“Clay didn’t give me any trouble, and no, I didn’t give him any. I stopped for gas and he got cigarettes. I offered him a job earlier. Remind him if you get a chance.”
She stopped with the skillet still in her hand. “You offered Clay a job knowing what you know?”
He washed his hands at the sink. “He needs direction. The guy’s drifting.”
“He is. He picks up odd jobs here and there, but a steady job would do him good. Do you want orange juice?”
Wade dried his hands then got it from the fridge and took glasses from the cupboard. “You too?” She nodded and he poured two.
Sophie buttered toast and set it on a plate between them. “Do you always have food like this in the refrigerator?”
He took a jar of strawberry jam from the fridge and sat the juice back in, his mind heavy with thought. “No. I try to. If not, I grab donuts on the way to work, but I don’t want to do that all the time.” He took a seat across from her. Clasping her hands, he brought them to the center of the table. Her genuine smile swept him away. “This looks good. Thanks for cooking.”
“You think I baby my brother. I try not to, but he needs someone.”
Bite your tongue. Shut up. “No comment. You know your brother better than anyone.” He picked up his fork for a bite. “Mmm, good eggs.”
“Thanks. Don’t worry. I don’t usually overcook them.” She gave a big smile.
“Your smile is beautiful. It’s nice looking at you across the table.” Wade liked her here in the morning. If…when they do sleep together again, would she be here the next day or rush off like a one-night stand? He took another bite. Waited. He observed a sunny day through the door. “Take off with me today.”
“You mean like a couple kids?” She chuckled.
“Yeah, why not?”
“You mean here?”
He flicked his gaze upward. “No, but if you’re saying what I think you’re saying, that isn’t what I meant.” Not that the thought wasn’t in his mind…
She giggled. “Sorry. Okay. Let’s play, but I need to call my dad to be sure Emmett got off to school.”
“Of course.” It sure would be different with a kid around. He forgot at times what it took for her to be a parent. He’d get used to it.
“What are we doing?”
He reflected on her words from earlier about being afraid of heights. “If I tell you, you’ll back down.”
“Aw, give me a chance.”
“Nope. Let it be a surprise. I have another idea. I want to scatter Heath’s ashes. I’ll save the other adventure for a different day.”
Sophie squeezed his hand. “I’ll be happy to accompany you on such a special mission.”
“We’ll need boots and plenty of water.”
“We’re hiking?”
“Yep. The Siphon Draw Trail, but we’ll only hike part of it.” He got up and stood at the window to check out the Superstition. “It’s going to be high up, you know.”
Sophie blew out a breath. “Okay. Let’s do it. I’ll go home to get changed and grab water while you get ready here.”
“Nope. If you don’t mind, we’ll go together then backtrack here and toward the trailhead.”
“I like your plan.” They finished eating, then Sophie stood and lifted their plates to put in the dishwasher.
Wade embraced her while she rinsed dishes at the sink. He brought hair away from the side of her neck and laid kisses, sending chills over his body to have his lips against her skin.
Sophie wrapped her arms around his waist and slid her hands up his back. She licked her lips. “I couldn’t be there when you needed someone earlier, but I’m here for you now.” She put a tender kiss on his lips. “Honey, to the best of my ability, I’ll wrangle in my fear of losing again. I know we can’t promise forever. Let’s enjoy the time we have.”
“That would make me happy. Let’s get ready and plan on forever, anyway.”
Chapter 11
Her dad wasn’t around when they pulled up at Sophie’s house. She parked her car off to the side of the driveway. Wade drove up behind her. “Where’s your dad?”
“Oh, who knows. He’s a busy man. Maybe on horseback. Or court.” Inside the house, she grasped his hand and brought him into her bedroom. She kicked off her shoes then knelt to get a boot box from under the bed.
The first thing Wade noticed was a picture of her husband on the dresser. Wow, he and Rhett resembled each other. Wade sauntered around the room, taking in the position of her bed, the smell of her perfume, her small walk-in closet. “It’ll be nice to visualize you in here now when I think of you at night. Your dad shouldn’t catch me in here.”
