Page 9 of My Mountain Man Boss
I give him a dirty look, wondering if it’s that obvious. But I don’t care. It’s almost dark, and it’s raining. There’s no way I’m letting Amy go out in this.
“She’s not going out.”
“We’ve got a hiker with a broken leg. Nothing major. She’s going to stay with them until we can organize the medivac. It might take a few hours with this rain.”
I stride over to Amy, and she smiles when she sees me. I try not to let the effect she has on me show.
“You’re not going out in this.”
Her smile turns to a frown. “Why not?”
Her chin juts out defiantly, reminding me of the rebellious teenager she once was. “It’s not safe.”
She snorts and goes back to zipping up her jacket. “It’s a hike in the dark. I’ve got my flashlight and bear spray. I’m fine.”
I grab one of the XL jackets hanging on the wall. “I’m going with you.”
She looks up in surprise. “I thought Ethan was coming.”
“Change of plan.” I give Ethan a sharp look, and he’s grinning from ear to ear. Let him think what he wants. I’m not letting Amy go out there without my protection.
“Why the hell did you have to join the Search and Rescue?” I grumble.
It was my one safe place without her permeating my thoughts. Where I could go to try to forget about her for a few hours.
“Because I want to help.”
“There’s an animal rescue in town. You could be looking after lost kittens.”
She snort laughs as we set off into the rain. “It’s probably the same reason you joined, Mr. Laker.”
“For Christ’s sake, call me Landon.”
“I’ll call you Landon if you stop behaving like an overprotective father.”
I suck in a deep breath. She’s got a point there. And the last thing I want Amy to think of me as is her father.
We walk in silence for a few minutes. “I joined because I needed something to do when Carol passed.”
She nods. “And I joined because I need something to take my mind off Mom.”
“Who’s with her now?”
“Rodney came around earlier. He’s a good neighbor. Besides…” she gives me a sheepish look. “I’m happy to take Mom to her appointments and help with the cooking and keeping the house clean. But she still drives me nuts sometimes. It’s good for us not to spend every night together.”
It makes sense. I understand why volunteering helps get your mind off things. And Amy’s like me. She needs something to keep her occupied.
I just wish it was something that didn’t require her to go off into the woods at night.
5
AMY
The beam of my flashlight picks up the silhouettes of gnarled trees as we make our way along the Mid Peak Trail. The canopy of trees provides shelter from the rain, but some drops manage to break through the canopy and drip onto the hood of my jacket.
As dusk turns to night, I’m grateful for Landon’s insistence on coming with me. The old trails haven’t changed much in the years since I’ve moved away. The trees are bigger and the forest denser. But I enjoy being out here, even in the rain.
Landon is a quiet presence beside me. He may be silent, but I’m aware of every step he takes and precisely how close he is to me.
