I sigh. “Does it matter? He’s a criminal. He hid it. Now I look like an idiot!”
“You don’t look like an idiot. No one knew who he was. Your sister said your dad had some guy do a background check on him last night after he showed up at the ranch. That had to be awkward.”
I bite the inside of my cheek and wonder if I should call my father and ask what Declan’s done, but I can’t stomach the call. I love my dad, but the sense of pride he gets when he is right about something is nauseating. And right now, I can’t handle it. I can’t handle theI told you so’sor thethank god your safelines right now.
“What’s new with you?” I ask. “Distract me. Please!”
She chuckles then lets out a heavy sigh. “I scouted out a new trail. I couldn’t go all the way to the end because of the rain we’ve been getting, but I think it’s perfect for a guided walk.”
“How long does it take to finish?”
“Two days, three if we’re going slow. It goes past the ridge line, and you get an awesome view of the mountains. Plus,” she drags out the words as though something good is coming next, “I have a hottie of my own that’s signed up.”
“A hottie? What kind of hottie?” Hearing about her happiness perks my mood. She deserves to find love. She’s been dreaming of her knight in shining armor just as long as I have.
“He’s been kind of secretive about who he is exactly, but we met up yesterday, and he said he’s looking for a guide to take him out for a photo shoot near the highest point of the river.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. I’m afraid for Violet. Hiking alone with another guy you barely know sounds terrifying. There’s no cell reception in the mountains and no one will expect her back for days. Besides that, she hasn’t told any family that she’s doing this, so if something happens, the only people looking for her will be the rangers and I. But, I can’t judge considering I’m making my own slew of mistakes lately.
“Just be careful,” I sigh. “Do you plan to take any weapons with you?”
“I take bear spray.”
“Maybe take a gun.”
She laughs. “A gun? You know most people who have guns get killed by their own weapon.”
Now I laugh. “You were raised here, right?”
“Stop. You know I was.”
“Then you know how to use your gun. Probably better than some guy who came from… where’s this guy from?”
“Alaska.”
My stomach twists. I hate that the guy isn’t a local. “Alaska? Do you know anything else about him?”
“Stop!” She laughs. “He’s just a guy. A big, hot, inked guy who’s photographing the world. And if I’m lucky… he’ll take a shot at me.”
“Wow, I had no idea you were such a seductress.”
“Oh, I’m not. This is on the phone with my bestie talk. In reality, you know I’m a total dork. I’ll probably spend half the time tripping up the mountain and making a total fool of myself until this super-hot man wonders why he ever hired me to begin with.”
I’m tempted to ask how much he’s paying, or if she’s getting the money in advance, or remind her again that at the very least, a taser would come in handy, but I don’t want to be that girl. She’s excited. I want to be excited for her.
“You’ll figure this out with Declan. Why don’t you call him and talk? Maybe the criminal thing isn’t that big a deal. Maybe he just stole someone’s skateboard?”
I laugh, and lean my head against the windowpane. “I think the sooner I let the idea of him go, the better off I’ll be.”
She stays silent for a long moment, then sighs. “I’m here for you… always.”
“I know,” I say. “Thanks for calling. I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
When the line is dead, I stare back out the window, studying every detail of the dark landscape. It’s funny how the night transforms the land. How a bright mountain view turns to only shadows and shapes.
Headlights pull into the hotel, blinding me for a moment, but I struggle through the pain and watch as the truck parks and a man climbs out. He’s tall, built, muscular, and he wears a short beard and tight blue jeans.