She grabbed a pair of jeans from a drawer. “I’ll be right out. It’s okay if you wait in the living room if you’re scared.” She shut the door behind her.
Scared? Hah. That wasn’t it. He stood his ground. When she returned from the bathroom, she smiled. “Still here, huh?”
“I’m close to throwing you down on the bed so you can smell me all night in your covers.” He lifted his arm to sniff. “Yeah, it’s all good.”
“Did you wash your sheets yet?”
“Isn’t that kind of personal?” He drew her close. “You’re brave when you think I can’t do anything.” Wade eased his foot back and closed the door. Snickered. He lifted an eyebrow. So did she. Instead, he opened the door and left the room. Her presence in a closed room made him want her—made it physically obvious he wanted her. He studied a picture of Sophie and Emmett on a large wall in the living room. Damn she played with his senses.
“Howdy.” Aaron entered through the back door.
“Mr. Price. How you doing?” Sophie came out of her room snickering. He’d deal with her later.
“Playing hooky with my daughter today, huh? Have fun. By the way, call me Aaron. I assume Wade is okay?”
“Of course. We’re heading out to Siphon Draw Trail, just the easy part. Ready, Sophie? Remember, I have extra water.”
Aaron followed them to the door. “I hope my son didn’t give y’all too hard a time last night. I don’t know what to do with that man. Thank you.”
“He has to do it himself, sir.”
“Come on, Wade. We’re running out of time now.”
He nodded to Aaron. Outside, he held the truck door for her, noticing those light blue jeans clinging to her body—her fine ass. He swallowed hard. “Aren’t you glad I left your bedroom?” Wade hugged her from behind and nuzzled her neck with kisses. “You’re giving me a bad reputation. You might think I care, but I don’t. If I wanted to take you in that bed, I would.”
“You have a rotten side, mister.”
He released her when she lifted a foot to the floorboard, but not before she’d pressed that ass up against him and he sprang to life. “You keep right on telling me that, Sophie, but deep down, you love it.” He caught the faint shudder of her shoulder. They best get the hell going. “What would you have done if I’d carried you to your bed in broad daylight with the chance of your dad walking in?”
Sophie didn’t answer right away. “You have a one-track mind. I don’t know. If it were Emmett, it’d be a different story.”
Wade jumped on the accelerator to get around a slow-ass driver. What? “But you wouldn’t care if your dad walked in? You got balls.”
Sophie chuckled. “He wouldn’t walk in.”
“This kind of talk makes me want to take you back to my house. It’s right over yonder. We’d have a few hours to ourselves. Want to?”
“I do dream of us making love. Taking you in there wasn’t an invitation.”
“Tease. Do you plan on sleeping with me again?”
“What is wrong with you? Yes, I want to sleep with you again. We’ll know when it’s time.”
He willed his body to stop talking to him, but his groin shouted it was time. “You women…” That gibberish wouldn’t go over well. “Women decide a guy’s love life—”
“Not women for you, Wade. Woman.
”
That was all he needed to hear. “Yes, ma’am. I won’t bring it up again, but I can’t guarantee nothing else comes up.”
Sophie snickered as her gaze fluttered over him. “Deal. Are we almost there?”
Yeah, baby, I am. He pulled into the parking area.
“Have you hiked this trail before?”
“Many times. Sometimes when training for a marathon. I’ve been all the way to the top of the Flatiron. The view of the desert valley is tremendous from there. You could do it. Trust me.”
“Trust has nothing to do with it. My body senses the height. Uh uh.”
This topic wasn’t closed yet. He wanted to take her up in a hot air balloon, and by God, one day he would. Wade opened the door to go around to the bed of the truck. Sophie joined him.
“I brought a hydration pack for each of us, so we don’t have to carry or dispose of water bottles.” He dropped his tailgate. “Sonofa…doggone… I forgot the ashes. See what you do to me.” Wade tapped her on the chin and winked. “We have to go back.”
Sophie laughed. “You’re a real outdoorsman, huh, with all your tools?”
