Page 47 of Return to Me Always

I fought off my mortification as Ben began to unload heavy sacks, and a heavenly smell wafted through the still falling rain toward our tent. He handed us a few containers, then sat in his tent across from us, pulling out utensils.

"Tonight... we feast."

Tyler opened up our food to reveal the finest meal I'd ever seen—steak, potatoes, and roasted vegetables, plus fresh bread with butter.

"What?" I gasped. "How'd you manage this?"

Ben shrugged. "We're not far from an inn with a small restaurant. We usually stop by when we're near. And that's not all." He unloaded a bottle of whiskey from a bag plus three plastic cups. "When in Rome, Kat..."

Whiskey? I'd had my share of beer and wine but not much of the hard stuff. I wasn't so sure, but I was definitely not going to turn it down.

"It'll warm you up," Tyler said, as if reading my hesitant thoughts.

"He's right. Figured you could use a wee break too."

That was really sweet. "Thanks, Ben. Thanks for all of this. Really. This is amazing."

Ben's face flushed slightly. "Aw, it was nothing. It was Tyler's idea anyway."

I looked at Tyler for the first time since... well, since I'd pounced on him. "Thank you."

"Enjoy it," he said with a smile.

With care, Ben passed out the whiskey, and we lifted our drinks for a toast. "Slàinte," Ben and Tyler said together.

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"It's basically to your good health," Ben explained.

"I can drink to that." As I raised the cup to my mouth, I noticed they were watching me, probably to make fun of me gagging or coughing. "You guys think I can't handle your whiskey?"

"Let's see, Ryder."

Oh, geez. I wasnotgoing to give them the satisfaction of a bad reaction. Even if it killed me. Which it might do. Determined, I took a tiny sip... andholy shit, did it burn. Like freaking fire going down my throat. How did people drink this stuff? And did anyone actually enjoy it?

I cleared my throat. "That was... delicious."

They both cracked up laughing like it was the funniest joke they'd ever heard, and I couldn't help joining in as the warmth hit my stomach and we began to tuck into dinner.

We absolutely devoured our meal. At first, I thought we'd never eat all the food Ben had brought. But before long, it was gone, not a crumb in sight, and only the whiskey remained. A cozy haze settled around us as a light rain pattered against the tents. Or maybe it was the feeling from the booze that was making my toes tingle and my whole body warm.

Tyler and Ben were talking about a previous trip when there had been an early snow storm and they had to hole up in a bothy for a few days with a bunch of other hikers. Apparently, the whiskey had flowed as well as some epic tales.

I laughed along with them, feeling carefree for the first time in days. My eyes went back and forth between the two of them, lingering on Tyler. Maybe it was the whiskey, maybe it was the kiss, but the feelings blowing up inside me were definitely real, by far the strongest I'd ever felt for any soul on this earth.

Looking down at my drink, swirling the amber liquid, I realized something. I was in love, crazy in love, like couldn't get enough of him, like would do anything for him kind of love. A love that I'd never known could exist.

God, I knew it was soon, soridiculouslysoon. I didn't even really know him. I barely knew anything about him. But the feelings were there anyway. Maybe it was because of the dreams and the intense emotion that I'd known him all my life.

But I couldn't deny that it was also because of the present. It was because of now, this moment, the way he'd cared for me, the way he'd comforted me when I'd needed it.

"Hey, Kat, what's your favorite movie?" Ben asked, interrupting my earth-shattering realization while filling up my cup.

"What?" I said, a little confused.

They laughed at me again while I shook my head. Good thing I had decent self-confidence.

"What's your favorite movie?" Ben asked again.

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