Page 64 of Hooked
“I’m going to take some pics with the new yoga stuff.”
“You know, if you learned how to rock climb, you could do yoga at the top of the cliff.”
She pursed her lips. “Hmmm. Let me think about that. Balancing in sometimes precarious positions along the edge of a very tall cliff…? No thank you—I like my skull intact.”
He slid his hands down her back to cup her ass. “I’d hold on to you.”
“That would make for a very different kind of Instagram account.” She couldn’t stop her smile. “I’m doing all the outdoorsy things now, you know. I’m practically a nature girl. Can’t you just be happy with that?”
“I am.” He bent down and kissed the side of her neck. “Very happy.”
“Hey!” Ox yelled from the truck. “Can we get going please? Cary’s meeting us at the trailhead.”
“Spoilsport,” Tayla muttered. “I never liked him.”
“Yeah, you do.” He took her hand. “We can make out later. After we climb to the top of the hill.”
She spotted Ox securing a bundle of ropes in the back of the pickup truck. “You’re climbing today? I thought we were just hiking to the place where you were climbing later?”
“Cary and I wanted to scope it out some. See what kind of permanent anchors are there and what their condition is, what we might need to bring if we wanted to take a new route. Stuff like that.”
“So youareclimbing today?” For some reason, the thought gave her a shot of panic.
“Just a little bit. Cary’ll lead. He’s more experienced than I am.”
“Hey!” Emmie called. “You guys ready or what?” She was wearing a pair of long hiking shorts and a T-shirt that saidI’m Sorry for the Things I Said when We Were Pitching the Tent.
“Yeah, we’re coming.”
“Too much information,” Ox muttered.
“Ha ha.” Tayla whacked his arm as she climbed into the back seat of the pickup. She always volunteered to sit in the back since she had short legs and didn’t get carsick.
Jeremy climbed in beside her.
“What are you doing?”
“Emmie’s feeling sick,” he said. “I can sit back here.”
“With those legs?”
“I’m not feeling sick,” Emmie said. “He completely made that up.”
Jeremy stretched his legs across to her side. “I guess we’ll have to cuddle.”
Tayla smiled and decided to go with it. Ox pulled away from the curb and put James Bay on the radio. They drove into the light as the sun rose behind the mountains in the east.
Tayla closed her eyes and felt all the tension from the visit home dissolve. Her mother’s misery drifted away. The pressure of her father’s expectations flew from her mind. Lounging against Jeremy Allen’s chest in the crew cab of a pickup truck while he played with her hair wasn’t something she could complain about.
The morning was cool, and the mountains would be cooler. Tayla had dressed in the clothes the Outdoor Om had sent her—long, stretchy shorts with pockets, a long-sleeved shirt, and a thin vest that moved easily with her body. It was comfortable in the valley, but she knew she’d be chilly until the hike started.
“This is cute stuff.” Jeremy plucked at her shorts. “You taking pictures?”
“Yeah, it’s kind of perfect. I just got this box of stuff from a company that specializes in outdoor yoga gear. A whole bunch of it. It’s really cute.”
“What’s the difference between outdoor yoga gear and regular yoga gear?”
“Heavier-duty mats, for one. More cushioned. And specialized backpacks that have a pocket for a yoga mat. And this.” She gestured to her clothes. “Clothing that’s flexible enough to move easily in but also sturdy enough to hike in. I wouldn’t want to hike in most yoga pants.”
