Mia jumped out of the van. It might be just gone 4 am but she’d never been more pumped. Standing beside Aiden, she glanced around, although there wasn’t much to see in the darkness. But there were people everywhere as Balinese guides and drivers organised tourists of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities.
Eka introduced them to their hiking guide Lolo. He was a young Balinese man, slender and fit, dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a beanie. Lolo asked them to introduce themselves. Mia learned that the two European men—Max and Felix—were from Germany.
Then they set off through the dark cover of trees for the two-hour trek. Mia wasn’t overly concerned about the moderate difficulty of the hike. She exercised regularly and walked up Towers Hill a few times a week. Not that the small lookout would compare—it only took ten minutes.
She fell into step beside Aiden as they ventured through the Indonesian bush along a worn pathway. She’d enjoyed talking to him on the drive and couldn’t believe he was from Townsville. Of all the places, they were from the same region. They’d flown to Bali from the same airport. Part of her was disappointed—it would have been nice to meet someone from somewhere far away and exotic. But the other part of her was glad. Not because she harboured any thought of seeing him again after today’s tour, but it had given them something to talk about.
Although it hadn’t escaped her notice that most of their conversation had been about herself, apart from his brief performance history. She’d been delighted to learn he loved musical theatre and even more excited to discover he could sing. She found the fact that he was cultured incredibly attractive.
And that wasn’t the only thing she found attractive. Mia’s hands tightened around her backpack straps as she shot a glance his way. He was ruggedly handsome with his square jaw, dark hair, and azure eyes. Plus, the man was fit. And tall—probably too tall beside her. Mia was short, even for a girl. It was great for her equestrian skills, but not so much when it came to measuring up against men.
Not that her height was any reason for why she’d rarely dated, but she didn’t expect it helped when she looked like jailbait. Short, blonde, and blue eyed with a youthful face…most people still thought her sixteen. Perhaps if she tattooed the year of her birth to her forehead then a man over the age of twenty-five might spare her a second glance.
But that wasn’t why she’d avoided dating either.
‘So, what do you do for work, Aiden?’
He tore his gaze from the beam of his torch to meet hers. ‘I’m a vet.’
That was it. He was gorgeous, sang, and saved the lives of animals? If she was the type to swoon, she would. ‘Really?’
‘Yeah. What do you do?’
‘I work in a bank,’ she said, feeling dull in comparison. ‘But it’s not forever. I always wanted to go to university and now that Mum’s gone, that’s what I’m going to do.’
‘Fair enough. What do you want to study?’
‘I’m not sure yet. Today, I want to be a volcanologist.’
He laughed. ‘Then you could hike volcanos on a regular basis.’
She grinned as her feet leapt in a tiny skip. ‘Yep! So, tell me about being a vet.’
‘What do you want to know?’
‘Do you like it?’
He nodded. ‘For the most part, yeah.’
She pursed her lips, studying him for a moment before turning her gaze back to the track. They were ascending, though the gradient wasn’t steep yet. But she got the impression that Aiden wasn’t good at talking about himself. Which she understood. She’d surprised herself by her own chattiness.
‘Why’d you decide to become a vet?’
‘I always wanted to be one. It was either that or medicine, and I decided animals might give me less grief than people.’
‘Yeah, they can’t talk back to you and give you cheek. Although…I guess they can, can’t they?’
‘Animals have plenty of cheek, they’re just not as verbal about it as humans. But I get plenty of growling dogs and hissing cats and horses that stomp about. And I still have to deal with owners. There are plenty of people who won’t do what we tell them to keep their pet healthy.’
Mia rolled her eyes. ‘People, right? We can’t escape them.’
‘Nope. So I suggest you choose something to study where you don’t deal with the public. Geology’s good. You can surround yourself with fellow scientists and talk to rocks.’
‘Yeah…I guess.’ He had a point. She dealt with the public in her current job and she’d admit, she preferred the work she did behind closed doors than on the customer service desk. She definitely wasn’t a people person. ‘But I dunno. I think I wanted to be a vet once. Don’t we all? When we’re little and think it means we can play with puppies all day?’
He smiled and she caught the first glimpse of light in his dull eyes. ‘You’re an animal lover?’
