Eric walked over to her, took the bag, and lifted it into the back of his truck with one hand. He slammed the tailgate shut. “I can see why you and Lexi are friends. You’re as stubborn as she is.”
Embarrassed that she’d needed his help after all, Vic ignored his comment. She walked to the passenger door and climbed inside, the truck hot and stuffy from sitting in the sun. She opened her tea and drank, the liquid cool and sweet in her throat.
Eric climbed into the driver’s seat beside her and jammed his keys into the ignition. “You need to be drinking water. It’s pretty dry here. If you don’t stay hydrated, you’re more likely to get altitude sickness.”
Whatever.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Suit yourself, city girl. I’ve been a paramedic for a decade. You’d be surprised what altitude and dehydration can do to a person.”
So he was a paramedic as well as a firefighter.
And a jerk.
Nowaywould she let him come between her and Lexi.
He started the engine, backed out, and drove down a succession of ramps to exit the garage. She took out a few dollars to cover the parking fee, but he refused it, paying with his own money.
She tucked the cash away. “I’m not the only one who’s stubborn.”
He drove the two of them out of the airport and onto the highway. For a long time, neither of them spoke, classic rock playing from an iPod plugged into his dash.
Vic watched through the window, the cute little cluster of skyscrapers that must be Denver off in the distance to their left, the landscape around them a mix of farms and new residential developments, plains and rivers. “Those are the mountains? They’re not so tall.”
“You’re a good hour’s drive away. They’ll look a lot bigger up close.”
He was right. The longer they drove, the bigger the mountains became. Then, at last, they came to the top of a hill, and a valley opened before them, the mountains rising out of nowhere to touch the sky, snow on their jagged summits.
“Oh!” The breath left Vic’s lungs in a rush, and she stared, overcome by a sense of awe. “I didn’t know it would be so beautiful.”
Eric’s lips curved in a grin, his gaze on the highway. “I guess Lexi doesn’t tell you everything.”
Chapter 1
One year later
Victoria Woodley waitedwith her luggage in baggage claim at Denver International Airport, scrolling through work emails on her smartphone. She looked up from the small screen every few seconds, checking her surroundings. No one had recognized her so far, but she couldn’t help feeling jumpy when she was in public.
Welcome to the new normal.
She worked through the emails, answering them as fast as she could, typing with one finger. In the two-and-a-half hours since she’d left Chicago, Abigail had sent her no fewer than seven messages, all of them about the Merced Capital campaign Vic would be spearheading when she got home. Abigail was a decent boss, but she seemed to believe that Vic wanted to spend every waking hour working like she did.
It had been almost a year since Vic had seen her best friend, Lexi Jewell, and more than a year since she’d had any vacation. Now Lexi was marrying her high school sweetheart, Austin Taylor, and Vic was her maid of honor. After the hell of the past year, Vic really needed the time off. Lexi and Austin had planned a week of fun leading up to their wedding, and Vic wanted to spend those days relaxing and celebrating Lexi’s happiness, not working.
Vic had just sent the email when a shadow fell over her. Her head snapped up.
“Hey, Victoria. Whoa. Sorry to startle you.”
Eric Hawke.Again.
Her pulse skipped. She’d been expecting Lexi.
“You got everything?” He stood there looking hot as hell in a navy T-shirt and blue jeans, hands on his narrow hips, black mirrored Revos concealing his eyes. He hadn’t shaved, a day’s growth of stubble on his chin. “It’s déjà-vu for me, too, city girl.”
She’d known she’d see him again. He was Austin’s best friend and his best man, so, of course, she’d see him. But it was a long drive to Scarlet Springs. She hadn’t expected to spend time alone with him. He might be sexy as sin and a firefighter, but he was cocky, arrogant, and too much of a lover boy.
Last time she’d been here, Lexi had told her that Eric had been with his share of women, but had never been serious about anyone. He’d even asked Lexi out before she and Austin had gotten back together. Vic wouldn’t be surprised if he’d left a trail of broken hearts behind him. Regardless, none of it mattered.