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HEARING HIS PHONE RING, Ezra pulled it out of the passenger seat’s cup holder. He arched a brow upon spotting the name of the caller. Ezra debated not answering, but his curiosity got the better of him.

“Hey, Link,”

Ezra greeted, answering with his phone on speaker. “I’m driving. Give me a sec to switch to Bluetooth.”

“Okay.”

Just as it always seemed to happen, hearing Link’s deep voice caused butterflies to take flight in Ezra’s belly. He could seriously listen to the man talk all day. Unfortunately, as seen from their abysmal date, Link didn’t talk much.

After that disaster of a lunch, Ezra hadn’t thought Link would really follow through and call him. Curious about what he could possibly want—if it’s a booty call, I’ll have to decline, which would really suck. I bet he’s hung—he opened his center console and grabbed his Bluetooth earpiece. After slipping it on his ear, Ezra connected to his phone.

“Okay, Link,”

Ezra stated into the speaker. “I can talk now.”

“Glad to hear you’re being safe while driving.”

Link’s voice rumbled through Ezra’s ear. “Like knowing you’re playin’ it safe.”

Ezra smirked, feeling a flutter of warmth within his chest...and his groin. “Well, I was a Boy Scout,”

he admitted. “Be prepared.”

“Really?”

Link paused, and Ezra thought that would be it...just like at the restaurant. Mostly one-word comments. Except, a few seconds later, Link cleared his throat and stated, “So, uh, I know lunch was a little rough. I haven’t dated in...a long damn time.”

A deep sigh sounded through the line. “I’m a hacker, mostly a loner, but we have chemistry, you and I. I’m not stupid enough to pass that up just because I’m uncomfortable.”

A bit impressed with Link’s candor, Ezra let out an admission of his own. “In the parking lot, when you leaned in to kiss me, and I pulled away, it wasn’t you, it was me.”

Link grunted before asking, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, PDAs make me feel very uncomfortable,”

Ezra admitted. “Even when I’ve dated women, I don’t kiss them in public.”

“You’re bi?”

Ezra could hear the incredulity in Link’s voice...or perhaps worry or concern. He didn’t know the man well enough, yet.

If I end up knowing him much at all.

“Yeah, I’m bi,”

Ezra confirmed. He’d never denied how he identified, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. “But if I’m with someone, man or woman, I’m faithful.”

Huh. Why did I feel the need to reassure him?

Plus, Ezra had only ever been in a relationship with a man once...and it had lasted all of two weeks. Still, what he said was true. He’d been faithful during that time.

“Okay,”

Link responded simply. “Uh, can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?”

As tempting as it was to say yes and turn his vehicle around, Ezra decided not to. He’d been planning his excursion for months. Ezra wanted to get out and commune with nature. It always helped him think, and Ezra really needed to think about his body’s crazy responses to Link.

The big guy was the exact opposite of his type, so why did he respond so viscerally to him?

Ezra hoped the two weeks of hiking and camping would help him understand.

“I’m sorry, Link,”

Ezra replied, doing his best to keep his voice soft and soothing. “I’m actually headed out of town. I have the next two weeks off work, and I’m headed into the mountains.”

“The mountains?”

Link repeated. “Like, camping?”

A second later, he murmured, “Oh, you said you enjoyed hiking at lunch today.”

“Yeah, I did.”

Ezra smiled, pleased that Link had caught that. “And I’m heading to Springer Mountain to start the Appalachian Trail. I want to see how far I get and test my physical fitness.”

As Ezra spoke, he couldn’t help how animated his voice became. “Been planning it for months. Someday, I hope to hike the entire trail. It spans fourteen states, ending in Maine.”

Talking faster, Ezra rambled, “This is my first time on the trail, and I’m hoping it’ll give me an idea of just how long it could take me. Average is five to seven months, and I need to know how much more prep I’ll need before planning a leave of absence from work. Definitely not during tax season. Good thing that’s in the winter, right?” Ezra finished with a laugh.

