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  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right.”

  Hunter stretched out on the rock beside her, and Toni had the urge to join him and use his shoulder as a pillow. She wished she could spend the afternoon staring at the sky through the trees and listening to his heartbeat.

  “Do you have plans tonight?”

  She slid her legs down onto the sun-heated rock. “Plans? What do you mean?”

  “I mean, do you have plans for dinner?” He rolled onto his side to face her. “I’m trying to ask you out.”

  “Like on a date?”

  “Exactly. I thought if you wanted to we could head down to Ketchum, have dinner, maybe do a little shopping, and spend some time together away from here.”

  “How far away is Ketchum, and what kind of town is it?” She stopped and squinted at him. “It is a town, right?”

  Hunter put his backpack under his head and used it as a pillow. “Ketchum is a resort town about an hour and fifteen minutes south of here. Sun Valley is next to Ketchum. It has great restaurants, shops, movie stars, the whole nine yards. We can stop at The Elephant’s Perch and pick up a pair of decent hiking boots for you too.”

  “We’re only an hour and fifteen minutes away from a real town, and we’re staying at the inn?”

  “Yeah, that’s a real hardship.”

  “It is if you’re a coffee drinker.”

  “Not if you bring your own.” He waggled his eyebrows and handed her a thermos. “You just need to learn the ropes. So, do you want to go out or not?”

  Toni opened the top and took a long drink. “God, that’s good.”

  “I know. Now answer the question.”

  Toni looked down at her T-shirt and jeans. “I didn’t bring anything dressy to wear.”

  Hunter grabbed the thermos and took a drink. “We’re pretty casual here, even in Ketchum. If you want to dress up, you’d fit in just fine too. It has a real eclectic mix of residents.”

  “Okay then, sure. Just, you know, keep it under your hat.”

  “Why? Like it or not, Toni, everyone here knows about us.” Hunter puffed up his chest and looked as if he wanted to have another disagreement.

  Right. As tempting as the thought was, she wasn’t biting—at least not yet. She rolled her eyes. “I know that. I just don’t want to say anything because if the models find out there’s a resort within driving distance, do you really think we’re going to be there alone?”

  “Good point. I guess we can tell them later. Karma and the guys can take them out there soon.”

  “Right, but then how would we get them to come back?”

  “Okay, maybe on our last night here. That way, either they make it back, or they miss the van to Boise.”

  “That might just work.”

  He rubbed her thigh. “See. I told you we make a good team.”

  Chapter 14

  Hunter parked his Land Cruiser in front of The Elephant’s Perch and went around to get Toni’s door only to find her hopping out on her own. How she did that in the short skirt she wore was a mystery. For someone who didn’t bring dressy clothes, she sure looked well put together to him and to the three guys walking down the street. They probably needed a trip to the chiropractor to treat the whiplash they suffered when they got a load of her.

  “You park in the middle of the street here?” She looked up and down; two rows of cars ran parallel the length of the street.

  Hunter put his arm around her and crossed. “We get a lot of snow. It makes it easier to plow. Then the drivers and passengers don’t have to open their door into snowbanks.”

  “Oh, I guess that makes sense.”

  They walked arm in arm over the wood plank sidewalk to the door of the white, A-frame building. Hunter held the door, and when Toni entered she looked a little gob smacked. Bikes were lined up in front of the wall of footwear. Backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags covered just about every surface. “How’s it going, Mike?”

  “Hunter. I haven’t seen you in a while. What do you need?”

  He put his arm around Toni. “Mike, this is Toni. She needs a pair of lightweight hiking boots. I was thinking a pair of Merrell Moab Ventilators or maybe the Sirens.”

  Mike nodded. “Sure, what size?”

  Toni shook her head. “Can’t I just get a pair of Doc Martens?”

  Mike bit back a laugh, and Hunter didn’t bother to try. “Babe. Doc Martens won’t cut it here. Trust me on this.”

  “I don’t know why. I mean, you said they need tread, and Doc Martens have a hell of a tread.”

  “Yeah, but you also need flexibility and breathability. What size are you?”

  “A seven, but I don’t want to buy something I’m never going to wear again.”

  Hunter pulled her in closer. “Believe me. You’ll get a lot of use out of these.”

  Toni just rolled her eyes as Mike walked back to the storeroom.

  Grabbing a pair of light wool socks, Hunter helped her into a chair before dragging a stool over to sit. He took her foot in his hand and slid the high-heeled boot off before gliding his thumb down the length of her foot and pressing it into her arch.

  A groan escaped her parted lips. “You did that on purpose.”

  “It’s just payback for wearing that skirt and those boots out in public. Besides, I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let Mike sit here. Not with the view I’m getting.”

  Toni pressed her thighs together, spoiling his fun. Shit, he knew he shouldn’t have said anything.

  By the time Mike had the boots out and laced, Hunter had her other foot massaged and socked. “Here, try these.” He slid the lightweight hiking boot on and tightened the laces before tying them.

  Toni moved to stand, and Hunter shook his head. “No, you need both of them on so you can walk around awhile.”

