Charming Hannah (Big Sky 1)

“How am I supposed to know?”

His lips twitch. “You’re a doctor, sweetheart.”

“Oh. Right.” I glance up the hill and feel my eyes widen. “Holy fuck, did I fall that far?”

“You did,” he says grimly. “And we’re going to get you back up there.”

“Oh my God. Brad, if this is broken, I won’t be able to get up there. I’ll be stuck here. I’ll die.” I reach for my bear spray, but it’s gone, probably unclipped from my backpack in the fall.

And just like that, hysterics decide to set in.

“Hey,” Brad says, but I don’t hear him. I can’t breathe.

I’m going to die on this damn mountain.

Why didn’t I stay home?

The next thing I know, Brad has slung me over his shoulder, and he is carrying me back up to the trail, where he finds a tree stump and sits me on it.

“Hannah.”

I’m breathing too hard to reply. Sadie lays her head on my lap, but rather than finding it sweet, I want to push her away.

I want to push him away.

“Hannah.” He takes my face in his hands and makes me look at him. “Listen to my voice. Just listen to me.”

“Bear spray,” I manage, but he shakes his head.

“Shh. Listen to me. Hannah, you’re okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. No bear is going to get you.”

“I’m dumb.”

“No.” He wipes his thumbs over my cheeks and continues to talk so soothingly. “I need to know how bad that ankle is.”

I shake my head and lean on his shoulder, breathing deeply and fundamentally mortified.

This is not how I planned to spend date number two.

“Can you put your weight on it for me?”

“No.”

He leans in and presses his lips to my ear, erasing all thought of my ankle.

“Hannah, you’re badass. I know you had a bad moment down there, but you’ve got this.”

His hands are rubbing up and down my arms, and I take a long, deep breath. He’s right, I do have this, and it’s because just being with him and listening to his voice has calmed me, which is new.

I pick my head up and look him dead in the eye, then plant my sore foot on the ground and stand.

“It’s not broken.”

“Good.” He’s still touching me, grounding me. “Can you get down the mountain?”

“I can get up the goddamn mountain,” I reply and raise my chin. “I’m sorry you saw that.”

“Don’t be.” He gives Sadie a hand gesture and the dog falls into line next to him. “We can go down to the car.”

“I came to hike.” I step away from him and cringe inside when there’s a slight twinge in my ankle. But it’s not broken, or even sprained.

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I’ll take it easy.” I look back at him and offer him a smile. “Honest, I want to hike this mountain. I’ll take it slow, and I’ve got you with me, so I’m safe from bears, right?”

He tilts his head to the side, and I can see the wheels turning in his head. I’m sure he’s wondering if he should make me go back.

I mean, he could try.

“You’re safe,” he confirms.

“Great, let’s walk up this mountain.”

***

“It never gets old,” I say and take a long, deep pull of the fresh mountain air. “I mean, look at these mountains.”

“You’re right,” he says and takes a drink of water, then pulls a bowl out of his pack and pours some water for Sadie, who eagerly drinks it down. “This was worth the four miles.”

“Right?” I turn to him, excited. The wooden platform we’re standing on is at the summit of the mountain, and we’re looking into Glacier National Park and on into Canada.

It feels like we’re at the top of the world.

Brad drags a finger down my cheek and hooks a stray piece of hair over my ear. “How’s your ankle?”

“Fine.” Sore. Swollen.

He leans in and presses those lips to my ear again. “You don’t ever lie to me, Hannah. I thought we already had that worked out.”

“It’s sore.”

He kisses my cheek. “Let me take you home and put your feet up.”

I back up an inch and raise an eyebrow at him. “To your house?”

“My house.”

“You want to take care of my sore ankle.”

“I want to be with you. I don’t give a rat’s ass in what capacity that is. Hiking, grocery shopping, watching TV, or having you naked and moaning under me.”

He’s still whispering, but he makes me blush.

“Okay.”

“To what?”

“Your house.”

He grins and kisses me chastely, then motions for Sadie to come to the chairlift line with us. Because we have her with us, we have to ride in a gondola, rather than on the chair, which is fine with me.

The view is the same.

I press my face to the window and watch the valley coming closer and closer. We pass over people hiking the trail. A deer and her fawn are lazily eating in a meadow.