Kissing Jenna (Big Sky 2)

He sips his coffee and sits at the opposite end of the couch from me, so I put my feet in his lap, and he gives the arch of my foot a rub.

I might just purr.

“Have you heard any more from Nina today?” I ask.

“Nah, it’s Sunday, so most people aren’t in the office today. And I heard that there was a big scandal last night involving one of the Kardashians, so I think everyone has moved on.”

“It’s ridiculous, you know. The media frenzy.”

He watches his hand move over my foot. “I know.”

“I know I don’t have a claim on you, and it’s not my place to talk about this with you because I don’t live it every day, and it’s really none of my business, but I think that it’s hard on you, and it seems to me that it could be hurtful. And I don’t like that.”

He looks up at me. “Thanks for that. I don’t disagree.”

I just nod, not sure of what else to say.

“Do you need anything?”

“Yes.” I smile lazily at him. “If you don’t mind getting cold again.”

“How cold?”

I cringe. “Well, it’s going to be pretty cold where we’re going, but I’ll bring hand and toe warmers, and we can sit in the hot tub later to warm up.”

His eyes light up. “Naked hot tub sitting?”

“The other two units are empty tonight, so I don’t see why not.”

“Deal.” He jumps up and starts pulling on his snow gear again, then pauses and frowns. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere special.”

***

“This is my favorite time of year in Glacier National Park,” I inform him as I park my SUV where the road is blocked. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s always beautiful. And summer is spectacular because you can see more of it. Right now, most of the park is closed to visitors.

“But it’s a trade-off because in the summer we have more than three million visitors to the area.”

“Wow,” he says as he pulls his gloves and hat on. “That’s a lot of people.”

“But right now, there’s hardly anyone up here, and definitely not where we’re going.”

I smile and hop out of the car, circle around to the back, and open the hatchback.

“I have snowshoes for you,” I inform him. “And poles.”

“This is new,” he says with interest and watches as I step into my snowshoes and fasten them. He does the same, and I get the car locked up, grab the supplies, and then stop to take a deep, cold breath.

“We only have to hike in half a mile, but it takes longer on three feet of snow.”

He grins. “Lead the way.”

I set off down the road that hasn’t seen a plow in weeks. The evergreens are heavy with snow.

It looks like a movie.

Or a postcard.

“My property is back here,” I inform him as I trudge through the snow. “I’ll never be able to access it by road in the winter. They don’t plow back here. But I’ll get a sled, load it down with supplies, and pull it on a rope like this.”

“That sounds like a crazy workout,” he says. I turn back to look at him, amused that he hasn’t even started to breathe hard. I know he could go faster than this, but he’s patiently moving at my pace.

“It will be,” I agree. “But so worth it. It stuns me that so many people are here in the summer months, and then I can come up here on days like today, and it’s quiet. As perfectly quiet as you can get. Stop walking.”

We pause in the middle of the road, the snow-laden trees towering around us.

It’s completely silent. The only sound is my heart in my ears and our slight breathing.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced anything like it,” he says, his eyes pinned to mine.

“It’s incredible,” I whisper and wonder if we’re still talking about our surroundings. “And at night, the darkness is absolute. There’s no light noise. If you thought the stars and northern lights were incredible up at the tree houses, you’d be stunned to see them up here.”

“You love it here.”

I smile and turn to continue walking to my property.

“With my whole heart,” I agree.

“Are there animals here?”

“Many.” I shrug and keep going. “We have black bears and grizzly bears, although they’re both sleeping now. Mountain lions, goats, elk, deer, moose, wolves—”

“Jesus,” he mutters. “Are we going to need a gun?”

“I have one,” I reply.

“Wait. You do?”

I turn to look at him. “I do. For animals, if I were to be attacked. Mostly by wolves, but a mountain lion isn’t out of the question. The others most likely won’t care that I’m here.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Come on, city boy.” I chuckle and lead him off the road and down toward the shore of Lake McDonald. “My property line started at the road and comes all the way down to the lake. I have three acres.”