  “I’m sure they’re fine.”

  “You say that now, but believe me, you don’t want to be ten miles away from base camp and figure out they’re too small. Blisters can be a bitch.”

  “So can guides.”

  Mike let out a chuckle and dropped the other boots he’d brought out on the chair beside her. “I’ll just leave you two alone to fight it out.”

  Hunter turned to Mike. “Yeah, she loves me. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

  Toni smacked Hunter’s arm as he slid his hand up her calf.

  Mike turned and winked. “It looks to me like you better keep giving her foot massages, Kincaid. That might help.”

  “Can’t hurt,” Hunter said, as he slid his fingers over the arch of her other foot.

  “Just put the boot on, and leave my feet alone.”

  “What? You don’t have a secret Cinderella fantasy?”

  “Yeah, but with Jimmy Choo, not—”

  “Who the hell is Jimmy Choo?”

  Toni laughed. “Jimmy Choo is a shoe designer. I was talking about a pair of boots I would kill for, and they’re certainly nothing like these.”

  “Oh.” Okay, he felt like an idiot, but how the hell was he supposed to know she wasn’t talking about a guy? “So buy them.”

  “They cost fifteen hundred dollars. I don’t think so. Jimmy Choo is way out of my price range—unfortunately. But a girl can dream.”

  “Damn, my Tecnica Dragons were crazy expensive, and they only cost about eight hundred bucks retail. But then, I always get them for cost—one of the perks of owning a ski shop. Fifteen hundred dollars for a pair of boots?” He whistled through his teeth. “Are they alpine or racing?”

  “They’re five-inch stilettos.”

  “Babe, you’d spend fifteen hundred dollars on a pair of boots you can’t even ski in?”

  “No, but if I could get them on the sale rack at Saks for fifty percent off I sure would. Besides, I don
’t ski.”

  He helped her up and then pulled her toward him for a kiss. “That’s going to change.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t like the cold.”

  “Me either.” He took her hand and led her around the store.

  “Then why do you ski?”

  “I don’t ski where it’s cold. I ski here in Sun Valley, Castle Rock, sometimes I head down to Utah or over to Jackson Hole. I wear a sweater and a powder jacket, and I’m fine.”

  She looked at him like he was nuts. “Really?”

  “Would I lie to you?”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t think you would.”

  Hunter had never heard anything more gratifying. Finally, he was getting through to her. He wrapped his arm around her for a sideways hug. “I promise I’ll never lie to you.”

  She gave him the sweetest look just before she kissed his lips. “You better not.”

  “So, how do they feel?” When she gave him a confused look, he kissed her again. “The boots, how are they?”

  “Oh.” She looked down at her feet. “They’re really not very stylish. Do they have them in black? This tan doesn’t go with anything I own.”

  “Toni, these are hiking boots. You don’t buy them for the color. You buy them for the fit.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not. How do they feel?”

  “I don’t know. They don’t hurt if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Does your heel slip up and down?”

  “No.”

  “Do your feet slide forward if you stop short?”

  She kicked her boot against the carpeted floor. “No.”

  “Do you like them?”

  “No. But they’re fine.”

  “Do you want to try on the others?”

  “Not especially. Shoe shopping really loses its appeal when your only choices are Ugg and uglier.”

  Hunter stifled a sigh. “You can lead a horse to water—”

  “Am I the horse in this scenario?”

  Hunter led her back to her chair and started unlacing the boots. “I’m not going to touch that with a ten-foot pole.” He tossed the first boot into the box. “Mike, I think we’re going with these. Do you want to put them and a couple pair of these socks on my tab?”

  “Sure thing, Hunter.”

  Toni stopped him. “I can pay for my own boots.”

  “Yeah, so can I.”

  “Hunter. Really, I—”

  He kissed her. “Stop it, okay? I’m forcing you to buy the boots, so I’m paying for them. It’s not a big deal.”

  “It is to me. It’s really nice of you, but it’s not necessary, even if they are fugly.”

  “Toni, just humor me. I want you to be safe. I want you to have good equipment. It’s important to me. You’re important to me.”

  She stared him down—or tried too. He obviously had a lot more practice. She looked as if she wanted to say something but chickened out and averted her eyes. He would have gladly lost this round if only she’d said what her eyes told him. He knew she needed more time and figured he’d pushed enough for one shopping trip.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Come on. Let’s go for a walk. I’ll show you around town.” He looked down at her stiletto boots; they looked sexy as hell but probably weren’t the most comfortable pair of shoes. “Are you sure you don’t want to wear your new boots? They’re better for walking.”

  “With this skirt? I don’t think so.”

  ***

  Toni watched Hunter run across the street and put her boots in the truck. She’d probably drop the things in the incinerator when she got home, but then, if she kept seeing Hunter, he’d expect her to wear them again. God, her closet was too small for ugly shoes.

  Maybe she could leave them at Hunter’s place. It’s not as if she’d ever need them in New York. She’d heard that when you’re in a relationship most people leave clothing at the other person’s place. She imagined other people leaving a change of underwear and a few tops. Well, she’d always been a little different, so she’d leave ugly boots. For some weird reason the thought of her ugly boots next to his in his closet made her smile.

