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Makenna
I was waiting on the verandah when Nash came out. When he started to reach for my backpack, I grabbed it. I might as well set my rules from the start. “I carry my own weight.” I started down the steps.
“And you carry it very well,” he mumbled behind me.
I stopped, glancing over my shoulder. He barely looked my way as he walked past. Was I reading more into his words? Or was he just commenting about my ability? Either way, I decided it was best to ignore him. I tossed my backpack into the back of his Jeep, then climbed into the passenger side. We didn’t speak again as he started the vehicle and took off.
We’d driven for about twenty-five miles without talking when Nash turned onto a side road that could barely be called a road at all. It wasn’t much more than indentations of previous vehicle tracks. It didn’t look as if it was driven over that often.
“It’s going to get rough from here on out,” Nash told me. Then he grinned. A different grin from the angry one last night. This one made my toes curl. “But then,” he continued. “You said you like it rough.”
He was throwing my words back at me. I let my gaze slide over him, then met his eyes once again. “Do you have a problem with that?”
He laughed. “Nope, I don’t have a problem with that at all.”
The rest of the drive was made in silence. At least I’d discovered one thing about him—he didn’t waste words.
I began to relax as I enjoyed the scenery. Mountains loomed in front of us, tall and majestic. It was late summer. Some of the leaves on the trees were already changing colors from deep greens to shades of gold and burnt orange. There were aspen, oak, and ash trees. Tall pines that reached toward the sky. I didn’t see any wildlife, but it was mid-afternoon, so they probably weren’t out and about.
Nash was right about the ride getting rougher. I reached up and grabbed the strap above my head. I held on tight, so I wouldn’t get bounced out of the vehicle. Not that the jarring movement bothered me. I was used to being jostled when I would go exploring in the backcountry. Still, I was glad when all the bouncing stopped, and we pulled into a makeshift parking lot next to an open safari-type vehicle. I assumed the other hikers in the group had come up in that.
Nash shut off the engine, and we both got out, going to the back of the Jeep to get our backpacks. I grabbed mine, and slipped my arms through the straps, as Nash did the same with his.
“The encampment is a few miles from here. Are you ready?” he asked.
From the look on his face, he probably thought I was a marshmallow and would think that was too far. What? I certainly didn’t spend my days in air conditioned, high-end stores shopping.
“Lead the way.” If he thought I was going to be intimidated by walking a few miles, he would be sadly disappointed. I usually ran every morning before work. Our office building in Texas was small, as was our staff. We only had ten people at the main office, or think tank as Samantha and I liked to call them, and four stores scattered around Texas. One of the rooms in the building had exercise equipment, but not just any kind of equipment. It looked more like the set for ninja warrior, minus the water features, of course.
Both Samantha and I knew the benefits people would get from just a ten minute break from working to get in a little exercise. Not that Samantha was that into physical exertion. She exerted her brain more than her body, and she was damned good at it.
The trail to the camp had apparently been traveled many times because it was easy to follow. The surrounding countryside was covered with trees, but not so dense the trees were all you saw. We’d probably been walking a couple of hours when we reached the top of the mountain. Nash came to a stop. I stood beside him, scanning the landscape.
“It’s breathtaking,” I whispered, so as not to disturb what I was seeing. The mountains surrounding us were magnificent, with sharp peaks that looked as if someone had taken a chisel to them, and canyons carved out below by the rushing river. Looking down the mountainside, there was an abundance of tall trees, and the river winding through it all, white frothy water crashing over the rocks.
“I’m always in awe of the scenery by the time I get to the top of this mountain. It’s by far not one of the highest, but the view is magnificent. He pointed off to the left, near the river. “See that plume of smoke?”
I studied the area until I saw a thin wisp of gray smoke spiraling toward the sky. “Yes, I see it. Is that where we’re headed?”
“That’s it, and hopefully they’ve caught some fish. I’m starved.” He started down the other side of the mountain, and I followed.
I hope they’d caught fish, too. I could feel my stomach starting to rumble. I’d chosen to have a light lunch since I knew we would be doing some hiking. Lunch had worn off a long time ago, and I damn sure wasn’t going to ask Nash about taking a break and chowing down on one of my energy bars. I would put up with the rumbling.
“How many are in the group?” I asked.
“Only four, plus three more guides. I think smaller is better. Two of the guides will leave partway through the hike to take some of the equipment back.”
I had to agree with him there. Smaller groups always seemed to work together better, and if you didn’t work together as a team, everything could fall apart very fast. Hiking in the backcountry could be exhilarating, but it could also be very dangerous.
“At least you won’t be the only female,” he continued. “Rachel is thirty-two years old and a very seasoned hiker. She and her husband probably covered most of the trails in Colorado.”
