Page 53 of Stay With Me

“Maybe not to a seasoned outdoor professional like yourself.”

“Maybe not.”He tossed a devilish look at her.“It’s your first time, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Well, Samantha,”he began as he squeezed her thigh.“It’s a privilege to be the one who deflowers you.”

“Nick!”she scoffed as she swatted his hand and he laughed.“You have such a dirty mind.”

He shrugged as his laughter dissipated.“Guilty as charged. But it’s okay because I’m charming.”

“Riiight. Keep telling yourself that.”She winked at him and then turned to look out the window.“This looks like it goes on forever.”

“Yeah. It’s pretty big. More than eight hundred thousand acres.”

“Wow, I hope I don’t get lost.”

He laughed again.“You’re not going to get lost.”

“Well, what if I do?”

“You won’t get lost as long as you don’t wander off without me.”

“What if we get separated?”

“We’re not going to get separated,”he insisted, then glanced at her face.“However, in the unlikely event that you ever find yourself in Big Bend separated from whatever dumbass who took you there and let you traipse into the wilderness alone, stay put. Or if you get hurt or something, don’t try to go find help. Just wait. Meandering around in the desert or mountains when you’re stressed and disoriented will get you more lost. Especially if it’s hot like this. Dry heat will suck up your energy at an exponential rate and you won’t think clearly. Wait for help and stay hydrated.”

“How will someone know to come look for me?”

“You use a mirror.”

She had to laugh.“A mirror?”

“Yeah. Point it toward the sun and it’s like a flare gun. It’ll signal anyone flying overhead or off in the distance. Just keep flashing the mirror and someone will find you as long as you stay where you are. It’s a lot harder for the park rangers to find a moving target.”

“Use the mirror and stay put,” Samantha repeated his words from earlier. She picked it up and sat back down next to his head. “You’re the expert.”

She tilted the mirror and saw that it reflected a pretty noticeable light on the wall of the canyon, then tilted it toward the sky, rocking it back and forth. She glanced at his face and picked up his hand to hold it in her lap.

“So now we wait. Hang in there, Nick. I have a feeling this is going to take a while.”

Chapter Twelve

Nick

It was Christmas Eve when the idea first popped into Nick’s head.

He was going over the books and started getting a clear picture of what his year-end profits would be, and things were looking good. Really good.

Maybe a littletoogood.

Everything in his life was comfortable at that point. Successful career; awesome girlfriend; parents who’d quit nagging him. Literally nothing to worry about. Cruise control. Easy street. At the ripe old age of thirty-one.

As a result, he started feeling a bit antsy.

This had always been the problem for him. Without a challenge, he grew restless. Without a new project, he became bored.

He toyed with the idea for a few months, but didn’t take the leap. The timing would have to be just right, after all.