Now, he studied her with a considering look in his eyes. “All the hearts and flowers are getting to you, hmm?” She shrugged, and he continued, “You know what? I’ve got the perfect medicine for that.”
An image flashed in her mind—Tucker McBride naked and kneeling on her bed. Whoa, Nellie! Appalled by the direction of her thoughts, Gillian felt her cheeks flush. With embarrassment. That’s all. I embarrassed myself.
“Do you have hiking boots?”
“What?”
“Boots. Something other than the pair in your display window. If not, we’ll grab a pair here, then run by your house so you can change into jeans. What size are you?”
“Jeans and boots? Why do I need jeans and boots?”
“It’s Valentine’s Day. Your fiancé just dumped you.”
“Gee, thanks for the reminder. And to be perfectly precise, it was a mutual dumping. I told him to leave.”
“Good for you. You’re off work for the afternoon, and I’m the boss, which means I can close up shop whenever I want. I want. You and I are going hiking in Enchanted Canyon.”
She frowned. “Hiking? Oh, no, thank you. I went hiking up to the waterfalls in Enchanted Canyon last summer with Boone and Maisy and Jackson and Caroline. It’s really not my thing. I’m not really an outdoors person.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I appreciate the invitation, but I don’t do camping or climbing or fishing or hunting or ticks or snakes or mosquitos.”
“Oh, Gillian. That’s just sad. What do you do?”
“Five-star resorts with infinity pools and spa appointments and yoga on the lawn. And bathrooms. Big, luxurious bathrooms with heated towel racks and soaking tubs and walk-in showers.”
“Huh.” He folded his arms, tilted his head, and studied her. “Well, I guess that doesn’t really surprise me. You are a girly girl. So, I take it you don’t own good hiking boots?”
“No, I don’t. I wore sneakers when—”
“What size are you?” He studied her feet. “Eight?”
“Nine. I’m tall. I have big feet.”
“Proportional feet. Your legs are a mile long, Glory.” He disappeared into the stockroom before Gillian could formulate a reply.
Glory. He’d called her that before. He’d said it on New Year’s Eve right before he’d kissed her. When he came out of the stockroom a few moments later, she repeated the word. “Why Glory?”
“Glorious gams. Gams doesn’t work because that sounds like a grandma, so Glory will do.” He shoved a box toward her. “Here, try these on.”
Glory. She liked it. “But I don’t need hiking boots. I don’t want hiking boots. I’m not going hiking.”
“Try these on.”
She checked the end of the box. “Whoa … I’m not spending that kind of money on something I don’t want or need.”
“You do need them. You just don’t know it yet. And you’re not paying for the boots. They’re a sales sample. You can test them and give me a review so I know if we want to stock them.”
“I don’t … I can’t…” She caught the pair of socks he passed her way.
“You do have jeans at home, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Try the boots while I gather a few more things.” He strode toward the stairs.
“Tucker!”
Halfway to the second floor, he paused and met her gaze. “You’re a businesswoman. I’ll bet you know the marketing tagline we use for my family’s bed-and-breakfast, don’t you? About Enchanted Canyon?”
Gillian knew the phrase immediately. The Fallen Angel Inn used it in all of its marketing. “Where troubled souls go to find peace.”
She knew Angelica’s cousin Celeste had proposed the tag for the Fallen Angel Inn and strongly insisted they use it. She swore by it. For that matter, so did Jackson and Caroline. Maybe Tucker was onto something.
As Gillian tried on the boots, she considered the Fallen Angel Inn. It had a lovely pool and garden area. The spa was first class. The food served at the Last Chance Saloon, the restaurant between the inn and the dance hall that was Jackson’s baby, was excellent. It sounded like a great place to spend the rest of this Cupid day. The boots fit fine, but she wouldn’t need them.
When Tucker returned downstairs moments later wearing one backpack and carrying another, she said, “Enchanted Canyon sounds lovely. This is a great idea, Tucker. The weather today is more like spring than winter. We can sit by the pool and enjoy a bottle of wine. I expect the restaurant is booked solid for tonight, but since you’re family, if you can finagle a table, I’ll buy dinner.”
He pursed his lips, thought about it, and nodded. “That’s a good idea. I’ll take you up on it. Another day. Today, we’re hiking. How do the boots fit?”
“Fine, but—”
“Let’s go, Glory. Daylight is wasting.” He strode toward the door, held it open for her, and waited.
Well, okay. She’d brought this on herself, hadn’t she? It was either do this or go home and plot ways to kill Cupid all alone. Maybe she could change Tucker’s mind. She would bring along a dress to wear to dinner just in case.
So, Gillian and her troubled soul headed out the door bound for Enchanted Canyon, looking for peace, and maybe a nice glass of sauvignon blanc.
What she found was trouble.
* * *
“For heaven’s sake, woman.” Tucker lifted his gaze toward the sky. “It’s a hill. It’s not a damned mountain.”
“But there’s not even a trail,” Gillian whined.
“Sure is.” He pointed. “Right there. It’s an animal trail.”
“I rest my case. I don’t like animals.”
Tucker laughed out loud. “Oh, yeah? Then explain the thousand dollars’ worth of dog toys lying around your living room and kitchen.”
“I never spent a thousand dollars on dog toys.” Gillian arched an affronted brow. “Two hundred, tops. Besides, Peaches isn’t an animal. She’s a furbaby.”
“Okay. Fine. Don’t worry, dear. I’ll go first and protect you from all the evil squirrels.”
“I’m not worried about the squirrels,” she grumbled. “The skunks and the snakes are another kettle of fish.”
“Now, that’s just bull.” They shared a grin over the wordplay, then Tucker continued, “Seriously, you are as apt to run across a snake or skunk in your backyard as you are while hiking this canyon. Now, if I may offer a bit of advice about partaking in the peace of Enchanted Canyon, it’s easier to do when you’re not complaining.”
“Bite me, McBride.”
“I fantasize about doing just that, Thacker.”
That shut her up, and they finished the climb to his destination, mostly in the peacefulness of quiet. Mindful of her lack of enthusiasm, but primarily due to the early sunset this time of year, he’d chosen a relatively short, easy hike for them. He was taking her to the cave he’d discovered while exploring the canyon last November.
So far, the ordinarily twenty-minute hike had taken thirty, and they were still at least ten minutes away from their destination. Guiding Gillian along the canyon wall was like herding cats. Climb a little, then stop. Climb a little more, stop. Adjust the straps of her pack. Rocks in her shoes and leaves in her hair and ick! She’d broken a spider web. Then, OMG, yuck! Something had been buzzing around her, then it flew into her mouth.