She made the strangest noise. Kind of a strangled giggle. “I’m sure it won’t be nearly as exciting as it sounds.”
Seth chuckled. “Maybe it will, who knows?”
“How many times have you been here?”
“Over a hundred.”
She swung her attention to him. “Are you serious?”
“Yep. I used to camp out here with my brothers when we were teenagers. Usually at the end of July or in August, when it’s warmer. Less likely for the higher elevations to be blocked by snow.”
“Oh, my God.”
He slid her a quick glance.
Her gaze had wandered beyond him out the driver’s window. “I think I just saw a bear.”
“You might have.” Unlikely at this elevation, but it was fun to see how excited she got over everything.
“He wasn’t all that far from the road.” Eyes narrowed, she craned her neck to see behind them.
“Do you want me to slow down?” Seth asked, even though they were practically crawling.
“For the bear?”
“No,” he said, trying not to laugh.
“I knew that.” She shifted so she was facing straight ahead. “I read there’s a bunch of scenic turnouts. Would you mind stopping at a few?” It took all of three seconds for her to whip around again. “I’m never going to see everything.”
“That’s right, you won’t. Not in one day.” He should’ve warned her about first-timers overload. “So better you save yourself from whiplash and just concentrate on what’s ahead.”
“Am I annoying you?”
“Of course not.” Trying to avoid the scurrying chipmunks, he kept his eyes on the road. But he found her hand and squeezed it. “It’s fun being here with a virgin.”
“Yeah, well, I hate to disappoint you...”
Seth laughed. Hannah was sharp, had guts and a great sense of humor, as she’d proven last night at the Watering Hole. And she had a slightly gullible streak that surfaced now and then. What he hadn’t figured out—yet—was just how much of it was her yanking his chain. But either way, she made him smile, and few things had done that in the last couple of years.
“Hey, I should’ve told you before now. Cell service is about to get real spotty. It’s like that throughout most of the park, so if you need to call or text anyone, now’s the time.”
“Nope. I’m good.”
Hell, he realized something else he should’ve considered and pulled the truck over the second he could.
Hannah dragged her gaze away from a pair of marmots lounging in the underbrush and looked at him. “Do you have to make a call?” she asked. “Because I definitely don’t.”
“We should talk about tonight.” He checked the rearview mirror to make sure they were in the clear, then met her soft brown eyes and almost forgot why he’d stopped.
“I’m cool with staying overnight. I assume they have lodges or motels here?”
“They do,” he said, lifting a hand to her cheek because he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He stroked her smooth skin with his fingertips, touched the soft silky strands of her hair. He liked how the different shades of brown shimmered in the sunlight. “I don’t know about availability so we’ll have to call around.”
Her lids drooped as she pressed her cheek against his palm. “Do you think we’ll have trouble?”
“Not in June. It’s just that the accommodations in the park can be a little rough.”
Her sleepy eyes widened. “We have to camp?”
“Not that bad.”
“I don’t actually mind camping. I just prefer a heads-up.”
He watched her chest rise with the deep breath she took. The tank top she was wearing wasn’t too snug but fit close enough that it distracted him if he wasn’t careful. Damn, he wanted to kiss her.
His cell rang, startling both of them.
It took some effort to dig for it in his jeans pocket. Especially with a partial erection in the way. Which he figured Hannah had also noticed because she turned abruptly to look out her window.
He saw that it was Paxton, one of the men from the Whispering Pines. That usually meant trouble. “Yeah, Paxton...”
“Hey, boss. You busy?”
Seth knew that sheepish tone all too well. And calling him boss? “What do you want?”
“You happen to be anywhere nearby?”
“Why?”
“I kinda lost the key to the medicine cabinet.”
“Kinda?” Seth glanced at the dashboard clock. Already noon. Paxton should’ve given the pregnant mares their meds by now. “Either you lost it or you didn’t.”
Paxton noisily cleared his throat. “I had it earlier. Then I misplaced the damn thing. It’s gotta turn up. You got one, don’t you?”
“Where’s Clint?”
“He and Lila left for Kalispell about an hour ago. Won’t be back till late.”
Seth pinched the bridge of his nose. Kalispell was closer to the Whispering Pines, but he wouldn’t ask Clint to drive back. The poor guy deserved the time off with Lila. Hell, what he truly deserved was to be able to count on Seth for a change.
He looked over at Hannah. She’d been gazing out the window but she turned to him with a smile. She could only glean so much from his side of the conversation but she mouthed, “It’s fine.”
Cursing to himself, Seth exhaled slowly. She’d never know how much he appreciated her understanding. Though he doubted she understood their entire day and night together was about to be ruined. Maybe the whole week. He didn’t know if he could take another day off. But, hell, he owed his brother. His whole family.
After a nervous silence, Paxton asked, “You want me to give Clint a holler?”
“No. It’ll take me about three hours,” he said, and couldn’t quite look at Hannah.
“Sorry, boss,” Paxton mumbled.
“Yeah. I know.” Seth disconnected the call and put the phone down with too much force. “Son of a bitch.” He turned to Hannah. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, please. I can curse with the best of ’em.”
He managed a smile. “About everything. I have to get back to the Whispering Pines.”
“I guessed as much.”
“After that, it’ll be too late to come back here.” He saw the disappointment in her eyes. Just a flicker and then it was gone. She wouldn’t sulk or make him feel bad, like so many other women he knew. The thing was, they could still drive to Kalispell afterward, just to have dinner and spend the night. For that matter, there was a motel in Blackfoot Falls. But either option seemed too tacky. He wouldn’t feel right doing that to her.
“Shouldn’t we be getting back on the road?” she asked softly. “I’m not trying to rush you. It just sounded kind of important.”
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