“So let her.”
Anger flashes in me at his callous response. “Lighten up. We’re supposed to be enjoying this trip. Remember?”
“You know we’re on a tight schedule.”
“And?”
“She’s going to slow us down.”
I lean forward, lowering my voice so Belle can’t hear us. “Seriously, dude? It’s day one.”
“We got in two hours ago. She’s just arrived.”
“So?”
“She’s not coming with us.”
“Did I say she was?” Grinder shoots me a stern look. Yeah, I’m not buying my bullshit either. I’m already on board with Belle joining us. If she wants to.
Grinder huffs like that’s it and we go back to relative silence until Belle sits down next to me. She sets out a packet of pasta and starts setting up a burner. “Here,” I say, pushing mine toward her. “Water’s still hot. Should only take a minute to get it back to a boil.”
“Thanks,” she says with a smile, pushing a few strands of her brown hair behind her ear. “Do you mind watching it for a moment? I want to grab something.”
“Sure.” Maybe I check out her ass as she goes. After all, it looks like it’s worth checking out.
Belle returns a minute later with a tablet, phone, and what looks like a charger. She plugs the charger into the phone and sets it aside as she transfers pictures onto her tablet. I find myself fascinated as Belle adds them into a document and starts adding notes. Without breaking her concentration, she finishes cooking dinner and digs in as she continues typing.
I’m drawn to the myriad of pictures of flowers, trees, and creatures. It leaves me wondering if we took the same trail. “That’s a beautiful shot,” I say, noticing a striking landscape photo.
She pauses and looks up at me, a little startled. “Crap. I’m sorry. You invited me over to hang out, and I’ve been ignoring you.”
I chuckle and smile at her. “No worries. You looked pretty involved there.”
She shuts off her iPad and pushes it to the side. “Kind of. The only way for me to justify the time off from school was to turn the trip into a giant research project.”
“What are you studying?”
“Geology, with minors in botany and forestry. I’ll be starting my Master’s degree when I get back.”
I whistle with my appreciation. Even Grinder raises an eyebrow. “That’s quite the combo,” I say. “So, is that what all the photos are for?”
Belle nods. “I found the yucca plants in bloom while I was looking for evidence of past earthquakes. There are a few offshoots of the San Andreas fault system in the area.”
“Mind showing me? From what I’ve seen, they look a hell of a lot better than staring at Grinder’s ass all day.”
Belle smiles and turns the tablet back on. For the next few minutes, we flip through her photos. The more she shows me, the more I wonder how I can see the trail the way she does. With Grinder, it’s about the destination. A to B as fast as possible. Belle’s seems to be out here for a different sort of journey, and it’s making me question our approach.
“That’s quite the setup you’ve got,” I tell her, indicating her electronics. “How do you plan on keeping everything powered for the entire trip?”
Belle gestures toward her tent. “I picked up a solar panel charger and battery pack that the Trail Gear blog recommended.” Grinder and I both snort, earning us a suspicious glance. “What?”
“Nothing,” Grinder says, tearing down his stove.
“We hear he can be a bit of a brand snob,” I say with a snicker.
Shaking his head, Grinder stands and turns toward his tent. “I’m heading to bed. Don’t stay up too late, Nova. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”
“Yes, Dad,” I joke as he leaves.
Turning back to Belle and her photos, I end up having one of the more enjoyable evenings that I’ve had in a long time as she tells me all about the different subjects in her pictures. And yeah, I may stay up longer than Grinder would have wanted me to.
***
The next morning, Grinder is glaring at me as I shove the last bit of gear into my pack.
“One more time?” Grinder insists.
“You heard me just fine.”
“Heard, yes. Understand, no.”
“What didn’t you understand? I’m going to hang back today. Take a little time. What’s wrong with that?”
“Right. So this has nothing to do with her?”
Grinder’s tone makes the hair on the back of my neck bristle in irritation. I’m glad Belle’s off to the bathroom so she doesn’t have to hear us. “Back off, Grinder. It’s only one day.” Grinder scoffs. Bats chuckles. Grinder turns to glare at him instead. “I’ll be right behind you. Belle has an interesting perspective. I want to try and see the trail the way she does. No big deal.”
Grinder shakes his head. “Right. Like you expect me to believe you won’t be staring at her cute ass all day.”
