How To Rope A Rich Cowboy (Silver Springs Ranch #2) - Anya Summers Page 0,30
him as she pulled on one of her favorite pairs of jeans, socks, and her lucky hiking boots. She dressed in layers, since at this higher elevation it could be downright frigid before the sun heated things up. That was why she put a flannel over her tank top and then added her favorite fleece-lined hoodie so she wouldn’t freeze outside.
She sniffed the air. “Is that coffee?”
“Yep. And donuts.”
“You brought me donuts?” She placed her hands over her heart.
He nodded with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Yep. The cook at the ranch makes them and lets me take some home.”
Walking into the kitchen, she held out her hands. “Gimme.”
“I will, once we’re at the stream. Best use the restroom now,” he said, pouring the coffee into a big thermos. The scent of it almost left her whimpering.
“You drive a hard bargain, cowboy.” She leaned up and brushed her lips over his, because he was just so handsome and endearing. “Best be careful bringing me brownies and donuts or you might not get rid of me, being romantic like that.”
“Is that what you want? Romance? Flowers, and that kind of thing?”
“Colt, I would take donuts and brownies over flowers any day of the week. You seem to know the way to my heart is with baked goods,” she teased.
“It is, huh? Good to know.” He swatted her behind playfully. “Hurry up or we will miss the fish.”
Avery made a quick trip to the bathroom. She had camped in too many remote places to worry about whether there was indoor plumbing or not. She put on her knit cap and checked to make sure that her gloves were in her backpack, just in case. By the time she was finished, Colt was out at his truck, waiting for her.
“We’re driving?”
He nodded, holding the passenger door open. “Yep, get in.”
She tossed her backpack in the cab and climbed in. He closed the door once she was seated. And she couldn’t help but watch his confident swagger around the front hood. He got behind the wheel and drove away from the cabin that she had come to think of as their sanctuary. The truck cab carried his scent, that spicy, understated masculine scent that was nothing but soap and man. She adored the way he smelled.
“We’ll have a small hike, but it’s not too bad,” he explained.
“Sounds good,” she murmured with a yawn.
The early morning sky showed streaks of pink and orange light that looked like painted brush strokes against the deep indigo. It took Colt fifteen minutes to drive them to the remote trailhead. There was a small parking area, but his truck was the only vehicle there.
He grabbed the poles and tackle box from the bed of his truck. Exiting the cab, Avery shouldered her backpack, then hoisted the brown bag with the donuts in one hand, and the thermos of coffee in the other.
“It’s this way,” he murmured with a jerk of his head.
They hiked along the trail. The forest was shady in those first, half-light gray dawn moments before the sun rose above the mountain peaks. But it wasn’t quiet. There was an air of anticipation as the world awoke. Avery caught glimpses of chipmunks scurrying beneath the underbrush, and birds chattering away, high in their nests.
One moment, the trail was shaded in misty light and the next, golden beams blazed over the path. They rounded a bend, and went down a fork in the path. They emerged through the dense forest near an outcropping of sandstone rock overlooking a clear bubbling mountain stream. The tributary meandered about a hundred feet before it widened to a small pool with a waterfall.
Charmed by the spot, like it was their own private Eden, Avery murmured, “It’s lovely. Now I’m glad you woke me.”
“If we hurry, we can get our lines cast, and then eat.”
“I’m all for donuts and coffee, my good man. Lead the way,” she said. They worked together in sync to set up their small camp. She spread a small blanket over the rocky knoll, and put the bag of donuts and coffee in the center of the blanket. She dropped her backpack at the back end, away from the water. The twenty-foot wide stream was only two feet down from their ledge, with a grassy sloping embankment on the opposite side. Glancing around at their spot, she realized it was isolated—unless you knew where to look, you would pass it right up on the trail.