He laughed. “She ogles me every day.”
Charly giggled, then clapped a hand over her mouth. “You know?”
“I’m a mailman, not an idiot.”
“Well, you’d be an idiot to invest so much time in your body and not expect some ogling.”
“That’s a fair point.” He sent her a sideways look.
“You think I’m insulting you again.”
“No.” He stepped closer. “I say what I mean. You don’t have to put words in my mouth.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“Do.” He kept looking for an opportunity to hide a GPS transmitter on her pack. Based on the route she’d described, she’d be out of cell range before noon tomorrow. “What can I do to help?”
“Dinner was plenty,” she said with a shy smile.
He wanted to warn her, but if he said anything, she might telegraph her concerns to Lancaster. While she packed, he made a mental list of things to be aware of on the mountain. He was more than a little relieved when she unlocked a cabinet and pulled out a hefty .38 Special revolver along with ammunition and a flare gun. Not just because it gave him time to put the transmitter on her pack—he felt a little better that she was armed. “Expecting trouble?”
“Expecting is a strong word.” Her wry smile told him she’d seen her share of the unexpected. “I was raised to be prepared for any emergency. I carry the revolver as a last resort in the case of a wildlife issue.”
“Got a snakebite kit?”
“Already packed,” she replied, distracted.
He’d been kidding about that. “Isn’t it too cold for snakes to be a problem?”
She nodded. “But even when it’s cold, snakes can wake up looking for water, so I take it anyway, every time.” Her nearly black eyes met his with stark candor. “People do dumb things despite our best advice as guides.”
He’d seen the same thing throughout his military career, in every part of the world. “Stupidity is a frequent problem with humans.”
“Tell me about it,” she said. She looked around the table, but everything was already in her pack. “Mr. Lancaster assures me his team is smart, but there’s a big difference between being smart in the office and being smart in the wilderness.”
“What’s this?” He pointed to the knife she’d set apart from the other items. The dark, hand-tooled leather sheath was a work of art, and the hilt was inlaid with a stunning turquoise mosaic in the shape of a long, elegant feather. His fingers itched to pull it out, to confirm the blade matched the hilt and sheath.
Her face went soft. “A gift from my grandmother. She gave it to me before my first solo hike on Silver Mountain. I don’t go anywhere without it.” She slid it into her sleeping bag.
“You don’t wear it?”
“Sometimes.”
He considered pushing her but decided changing the subject was safer. There was more to the knife, more to her history, but she didn’t seem inclined to share more right now. “How often do you need the revolver or the flare gun?”
Her sly grin, loaded with self-confidence, brought to mind too many inappropriate, off-topic images. Later, he reminded himself. There would be plenty of time to get to know Charly on a more intimate level later.
“I’ve only used the flare gun to signal rescuers,” she said.
“When you’ve been lost?”
“No, I signal when I’ve found lost people.” She laughed. “I don’t ever recall being lost.”
“You’re kidding.” He leaned back, startled by her claim. He’d been blessed with a perfect sense of direction, as well, which came in handy.
“My grandpa used to say I had a compass where my heart should be.”
Will wasn’t sure how to respond. It seemed like a backhanded compliment, but he didn’t get the impression that Charly was the sort to put up with twisted family dynamics. He had a low threshold for drama, which was why he stayed out of his parents’ way. Better for all concerned.
“You think that sounds cold.”
“A little.”
“He meant it as the highest compliment.” She reached over and pulled apart hook-and-loop fasteners with a loud rip.
“I’m all ears.”
“Hand me those tent poles.”
He did as she asked, waiting patiently for the explanation. Instead, her phone rang, and she pulled it from her hip pocket.
It didn’t take long to realize she was speaking with the guide who’d be her partner on tomorrow’s hike. The story about her grandfather would have to wait. Will pointed from the tent to the pack, and she gave him a nod, so he finished putting her tent gear into the designated place while he listened to her end of the conversation.
Will didn’t know much about Charly’s employees, but he assumed she didn’t waste time working with anyone subpar. He might’ve found that reassuring if the circumstances were normal. He made a decision right there. If Lancaster gave Charly and her partner more than they could handle, Will vowed he’d be close enough to clean up the mess.
When she wrapped up her call, he’d get out of her way. He had his own preparations to finish and if he kept asking questions, he was bound to raise her suspicions.
* * *
CHARLY WALKED WILL out to his truck, a small part of her wishing the evening didn’t have to end so early. Who was she kidding? All of her wanted him to stay longer. “Thanks for bringing dinner by. That was a nice surprise.”
“My pleasure.” He pulled his keys from his jacket pocket. “I’m glad it worked out.”
“Me, too.” She nodded, unable to come up with any witty reply. No one but family had ever brought her dinner before a tour or kept her company during the packing. She should tell him that, let him know what it meant to her, but she knew it would come out as a lame thank-you for this or that. Why did she have to suck so badly at this kind of thing?
“Give me a call when you get back?” He opened his car door.
Grateful her lack of feminine wiles didn’t seem to put him off, she grinned up at him. In the dark, under all the stars, she let herself fantasize about how it would feel if he kissed her good-night.
She couldn’t imagine a better place for a first kiss than out here in the cold night air with the stars as silent, sparkling witnesses.
“Charly?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“You should go inside. Get some rest.”
She felt the heat of his hand on her shoulder through the thick layers of her polar-fleece jacket and sweatshirt. The man was like a furnace and she wanted to burrow closer to all that warmth. “Right.”
Neither of them moved.
“Drive safe.”
His hand slipped away as he pulled out his keys, and she chided herself for missed opportunities. Until he caught her hand. Before she could decide what to do about that, he bent his head and brushed his lips against hers.
A fleeting kiss, over almost before it started, but it rocked her world. “I’ll call when I get back,” she promised, knowing she was grinning like a fool.
He settled into the driver’s seat, his lips tipped up on one side in a cocky smirk. She couldn’t find a reason to be annoyed with the expression.
She