She laughed as Lolo announced they’d take a short break. Mia sat beside Aiden on the log Lolo pointed out and took her water bottle from her backpack. ‘I’m crazy about animals.’
He took a swig of water. ‘Dog person or cat person?’
‘Both! I have two cats and two dogs, but my first love are horses. I have seven acres in Charters Towers where I keep my show jumpers, as well as a gaggle of geese and a very talkative sulphur-crested cockatoo.’
He slapped his water bottle closed and the biggest smile she’d seen yet spread across his handsome face. ‘That’s awesome. You must keep your vet busy.’
She lowered her gaze. ‘I like to avoid him, if I’m honest. Except for the routine stuff. If one of my animals gets sick, I’m one of those worry-wort owners.’
She remembered when her precious mare Cindy had started limping and the vet had diagnosed her with osteoarthritis. It might not have been a death sentence, but Mia hadn’t stopped crying for days and had spoiled Cindy rotten while managing her swollen legs. She was still spoiled today while enjoying retirement in the paddock.
‘You can be a worried owner,’ Aiden said. ‘I like those owners. Just as long as you make the best choice for your animal and don’t argue with the vet.’
He said it with a laugh, but she understood that. She knew plenty of jumpers on the circuit who thought they knew better than the vet. Mia had never been one of them though as she took the vet’s best advice even if it meant more money.
Same with the doctor. When the oncologist had said there was nothing more they could do for her mum except make her comfortable, Mia had accepted it with steel. She’d sat by her mum’s bedside in the hospice every day in those final weeks. When the doctor had said he could give her mum more morphine but that it’d likely be the last, Mia had nodded. Said okay. And she’d let her mum go. She hadn’t begged for more time. Her mother had passed away peacefully and without pain or prolonged suffering. Mia had held her hand and watched her go with a smile.
Then she’d gone home, curled up on her bed with the cats and dogs and cried all night.
Blinking, she shook herself from that painful memory and came back to the present, on this pleasantly cool morning with Aiden at the base of a volcano.
Lolo was talking. ‘I climb Batur four, five times a week,’ he told the Germans.
Her eyebrows shot up. Five times a week? No wonder he looked so fit!
‘We have half hour more, then it gets really steep,’ he said, indicating with his hand. ‘We ready to go?’
She nodded, slipped her water bottle into her backpack, and unzipped her jacket. She’d warmed up a little but left it on for now as she and Aiden followed Max and Felix on their continued journey.
‘So, show jumpers, you said. Do you compete?’
‘Yep. Since I was a kid. Show jumping was my mum’s life too, so naturally, I got into it.’
‘You look like a jumper,’ he said, ‘short and compact.’
Her belly fluttered. ‘It does help.’
‘Can I ask…’ He paused, seeming a little awkward before meeting her gaze. ‘How old are you, Mia?’
‘Twenty-five,’ she replied with a smile, glad he’d asked. She’d rather he know than think she was still in her teens. ‘What about you?’
His mouth twisted playfully. ‘Hit the big three-zero last month.’
She smiled. ‘Big party?’
‘Nah, not really.’ He dropped his gaze to his torch beam and they walked for a moment in silence. ‘So…you were about to tell me about your show jumping.’
She was? Not that she was complaining. She could talk about jumping and her beloved horses forever, even though she’d prefer to learn more about him.
But they had all day, so she told Aiden about the years she’d spent competing on Cindy—short for Cinderella—and how she’d come to retire her. Then she shared her more recent antics on the cheeky Georgie-Porgie, her gorgeous chestnut gelding. She’d almost run out of anecdotes when they stopped again. The gradient had grown steeper and they’d left the bush behind. Glancing up, Mia watched as beams of light flashed left and right on the dark mountain.
She slipped off her jacket and stuffed it into her backpack. She was no longer cold.
‘We ready?’ Lolo asked.
‘Yes!’ they chorused.
‘Okay. Mia, come.’
Lolo took her hand and started to lead the way. Mia blinked as awkwardness prickled her skin, but there was no time to think about it as they started up the loose, rocky slope.
She glanced over her shoulder. Aiden was right behind her. He smiled and she smiled back, then dropped her gaze. She needed to keep her eyes on the ground.