“Is he in the group as well?”
Nash was silent for a moment before he continued. “Two years ago, they went deep into the backcountry. Just the two of them. He took a fall. Subdural hematoma. By the time she got help, it was too late. This is her first hike since he died.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. That was a chance you took when you veered into uncharted territory. I knew that, but it never stopped me from going where I wanted. Exploring was in my blood. I could no more deny the need to see the vast countryside then I could stop breathing. I was a product of my parents’ love for adventure. I stumbled, then quickly regained my footing. My heart went out to Rachel. Loss of a loved one hurt like hell.
Only good thoughts, I quickly told myself. “And the others?” I asked.
“Chris is twenty-nine, a park ranger. Jared is thirty-five and works a nine-to-five in the city. He’s an executive for a big corporation. Scotty is thirty, and works with Chris. Don is forty-one, a veteran guide and damned smart. My other two guides are Jess and Ethan. They’re both twenty-eight. All of them experienced. We’ll head out in the morning. We’re going to raft down the river most of the day, until we get to our next location. Have you ever been white water rafting?”
“No, everything I’ve done so far has always been on land, but I was hoping to get some rafting in, and I came prepared. It looks exciting.” Tingles spread over my body. This was exactly what I’d been looking for.
He stopped walking and turned, wearing a frown. “Just don’t fall in and drown. It won’t look good for my business.” He began walking again.
I glared at his back. “I’ll make a point not to. Heaven forbid I might hurt your business by dying.” I was just beginning to think Nash might be okay, and that I would really enjoy hiking in Colorado, but then he opened his damned mouth and ruined it all. At least I didn’t have to worry about jumping his bones. That was the farthest thing from my mind.
My angry gaze skimmed over him. He had a nice rugged build from this angle. Today he wore deep green shorts, the same color green short-sleeved shirt, and hiking boots. My gaze strayed to his strong, muscled legs. Not bad, not bad at all.
Maybe jumping his bones wasn’t the farthest thing from my mind, but I would control my urges.
By the time we got to the river, I was sweating. The terrain had been rougher coming down than it had been going up, so the backs of my legs were burning. It was the good kind of burn, though. The kind of pain that meant I’d pushed my body. I stopped at the river and slid my backpack off my shoulders. Nash had said he could make it rough, and he could make me sweat. Of course, I think we’d both been thinking about something entirely different.
I rolled my aching muscles a couple of times before I squatted down to the water’s edge. It was ice cold as I splashed my face, then scooped some up in my hands and took a drink. Pure, fresh water. “You certainly can’t get this in the city.”
“That’s why I come out as often as I can. Sure, the city’s pretty great, too. I like a soft bed and ordering out dinner as much as the next person, but after a while, I have to get back to nature. It’s as if my body gets out of sync. You probably don’t understand what I mean.”
I slowly came to my feet, stretching. Until I caught his stare. I quickly brought my hands back down. His eyes said he wanted me. Heat rushed through my body.
Down, girl, down.
I cleared my throat and my mind at the same time.
What had he said? Oh yeah, about his body being out of sync. He looked perfectly fine to me. Better than fine. I resisted the urge to splash more cold water on my face.
I actually did understand what he was talking about when it came to how different the country was compared to the city. “I know exactly what you mean, because I feel the same way. I love getting back to nature. It feels as if I’m part of something incredible.” There, that was a nice safe topic.
Our gazes locked. I couldn’t have looked away even if I tried. I’d never felt so nervous and so excited at the same time. At that very moment, I wanted Nash like I’d never wanted anyone else. He finally broke eye contact, and the moment was lost.
“We’re not too far from camp now. Are you ready?”
I nodded. I don’t think I could’ve uttered a word, even if I tried. At least not one that would make any sense. I was glad when he slipped his arms into the straps of his backpack and began walking toward the camp. I grabbed mine and quickly adjusted the straps to a comfortable position, then followed.
This kind of thinking was going to get me into deep trouble. I had no idea why I felt like a jittery schoolgirl around him one minute, and I wanted to kill him the next. Maybe I should’ve just gone to the Bahamas until my head cleared. Relax on the beach, watch all of the nearly naked, muscled male bodies strolling...
Sheesh, when was the last time I’d gotten laid?
Hmm...
We weren’t having sex even before I caught Alex in bed with his secretary. We’d both been so busy that we fell into bed exhausted. Of course, now I knew why he was so exhausted. I snorted.
“You okay back there?”
“I’m fine. But like you, I’m starving.” For sex and food. Before anything else could be said, we arrived at the camp. The first thing I heard was the sizzle of hot grease as the delicious aroma of frying fish wafted around me. My stomach began to rumble even more. I watched as the man cooking over the open fire removed the fish from the skillet and added more.
