Heart Of A Hero

“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 stayed put, like any girl crushing hard on a boy, and watched until his taillights disappeared down the road. She wasn’t sure how she’d get to sleep now, but if she did manage it, she knew she’d dream of Will.

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