As they furthered on, she gave thanks for wearing her best outdoor boots. She wouldn’t like to do this in normal runners, even though Lolo and everyone else were. She still wasn’t sure why Lolo had taken her hand. Yes, it was to help her, but she wasn’t unfit. She wasn’t weak. Did she look like she couldn’t handle this?
Soon, she could no longer question it. Her focus fell to the loose ground. The pounding of her heart filled her ears. Her breath escaped in short, sharp bursts. The higher they climbed, the harder it became. When they stopped for a short breather, she checked the time and winced. Still thirty minutes to go!
Aiden smiled at her. ‘All right?’
She blew out her breath. ‘Yeah.’
‘Fun, isn’t it?’
Fun? She could barely breathe, her thighs were burning, and sweat pooled at her hairline. It wasn’t even six am and yet, she was enjoying herself. ‘Yep. Very fun.’
Lolo took her hand again when they continued on. At some points, she was grateful for his help as they clambered up over rocks. The ground grew looser and she even needed to use her hands to scurry upwards. Soon, it felt like Lolo was dragging her up the mountain more than she was climbing.
But as the sky lightened, Mia glanced around and realised that all the Balinese locals, male and female guides, were clutching the hands of the girls. Her gaze shot to Lolo as he tugged her up the slope. And she realised—she was in Bali. She was a western girl in the eastern world. It wasn’t that Lolo thought she couldn’t do it. It was his form of chivalry and a point of cultural pride. And while she might find it awkward, she shouldn’t be offended.
Especially as the higher they climbed and the lighter the sky grew, the more she realised there didn’t seem to be an actual path! How could there be? Looking left and right, locals were dragging tourists up the side of the mountain any which way they could manage as hundreds of them scurried up the slope like a swarm of ants, all in a race to reach the peak before sunrise.
And they did.
‘Very good!’ Lolo cried, cheer and pride filling his voice for having gotten them there in time as he released Mia’s hand.
She bent over and clutched her aching knees, exhausted and out of breath as they stood on a flat path bordered by a thin wooden rail.
‘You can relax. Look at the view. I get your breakfast.’
Breakfast! Food would be wonderful right now.
A hand clasped over her shoulder and Mia glanced up at Aiden. His chest was heaving too, a small V of sweat darkening his blue T-shirt. ‘You okay?’
She straightened and flashed him a smile. ‘Yeah. We did it!’
‘We most certainly did. Come on. Let’s watch the sunrise.’
She followed him along the path until they found a spot along the crowded barrier. Behind them, locals cooked breakfast beneath an array of tents. Fellow hikers stretched out on the slope behind them while more continued to scurry up the mountain.
Mia leaned against the barrier, shuffling her feet to prevent blood pooling in her legs as the fresh, cool breeze blew a gale through her ponytail. But she wasn’t cold as she stood beside Aiden and soaked in the view.
It was spectacular. The rounded peak of Mount Agung rose dark and imposing on the opposite side of the caldera. A stretch of gold glittered behind the other volcano as the sun rose into the inky sky, shooting rays of yellow and pink into the dawn. Clouds stretched below them to the south, obscuring the view over the rest of Bali. The caldera filled the space between the two mountains, the water glistening in the dawn.
Mia captured every stage of the sunrise on her camera and snapped a few pictures on her smartphone too. One thing she’d learned on her travels was to never forgo a digital camera. She was a fiend for photos and took hundreds of them. A smartphone didn’t have the storage space to hold her obsession, so she only used it for happy snaps to post on social media.
‘Totally worth it, hey?’ Aiden breathed, his gaze on the horizon. ‘Sunrises and sunsets are two of my favourite things.’
‘They are beautiful. And yes, definitely worth it.’ She handed him her camera. ‘Can you take a photo for me?’
They took many of each other as the sky lightened. She threw out her arms and Aiden did some pointing while making ‘wow look at that’ faces. She laughed. He was a delight.
‘Shall we take a photo together?’ he asked.
She blinked, even though she didn’t know why she was surprised. ‘Yeah, of course.’
They spotted their German companions and Aiden asked if they’d take their photo. Mia smoothed her ponytail over her shoulder as Aiden moved in to stand beside her. When he slipped his arm around her waist, her heart gave an unsteady leap. But that didn’t stop her own arm from wrapping around his back as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
She smiled as Felix held up the camera. ‘Okay! Eins, zwei, drei.’
