Page 40 of Sidelined By Love

Kenna wrings the hem of her shirt in her hands. “We can go back down.”

And give up because of flimsy footwear? Nope.

“We’re going to make it to the top.” And then we’re going to get pancakes. Not that I’m going to announce that to the two bros still lingering too close and blocking more of the trail than they need to.

Wrapping a hand around Zoe’s elbow, I pull her a step toward me. “How about a piggyback ride?”

Her eyes flash with something like humor before realization sets in. “You can’t be serious. There’s no way you can carry me up the rest ofthis.“ She flings a hand in the general direction of the mountain before us, practically cursing the thing.

“You bet?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I can make it back to my car.”

The guys are practically drooling.

I make eye contact with the taller one. “We’ve got this. You can take off.”

“Really. I’ll be fine,” Zoe assures them with another flash of her straight white teeth.

They still don’t move.

I flex my lats and shoulders, stretching my plain gray T-shirt, and the monster inside comes out on a growl. “Go.”

They jump, stumbling up a few steps and looking over their shoulders a couple times before disappearing beyond a slower group of teenagers.

“Grant,” Zoe chastises me.

“Get on,” I grumble, turning my back to her. “I’m hungry, and we’re not getting food until we make it to the top and then all the way back down.”

Kenna presses her fingertips together in front of her smile. “Pancakes.”

With a wink, I say, “Indeed.”

Zoe doesn’t make a move to climb on, so I squat a little lower. I’m already a step below her, but she’s still more than a head shorter. And static as a statue.

“I can make it on my own.”

Stubborn woman.

I bite my tongue before saying it aloud. “Your shoe is a wreck, so get on. We’re wasting daylight.”

Again, she makes no move to actually take me up on my order. But we have managed to attract a bit of attention. Several other hikers have paused, taking a closer look at us. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I think I notice a flicker of recognition in their eyes. I just don’t know if it’s for Zoe or me. Or worse—the both of us together.

Leaning back, I drop my voice to just above a whisper. “People are staring. Cameras will come next.”

She gasps audibly right before her slender hands dig into my shoulders.

“Hop up.” She does, and I grab her legs behind the knees. With a wiggle, she settles into a more comfortable spot, then wraps her arms around my throat, locking a forearm against my Adam’s apple like it personally offended her.

Jerking away from the pressure, I nearly topple us over and into the waiting branches of a pine along the path, which only makes her tighten her hold.

“Tchr-tght,” I manage to get out.”Loo-sen.”

“Oh!” Her arms fly open, and now she’s the one trying to catapult us into the trees. Then she grabs back on to my shoulders with the tips of her fingers. “Sorry.”

“Just drape your arms like this.” I take turns moving her hands to a more comfortable position as she shifts her weight. “Better?”

She grunts. “Maybe if your shoulders weren’t a mile wide, I’d be able to hang on easier.”

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