He glanced up, noticing Nash, then me. His smile of welcome changed to a frown. He handed one of the other men the tongs, then walked toward us. I guessed him to be the other guide, Don. He had a full beard and he walked with a lumbering stride. He reminded me of a mountain man.
“Figured you’d be getting here pretty soon. I’m guessing hungry as a bear, too.” He spoke to Nash, but his gaze kept straying to me. When he looked back at Nash, there was a question in his eyes.
“This is Don. One of my guides. Don, this is Makenna. She was accidentally signed up to the wrong group, and she’ll be joining ours.”
Don’s forehead creased in thought. “Are you sure?” His gaze lingered on me as if he was sizing me up. Apparently he saw my lips clamp, and realized he’d insulted me. “No offense, ma’am. We’re going to be covering some pretty rough terrain, and you just don’t look like you’re up to the task.”
I squared my shoulders. I really couldn’t blame him for thinking what a lot of other people already had. They’d changed their tune soon enough. “Ever heard the old saying, dynamite comes in small packages? I’m not just dynamite. I’m the whole damn arsenal.”
The two men smiled. What? Were they humoring me? When I turned an angry gaze on Nash, he wiped the smile from his face.
Nash cleared his throat. “Do you think you have enough fish for two more? We didn’t have much lunch, and we’re both starved.”
“You know I fix enough to feed an army,” Don told him. “Besides, no matter how much of an arsenal you are, ma’am, I got a feeling you don’t eat a whole lot.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to surprise you twice.” I’d always had a healthy appetite. After Eric and I had been married a few months, he’d commented on how much I ate. When I looked at him in surprise, I’d thought I caught an expression of disgust, but quickly dismissed it.
During the divorce, I realized just why he’d married me. I should’ve guessed the reason the credit cards I’d given him were all maxed out was because of his lack of money. Eric had a champagne taste on a dollar beer budget. He saw me as a way to have everything he wanted. He just hadn’t counted on my lawyers being as good as they were. He’d been furious with what he called a paltry settlement. I’d never call a million dollars paltry, and the house was worth at least two. I thought he got off pretty well.
“Have we got an extra tent?” Nash asked Don.
I quickly pulled myself back to the present. “It doesn’t matter, I always bring my own.”
Don scratched his head. “In that little bitty backpack?”
I felt myself relaxing. I had a feeling Don was going to be surprised a lot on this trip. “Yes, in this little bitty backpack.” Not that it was that small. I was great at packing, too. “I can also put it up all by my little old self. Will any open spot be okay?”
Don looked thoughtful for a moment. “Rachel’s in that tent over there.” He pointed toward one of the tents. “I suppose you could set up next to her. You both being females and all.”
“When you get set up, join us at the campfire, and I’ll introduce you to everyone,” Nash told me.
I nodded, then went to the spot next to Rachel’s tent and dropped my backpack onto the ground. While I was getting my tent out, the flap on her tent opened, and she stepped out. She looked momentarily taken aback. I came to my feet and extended my hand toward her. “You must be Rachel. Don told me this was a good place set up my tent. I’m Makenna, but everyone calls me Mac.”
Rachel was at least five feet, nine inches. The sleeveless shirt she wore showed off her biceps to perfection. Not that she looked like Popeye or anything. Actually, she was stunning. Kind of like an Amazon warrior.
She took my hand in a firm grip. “It’ll be good having another female along. Sometimes too much testosterone can be a real pain in the ass.”
I smiled. I had a feeling I was going to like Rachel. “My thoughts exactly.” I unzipped one section of my backpack and pulled out a pouch about the size of a small loaf of bread and began opening it.
“Don’t tell me that’s your tent,” Rachel said.
I detected a hint of disbelief in her tone. I knew exactly how small it looked. “It’s top-of-the-line. My partner and I came up with the design. We own a few outfitting stores in Texas. We haven’t actually used this one yet. I guess you could say this is a trial run.” I chuckled. “Let’s just hope it keeps the rain out.” Even though it was very compact, it was as roomy as any of the others, and the great thing about this tent was that it only took a few minutes to set up. When I finished, I looked at Rachel.
“Amazing,” Rachel mumbled.
I pulled the door flap back, and fastened it open, then squatted down in front of the tent. “Now watch this.” I crossed my fingers this would work. Like I’d told Rachel, we’d never actually used the tent while camping. I pushed a button, then breathed a sigh of relief as the floor began to inflate.
Rachel knelt beside me, feeling the bottom of the tent. “Can you walk on it?”