  Hunter ran back across the street. “What’s that smile for?”

  “I was just thinking of seeing you again. You know, after this trip.”

  “Really? What about it?”

  “I just decided I’d leave my ugly boots here with you.”

  “Oh Toni, that’s so romantic. Be still my heart.”

  “Hey, if you’re not happy, you have no one to blame but yourself. You’re the one who fell for me first, remember? You dragged me kicking and screaming behind you.”

  “Babe, the only time you were screaming was in bed.” His green eyes seemed to go darker. “But then there was that time in the hot spring.”

  “I screamed your name after you jumped into the river, so that doesn’t count.”

  “Oh no, I distinctly remember you screaming my name a few times before I swam for my shorts too.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. But don’t let it go to your head.”

  Hunter kissed her. “No chance of that with you around. But since you just admitted you fell for me, I think I can live with it.”

  “I did no such thing.”

  He laughed. “Oh yeah, you did.” He kissed her right there on the sidewalk. It wasn’t a friendly kiss either. It was a carnal, I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off-and-tie-you-up-with-them kind of kiss.

  “Hunter—” Damn, she couldn’t even think straight.

  “Shhh.” He placed two fingers over her swollen lips. “Just give me a second to enjoy the moment, would you?”

  Oh yeah, she’d let him enjoy it. As a matter of fact, she’d help him. She licked his fingers and slid them into her mouth before sucking on them.

  He swallowed hard and pulled her close. “You keep that up, and I’m not gonna be fit to walk around in public.”

  He slowly slid his fingers from between her lips and groaned when she bit down and raked her teeth against the tips, not wanting to let them go. His stormy-eyed look had her wishing they were back at the cabin, or his house, or just about anywhere other than the middle of a sidewalk in front of his buddy’s store.

  She crossed her arms. “What did I say?”

  “You told me you loved me.”

  “Oh no, I didn’t.”

  “In Toni speak you did, and that’s good enough for me. Are you ready to go?”

  She walked down the sidewalk, and Hunter came around the outside, walking on the grass between her and the street until she moved over. Why the heck did he have to walk on that side? She listed to the right when she walked. She was going to spend the entire date walking into him.

  “What? You’re not gonna argue with me?”

  Shaking her head to answer his question, she tried desperately to remember what she’d said and wondered if Hunter was right. Was it some sort of Freudian slip? And if it was, were they always true? She didn’t think she’d subconsciously lie. Lying was definitely a conscious decision. And she never lied. Well, not since she was a kid.

  She bumped into him and self-corrected. “You’re walking on the wrong side.”

  “Guys are supposed to walk closest to the road. It’s good manners. If a car goes out of control, I can push you out of harm’s way. Or if the street is wet and a truck goes through a puddle, I get splashed, and you don’t.”

  “Seriously? I’ve never heard that.” He didn’t look like he was making it up. Toni thought back to the whole love conversation and remembered telling him she was leaving the ugly boots at his place. That couldn’t possibly be construed as an I-Love-You, could it? No way. Okay, since that wasn’t it, she
had to have said something else. She remembered he’d said something sarcastic about her not being very romantic. She stopped dead in her tracks.

  “Toni, are you okay?”

  “Oh shit! I told you you’d fallen in love with me first. After all, you’re the Quick Draw McGraw of love. You picked me out.”

  “I resent the Quick Draw McGraw thing. I’m not quick, well, not in bed anyway.”

  “You’re the one who fell for me, the Anti-Cupid, and then dragged me kicking and screaming along behind you.”

  “I was just teasing about the lack of romance. It was a joke.”

  “Oh God.” She swallowed hard.

  “Toni, what’s going on?”

  “It’s like jumping from the high dive all over again. I see myself falling in slow motion, flailing around in relationship limbo, not knowing what the hell I’m supposed to do and doing everything wrong, until I hit the water in what will certainly be the most painful relationship belly flop imaginable. What was I thinking falling in love with you?”

  “I don’t think it’s something you consciously decide.”

  “Are you telling me I have no control over my own mind? Like loving you is one big Freudian slip?”

  He smiled. “You can control your mind, but not your heart. And there will be no relationship belly flops—not if I can help it.” He steered her to a bench. “Maybe you should sit down. You don’t look so good.”

  “Oh, you’re a regular Rudolph Valentino, Hunter. I tell you I love you, and all you can say is, ‘You don’t look so good.’ What’s up with that?”

  “It might have been different if you weren’t fighting a panic attack when you said it.” He squatted down in front of her so they were face to face. “Breathe, okay?”

  “I’m breathing, dammit. The thing is, I don’t do love. I’m the Anti-Cupid, remember? Love is against my genetic code.”

  “Obviously not. Face it, babe. You’re human just like the rest of us. Give it some time to sink in, and then it won’t seem so scary. Don’t worry. It’s not as if you’re in this alone. I love you too.” He gave her a gentle kiss and toyed with her hair. “We’ll figure it out together.”