Free She's the One by Kay Stockham Page B

compass at the lodge so if you get us lost, it’s all on you.”
    Smiling at her sassy response because no one could get lost between the lake and that boulder, Dylan told the other men where they were going while Alexandra retrieved her camera and equipment. He shouldered the weighty backpack for her and led the way along the path, keeping lookout for bears and other animals along the way.
    He and Alexandra were mostly silent, concentrating on their footing as they made their way up the incline. Along the way Dylan realized he couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone for a walk with a woman and not planned on sneaking a kiss in the woods.
    Finally they reached the boulder three times the size of the lodge and circled around to the back.
    Alexandra stared at the mass in awe. “Can you imagine the force it took to shoot this all the way here?”
    So she’d done her research. “Mount Redoubt is the closest volcano and most recently active, but Mount Spur isn’t far. Truth is since the 1760s fifty of Alaska’s volcanoes have had some activity.”
    “Don’t tell my mother. It’ll give her something else to worry about.”
    Dylan helped her climb to the top of the pitted boulder and watched as Alexandra quickly set to work, aiming the lens, shifting her posture to change the angle. Fifteen minutes passed, twenty. He’d lost track by the time she was finished and lowered herself to sit next to him.
    Alexandra cycled through the images on the camera screen and showed him her favorites. She had talent. The photos really captured the feel of their location.
    “It’s no wonder you want to keep it from becoming crowded with tourists. It’s a good thing it’s cold and it takes a while to get here, otherwise it would be overrun. It’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” She turned from gazing at the lake to looking at him. “My granddad would have said it was only a taste of what’s waiting. I mean, look at it. There’s something about the air and the smells and the views that make you appreciate every pebble. The mountains…they’re almost like a big hug. Am I right?”
    His first impression of Alexandra at the airport wasn’t his impression of her now. His concerns about her possible subterfuge at photographing Colt were no longer even present.
    To keep from focusing too much on that revelation, he watched as she dug into her backpack and pulled out a bag of trail mix, offering him some.
    Dylan took off his glove and held out his hand for her to fill. Alexandra cupped her hand under his to catch any overflow as she poured, the cold of her hand seeping into his skin.
    “Can we stay here? Just a little while longer? It’s so peaceful.”
    Dylan stretched out his left leg and got comfortable. The quiet was soothing, the company…surprisingly nice.
    For the first time in a long time, he set aside his worries and anger and decided to take the moment, the woman, at face value. “We can stay as long as you like.”

CHAPTER SEVEN
    T HAT EVENING A LEX LEFT the older men out by the bonfire rehashing stories of their youth and made her way into the lodge. She was stuffed full of fish, grilled potatoes and apple pie, and since Dylan had packed up his guitar earlier to put Colt to bed, the fire didn’t appeal quite as much as it had.
    Between her hikes, fly-fishing and the bonfire, plus the meals Zeke had prepared so far, she’d experienced enough of the lodge to begin sketching out a draft of her review.
    After spending the afternoon with him on that boulder and knowing how Dylan felt about sharing his slice of paradise, she felt guilty about writing something that would entice Traveling Single’ s readers to come to the lodge. But that was her job and why she’d been sent there. It had to be done.
    In her room she changed into her flannel pajamas, then pulled out her computer for the first time since arriving.
    Work. She needed to focus on work, getting the review done before her personal vacation began, and not