Charming Hannah (Big Sky 1)

The bakery is also a small convenience store for people who may need water, batteries, or other supplies. This is just a day trip, and we’re prepared, so we each just choose a bear claw, check out, and get back in the truck.

“The road to the lake is bumpy and twisty,” I warn her.

“Okay.” She smiles and takes a bite of her pastry. “Thank the good lord for these nuggets of deliciousness. I’m gonna work the calories off on the lake.”

I nod and concentrate on the road. Despite being a popular destination among locals, the road is dirt, full of potholes, and incredibly windy. About two miles up, Hannah lays her hand over her stomach.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten that.”

“I’m sorry, I’m trying to take it easy. I can’t go fast, but there’s nothing I can do about the road.”

“It’s not your fault,” she says and rolls the window down. “Are you sure we’re going the right way? This looks like it’s never travelled.”

“It’s travelled,” I assure her. “But it’ll never be paved. The locals like that it’s not swarming with tourists.”

“I like that, too,” she says with a smile. “How much longer?”

“About six miles.”

“Jesus,” she mutters and pushes her nose out of the window, breathing in the fresh air. “This had better be worth it.”

“It is,” I say and smile at her, still holding her hand. “It’s stunning up here. You’ll love it.”

She nods and I will the road to shorten so I can get her there faster, but it’s still another forty-five minutes before we arrive.

The parking lot is half full, and I find a space near the path that leads to the lake.

“There are people up here,” she says with surprise.

“But not a million of them,” I reply and help her out of the truck. We pull the kayaks and oars out of the truck, along with our backpacks, and I lock it up, then turn to her. “If you don’t want to haul one of these down there, I’ll have you stay here with one of them and I’ll take one, then come back.”

“Oh please.” She rolls her eyes, hitches her backpack on her shoulders and reaches for her kayak and oar, then sets off to the trail. “I work out for this, remember?”

I’m going to marry her. Today.

“Impressive,” I say behind her and hear her smirk.

“I’m just carrying a kayak.”

“Like a badass,” I reply. The lake shore is only about thirty yards away, and when we reach the water, she sets the kayak down beside her and just stares at the mountains, the glassy water, and then looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“It’s so beautiful.” She shakes her head and looks around once more, her hands on her hips. “I get to live here.”

“Well, close to here.” I kiss her cheek and get busy showing her how to maneuver the kayak. “What do you think?”

“I think it looks easier than it is,” she says with a laugh. “But I’m going to give it the old college try.”

“Good girl.”

I help her onto the water craft, get her settled, and watch her paddle away as if she’s been doing this for years.

I quickly get my gear ready and paddle behind her, enjoying the way she’s smiling and looking around her. I catch up to her and grin over at her.

“What do you think?”

“I think I need to do this more often,” she says. “Are there fish in here?”

“Some,” I reply. “A few salmon, trout. We might see some eagles snacking today. But this is glacier water and snow run off, so it’s really too cold and sterile for there to be a lot of fish.”

“You know a lot about this,” she says.

“I used to volunteer up here in the summers. I thought I wanted to be a park ranger when I grew up.”

“And here you are, protecting people rather than wildlife.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I rest my oar across my body and take a drink of water. “But I still love it here, more than almost anywhere.”

“I can understand why. This lake goes on forever.”

“About seven miles,” I reply with a nod. “And it’s a mile wide in some places. I love that the mountains change as we move down the lake.”

“It’s stunning, really. I know there’s so much of the park that I haven’t seen yet, but it always surprises me.”

We paddle in silence for a while, enjoying the quiet and the beautiful day. I glance to my right and see a grizzly lazily eating berries on the shoreline, and keep it to myself. I don’t want to scare her.

“I see it,” she says without even looking my way.

“See what?”

“The bear. And I know they can swim. And my heart is probably going to seize, but I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m in their house, so I have to deal with the fact that I’m going to see them. But I’m glad he’s way over there, and that he’s more interested in berries than me.”