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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Olivia watched as Tyson grabbed two bottles of water from the cooler in the back of his F-350. He tossed her one and then went to speak to Donald.

“He’s going to wait here and watch for any trouble,” Tyson explained when he came back.

Then he placed his hand on her back, on the spot that seemed reserved just for him.

Warmth filled her again.

He led her to a narrow trail cutting through the woods.

A hike.

It sounded like just what the doctor ordered.

Side by side, they journeyed into the woods, leaving the school property behind them.

As they walked, Olivia glanced around, looking for any signs of danger.

She saw nothing that caused alarm. But she couldn’t afford to let down her guard either.

The summer heat pressed against Olivia’s skin as she and Tyson navigated the winding trail. Shafts of golden light filtered through the dense canopy of oak, hickory, and towering poplars, creating a dappled pattern on the russet carpet of pine needles beneath their shoes.

The rich, earthy scent of decomposing leaves mingled with the sweet perfume of mountain laurel and wild rhododendron that lined the path in sporadic bursts of pink and white blooms.

Olivia paused to catch her breath, wiping beads of sweat from her forehead as she surveyed the rolling blue haze that gave these mountains their name. The distant peaks emerged from low-hanging clouds like islands in a billowing sea. The air carried a distinctive freshness that contrasted with the humidity—a clean, resinous fragrance of pine sap warming in the sun.

“Not much farther,” Tyson assured her.

The trail steepened before them, roots creating natural steps on the incline. Olivia followed, grateful she’d been working out. The trail might be challenging otherwise.

This was freedom, she thought. Far from the danger waiting for her back in real life.

If only she could disappear into moments like this.

Finally, Tyson stopped and spread his arms. “Here it is.”

A vista of the mountains stretched before them. “It’s beautiful.”

“This has always been one of my favorite places to come when I need to think.”

“I can see why.”

Silence fell between them a moment as they both soaked in the beauty.

“I have a question for you,” Olivia asked after a few minutes. “What was your first impression of me?”

Tyson blinked. “Oh, I don’t know.”

“No, come on. I want to know.”

He hesitated. “I thought you were a flirt, a little ditzy.”

Olivia laughed. “And now?”

“There’s definitely a deeper side to you I’ve come to appreciate.”

The compliment sounded so sincere that Olivia felt herself blushing.

Instead of dwelling on it, she barged into her next question. “Want to know what I thought of you?”

Amusement danced in his eyes. “I don’t know, do I?”

“I didn’t think there was much to you besides muscle. I was wrong.”

“I guess the saying is true, you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

“No, you really can’t.”

And that could be a good or bad thing.

* * *

As they stared at the mountains, a rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, and Tyson noticed rain clouds moving in. In what seemed like only moments, the sky darkened ominously, and the wind picked up, bending the tops of the trees.

Tension stretched across his back. “That came up fast. We need to start back. We don’t want to be caught here if it rains. If this dirt turns to mud, it will be impossible to get back up this hill.”

“Then let’s go.”

They turned around, moving more quickly now. The first fat raindrops began to hit the canopy above them, occasionally making it through to splatter against his skin.

Halfway back, the sky opened up. Rain poured down, quickly soaking through their clothes. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by the low growl of thunder.

Tyson paused and turned to Olivia “I don’t think we’re going to make it back before this gets worse. We need to find somewhere to take cover. I know a place. I think we can get there in time.”

The hike was already becoming harder as the dirt began its transition into mud. The breeze, once mild and pleasant, now had a chill to it. They needed to move quickly.

“We’re almost there,” Tyson called over his shoulder to Olivia. He had to raise his voice to be heard over the storm.

Finally, he spotted it.

A cave.

He tugged Olivia toward it, but she didn’t move.

He glanced back at her in confusion.

Terror stretched across her face. “I can’t go in there.”

Dark, confined spaces. He understood her fear.

But they didn’t have much choice right now.

“We’ll be okay.” Tyson tugged her hand.

“I can’t do it.” Olivia shook her head, still not moving.

He saw the panic wash through her gaze, and he had to make a split-second decision . . . especially as lightning pierced the sky and thunder shook the ground.