Page 17 of Double Booked

He chuckled. “Cute isn’t important on the trails. The Keens will keep your feet warm and dry.”

“But these are waterproof, too,” she argued.

He shook his head. “Yeah, if you’re wading through a tiny puddle.”

“I don’t plan on hiking in the rain.”

He laughed. “You can’t control the weather, Eden.”

She rolled her eyes, but looked more amused than irritated. He decided he better quit while he was ahead. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to shopping.”

She nodded and started unlacing her shoes.

He was walking away when he spotted a sale rack of women’s waterproof jackets. He rifled through them and took out a cute blue one in a size small. Then he returned to where she was trying on shoes. She glanced up at him with surprise.

“You should have one of these too,” he said and held out the jacket.

She took it from him and looked at the size. “How did you know my size?”

He waffled for a moment, not wanting her to think he’d been checking her out. “Just a lucky guess.” With that, he turned and went out of the store. Once he was back on the sidewalk, he expelled a big breath.

Why couldn’t he mind his own business? On the other hand, he was an experienced hiker and she wasn’t. Why should she waste her money on boots that weren’t going to protect her from the elements?

An even bigger question nagged him as he drove back into the park: Why do I care? A month from now, they’d go their separate ways and never see each other again. He’d come here to work and enjoy nature, not outfit a stranger in hiking gear. General politeness was one thing, but helping her pick out clothes and shoes was unnecessary.

He never should have followed her into the store. What must she think of him? Usually, he wasn’t this discombobulated around women, so why her? It boggled his mind, and there was only one way to clear it. He pulled into the small dirt parking lot next to a trailhead and parked. Grabbing his camera bag from the back, he slung it across his body, and set off down the trail, leaving all thoughts of his pretty roommate behind.

Seven

Eden was chopping onions when the memory hit. She’d been making dinner in Patrick’s kitchen, and he’d come up behind her while she was chopping onions. He slid his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her neck.

“I’m cooking,” she scolded him.

Ignoring her, he nuzzled his nose against her sensitive skin. “You smell good.”

“Like onions?”

He chuckled, his warm breath making her shiver. She set down the knife and tilted her head to the side to give him more access. He continued kissing her neck while his hands drifted up the front of her shirt. He cupped her breasts over her bra, and her nipples immediately hardened. They’d been together a long time, but he still had this effect on her.

“Dinner can wait,” he whispered in her ear.

She turned and faced him, and he kissed her lips, firmly yet tenderly. Then he pulled back and gazed at her, his eyes brimming with desire. “I love you, babe.”

“I love you too.”

“Never leave me.”

“Never.” It was their thing to say to each other.

Now she stopped chopping onions as tears streamed down her face. All of their promises had been for nothing, and here she stood, feeling sorry for herself. Sadness overcame her at odd times, like now, when she was making tacos, a meal he loved. Was Vanessa making dinner for him tonight?

Suddenly, the front door opened, and she spun around. She’d been so lost in thought, she’d forgotten about her roommate. Cole shut the door behind him and moved forward, gazing at her with concern.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” She was still holding the knife, and he warily glanced at it.

“I was chopping onions.” It was the perfect explanation for her watery eyes, or so she’d thought.

“Is that all?”