Page 88 of Out of the Shadows

“Noted.” She wrinkled her nose. The last thing she wanted was to head back to her office and deal with her glitching programs. Unless... She glanced at her watch.

“Uh-oh.” Wilson chuckled. “What’s that look for?”

“Just figuring out if I have time to swing out to Jackson Cove for a quick hike.”

A grin spread over his face. “Look at you, Miss Quick Hike During Her Lunchbreak.” A grin spread over his face. “Who the hell are you and what have you done to our desk jockey?”

“You’re funny,” she said, deadpan.

“That I am, my friend. But I have to ask, do you know which are the easy trails out there?”

She nodded. “Gavin took me out there on Monday.”

“You have your phone on you?”

“Yes, Dad,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.

He held his hands up. “Hey, I had to ask. The last thing I want is Frazier pissed at me because he can’t get a hold of you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Dramatic much?”

A sharp whistle cut through the air and they both glanced at Buchanan, who waved at her.

“That’s my cue,” Wilson said. “Be careful out there.”

Her gaze flickered to the group and then back at him. “You too.”

Ten minutes later, Bean entered the parking lot of Jackson Cove State Park. She pulled into an open spot next to a Subaru Outback and cut her engine. As she got out of her Audi, she snagged the water bottle she’d filled with her favorite sugar-free peach energy drink—baby steps, right?—and took note of the four other cars in the lot. She zipped her car keys into her jacket pocket and set her phone’s timer for thirty minutes so she’d know when to turn around, then she tucked the phone into the pocket of her leggings and grinned.Look at me, all outdoorsy!

She made her way to the main trail. A part of her wanted to take the gorgeous route that overlooked the water. However, she recalled how steep the beginning of the trail was. The last thing she wanted was to slip and twist her ankle, so she veered to the other easy trail that Gavin had pointed out.

Taking a deep breath in, she let the forest scents soothe her. She focused on the uneven trail and the sounds of critters scampering away. The tension in her shoulders eased. Never in a million years would she have guessed thatshewould go out for a lunchtime hike. But being out here settled her. The sounds, the scents, the solitude. They were like a reset button for her brain.

After a few minutes, the sound of voices carried over the quiet forest. Glancing up the trail, she saw flashes of orange and yellow along the switchback. She coughed loudly, attempting to alert whoever was out there of her presence. That was a thing, right? The voices paused before resuming. Ahead of her, two women in brightly colored jackets appeared from around the bend. They looked to be in their sixties. Both were wearing small backpacks and using walking poles.

Wait. Did she need walking poles? This was supposed to be an easy trail.

Bean shifted her water bottle from her right hand to her left. The backpacks were probably a good idea though. They were pretty cute too. Who knew the great outdoors had such cute accessories...

“Good afternoon,” one of the women called out.

“Hello,” she replied.

“Lovely afternoon for a hike,” the other woman said as they approached. “Just so you know, it gets pretty muddy about a quarter mile up by the waterfall. Have a good hike.”

“Thanks for the heads-up,” Bean said as the women passed. “Enjoy your day.”

Look at me being all peopley and making small talk with strangers.She wanted to pat herself on the back.

After a moment, her smug smile faded, and a familiar worry simmered in her belly. A worry she’d worked her whole adult life to overcome. Well, maybe notovercome. Because did anyone ever fully overcome the worry of not being enough, of not measuring up?

She’d accepted long ago that she’d never be good enough for her parents, so she’d worked to become good enough for herself. Yes, her social skills were lacking, but what she lacked in social skills, she made up for with her hacking skills.You’re one of the best in the freaking world. Don’t forget that.

Work had become her life. She was proud of that, because she was damn good at what she did. But Gavin’s words from the other day echoed in her mind.“You’re more than your job, B. You’re more than your brains and your beauty. You’re the whole damn package.”

Was she though? She didn’t question her knowledge, her brains, or her computer skills. She was self-aware enough to know she couldn’t get too cocky, and she worked to continue to improve, to constantly learn, and to stay sharp. Having Tiny on board would be good for her. It would push her to not get lazy and complacent.

But while she was confident in her intelligence, there was no doubt that her social skills were subpar. And no one would ever call her well-rounded. So was she good enough for Gavin? Truly?

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