It sounds to me as if those scoundrels have had their eye on this land for some time,his dragon replied.
The more Caleb heard, the more determined he became to help Kira out. But before he did that, he knew he had to get his curse lifted. He’d just be more hindrance than help right now.
We have until the end of the month, then,he thought firmly. It’s the 26thtoday, so that’s… well, it’s a bit of time, anyway…
“In the meantime, what kind of trail were you looking to hike? Easy, medium, hard? What kind of timeframe do you have?” Kira asked, pausing as she unlocked the cabin door. “I have some maps in here I can give you of some of the trails. All of them are good, so it’s just up to you about what kind of challenge level you’re looking for.”
At least Kira’s voice sounded a little warmer now, Caleb thought with relief. Her eyes weren’t quite so unfriendly either. But he couldn’t exactly tell her Well, whatever trail you might have seen a mysterious golden artifact lying around on would be great, thanks!
Tell her that we cannot hike now that we have met her, his dragon crashed into his thoughts. Tell her that we must stay by her side, until her trials are at an end!
Caleb resolutely ignored it. “Something around easy-to-medium-level difficulty would be great,” he said firmly.
“You sure about that?” Kira asked, turning to look over her shoulder at him as they entered the cabin. “I mean, you look pretty fit so – I mean, no, I meant you look like you could handle something a lot harder than – no, that’s… ugh!” She raised a hand to her forehead, and Caleb was very interested to see a pretty pink blush spreading over her freckled cheeks. “I just meant I want to make sure you get the most out of your time here, and some of the harder trails come with the best rewards,” Kira finally managed to get out, after taking a deep breath. “And since you look like a guy who can handle a bit of walking, I didn’t want you to miss out on a great view or something just because it had a few sections that’re a bit steep, or need a bit of extra balance.”
Caleb found himself smiling a little at how obviously flustered Kira was. He couldn’t help it – it was adorable. And it gave him a slight amount of hope that despite her being human, she might be able to sense the attraction between them.
Surely she can? Even if she doesn’t know about dragons and mated bonds, surely she must have been able to feel it when we touched?
“Yeah, I probably could handle something like that,” Caleb agreed, nodding. He’d just wanted to make sure he was able to focus his attention on finding the gold, rather than on not falling over. “But I also thought a relaxing walk would suit me better for now. Maybe I can try something harder another day.”
“So how long are you actually here for, then?” Kira asked, as she rummaged in a drawer for a map. “Just a few days?”
“Well, for now,” Caleb said. “I can extend things a bit, if I really need to. Or if I really want to.”
“That must be nice.” Kira leaned over her desk, marking a few of the trails with a pen. “If I were you, I’d take all the time I could to look around while this place is still here.”
She looked up, grimacing.
“Sorry, I keep coming back to that. I don’t mean to be such a downer – it’s just weighing on my mind, I guess. But you should definitely just enjoy your walk – I’ve marked the trails that are my special favorites on the map. And come back if you want any more recommendations. I’ve lived here in Girdwood Springs all my life, so I can make sure you know what’s what.”
“Thanks,” Caleb said sincerely as he took the map from her hands. Wistfully, he wished he could have brushed her fingers with his own – but it would definitely have looked deliberate. “Uh, actually, now that you mention it…”
He trailed off. He knew he had to get going on his search, but just at this second, he was desperate for just a few more moments with Kira.
“To be honest, I could really use a recommendation for where to get some food. My cabin is up the mountain a bit, so I’ll have to come into town if I want to eat. I’m not much of a chef, I gotta admit.”
Not since the kitchen fire,he added silently.
“Oh, for sure! I know just the places for you.” Kira’s smile was wide and brilliant, and it revealed two utterly gorgeous dimples in her cheeks. Caleb felt his heart kick it up a notch as he stared at her, enchanted.
I’d give up all the gold in the world if it meant I got to see that smile on a daily basis…
“If you’re looking for guilty pleasures, you’ll want Eula’s Diner on the main street,” Kira said, lifting one finger. “The best chili dogs and fries you’ll ever have – guaranteed. Oh, if you’re after something sweet, I can recommend Sylvie’s Sweets and Bakery, just up the road from there. I swear it’s like she sprinkles fairy dust in everything she makes. You’ll never taste anything better than her pies or cakes.”
“Thank you,” Caleb said. Now, I wonder if I could just… somehow… manage to actually ask her to get a meal with me? “I’m not much of a sweet tooth, but I’ll definitely take a look.”
“I think Sylvie’s cakes could convert you, but in any case, she’s just branched out into doing savory rolls and things like that, just in case chili dogs and fries aren’t what you want to eat every day.” Kira seemed to hesitate a moment, and then grinned. “In fact, I could give you a sampler right now. I get my lunch from Sylvie, and she packed me a cupcake today. Just so you can tell I’m not just shilling for my friends.”
“No, I completely believe you,” Caleb said, even as Kira walked over to her desk, grabbing the brown paper bag that sat on it. “I couldn’t possibly eat any of your –”
“I’m happy to share,” Kira said, as she pulled out a chocolate cupcake from the bag, a swirl of dark icing on top. “Cake this good was meant to be shared.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Caleb followed her over to where she was slicing the cupcake in halves on a plate in the small kitchen area in the corner of the cabin.
“Definitely – and hey, if it gets Sylvie another satisfied customer, then I’m doing my bit for local business too,” Kira laughed. “Here you go.”
Caleb accepted the plate she offered him, picking up the cupcake with his fingers. He could already tell it was going to be delicious – aside from chocolate, he could smell things like cinnamon and nutmeg in the mix, giving it a rich, spicy smell.