by Gina Wilkins
“Older or younger?”
“Younger.”
“Are you close?”
“No, not particularly,” Alexis replied candidly.
Kinley didn’t seem to know quite what to say to that, so she merely nodded. Alexis changed the subject to the couple who were considering the inn for their vows renewal ceremony. They would be arriving shortly to look around, and Alexis had no doubt Kinley would charm them with her usual skill.
She and Kinley talked mostly about business during their meetings, though they had strayed into somewhat more personal topics occasionally, usually when chatting about the history of Bride Mountain Inn. Through those casual conversations, Alexis knew a bit of Logan’s family circumstances, but she didn’t know how he felt about them. Facts, but no deep feelings, as suited a breezy affair. She and his sisters were on a very friendly basis, but she wouldn’t call them her friends, exactly. Not the sharing-confidences-over-drinks or shopping-for-shoes-together type of friendship she had with Paloma, anyway. She thought they could be, but she was the one who’d maintained a slight distance between them.
She suspected Logan was the reason for her reticence. It was difficult enough carrying on a secret affair with him while working fairly often with his sisters; it would be much harder if she and Kinley and Bonnie spent even more time together away from their professional interactions. Not to mention that the more connected she became to his sisters, the stronger the ties between her and Logan became—and the more awkward it would be when it inevitably ended.
She and Logan had agreed that whatever happened between them, their work and their personal lives would remain entirely separate. On the job, they would be civil—his idea of civil, anyway—focused on optimal end results for both of them, even after they mutually agreed that the off-the-job affair had run its course. Completely rational and sensible.
Mentally crossing her fingers that the whole thing wouldn’t crash down around them despite their efforts not to become too emotionally attached, she forced herself to put Logan out of her mind and concentrate on her meeting with his sister.
* * *
Pebbles shifted beneath her snugly laced boot when Alexis placed her foot carefully into a depression on the steep hill rising in front of her on the following Tuesday. She adjusted her weight easily to find more stable footing. Pausing a few feet above her, Logan looked back over his shoulder, where he was carrying a small day-pack. “Okay?”
Settling the padded straps of her own pack a bit more comfortably on her shoulders, she grinned up at him. “All good.”
He reached out a hand, and though she didn’t really need the assistance, she placed hers in it, letting him haul her up beside him. His fingers tightened briefly around hers before he released her. “Need a water break?”
“Soon. It’s a perfect day for a hike, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s nice.”
“Nice” was an understatement, in Alexis’s opinion. The morning sky was a cloudless blue, the air crisp and fresh. A steady breeze tossed her low ponytail and kept them cool despite the exertion of the somewhat strenuous hike. Still winter-nude but showing the first buds of spring, deciduous trees towered around them, interspersed with fragrant evergreens. Through the bare branches, she caught glimpses of the stunning Catawba Valley view they would admire more fully from the apex of the well-worn path.
Five days after their last encounter at the inn, she and Logan had driven separately to the hiking trail some forty minutes from Bride Mountain, meeting in the parking lot at the trailhead. They generally didn’t go out together—this was the first time—but when she’d mentioned to him recently that she’d been thinking of taking a day off for a hike, he’d impulsively suggested this trek. He needed a few hours away himself, he’d added casually. He could be back at work by late afternoon to catch up on anything that required his attention. Because she had no appointments until six that evening, there was no reason for them to rush through this rare outing.
There was some risk, of course, that they’d run into someone who knew one or both of them, but the chance was slight. Though a popular destination, the trail wasn’t crowded on this chilly weekday morning when most people were at work or school. In fact, they’d encountered only a handful of other hikers, none of whom they’d recognized.
When they’d first discussed taking the hike, Logan had pointed out that it wouldn’t exactly be a tragedy if they did encounter someone they knew, though the chances were slim. There was no particular reason for secrecy about their friendship, other than the comfortable freedom from outside expectations. She wasn’t quite as blasé about it as he’d sounded, uncomfortable with the thought of professional awkwardness if word got out they were seeing each other. Still, it was nice to be out together, to ignore everyone else and concentrate on each other and the lovely day.
They’d crossed several wooden bridges and passed a couple of primitive campsites in the almost four miles they’d hiked thus far. She stepped over a gnarled root that bisected the foot-flattened path, then glanced up at Logan again. Though the trail was rated as moderately strenuous, he handled it almost as easily as if they were walking on flat pavement. His slight limp proved no impediment to him, though it was somewhat more noticeable on the uneven ground. She wondered if it bothered him with this much exertion, but she knew better than to ask. His masculine ego would be dented at any suggestion he wasn’t in peak condition—which, of course, he was, she thought, admiring the view of him from behind.
They paused beside a rushing stream still somewhat swollen from recent spring rains. Logan leaned against a tree trunk and drew a water bottle from his pack. He wore his usual jeans and T-shirt, though he’d switched out his work boots for sturdy hiking boots. He’d shed the windbreaker he’d worn earlier as he warmed from the exercise, stuffing the thin jacket into his pack.
