Charming Hannah (Big Sky 1)
I jog over and listen to a report of an accident just south of town. Multiple cars, injuries.
“I have to go. There’s been an accident.” I stare at Sadie. “Damn it, I shouldn’t have brought her along.”
“Leave her with me,” Hannah offers. “We’ll hang out for a couple of hours.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Go,” Hannah says. “I have this. Be safe.”
I nod and hurry away, my head already in the accident scene I’m rushing to.
Chapter Four
~Hannah~
I DIDN’T SLEEP. NOT much, anyway. One of my colleagues was out of town yesterday, and of course that’s when two of his patients decided to go into labor. I was at the hospital late into the night.
I should call Brad and tell him that I’ll have to take a rain check on the hike today. That’s the responsible thing to do. I should sleep. If a bear runs out onto the trail and tries to kill me, I’m way too tired to run away.
I’m just trying to save my own life here.
I roll my eyes and stare at myself in the mirror.
“You don’t want to cancel. You like him. Not to mention, his dog is the cutest ever.”
Sadie is maybe the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. She hung out with me all afternoon the other day, following me around the house and then jumping up on the bed with me and sleeping until Brad came to pick her up.
Maybe I should get a dog.
My doorbell rings just as I finish tying my hiking shoes, and I rush out to open the door, only to stop dead in my tracks and stare in the rudest way possible at the man standing in front of me.
He’s not wearing sleeves. So, his muscles are just hanging out all over the place. And dear God, the muscles! He could probably just lift me over his head.
It’s almost ridiculous.
“Hi,” he says with a grin and holds a to-go cup from Sips out for me. “This is for you.”
“Oh, thanks.” I take a sip and feel my eyes go wide. “This is exactly the drink I always order.”
“I know,” he says with a grin. “I asked them to make your usual.”
“Are you real?”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, you have the sweetest dog ever, you bring me coffee, and have you seen you?”
He laughs now and leans in to kiss my forehead. “You look tired.”
“I didn’t sleep much.”
“We don’t have to go.”
“Oh yes we do,” I reply and back away from him before I humiliate myself and jump him here in my living room. “I have to go.”
“Why?”
I just shake my head and grab my backpack. I have fresh water in the bladder, a few packs of jerky and nuts, and my bear spray, which I check twice.
“You probably won’t need the spray.”
“We have the highest concentration of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states,” I inform him and feel my heart already pick up speed at the thought. “I need the spray.”
“I just mean that I’m always carrying, so if something happens, we’ll be safe.”
I stop and glance at him. “You always carry a gun?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Why?”
“I’m the police chief. You never know what might happen.”
“Huh.” I shrug, but keep the bear spray where it is, reach for my coffee, and lead Brad out of my house. “You brought her!”
I hurry to the truck, toss my bag in the back seat, and hug the beautiful Sadie.
“She got a warmer hello than I did,” he says when he gets into the truck and starts the engine.
“We’re friends,” I inform him and kiss Sadie’s cheek. She’s grinning.
“You and I aren’t friends?”
“Are you really jealous of your dog?”
“Never thought I would be,” he mumbles and pulls away from my house, making me smile.
“Thank you for the coffee.” I reach out and touch his thigh, feeling the way his muscles tighten up at my touch. I’m relieved that it’s not just me. That I’m not the only one who tenses up when we’re together.
The things this man does to my body are ridiculous, considering we’ve never been naked together.
“When was the last time you did this hike?” he asks me.
“Last fall,” I reply. “You?”
“Oh geez, it’s been a long time. I was probably in high school.”
“Cool.” I grin at him and sip my coffee. “It’ll be new for you then.”
We’re soon parked near the bottom of the chair lift. There’s a whole village up here of uber-expensive homes, condos, and the ski village itself with a lodge and small convenience store. Almost everything has begun to open up again for the summer tourist season, when people will come up here to hike, bike, zip line, and a whole bunch of other outdoor activities. But it’s still early in the season.
That doesn’t mean the trail isn’t busy. The locals love the outdoors, too, so we won’t be alone on the trail, which makes me feel better.