The line remained quiet for a moment, and Ezra felt his cheeks begin to heat as embarrassment started to fill him. He couldn’t believe he’d blurted all that out. What a moment to totally geek-out about his dream of hiking the whole trail.

Finally, Link responded. “I like listening to you talk about your plans. You’re passionate.”

His deep voice sounded full of warmth. “I look forward to hearing more.”

“Really?”

Ezra didn’t bother trying to fight his pleased grin.

“Yeah,”

Link instantly replied. “I like the sound of your voice.”

Ezra felt his cheeks heat for a whole new reason. No one had ever offered such blunt admissions before. Clearing his throat, he struggled with what to say.

That time, Link beat him to it. “Do you have a satellite phone?”

“Yeah, absolutely,”

Ezra confirmed. “I’ve done several overnight hiking trips before. Solo and with friends.”

He smiled, pleased at the idea that Link worried about him. “Got all the necessities. Food for days, water filtration device, first aid kit, pup tent, and GPS maps, and more.”

Ezra forced himself to shut up.

“Good,”

Link replied softly. “Will you give me your satellite number, Ezra?”

“You gonna hack it and track me?”

Ezra teased.

It took a few heartbeats for Link to reply, “Maybe.”

Ezra lifted his brows, surprise filling him. “Really?”

Link sighed. “I won’t if you tell me not to,”

he told him, sounding a bit resigned. “But it’s sort of what I do.”

For some reason, Ezra didn’t find the idea of Link tracking him all that horrible. It was kind of flattering, actually. The big man wanted to expend time, energy, and expertise into keeping track of him, and he was upfront about it.

Not like he’s keeping secrets.

Chuckling, Ezra admitted, “You know, I don’t care if you do that or not.”

Then he rattled off his satellite phone number.

“Thank you,”

Link replied, sounding sincere. “You don’t know what that means to me.”

Ezra shrugged. “So, well, I can call you when I get back to civilization in a couple of weeks,”

he offered.

“Okay,”

Link agreed. “Be careful out there.”

“I always am.”

Ezra smiled, his gut fluttering in the face of Link’s concern. “Oh, how’s your nephew’s birthday party?”

“Real good,”

Link told him. “Rylie appreciated the game I gave him. We’re going to play together sometime.”

“Is it an online one?”

Ezra hadn’t bothered playing more than Angry Birds on his phone in years. “Or something on a gaming system?”

Ezra knew there were many different platforms available these days. Although, he could probably only name a couple of them. He knew that when people heard he was an accountant, they expected him to be a gamer, but after working on a computer for many hours a day for his job, staring at any kind of electronic device was the last thing he wanted to do to relax. Ezra even preferred his books to be the paper kind.

Wow. We really are opposites.

“It’s on a gaming system. PlayStation 5. You familiar with it?”

Chuckling, Ezra shook his head, not caring that Link couldn’t see him. “No. Not at all.”

At least, he’d heard of that one.

“Well, my nephew and I share the interest, so it’s nice to nurture that connection,”

Link told him, his voice growing quiet. After a second, he cleared his throat and stated, “I guess I should let you focus on driving. I’ll talk to you soon, Ezra.”

“Okay, Link,”

Ezra replied. “And thanks for calling.”

“I always do what I say I’m gonna do,”

Link claimed. “Bye, baby.”

Before Ezra could comment on Link’s statement or his use of a term of endearment, the line went dead. “Just something else to think about,”

he muttered with a shake of his head.

Doing as Link had suggested, Ezra focused on the road.

AFTER DRIVING FOR SEVERAL more hours, Ezra pulled into the bed and breakfast where he’d reserved a room. He yawned, more than ready for a soak in the jetted tub the room was supposed to contain. Then Ezra would hit the sack, enjoy his last homemade breakfast—the place’s website boasted amazing reviews for their food—and get an early start.

