“Just water,” he said, amusement evident in the set of his mouth. “I promise.”
Hailey groaned as tiny bugs seemed to realize she’d stopped moving and invited hundreds of their closest friends to the party. She tried waving them away, but she knew it was futile. “The blackflies aren’t supposed to be bad yet.”
“You can blame the winter we had.”
Hailey wasn’t sure what winter had to do with getting the blackflies riled up earlier than usual, and she suspected if she asked, she’d get a long and boring science lesson. Instead, she pushed herself up and then hauled Tori to her feet. “Let’s keep moving.”
At least the view wasn’t bad while they were walking, Hailey had to admit to herself. Matt Barnett might be way too scruffy from the neck up, but his lower eighty percent was a treat. Tall and nicely built without being bulky, he had the kind of broad shoulders she found attractive in a man.
The flannel shirt he was wearing over what looked like a T-shirt didn’t allow her to see his torso, but she’d bet it was as nicely firm as his legs. And his ass. Sometimes the shirt would lift and she could make out the bulges in his back pockets. One she now knew was his water flask and she assumed the other was his wallet. He was wearing things on his belt, too. She could make out shapes under the shirt, but not enough to tell what they were. One was presumably a holster for his satellite phone. What he had on the other hip, she couldn’t guess. Probably some kind of super Boy Scout rescue kit.
“I recognize that pile of rocks,” Tori said after a while. “We’re almost back to the parking lot.”
As much as watching Matt walk didn’t suck, Hailey was glad to hear it. “I’m going to soak in a hot bubble bath for an hour. I can’t believe we’re missing movie night for this.”
Tori shook her head. “We talked about this. We’re sick of watching movies about women who are only happy in the end if they’ve found a man who loves them. We’re out in the woods, embracing being strong, fun, single women. Or we were supposed to be, anyway.”
If only there was buffalo chicken dip in the woods. “How did we come to the conclusion going on an adventure tour in the wilderness was the best way to embrace being single women?”
“It made sense after the second glass of wine.”
“Wouldn’t watching whatever movie we wanted illustrate a happy single woman more than walking in the woods?”
“Maybe it was the third glass.” Tori leaned closer, dropping her voice to just above a whisper. “He’s kind of hot, and he looks at you a lot. You should ask him out.”
“He looks at us both a lot since, you know, we’re the only two other people here and it would be weird to look at trees while he’s talking to us. Besides, the whole Grizzly Adams thing he has going on does nothing for me.”
“Who’s Grizzly Adams?”
Hailey shook her head. “Further evidence you’re too young to be my friend.”
“Hey, you picked me. And speaking of, who’s Jeremiah Johnson?”
“For crap’s sake, Tori. Really? They’re from TV and movies. Famous scruffy mountain men hermit types.”
“I don’t think Matt’s a hermit. He has a satellite phone.”
That might impress Tori, but Hailey wasn’t looking for a guy who spent enough time in the middle of nowhere to need a satellite phone. She wanted a man who wore suits and didn’t roll his eyes at the thought of museums or operas. He’d have the kind of job that brought not only big paychecks, but benefits and Christmas parties Hailey could dress up for.
That guy wasn’t in Whitford, or if he was, he was hiding from Hailey. She’d joked a few times about moving to the city to find her Prince Charming, but she couldn’t bring herself to actually do it. She loved her job and her house. And the people of Whitford. She loved her life.
She just wanted somebody to share it with and, no matter how good Matt looked from the back, he had no chance of being that guy.
Hailey almost cried when they broke out of the tree line and she saw Tori’s car in the parking lot. Padded seats, climate control and no blackflies.
“Thank you for making sure we got back okay,” Tori said, shaking Matt’s hand.
“It was my pleasure.” Hailey wasn’t so sure, but she smiled anyway when he turned to shake her hand. “Make sure you put something on those blisters when you get home.”
“I thought I hid the limping better than that.” His hand felt huge and hard, but the firm squeeze had just the right amount of pressure.
“I was starting to wonder if I’d have to give you a piggyback ride out of the woods.”
Shaking his hand was one thing, but jumping on this man’s back and wrapping her legs around his waist? Strangely heat-inducing but was never going to happen. “Well we’re out now. Thanks.”