“Isn’t it?” She looked up at the snatches of blue sky amongst the tree cover.
He pointed toward a tree. “Do you know what kind of trees those are—the ones with white bark?”
“Arizona sycamores.” She paused and placed her palm against a smooth patch on the trunk of one. “From what I understand, you can find them all over Oak Creek Canyon.”
“I bet they’re gorgeous when they leaf in the spring.” He glanced at her. “Who knows, maybe we can make it here that time of the year.”
She smiled. “You never know.”
They reached the creek, which was roughly ten feet from where they stood. Water tumbled over and flowed around rocks and boulders.
“Let’s head upstream.” Chelsea started out with Grady at her side, but sometimes the path narrowed so that they had to walk single file. Other times, they’d have to step on rocks to make their way to the other side.
Wind whispered among the trees, and bird chatter filled the air as they continued. Water gurgled as it made its way around and over rocks and boulders. She breathed in the scents of rich earth, spruce, and fresh, clean air.
They had walked for a while before Grady put his hand on her arm as he whispered. “Look over there. Between those bushes, you can see a couple of deer.”
Chelsea peered in that direction, and at first, she couldn’t see anything. Then she spotted a small gray doe, standing perfectly still and staring back at them. Chelsea found herself holding her breath. The diminutive doe was beautiful.
Chelsea kept her voice low. “Last year, Joe researched wildlife in the area and told us that Cous whitetail deer are native to Oak Creek Canyon. They’re much smaller than their larger cousins.”
The deer took off in a flash, followed by two others that Chelsea hadn’t seen, the three crashing through the bushes on their quick flight, and then they were gone.
“There are black bears, foxes, and javelina around here, too, according to Joe.” Chelsea relaxed as she looked from the spot where the deer had been. “He also said there are even beavers and otters here. And nearly 150 species of birds make the canyon their home throughout the year.”
Grady pushed his fingers through his hair. “The more I’m in Arizona, the more I learn about the state, the more I love it.”
