Laiken lifted the bag onto her shoulder, and I didn’t miss the slight hitch in her movement.
“I can get this, too. Plenty of arm space.”
She eyed Gizmo, happily snoozing in my hold. “He might disagree.”
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“Boden. I hurt every day. It’s life. I know how to manage it. I know what my limits are. Sometimes, it’s worth it to go past those limits. Other times, it isn’t. But you have to let me navigate that.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m just saying I can help.”
“And I’m letting you. You’re getting the dog, the dog food, my camera. It’s enough.”
“Okay.”
She arched a brow in question.
“You know what you can handle.”
“Thank you.” Laiken stretched up on her toes to kiss my cheek.
I swore the spot where she kissed me burned. The heat didn’t wane as we gathered her gear or when we headed downstairs and outside. Even the bite of cold in the air didn’t dull it.
Peaches barked happily the moment she caught Gizmo’s scent. Laiken unhooked his wheels and put him in the backseat.
“Will he be okay without his car seat thing?” I asked.
“I’ve got this.” She hooked a short strap to his harness and then clicked it into the seat belt. Peaches nosed her, trying to get to Gizmo. Laiken laughed, and the sound shot straight through my chest. “All right, he’s all yours now.”
The dogs licked each other and then cuddled up into a ball. I grinned. “I think they’ll be happy.”
“No kidding.” She shut the door but paused before climbing in. “You’re sure you want to be holed up with me for a few days?”
I leaned over, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and letting my hand linger on her neck. “Never been more sure of anything in my life.”
I watched her breath hitch and couldn’t help but smile. That curve of my mouth made Laiken scowl. “You don’t have to be so cocky.”
I grinned wider. “I like knowing that I affect you.”
She grumbled something under her breath about me being too handsome for my own good and then climbed into my truck.
I rounded the vehicle and got behind the wheel. “Don’t worry. I only use my powers for good.”
Laiken rolled her eyes. “Cocky.”
“Sure of myself.”
“Same difference.”
I pulled out of the parking space and headed towards the mountains. We listened to the radio for as long as the signal lasted, flipping back and forth between country and rock stations. When the last signal finally went to static, Laiken clicked off the stereo. “I love it up here.”
I glanced over to see her staring up at the snow-covered peaks. “It’s pretty incredible. Makes you realize just how small you are in the grand scheme of things.”
“I love that, too.”
The alert for my four-wheel-drive sounded as the snow deepened. I focused back on the road, guiding my truck around curves and bends. The road narrowed, the forest closing in around us for a stretch before the trees fell away to reveal a cabin. It was modest in size but expertly designed. It could’ve been on a Christmas card with its log walls and red front door, all nestled in the snow.
“It’s perfect,” Laiken whispered. She pushed her face up to the window. “And there are a million backdrops I can’t wait to use for photos.”