I wiggle my eyebrows at him. “You noticed, huh?”
Bats laughs as he slings his pack up and onto his back. He crosses over to Grinder and lifts his bag for him to strap into. “Come on. Let him have a day,” Bats tells Grinder. He winks at me. “We’ll find you a nice place for a picnic lunch.”
“Ha, ha,” I say dryly, punching Bats on the arm as they pass toward the trailhead.
Belle arrives a moment later, watching them leave. “You’re not going with them?”
I swing my pack up onto my shoulders and give her my best smile. If I’m only going to get a day with her, I’m going to make a great one. “I thought I’d spend the day with you, if that’s cool?”
Belle slows her pace, eyeing me with suspicion. “Sure. But aren’t you’re staying at Burnt Rancheria tonight?”
“I’ll catch up to them,” I assure her, lifting her pack for her. The soft scent of lavender fills my nostrils when she draws close to strap into her pack.
She tucks her phone into the pouch on her waist belt. “Well then, do you want to lead the way?”
“You’ll tell me when to stop for photos?”
“Maybe,” she tells me with a wink before pulling out a pair of sunglasses. “Or maybe you’ll have to pay attention.”
I smile as I lead the way out of the campground and back to the PCT.
The trail this morning winds through the Cleveland National Forest toward Laguna Mountain. Along the way there are some splendid views, and I do mean the trail, not the company. Though Belle’s leggings show off her shapely legs that are easy on the eyes and worth a glance or two as well. We cross rolling hillsides and ridges of tan dirt and gray rocks that are covered in dusty green shrubbery. The further we go, the more she shows me the flashes of color and beauty among the drab. There’s a lot of yellow to find, from poppies to different lotus flowers. “This is Bloomeria crocea,” Belle tells me, pointing out a small flower with six long petals. “Its common name is the common goldenstar.” Belle takes a few pictures of the flower as I swig some water, then tucks her phone back in her hip pouch as we get back to hiking. “So tell me something about you,” she says.
“Like what?”
Belle takes a moment to think about it, then asks, “Where are you from?”
Grinder has a thing about sharing personal stuff on the trail. I tend to agree. Who cares when you’re crossing paths with someone, or sharing the trail for a mile or two? But I want to answer Belle. As if answering her questions might entice her to stay. “Good place to start, I guess. Originally or currently?”
“Hmm. Both?” she replies. I glance back at her. “What? It’s not like we don’t have time.”
“Okay then. Originally, I’m from LA,” I say, turning back to the trail ahead of me and wiping a bead of sweat off my face. “Long Beach, to be precise. I spent most of my free time on the beach with friends, playing in the ocean and learning to surf.”
“Is that where you met Bats and Grinder?”
I shake my head. “My dad got a job offer in New York City the summer before high school. We found a place in Queens Village, a few blocks over from Bats and Grinder. We shared a bus to school and hit it off. Mine and Bats’ parents still live there, but Grinder’s parents moved a few years ago after the three of us left for school. What about you?”
“Not as exciting,” Belle starts. “I’ve lived in Portland my whole life. Though we bounced around the different suburbs a bit. It’s a beautiful city with so much to see and do. I love it.” She talks about forests and mountains and beaches, and I find myself hooked on every word. Her voice is soft and melodic in a way that you can’t help but shut up and listen to, like a sailor drawn to a siren. “I pretty much grew up outdoors. Learning about plants and animals and everything that makes the Pacific Northwest great.”
“Is that how you chose your degree?”
Belle nods. “At first I enrolled at Portland State to go into forestry. Then I took an Intro to Geology course and I was hooked. I love learning about the earth. How it was formed. How it’s changing. It’s a living thing, our planet. Back home, we have Mt. St. Helens to the north of us. It’s one of the biggest reminders of the importance of knowing about the world around us. And most people don’t even realize Mt. Hood is as active as Helens, but because one of them blows its top, it’s what most people think about.” She stops her rambling and stares at me. I’m grinning as I soak her in. “What?”
“Your passion is infectious, you know. Hell, now I want to know all about volcanoes.”
She laughs and gives me a playful shove. “Liar.”
“I’m serious,” I tell her, laughter bubbling out of me. After a bit, I point to her shirt and ask, “So how did you get your nickname? Do you tend to have your nose in a book?
“Ugh,” she exclaims. “I wish it was that simple.”