Suddenly Last Summer (O'Neil Brothers 3)

Sam hovered, unwilling to let his hero go. “You see blood all the time.”

“Just one more reason why I don’t want to see it on my day off. You have a good day, Sam. Say hi to your mom and dad for me.”

Sam cycled off, wobbling a little while Sean watched.

“I hope they’re careful on that trail. He isn’t that stable.”

“He’s adorable. And he adores you.”

“He’s been coming here for years and he’s easily impressed. Are you okay with your backpack or is it too heavy?” He swung his own backpack onto his broad shoulders and secured the straps. Élise watched those muscles flex and ripple under his shirt.

For a moment she felt a little of Sam’s admiration and then pushed it away. Physically Sean O’Neil was as close to masculine perfection as it was possible to get. That was a fact. It wasn’t something to get emotional about.

And then she met his gaze and saw the heat in his eyes.

Raw chemistry slammed into her and she steadied herself, telling herself it was the backpack that was making her legs unstable.

“I’m fine. Let’s walk.”

“Tyler gave me the route he’s planning to take. We’ll follow it exactly and break where they are going to break.”

“Bien. It sounds good to me.”

“So did you ever do this in France? Hiking?”

“Oui, of course. In the mountains, with my mother.” The memory squeezed her heart. “She used to cook in the winter for skiers. Occasionally we would go to Chamonix in the summer and she would cook for hikers and climbers. Chamonix has some of the best climbing and skiing in the Alps.”

Sean led the way onto the trail that led from Snow Crystal up onto the Long Trail.

“We walked here all the time when we were kids. Gramps used to take us out camping and then leave us to find our own way home.”

“That didn’t worry your mother?”

“Probably. She worried about Tyler. He was the daredevil, always breaking something, so there was more reason to worry. Jackson and I looked out for each other. But Mom didn’t have much say in it. Gramps ruled. Still does.”

“He is looking much better. I hear the hospital appointment went well?”

“Yes.”

“So did you clear the air? Did you have that conversation?”

“Not yet.”

She felt a rush of frustration. “Why do you keep putting it off?”

“I was going to, but then he started going on about—”

“About what?”

“Nothing. Shit.” He swore fluently as he sank ankle-deep in mud. “How the hell did I miss that?” They were in the heart of Vermont’s backwoods, surrounded by tall trees and the scent of the forest. And they had the trail to themselves.

“City boy.” Smiling, Élise stepped past him, sprang over the mud and landed on solid ground.

“You’ve been talking to Tyler.” Still muttering, Sean scraped the worst of the mud off his boots. “Great. You’re going to love sharing a tent with me tonight.”

“We have two tents.”

“One tent. Two people. Two tents is unnecessary weight.”