Alexis found a relatively flat and reasonably clean boulder to use as a seat while she dug into her own pack. She wore lightweight gray hiking pants with a yellow scoop-neck T-shirt and a yellow-and-white windbreaker. She’d pushed up the sleeves of her windbreaker, but didn’t remove it. The brisk breeze was a bit cool to her for short sleeves, though Logan seemed unaffected. She removed a square of microfiber cloth from her pack and cleaned her glasses, watching from beneath her lashes as Logan lifted his water bottle to his lips. Just seeing the way his strong throat worked with his swallows was enough to make her consider taking off her jacket, after all. Had the temperature just risen a few degrees, or was it simply her usual response to Logan’s easy, innate sexiness that made her feel suddenly warmer?
She pushed her glasses back onto her nose, bringing him into even clearer, sharper view, then made herself look away long enough to dig out her own water bottle. Several long swallows helped her reinforce her temporarily shaky composure, though it wavered again when she lowered the bottle to find Logan studying her with an expression she well recognized—and which would have led straight to her bedroom had they been at her house.
He cleared his throat before speaking. “It’s been a long time since I’ve made this hike. I used to come out here with Great-Uncle Leo when I was a kid. He was in his late sixties then, and could still run circles around me. I’ve heard it’s usually crowded with tourists these days, but I figured it would be less so this morning.”
She winked saucily at him. “I’m glad you were right. I rather like having you all to myself.”
She took another sip of her water, then capped the bottle and stowed it again. Standing, she brushed a hand absently across the seat of her pants, though she wasn’t particularly concerned about getting dirty on a hike. “Ready to forge on?”
“Almost.” He pushed away from the tree in one fluid move, caught her in his arms and planted his mouth firmly on hers.
By the time the kiss ended, her arms were around his neck, their bodies were pressed full-length to
gether and Alexis was definitely too warm for her jacket. She was grateful now for the breeze that ruffled her hair, brushed her cheeks and slipped inside her collar to cool her. She tipped back her head to peer up at him through her slightly askew glasses. “And that was because...?”
He chuckled as he released her with some reluctance. “Let’s just call it an energy recharge.”
She heaved a gusty sigh and glanced around. “Too bad we can’t be entirely sure we’re alone on the trail this morning.”
He grinned and ran a hand down her back to give a light squeeze to her bottom. “Don’t tempt me.”
She so enjoyed flirting with him, seeing desire heat his hazel eyes to a gleaming gold. A ripple of arousal surged through her in response, and he must have seen it in her expression, because his fingers tightened for a moment before he made a show of stepping away from her. “Let’s move,” he said.
They’d made their way only a few yards farther before they came across a couple of overnight backpackers making their way back down the trail. She heard a low, wry chuckle from Logan before they exchanged polite greetings and a few casual remarks about the nice weather and the beautiful views.
The view at the top of the trail was well worth the effort of getting there. Beyond a stand of imposing stone monoliths, the path culminated at a rocky clearing that provided a breathtaking panoramic view for miles on this clear day. Jagged rock outcroppings jutted out over the sheer drop to the valley below, and a couple of daring college-aged boys posed recklessly on the edge for photos. Two young men who looked to be the same age hung back a bit, snapping pictures but staying well clear of the drop-off. A middle-aged couple hovered nearby, the man surveying the spreading vista through binoculars, the woman shaking her head in nervous disapproval of the younger hikers’ antics.
Alexis had muted the ringer on her cell phone so it wouldn’t disturb the peacefulness of the hike and had let the few calls she’d received go straight to voice mail to deal with later. Gretchen Holder, her administrative assistant, was handling calls at the office that morning and would text her if anything cropped up that Alexis had to handle personally. She couldn’t resist lifting the camera-equipped phone to snap a couple of photos of Logan as he stood silhouetted against the deep blue sky, his profile turned to her.
As beautiful as the view was, she found her gaze turning to Logan more than to the distant mountains or the sprawling valley. Only when he pointed out a few landmarks did she force herself to focus on the scenery—Catawba Valley to the west, Tinker Cliffs to the north, the Roanoke Valley to the east. She imagined that the view would be stunning in the fall, with the brightly colored leaves spread like a patchwork quilt below, or in a few weeks in the spring when the mountain laurels bloomed, or in midsummer when all the shades of green draped the trees. Even now, with nature’s colors still muted at the end of winter and just before the spring, the scene was stunning.
She raised the phone again, though she knew the camera lens could hardly begin to capture the beauty below. She heard a click and glanced around to realize that Logan had taken a photo of her in profile against the scenery. She smiled and he snapped again before lowering his phone.
“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a phone photographer,” she teased him.
He motioned vaguely to the camera-phones lifted around them. “Just trying to fit in.”
She laughed softly, well aware that Logan couldn’t care less if he “fit in.” He was simply teasing her.
“Would you like me to take your picture together?” the woman Alexis had noted earlier asked a bit shyly from behind them.
Alexis and Logan shared a quick glance, then he shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
He draped his arm loosely around her shoulders after Alexis gave the woman her phone, and responded to the photographer’s cheery command to “say cheese” with a silent smile. Photo taken, Alexis returned the favor and used the woman’s phone to take a picture of the couple posed with the valley spreading behind them.
