Page 67 of Colton On Guard

They drove past RTA headquarters, continuing on for a few miles. The elevation increased as they headed up the side of the mountain. “This is where we take the hiking expeditions,” he said as they pulled into the small parking lot with a sign that marked it as the trailhead.

“Are there going to be other people here?” she asked, not even trying to mask her disappointment. “I’m not sure I’m up for a big crowd.”

Unable to resist, he squeezed her arm, battling the urge to let his hand linger. “No. There’s a point midway up where the trail splits off. I take the tourists up on the south side. We’re heading up the north.”

They shouldered their backpacks and set off. He let Revis range ahead of them, but Genna insisted on carrying JB. “She’s so small, I’m afraid something will eat her,” she explained.

Which made perfect sense.

As they headed up the trail, Genna kept a good pace. Since he didn’t want to make her overdo it, he watched her carefully in case she needed to rest.

“I’m not going to topple over,” she said dryly, catching him as he sneaked a sideways glance at her. “Despite me telling you that I don’t go hiking, I’m still in pretty decent shape physically.”

“I’ll say,” he drawled, earning her laughter.

When they reached the halfway point, marked by a bench and several signs, Parker removed his backpack and plopped down. “Let’s take a quick break,” he said, whistling for Revis. The dog immediately returned, sitting down at Parker’s feet.

With a grateful smile, Genna took off her own pack and sat next to him. “Thanks,” she said, grabbing her water bottle from the side of her backpack and drinking deep.

Parker opened a collapsible dog bowl and poured water into it for the dogs. They both drank eagerly.

“Now the fun begins,” he said. “The trail is going to get markedly steeper once we make that turn. If you need to stop and rest, just say so, okay?”

“Okay.” She grimaced. “So far, this hasn’t been too bad. And it’s beautiful here.”

“Just wait until we get to the meadow where I usually camp,” he told her. “And at night, the skies are amazing.”

“How often do you camp up here?” she asked, genuinely curious.

He shrugged. “Whenever I feel the need to get away. Most times, I come by myself. But Spence has been here with me a few times. Eli, too. Mitchell has even been a couple of times.” He flashed a sheepish grin. “It’s a great place to get your mind aligned with your soul.”

His poetic choice of phrase made her melt. To be honest, not only did he continually surprise her, but the more she got to know him, the more she realized how unique he was. Looking at him, with his muscular, toned body and outdoorsy appearance, the depths of his personality added to his already compelling sex appeal.

Renewed, they carried on. The exertion felt good, as if the hike brought a rush of endorphins. She felt strong and capable and unbelievably alive. Happy.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked. Then, without waiting for an answer, he asked her if she wanted him to carry JB for a bit.

“Thank you, but I’ve got her,” she replied. “I’m fine and she’s not heavy at all.”

The trail grew progressively steeper and narrower as it curved up the side of the mountain. Since they could no longer hike side by side, Parker trekked ahead. She found she enjoyed having his backside to look at, especially since the height made her feel a little dizzy.

The drop-off to her right looked treacherous, even though there seemed to be plenty of trees to help break the fall. Luckily, the path they were on seemed solid. Despite that, she kept to her left, just in case her clumsy self were to take an accidental misstep. She wasn’t too worried about hurting herself. But she couldn’t risk anything happening to JB.

Apparently unconcerned, Parker walked a few feet ahead of her, though he kept close. She realized he’d purposely made his own pace slower to match hers, which she appreciated.

“Where’s Revis?” she asked, looking around for the large dog.

Hearing his name, Revis came trotting back to them, panting happily. He made a few loops around both Parker and Genna before settling in to walk in between them.

“He’s really enjoying himself,” Parker said. “I’m so glad I was able to get him out of the shelter.”

“Me, too.”

“What about you?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder. “Are you having fun?”

She thought for a moment. “Actually, I am. More than I expected. It’s not as physically taxing as I thought it would be.”

His grin made her breath catch. “I can think of some other activities we can do later that will definitely be exhausting.”