Felix took many photos. Mia and Aiden smiled, then he did another pointy pose. Mia followed his lead and pulled funny faces, joy bubbling inside her.
Aiden grinned as he viewed the images. ‘Ah, they’re great!’
She smiled, ignoring the pounding in her chest as Lolo distributed their breakfast. She thanked him, starving after the hike, then she and Aiden found a spot on the rocky slope to sit. She opened the box and was pleased to find a muesli bar, a banana, and a single boiled egg. According to the tour description, it’d been cooked by steam from the volcano.
‘Would you like a coffee?’ Aiden asked, nodding towards the tents.
Mia opened her muesli bar. ‘If they have tea, that’ll be nice. Black, no sugar. Thank you.’
‘Be right back.’
She watched him go, frowning at the strange sensation that filled her chest. She wasn’t used to feeling attraction, but in the full light of day, Aiden was definitely hot. His legs were long in loose-fitting trackpants that sat on his narrow hips. His shoulders were broad. He obviously took interest in his health considering his flat belly and strong arms. Arms which had felt so lovely wrapped around her only moments ago.
She released a long breath. Yes, he was attractive, but more importantly, Aiden was nice. She hadn’t known him long, but he seemed kind and genuine. Her mum had always said she was a good judge of character and Mia wanted to learn more about him. It might be a little hard considering he was introverted. But then again, so was she. Usually.
She turned the egg over in her hands before cracking it open. Peeling back the shell, Mia studied the dazzling view. ‘Oh, Mama…’ she breathed. ‘I guess you were right…’
She bit into the egg. She couldn’t deny that there was something enticing about Aiden, but it was a frightening thought that made her belly squeeze. Not dating hadn’t been by choice. She’d always been interested in men. As a little girl, she’d dreamed of growing up, falling in love, and getting married. During high school, she’d hoped that man would be her best friend Noah, wishful thinking that had become nothing more than a schoolgirl fantasy.
But it might not have been if she’d had the courage to tell him how she felt.
Mia blew out a breath. Honestly, she was scared. The thought of dating made everything inside her tighten. But why, she didn’t know. The fact she’d spent the last seven years caring for her mum had been more of an excuse not to date than an actual reason. But Mia rarely went out to meet people or socialise. She’d been her mother’s best friend and there had been no room for anyone else in her life.
Then again, she’d never met anyone who sparked her interest. She’d never met a man who she wanted to date. Nor had a man ever asked her.
Again, she didn’t know why. But during the times her lack of love life got her down, her mother would simply say, ‘It’ll happen when you least expect it.’
‘Here you go.’ Aiden returned, jolting her out of her thoughts. ‘Cup of tea.’
She smiled, accepting the warm paper cup. ‘Thank you.’
He settled beside her with his coffee and peeled a banana. Mia sipped her tea as they ate in comfortable silence and watched the sunrise. Her skin had cooled in the wind, so the hot drink went down well.
They finished eating and Lolo returned. ‘Come. Let’s go see the crater.’
Mia jumped to her feet. She’d forgotten about the crater!
They followed Lolo past the tents and Mia grinned as grey, furry-faced monkeys scurried around the rocky terrain. She paused and aimed her camera at a monkey. It was sitting on a rock actually eating a banana!
‘Oh my God, they’re so cute.’
Aiden smiled. ‘Yeah, I guess. Don’t get too close, though. They could have rabies.’
She laughed, even though she knew he was right. She took more photos, then hurried to catch up with her group at the edge of the crater.
Mia stood and stared in awe. It was deeper than she’d expected. She was afraid to lean over for the fear of falling in, but she could just make out the rocky dome at the base of the crater.
‘Awesome, isn’t it?’ Aiden said.
Awesome didn’t even begin to describe it. The whole place was fantastic! She was standing atop a volcano. A live—but sleeping—volcano. There was even steam rising from it! She blew out a breath. ‘It’s amazing…’
She took photos and they walked around for a while. Lolo showed them the informative sign and Mia read the facts about Mount Batur. They stood 1,717 metres above sea level. A massive historic eruption had created the caldera below, which was apparently one of the world’s most beautiful. Mount Batur hadn’t erupted since the year 2000.