“You don’t want to stand out on the edge of the point for a photo?” she teased when she returned the phone.
The woman rolled her eyes. “No, thank you! Those kids were scaring me half to death,” she added, nodding toward the path down which the college boys had just disappeared.
A few minutes later, the other couple moved on, and Alexis was alone with Logan, though she doubted their solitude would last long. Relishing the soothing sounds of rustling breeze and calling birds, she drew a deep breath of the clean, fresh air as she watched a hawk circle lazily in the distance. “Beautiful,” she murmured.
He reached out to tuck back a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail, his fingertips lingering against her cheek. “Agreed.”
Her pulse jumped, but she thought she managed to keep her expression serene as she said, “I needed this.” She slipped her phone into her pocket. “A day out in nature, away from appointments and paperwork and unrealistic brides.”
Logan shook his head. “How could they have this for inspiration—” he waved a hand toward the horizon “―and still decide to turn our grounds into faux Japan or Jamaica or Italy?”
She laughed softly and shook her head. “Maybe the ones who’ve grown up with this view tend to take it for granted. Though I grew up in Roanoke, I moved away straight out of high school for college in Maryland and then to New York City. I’ve only been back in the state for a year and a half, so it’s all still fresh for me again. I’d almost forgotten how beautiful Virginia is.”
She’d mentioned to him before that she’d lived in Maryland and New York, though they hadn’t talked much about the years before they’d met.
“I grew up in the hills of Tennessee,” he reminded her. “Beautiful countryside. Still, I don’t take scenery like this for granted, no matter how often I see it.”
No, she thought, he wouldn’t. Logan was the type to appreciate what he had, without wasting time wishing it were something else. Wasn’t that pretty much the way he seemed to feel about their no-strings affair?
He drew out his water bottle again and took a drink, then opened a zippered storage bag of trail mix and tossed a handful into his mouth. She shook her head with a smile when he offered the bag to her, but she pulled out her water bottle and sipped, taking advantage of the respite before the four-mile trek back down to the car.
She couldn’t resist sitting on a ledge and dangling her feet over, though she chose a spot that looked a bit sturdier than the most outwardly jutting point. Logan sat cross-legged beside her, keeping his feet beneath him as he ate some more trail mix. “Sure you don’t want some of this? I didn’t take time for much breakfast this morning.”
She smiled and held out her hand in surrender to temptation. He tipped a small pile of nuts and seeds into her palm and she munched as she swung her feet lazily below her. “That’s a good mix. Do I taste a little cayenne pepper?”
He nodded. “Bonnie makes it for me. She knows I like things spicy.”
He winked at her and a little laugh escaped her. Good grief, had Logan’s sexy wink brought out her inner giggly schoolgirl?
“How hard are you going to have to work this afternoon to make up for taking the morning off?” she asked him after finishing her snack.
He chuckled. “I’ll catch up. I left a list for Curtis to handle this morning. His retired brother-in-law is helping us out until Zach’s cleared for work again after his appendectomy. How about you? Will you pay for taking a break?”
“I have a few calls to make this afternoon, and a six-o’clock meeting with clients, but other than that, it was a rare slow day for me. My calendar is packed full for the rest of the week, though.”
“Big event this weekend?”
“Small shindig Saturday evening. Before that, on Friday evening, I have to drive to Roanoke to endure another dinner party with my mother, my stepfath
er and her latest marriage prospect for me. I’m never sure whether he’ll be a doctor, lawyer or candlestick maker, but I would place money on someone being there these days.”
Logan frowned, slowly lowering his water bottle. “Marriage prospect?”
She reached up to straighten her ponytail, which had been loosened by exertion and the breeze. “My mother has been trying to marry me off for the past year, using every excuse from my advancing age to the fact that it isn’t good for business for a wedding planner to be single. Let’s just say, she’s a rather...challenging woman,” she added, choosing the word carefully.
“Your advancing age? Seriously? You’re...what? Thirty?”
“Excuse me. I’m twenty-nine.”
He nodded gravely. “Even younger, then.”
“Mom was married—the first time—when she was twenty-two. Married my dad, her second husband, when she was twenty-five. She was forty-six when she married Duncan Healey, my stepdad, ten years ago.”
“And your brother is twice divorced at twenty-seven,” he grumbled, proving he’d retained what little she’d told him about her complicated family. “This is the path she thinks you should follow?”
She shrugged. “I guess she figures since I’m not going to be the musical theater star I grew up thinking I would be—and which she very much wanted me to be—I might as well provide her with a rich and successful son-in-law to brag about.”
He raised an eyebrow. “The fact that you operate your own successful business isn’t brag-worthy enough?” he asked, without mentioning her reference to theater.
“My mom has owned and operated a successful floral shop in Roanoke for twenty-five years,” she replied drily. “To her, being a business owner is no big deal. But she seems to be pleased that I’ve done so well with it so far. She takes credit for teaching me all I know about the business. And I suppose that’s fair, though it wasn’t what she’d always planned for me.”