“Let’s hope you don’t have to thank me for my smarts out here. Get in, darlin’.”
Sophie halted them at the door. His gaze connected with hers, and Wade smiled. Warmth and seduction surrounded him in a fiery heat. She returned his smile. “I’m teasing, honey. I love you…I mean, I love what…what you are, who you are.” Sophie flicked her gaze into the distance, blinking.
Holy hell, that took him by surprise, but he liked hearing her say I love you even if that wasn’t what she meant.
***
Returning, Wade paid for their pass, and they put on their backpacks. He felt good about doing this for Heath, though the idea of having his ashes in the house, was like his brother was back home in some weird way. He had to think of Heath’s wishes instead of his own emotions.
Sophie took his hand then slipped her arm around his waist. “Are you okay?”
He nodded.
“Then let’s go, trailblazer.”
Later, on the trail straight east of them, Wade pointed out the rock formation called Flatiron.
“I haven’t had this much fun or exercise for a long time but no way am I going up there. It’s five hundred times higher from here.”
“Don’t worry, we aren’t. It’s a tough climb with a lot of scrambling from this point on. I’d go, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“More scrambling than we’ve already done? I feel like I’m falling now. You can go from here. I’ll take pictures while waiting.”
“Don’t take pictures of me. I don’t want to know what I look like climbing.”
“You’d look model-worthy. This was a grand idea, but I’m about at my limit. Looking ahead, I see…well, it looks kind of like the trail goes on a cliff.”
“We won’t go over that trail. You’d be freaked out long before we got there.”
“Ya think so?” She hiked faster then turned and peered out over the valley at a clearing. This was her limit. Sophie held her hands out to her side, palms horizonal to the ground. “Wow. This puts everything into perspective, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t look back whatever you do.”
Her eyes got real big. “But we have to get out of here that way. Now, I’m shakin’.”
Wade set his hands on her waist then slipped them around her. “I’m surprised you can look out like that. It’s pretty far…and down.”
“It’s so cool, but I’m terrified and not even on an edge.” Sophie clung to his arms that held her tight. Her voice went into a higher range, “My equilibrium is off-balance. I-I can’t go higher…don’t laugh.”
“Come here.” Wade took her arm and they sat on a large rock. He removed a couple protein bars from his pack. “Have one of these. We’ll take a break. You’ll be all right.”
Sophie pulled out her phone with a shaky hand and took a picture of him with the distant landscape as a backdrop. She moved close and they put their heads together for a couple selfies. Checking her phone screen brought a smile. “These pictures of us are fantastic. We look good together.”
“Um hmm.” He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her, saying afterward, “I want one of those.”
“You’ll have one. Do you mind if I print them if we make it off of this mountain? I don’t know how I managed to get this high up.”
“You can print them.” After eating his protein bar, he took another long draw of water. He peered to the left toward the Flatiron formation. “Hey, I’ll climb up to the Flatiron summit in the later part of fall.”
She took a drink of water and wadded up the wrapper from the protein bar. “I’m sorry. Please go ahead now. I’ll wait right here in this spot.”
“There isn’t enough time. It’s tougher the closer you get to it. Don’t be sorry for nothing. I didn’t plan on going up there today.”
Sophie stood and brushed off her jeans. “Let’s hit the trail a little further on. I’m feeling brave.”
Yeah, he’d heard that before. He put their wrappers in the pouch in his backpack, held his hand out, and grinned. “I didn’t think you’d make it this far.”
“Do I look that out of shape?”
His gaze cruised over her as he smiled. “Stating a fact.”
Sophie gave a nervous chuckle. “To be truthful, when we got out of your truck and I looked over here, I wasn’t sure how far I’d make it. The Sonoran sure is beautiful in its desolation, especially from up here. I’m glad I got to see this once in my life. Thank you.”
“That’s why I stay. I try to come up here two or three times a year.” Wade took her hot body into his arms. He liked her breathing hard and sweating, with a flush to her face, and a crack to her voice. He peered ahead and upward. “In fact, I’m doing it right now. I like it here. So would Heath. I’ll climb up these rocks. There’s a clearing right there above. I’ll take a picture for you. This is perfect.”
