Page 35 of First Bride to Fall
“Nell?”
“Hmm?”
“About this morning’s hike…”
“What about it?”
“Is there a reason you signed up for it?”
“Yes! I wanted to…commune with nature.”
“You’d never done that before, had you?”
“What? Commune?” She blinked. “Of course I have. I spend lots of time on the beach, for example—working out.”
He scrutinized her for a moment. “You don’t have to do the Ironman to impress me, you know.”
“Whew! That’s good. Ha-ha.” Her forehead creased, and then she asked, “What’s that?”
“A triathlon. It’s like running a marathon combined with intense biking and swimming.”
“Then double whew!” She giggled nervously, then added, “Triple!”
She looked so adorably trapped, he couldn’t help teasing her further. “I can help you start training if you’d like?”
“Um. Sure. But, you know.” She glanced at her ankle. “It might be a while.”
“Gotcha.” He winked, and her cheeks colored, making her look cuter than ever. “Maybe you should just stick with camping for now?”
“Yeah, that’s my thinking, too.”
“When’s your next trip with your sisters?”
“Um. Not until next summer, actually.”
“Well, if you decide to go sooner, maybe I can tag along?”
Her eyebrows knitted together, and she looked like she’d been backed into a corner. “Oh, sure. That would be cool.”
“I could even help put up your tent.” He strolled over to the short table beside his armchair and picked up a bunch of magazines, bringing her the stack. All were about camping, backpacking, and other types of outdoor adventures. “Maybe if you look through these, you’ll spot that high-end model you use. That fancy, four-walled deal.”
She grinned tightly. “Right.”
He chuckled to himself, deciding to stop teasing her. “Want some hot tea?”
She laid the magazines on the coffee table and removed her boot. “Maybe in a bit.”
“Okay, I’ll make us some shortly. In the meantime, I think I’ll grab that shower.” He walked to the woodstove and stoked it. “Need to use the facilities first?”
She shook her head. “No, thanks.”
She dug her phone out of her jacket pocket and frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s dead.” She made a pouty face. “And I don’t have my charger.” She glanced around the room. “Maybe you’ve got one up here that I can borrow?”
“Sorry.” He frowned. “That looks like an Apple. I’ve got an Android.”
