Page 16 of Trail to Trouble

“The needles poked me. “

He chuckled. “Next time, try to grab the trunk, not the branches with the sharp, sticky needles.”

She scowled at him.

“Sorry, I should have warned you. When you can, try to plan and place your grip in a bare spot, but if you slip, grab what you can to steady yourself. Either way, your hands are going to get a little sticky from the pitch.”

Bianca’s pert nose wrinkled.

“It’ll be fine. I have some hand sanitizer that will break down the sap.”

He looked beyond Bianca.

“Are we all good to continue?”

Alyssa nodded.

“Onward, captain,” Hannah replied.

He fixed his gaze on Hannah. “Captain is my brother.”

“What?” she asked.

“Cap is my brother. He owns a charter fishing boat. My sister is his first mate.”

“Really. Where?”

“Door County, where we’re from.”

The clap of Bianca’s hands drew his attention.

“I love Door County. My grandparents have a cottage there. On the lake.”

She closed her eyes and placed her hands over her heart. “The shops, food, wineries.”

Her eyelids fluttered open and her icy blue irises fixed on him. “No offense, but that is my kind of weekend getaway.”

He’d already figured as much.

He ran his gaze over the three ladies staring at him. “Well, if you ever want to hike there, I can help you out. I’m from there and I’ve hiked all five state parks, the county and city parks, and the land trusts. If there’s a trail, I’ve hiked it.”

Bianca pulled her lips into a pout. “The only hiking I’m doing in Door County is to a winery or shop.”

“You’re on your own with those. Maybe not the wineries, but definitely the shops,” he replied with a chuckle.

He spun back around and gestured for the crew to follow him.

It took only a few minutes to reach the top of the hill, then just another couple of minutes to reach the Pine Loop Falls. The echo of the rushing water led the way. The heavy spring rainfall, coupled with the large snow melt in March, ensured the falls would be spectacular for most of the summer and into the fall. It wasn’t always that way. A low snowfall winter and dry spring could lead to a disappointing trickle of a fall.

As he and his crew poked out of the cover of the pines, the large rock jutting out over the falls came into view.

He stopped, and when the three ladies stepped up to his side, he pointed at the narrow bridge he and his uncle had built to give their guests a spectacular view of the falls, just like they’d done for some of the other falls. The bridge led to a large rock that jutted out next to the falls. Water circled the rock, then fed into where the falls swept over the edge of the cliff. With as much water as there was rushing over the edge, they were sure to feel some cool, refreshing spray.

“We’ll cross that and you’ll get a better view.”

“What I see already is gorgeous,” Hannah said.

The gold flecks in her bright emerald eyes sparkled and his gaze was glued to hers. She lit up during the brief moments in which she seemed to allow herself to be happy. Even the worry lines around her almond-shaped eyes disappeared, making him want to stay in this moment forever. He wanted her to be happy and felt the need to fix whatever ailed her. Whatever it was that laced her gaze with sadness.