Page 70 of The CEO and the Mountain Man

River thought we were all being a bit too Victorian, especially since none of us were fooling anyone.

Despite my head being fully in the clouds, this had been a wonderful group. The whole bunch had a kind of rambunctiousness that only happened when a kid felt perfectly, utterly safe, and that had been today’s vibe from the start. Currently, all the under eighteen kids were having a blast in the shallow creek, with splash wars, floating games, and rock-skipping contests.

Also, it kinda helped that the parents were just as horny and flirty and full of PDA as we wished we could be. Nothing inappropriate, of course. Really, all they did was sit around the campfire and display the kind of casual affection between people who loved each other.

I was jealous as hell.

Clark caught my eye and stepped into the wooded area by his tent setup. No one was paying attention, so I followed. He hadn’t gone far. His hands were in his pockets, and he was looking up at the aspens and junipers.

“It’s gorgeous here, isn’t it?” I asked, slipping his hands out of his pockets so I could wrap him up from behind.

He leaned back against me for a moment, then turned in the circle of my arms and squeezed me tight. “Gorgeous, indeed.”

I did a quick perimeter check, and since no one was looking our way, I kissed him. And kissed him some more. Then groaned as I pulled away from him.

Clark looked as disappointed as I felt, but we had our priorities. I would have loved to disappear into the woods like Miguel and River, but I wasn’t going to abandon my responsibilities to Colt just because I’d tripped and fallen for someone.

Clark didn’t complain, but instead, grabbed my hand, kissing the back of it.

We only had three more nights together before he went home, including tonight, and I wanted to make the best of them. We’d get home tomorrow, early afternoon, from the trail ride, since returning from the foothills doesn’t take as long as going. And then we’ll have the entire next day to spend together.

As much as I looked forward to it, I couldn’t help but hear the ticking of the clock.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t researched dude ranches in the Chicago area. There were some nice-looking ones, too, but the reality was that Snow Creek Ranch was my home. I was a part of this place. These folks were family to me. I was happily anchored here.

Or at least I had been until Clark Jensen showed up with his sad eyes and cute ass.

Worse, I found myself reconsidering my stance on long-distance relationships. I hated the thought of constantly missing him, but I hated more the idea of not seeing him ever again.

“Hey, come back to me.” Clark’s hand cupped my jaw. “Where’d you go?”

I smiled, even though my heart hurt just looking at his gorgeous face. “Sorry. Flights of fancy.”

“Those have been getting me, too.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

His eyes went glassy. “I hate that we live so far apart from each other.”

“I was daydreaming about what it would be like to know that I could text you,” I admitted, without an ounce of shame. “To know that you would text me back. To know that I’m not the only one who feels this way.”

“You’re not.”

He didn’t seem happy about it, either.

I had plenty more I wanted to say, but screaming from the creek had me running back into the camping area. Clark ran with me. The kids, except Cynthia, were on the bank of the creek, pointing to the opposite bank, shouting, “Snake! Snake!”

Cynthia was on a rock in the middle of the creek, too scared to join the others. River, however, had come in from the trees on the other side of the camp and was already on the move, quick, even with his walking stick. He crossed the creek and put Cynthia over his shoulder in a one-handed maneuver.

A familiar sound stopped all of us in our tracks.

“Rattlesnake,” River said, voice shaking as he lifted his chin toward the creek bank.

“Everyone, be calm,” I announced, making my way through the camp as calmly and quickly as possible. “Rattlesnakes are not common out here, and they don’t like messing with humans. They would rather avoid us.”

River gingerly waded through the creek away from the sound, Cynthia still slung over his shoulder. “Miguel and I saw it and avoided it, but then it moved toward the camp.”

Colt and Miguel exchanged a look. Colt went to the horses while Miguel crossed the creek, closing the distance on the snake.