Page 39 of Stay With Me

After a quick trip inside the visitor’s center to obtain a backcountry use permit, Nick pulled his now filthy Audi Q7 back onto the dusty road and headed toward Nine Point Draw, which would be their home for the weekend.

“Wow, Nick,” Samantha said as she stepped out of the car and took in the view. “You weren’t kidding when you said this is the middle of nowhere.”

He grinned at her as he pulled the two packs out, slinging one over his shoulder and handing the other to her. “Yeah, I love it. This area is usually less full of people than other sections of the park, which is why I like to come here. And since it’s not quite the weekend yet, we’ll probably have all this to ourselves for a day or two.”

He gestured at the looming range of gray and green peaks in the distance, which were set off brilliantly by a clear blue sky. “Persimmon Gap to the North. Part of the Santiago Mountains. And Dog Canyon to the east.”

He pointed to a zigzagging slot canyon at the center of one of the peaks. “If you look closely, you can see Devil’s Den. It looks like a black lightning bolt in the middle there.”

“Oh yeah! I can see it.”

“That’s where we’re going,” he announced.

She gaped at him. “That looks like it’s twenty miles from here!”

He laughed. “Only about five. But it’ll be worth it, I promise. It’s beautiful and pretty freaking cool.”

She fanned her face as he started unpacking the tent.

“Cool as in temperature?” she asked in a hopeful tone.

“Unfortunately, no. It’s still hot as shit over there. But it’s dry, desert heat so it’s not as bad as the heat back home. Make sure you drink lots of water. It’s easy to get dehydrated out here.”

Ten minutes later, he’d assembled the tent, laid out the mats and sleeping bags, and began pulling a few basic supplies in preparation for their hike while Samantha lounged on one of the makeshift beds next to where he sat.

“This is kind of cozy,” she mentioned with what appeared to be a mischievous look on her face and placed a flirtatious hand on his leg.

He eyeballed her for a second and nearly shifted into autopilot, as he mentally undressed her and scrolled through all the things he wanted to do to the deliciously soft skin that he couldn’t get out of his mind.

She certainly wasn’t making this easy for him.

He opted to simply squeeze her hand and smile warmly. “Grab your Camelbak and a couple of granola bars. We’ll be out for about four hours so you might get hungry.”

Samantha dug in her pack and pulled out the small backpack, a few bars, and her phone, then paused to peer at the screen. “I guess I won’t be needing this.” She laughed. “Zero service.”

“Peace and quiet,” he offered.

“Sounds good.”

“Oh and this,” he added, grabbing a small first aid kit and slipping it into her bag. “There’s all kinds of stuff to get cut or scratched with out there.” He winked at her. “Battle scars.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “All right! Let’s do this.”

* * *

Nick led Samantha as they traversed the sweeping white flats and dodged sparse groupings of creosote and lechuguilla, all the while the relentless sun and ninety-seven-degree heat beat down on them.

It was warmer than he was used to, and the unusually still air didn’t seem to help the situation. The slowly nearing peaks in the distance wavered with a mirage, and he was kind of surprised at the fact that this hike he’d done a half dozen times was actually challenging him for once.

He was pleased to find that Samantha wasn’t having any trouble keeping up and chatted cheerily as she excitedly pointed out desert moths—referring to them in a most endearing fashion as butterflies—and squealing and clutching his arm when she’d spot a random lizard or centipede.

The trail grew brushy and the ground became rockier as they stomped along through a dry creek bed. Samantha followed closely behind him and was silent for a while as the rocks beneath their feet became graveled.

“How are you doing, little lady?” he asked, tossing a glance over his shoulder.

“Good,” she replied, closely watching her feet as she carefully stepped along.

“We’re about a third of the way there,” he went on. “I know this is a hell of a walk, but it’s totally worth it. Devil’s Den is definitely my favorite place in the park.”