Autumn reminded herself to say nothing about Griff or the hike they had planned that afternoon.
“Autumn?” Lydia’s voice was full of amusement.
“Yeah?”
“You haven’t hooked up with anybody, have you?”
“No.” She laughed. “Of course I haven’t.”
“Oh. My. God.”
“What?” Autumn shook her head even though Lydia couldn’t see her. “Stop it.”
“I’m your sister. I know when you’re lying. You do this stupid little laugh, the same way Dad does.”
“I don’t.” Autumn grimaced. She knew exactly the laugh Lydia was talking about.
“You really do.”
Did she? Autumn tried to think back, but her mind was blank. Whatever, she’d just never laugh again. That would work, right?
“So who is he?”
“Who?” Autumn frowned.
“The guy. The one you’re not hooking up with.”
“Even if there was a guy, which there isn’t, I wouldn’t be hooking up with him. I’m hardly divorced, I’m not looking to make any more mistakes.”
“You got rid of an asshole,” Lydia pointed out. “One you never should have married in the first place. And you probably wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for Dad telling you how wonderful Josh was and that he’d be the perfect husband and business partner. Not all guys are like that, Autumn. There are good guys, too.”
“Yeah, well they’re like a needle in the haystack in New York. The single ones, anyway.”
“But you’re not in New York, are you?” Lydia said, her voice pointed. “And whoever this non-existent guy is, maybe he’s just what you need right now.”
Autumn finished lacing her boots and sat up. “I just bought a pier without looking at it. Don’t you think I’m way out of my comfort zone already? I’ve made enough bad decisions this year.”
“Maybe you should drink some more tequila and see what happens next?” Lydia suggested.
“And that’s my cue to go,” Autumn told her. “I’m never drinking tequila again.”
“Wait! What shall I tell Dad if he calls again?”
Autumn laughed. “Tell him I’ve slept with half the town and now I’m setting my sights on the other half.”
“It’s a shame he wouldn’t believe me.” Lydia sighed. “Because I’d love to see you go wild.”
It took just under an hour to reach the foothills in Griff’s old Ford truck. He had the windows rolled down and rock music blasting from the stereo. Autumn leaned back on the brown leather seat and let the warm air wash over her as they made their way along the highway, enjoying the wide open space surrounding them. She rarely got to see the full horizon in New York.
They parked in the lot at the base of the trail, squeezing in between a shiny SUV and a Mustang. Climbing down from the car, Autumn felt the warm sun beating down on her as she took in the rocky trail, edged with verdant trees and thick, dry brush.
Griff pulled out a backpack and slid it over his shoulders. “You want to take the easy route, or the hard one?” he asked, glancing at her.
“How hard is the hard one?” she asked.
“Hard.”
She laughed. “You’re a real mine of information, you know that?”
“Why don’t we take the easier route for today?” Griff suggested. “Especially if you haven’t been hiking for a while. Save the tougher one for another day.”
She liked the sound of another day.
“That’s good with me.” She coiled her hair in her hand, securing it with a tie. “Let’s do it.”
Ten minutes later they were on the trail, heading up into the foothills with the sun beating down on them. Thank god she’d kept up her fitness regime since filing for divorce last year, because Griff’s strides were long and powerful.
A couple of times he asked if she wanted to slow down, but she shook her head.
“I like the pace,” she told him. “I haven’t found a gym yet, and I need the workout.”
“A gym?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, you know,” she teased him. “Indoors, full of equipment, and women in tight spandex?”
He grinned back at her. “I know of them. Never been to one though.”
“You would if you lived in Manhattan. There aren’t too many hiking trails there.”
“Maybe that’s why I don’t live in Manhattan. There are so many better things to do around here than rot away on a treadmill. Not just hiking or surfing, but there’s ocean swimming, beach running, and Angel Sands has its own cycling club, too. Why exercise indoors when you can be out in the sun?”
“I guess I’ve never really had the chance to do that before.” She looked up at the bright blue sky, closing her eyes as the sun shone down on her. “By the time I finished work it was always dark, so it was easier to head to the gym after hours than do anything else. Or hit it at four-thirty a.m.”
“It’s a different kind of life, huh?” he asked softly.
“Yeah.” She nodded, her eyes catching his. “I’m still getting used to this one. It feels like I’m on a permanent vacation right now.”
“Apart from the fact you have to work here.” He grinned.
She shrugged. “I usually work on vacation.” She and Josh had spent most of their honeymoon closing a deal. Ugh, she didn’t want to think about that.
Griff quirked an eyebrow, his warm gaze bringing her back to the present. “Of course you do.”
Autumn tipped her head to the side. “You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who relaxes much, either.”
“I relax all the time. My whole life is laid back.” He shrugged.
“Apart from when you’re working or surfing or hiking.” She grinned at him. “Do you ever sit down and watch T.V.?”
“I watch it occasionally.”
“What was the last thing you watched?” she asked him, enjoying the banter between them. Striding next to her, in his cargo shorts and t-shirt, he felt more like a force of nature than a man. She wasn’t the lightest woman in the world – her ass could attest to that – but she had no doubt he could lift her up without even taking a breath.
“I watched the Backyardigans with Arthur yesterday,” Griff told her.
She laughed. Could he be any more adorable? “What about TV for the over twenty-one crowd?”
“I can’t remember the last time I switched my TV on.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure if it even works.”
Ahead of them was a field of rocks, inclining up to the base of a craggy hill. “Have you walked on scree uphill before?” Griff asked her, glancing down at her pristine boots.
Autumn looked at the incline ahead of them, covered with loose stone. “A couple of times.”
“There are a few tricky areas,” he told her, inclining his head toward the rocks. “But it’s mostly okay. Take your time and put your weight in your feet to keep your balance. I know the easiest way through, so follow me.”
“Okay.” She watched as he scrambled over the rocks, the thick muscles in his back and legs contracting as he climbed. His thighs were tight against the thin fabric of his shorts, and her gaze rose up to his ass.