Hand over hand, and foot over foot, he climbed up the next set of rocks. Crouching at the top, he removed his backpack and took the bag of ashes out of the large pouch. Voices could be heard from others who had passed them and ventured on. He peered over the side at Sophie plastered against the rock wall, then he moved close to the outer edge looking out over the desert before him. A breeze blew his hair from the back. The wind was in the right position. Wade set the bag down.
Opening the top, he rolled it to the level of the ashes. Here you go, Heath. Fly free. I never stopped loving you, bro. He removed handful after handful until a small amount remained in the bag. Swallowing hard, he stood and emptied the bag as the breeze and currents of air picked up what was left of the loose ashes, sending them out over the desert. He stooped and watched until he could no longer see the small fog they’d created. Rest in peace. Taking a minute, he let what he’d just done, set in. Wade sighed.
He cleaned his hands with sand then brushed them off on his cargo hiking pants, his eyes still fixed on the landscape in front of him. His chest pulled tight from stress. He inhaled and released a slow breath. Wade glanced over and up at the Flatiron in the distance then walked toward the way down. As he peered over the edge, Sophie’s smile shot through his heart like Cupid’s arrow. “It’s done.”
“How ya doing?”
Wade nodded. He tossed his backpack and began the climb down to where she waited. He was as okay as he could be right now. At the bottom, he pulled his backpack back on and took her hand. This would be a slow go. Sand covered rocks along the trail while others crumbled, the combination making it more difficult almost more than going upward. “You can do this trip down, Sophie. I got ya, babe.”
***
On the way out, Sophie’s nerves relaxed, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of falling after being in the mountains. Wade had remained quiet since they arrived at his truck. “You scared me to death when you went out on the edge to scatter the ashes. Don’t do that again. My heart near
ly stopped.”
“You’re the one afraid of heights, not me. I was fine, and I wasn’t on the edge. Well, yes I was, but I survived.”
It was close enough for her to break out in a sweat that wasn’t from the heat. “We can go to my place to get clothes, and I’ll take a shower. You talk to my dad.”
“How about you get clothes and take a shower at my house, and I don’t have to talk to anybody.”
Sophie eyed him. He didn’t want to talk to her dad? “Are you afraid to be alone with him?”
“No, but why would I want to?”
“I want him to know you.” She wanted her dad to see what kind of man Wade was because with his quiet personality, the person she knew didn’t show through to other people who didn’t know him.
“I suppose.” He skipped on past his house and journeyed toward Queen Creek then turned down the road toward her place.
At her house, her dad was out by the barn. Sophie fluttered the top of her shirt in front of the air conditioning vent to cool down. “Come on.” She took his hand and headed to the barn.
Aaron smiled when they strolled up to him hand in hand. “I remember what those playing hooky days were like, darlin’.” He eyed Wade with condemnation. “Yessiree, I do.”
Wade folded his arms and gave Aaron an eye right back.
“I’ll run in and get clothes for later. You two have fun. I’ll be right out.” She rushed away before either he or Aaron could get out of it. They strutted into the barn together. Her dad would probably show Wade his old car. Neither her dad nor Wade knew that they had that in common.
While in the house, she took a shower then dressed in dark jeans with gold threading on the rear pockets. Her favorites. She had a sun glow on her face, especially her nose. That would be hard to explain at work tomorrow. She towel-dried her hair then blew it to get most of the wet out, and she brushed out more tangles. Taking the scissors, she trimmed her bangs. Sophie tossed dirty clothes into her laundry basket, applied a little make-up to cover some freckles, then put on sandals. Now she sweated after hurrying.
She peeked out the kitchen window. Neither her dad nor Wade were in sight. They had to be tangled up under the hood of his car. She strolled through the barn to the garage behind it. Wade looked up and gave a smile she looked forward to seeing. “I’m ready.”
Hooked By Sundown (Canyon Junction: Hearts In Love Book 3) Page 15