Page 86 of No Hope of Rescue

She has a crush on him.

I stare at the abandoned corsage, wanting to say something, but Riley wheels us away in the opposite direction.

“Another dance?” she says brightly.

I grin. “Says the woman who doesn’t dance.”

Tilting her chin up to mine, she announces, “I only dance with the perfect man.”

΅

Somehow, between wanting to take Riley right on the Grange Hall floor and feeling the need to beat every guy off her with a stick, I manage not to make a fool of myself.

Back in the Jeep, and after double-checking with Jace that he’s bringing Codie home, I pass the turnoff for my house. It’s more like our house now. Riley hasn’t completely moved in, and she’s still holding the lease on her apartment but lives at my place.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“That’s on a need-to-know basis,” I say, gripping the steering wheel and grinning.

It takes another forty minutes to get to the access road. It’s hard to find in the dark and would be harder if I didn’t come here all the time.

“This is a utility trail,” she says as we start bouncing around on the ill-kept gravel road.

“Duly noted.”

“Brock!”

But I refuse to offer more information. I worked too hard yesterday to make sure I had everything in place. Not blowing it because she’s impatient.

In ten more minutes, I pull over to the side, set the parking brake against the steep incline, lean over, and hand over her hiking boots. “Put these on.”

“With your suit, you are the original man of mystery.”

“That’s me.”

When she steps out, I also hand her a heavy fleece and mittens from the back of the Jeep. It’s much colder here than in town. I shrug on my parka.

Taking her hand, I start leading her up the rest of the mountain. The full moon tips the pines in silver and lights the path to the top. We don’t even need the flashlight stuffed in my parka.

It’s when she sees the fire tower that she pulls back. Looming against a dark purple sky winking with thousands of stars, the structure is dark, almost black.

“We’re going up?”

“Yep.” I pull her hood in the front and she tweaks mine.

Next, I hand her a headlamp.

“Well, this will be attractive,” she says, strapping it on.

She has no idea how fucking hot she is.

The fire watch tower has been retired and a newer one installed three miles from here—that’s why the road is in such disrepair. I’m unclear as to why this place was abandoned. Fire watch towers are an incredible part of fighting forest fires. This one was never taken down, though it was decommissioned decades ago.

“You go first, and I’ll follow. It’s old so be careful. There are two snapped rungs in the middle, but just watch where you’re going.”

She nods.

“I’ll be right behind you.”