They took photos with the sign to mark their feat. Then, sadly, it was time to begin their descent.
***
Aiden enjoyed the walk down along a zigzagging dirt track that they took at their leisure. Drawing fresh air into his lungs, he continued to revel in the gorgeous view as there was no doubt about it—this had been the best morning he’d had all year.
But it hadn’t been the heart-pounding hike or the natural beauty surrounding him that made it so. It was because of Mia.
His heart clenched as he blew out a breath. He wanted to see her again, but he wasn’t sure why. He’d come to Bali to find himself. Not a woman. There was no place in his life for a woman. He’d had a woman and she’d betrayed him.
But there could be a place for a friend. He glanced at Mia walking in front of him and something inside him warmed. She was even cuter in the light of day. Just because he wasn’t interested in romantic relationships anymore, it didn’t mean he couldn’t notice. Her long-sleeved shirt hugged her slender arms and her small body pulled taut through horse riding. He had no doubt she liked to keep fit. They’d all been out of breath when they’d reached the peak—except Lolo—but Mia had tackled the mountain well. The steep incline of loose soil had been no easy feat.
At least this track down the north-east side of Mount Batur was easier as they strolled beneath the scorching summer sun. Sweat beaded Aiden’s brow as he continued his conversation with Mia, asking more about her animals. He liked that she had a big heart for furry and feathered creatures, and she kept him entertained with antics about her many pets. Her moggies, Victoria and Jemima, had been named after characters from the musical Cats.
‘Victoria’s a Burmese cross tabby, I think. Jemima is Burmese cross Siamese. They’re both playful and enjoy cuddles, but they’ve got serious attitude.’
The cats got on famously with her dogs, a young golden retriever named Tess and an old foxy called Timmy.
‘Timmy was Mum’s baby,’ she said with a sigh as they ambled along the flat path, having left the mountain in their wake. ‘He’s fourteen now. I was worried about how he’d cope after Mum went, but I think he’s doing okay.’
Aiden’s heart ached for Timmy. ‘Dogs can be resilient like that. At least he has you.’
‘I’ve spoiled him, but with good reason. Tell me about yours.’
‘My what?’
‘Your pets.’
‘I don’t have any.’
‘What?’ Mia glanced up at him beneath her floppy hot pink hat, her eyes wide. ‘But you’re a vet! How can you not have a dog? Or a cat? Or even a bird?’
He smiled wryly, his chest tightening as he told her the truth. ‘Unfortunately, my ex wasn’t a fan of animals.’ Sally had been open to getting a dog one day, but she’d put her foot down about having one with a baby in the house. He’d tried to convince her otherwise and that babies and dogs went well together, but he’d failed.
‘Oh. Is that why she’s an ex?’
He sighed. He knew he hadn’t been as open about himself as Mia had, and he felt bad for not sharing. It’s just that Mia talking about herself was less painful.
But he did want to see her again. They were in Bali alone and were staying at the same hotel. Surely, they could meet at the buffet breakfast of a morning or go out to dinner. A little friendship might help him feel less alone.
And he didn’t want anything else. Before Sally, he’d have considered a holiday fling, but not now. It wasn’t worth the risk.
But Mia deserved to know more about him as they approached the grassy parking lot where Eka was waiting. ‘No, that’s not why she’s an ex. Sally had many reasons for leaving. Me wanting a dog wasn’t one of them.’
‘Fair enough. Was it serious?’
His heart squeezed. ‘Yep. We were married.’
‘Oh.’ Mild surprise filled her tone. ‘I’m sorry, Aiden. That must have been awful.’
He gripped the straps of his backpack. ‘Yeah, it was tough. And unexpected. She left a year ago and has already lodged our divorce.’
‘Is that why your parents thought you could use a holiday?’
He nodded. Now that he’d started, the rest of his story begged to be told. ‘Part of it. Work’s also sucked and has been getting me down. I was made redundant, so I had to start a new job and I don’t like it very much. It’s longer hours, worse pay, and with the divorce, I also had to sell my brand-new home. Which means I’m renting again. But mainly…’
He stopped walking and turned to face her. Mia glanced up, her big blue eyes warm and inviting. His belly clenched. Heart ached. He blew out a breath. ‘Sally didn’t just leave me, Mia. She left our daughter too.’