“Absolutely. No more throwing a sleeping bag onto hard ground. This gives you a lot more cushion. Now, check this out.” I reached into my backpack and brought out another package. This one was about the size of a business envelope. I removed the plastic wrapping, and after I set it on the floor, I pushed a small black button. The silver square began unfolding, getting larger as it inflated. The bed stopped when it was the size of a single, about 2 inches deep.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Rachel said. She eyed the silver bed with trepidation. “But is it comfortable?”
I waved my hand toward it. “Try it out.”
She didn’t wait to be asked twice, but pulled off her boots, and moved into the tent. “Wow, the floor feels great.” She quickly laid down on the bed. “Oh my gosh, this is so much better than my sleeping bag. I swear, I’m going to be so jealous of you.”
“No you’re not.” I smiled. I’d had a feeling this might happen, and I didn’t want everyone pissed off at me. “They’re so small that I packed several extra.” I reached into my backpack, then tossed her one. “If you like it, just tell your friends. Word-of-mouth is the best advertisement. Now, look at this.” I reached inside and pushed another button. The inside of the tent lit up with tiny star-like lights. “The batteries are so small you don’t notice the weight.”
“Amazing.” She came out of the tent, and then slipped her shoes back on. “I think I’m going to like having you around, Mac. But now you gotta tell me, are the tents and beds just as easy to deflate?”
“Even easier. You’ll find a black button on one side that will inflate, and deflate. The battery that operates it should last at least a year, and they’re really easy to change out. It’s the same for the bottom of the tent.”
My stomach chose that moment to rumble. We both laughed.
Everyone carried their own eating utensils and plates, so we grabbed ours before we joined the others.
Nash already had a plate for himself, but he stopped eating long enough to introduce me to everyone. I could see the question in their eyes. Would I slow them down? Sheesh, too many people liked to judge a book by its cover. Except for Rachel. She’d accepted me without question.
Rachel showed me where everything was, then we fixed our plates. Seating was any spot on the ground you wanted. Rachel and I sat next to each other. I could already tell we were going to be friends. I took a bite of the fish and closed my eyes. Sure, I’d eaten fresh fish before, but nothing like this. It was out of this world delicious.
“This is absolutely wonderful,” I said. I only hoped we stayed close to the river. It would be nice having fresh fish every evening, rather than the dehydrated food a lot of hikers carried.
“You can’t really cook fish wrong when you catch it right out of the river,” Don said.
I chuckled. “You’ve never tasted my cooking. I can’t even boil water. Literally. I put some water on to boil once, and when I went back to check it, the pan was dry.” Everyone laughed, but I could see they didn’t quite believe me. “No, seriously, I cannot boil water. The Susie Homemaker gene stopped at my grandmother, who happened to be a fantastic cook.”
“So what do you do?” Chris asked, then frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be nosy.”
I shrugged. “No biggie. My partner and I have stores in Texas. We’re looking to branch out to Colorado. We’re outfitters. We carry everything from kayaks to fishing supplies, and everything in between, but we’re not just stores. We have a team of people who work with us, and we’re always trying to come up with ideas and products for the outdoors.”
“Wait until you see her tent and her bed,” Rachel said.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” I began. “I brought extra beds if anyone would like to be a guinea pig and try one out. We want to make sure they’ll work as designed.” Everyone except Rachel stopped eating to stare at me. I only thought I’d seen skepticism before.
“You carried more than one bed in your backpack?” Nash asked.
Rachel glanced up, looking around at the men. “It’s true. I saw it before she inflated it. It’s about the size of an eight by ten picture. I even tried it out. You should get in her bed and see what you think, Nash.”
Nash’s gaze swung to me. I saw the flash of passion flare in his eyes. I immediately knew he was not thinking about just testing the bed.
“I’d like to try her bed out,” he casually stated.
No one else seemed to notice his double entendre, but I certainly did, and it turned my insides to hot liquid. He was challenging me. I cocked an eyebrow, ready to take his challenge. I bet I could show him a thing or two under the sheets. In fact I could...
What the hell was I thinking? I immediately knew the answer. He was goading me, and I was falling for it. When had I become so gullible? Like I didn’t know the answer to that one. It was about the time I got married. Dammit, no more. I would not fall for another man’s charm. No matter how hot he looked.
I dragged my gaze away from his. “Great. As soon as we finish eating, I’ll give everyone a bed, and you can let me know what you think in the morning.” When Nash didn’t say anything, I glanced back up and saw the twinkle in his eyes. I squared my shoulders. He could think what he wanted.
He only grinned. I wish he wouldn’t do that. The guy had a killer smile. It was the kind that tilted up at one corner. Damned sexy. The kind that dared any female to kiss him into submission. Yeah right, like that would be difficult. The guy oozed sex appeal. He had the kind of body that said he probably got laid every time he snapped his fingers.
Well, he could snap his fingers all he wanted, but I wasn’t going to be part of his harem.