Ezra parked, shut off his Range Rover, and climbed from the vehicle. Clasping his hands together, he stretched his arms over his head. He twisted one way, then the other, before bending forward at the waist.

After blowing out a deep breath, Ezra reached into his back seat and grabbed his overnight bag. He locked his Rover and headed to the front door. Squinting against the porch light, he stopped on the stoop and rang the doorbell.

The front door was locked after dark, but he had a reservation and knew they expected him. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of clicking. The door opened to reveal a slightly plump middle-aged woman.

“Hi, Misses Weathers?”

Ezra held out his hand. “I’m Ezra Pendle.”

“Of course. Come in, Mister Pendle.”

Misses Weathers opened the door wide and beckoned him inside. “How was your drive up?”

“Please, call me Ezra, and the drive went smoothly,”

he responded, entering a nicely appointed entrance area complete with a check-in desk. With a wry smile, he told her, “Mister Pendle was my father.”

And he never wanted to be like his father.

May you rest in peace, you old bastard.

Amelia’s father reminded Ezra of his father—a bigoted, hateful, spiteful man.

Dismissing that thought, Ezra focused on Misses Weathers’s words. “Of course, and, please, call me Margie.”

She smiled as she led the way to the check-in desk. “I have everything written up for you. I just need your signature.”

Margie pulled out a couple of pieces of paper. “On your reservation, you indicated no food allergies. I just want to confirm that’s correct.”

“It is,”

Ezra replied, pulling a pen from a jar of decorative stones. He flashed her a grin, saying, “Never met a food I didn’t like,”

before focusing on the paperwork.

Ezra glanced over the paperwork, briefly checking everything. Finding the signature line, he scribbled his name. He stabbed the pen back into the pebble-filled cup and straightened, focusing on her again.

“Earliest breakfast time I offer is six AM,”

Margie told him once she realized his attention was back on her. “Latest possible is nine-thirty. What’s your preference?”

Looking forward to getting an early start without being dead on his feet, Ezra asked, “Will seven-thirty work?”

“Of course. I’ll have it ready for you then.”

Margie pointed toward the doorway on the right. “The dining room is right through there. There’s a coffee machine in there that makes a variety of coffee types, if you’re into that sort of thing,”

she added with a grin. “As well as creamers, milks, and juice in the mini-fridge.”

“Thank you,”

Ezra replied instinctively.

Margie took the paperwork and turned around. She quickly and efficiently photocopied them before handing over the copy to him. Then she took a key out of a locked drawer and handed it to him. It had a little plastic tag attached to it with the number 4 on it.

“I’ll show you to your room,”

Margie told him, starting toward the stairs to the left. “You can take a quick peek and tell me if you need anything.”

Ezra couldn’t imagine that he would, assuming the pictures and information on her site were accurate, but he followed in silence. When Margie indicated the door with the number four on it, he quickly opened it and stepped inside. The room was just as comfortable as Ezra had expected, with a small lounging area with TV, a king-sized bed, and, in the corner, the promised jetted tub.

Oh yeah.

Ezra made a mental note to see if this place was available in two weeks at the end of his vacation, too. After hiking and sleeping on the ground for so long, he was sure his body would appreciate it.

I can hardly wait to get started.

“This is wonderful, Margie,”

Ezra told her, flashing a smile her way. “Just wonderful.”

“Glad to hear it,”

Margie replied, beaming. “I turn in at ten, but if you end up needing something before then, please let me know.”

She pointed at the box on the wall. “The intercom connects to the kitchen, and I’ll hear it.”

“Thank you again,”

Ezra told her.

Margie nodded and headed out of the room.

Ezra closed and locked the door before placing his overnight bag on the bed. Pulling his shirt over his head, he headed toward the tub. He reached down and started the water.

Anticipation filled him, and he stripped quickly.

A few minutes later, as Ezra climbed into the tub, he thought of Link.

I wonder if he’s a tub guy and would be willing to share this with me.

With a snicker, Ezra relaxed against the side and mentally prepared himself for the coming days.