“I told you when we made the plan, remember? We’ll climb almost three thousand feet in elevation.”
“What?” Eliza froze.
Michael shouldn’t be surprised his little sister hadn’t caught all the details. She’d been too busy giggling with Finn when they’d hammered out the plan. “I tried to warn you this was an expert trail and would take all day.”
“I heard ‘follow the river and picnic in the meadows.’”
“The trail does run along the river, and there’s a great meadow halfway up where we’ll break for lunch. But there are also waterfalls and really steep sections. It’s supposed to be challenging.”
“Sounds fun.” Dani took the bug spray from Eliza and sprayed her ankles. “I’m ready.”
But the storm cloud on Liza’s face didn’t bode well for what was sure to be a rigorous hike.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you.” Finn smiled down at her.
She returned the smile, but twenty minutes into the hike, there was no hint of it to be found. Drenched in sweat and huffing like a steam locomotive, Liza collapsed on a large boulder on the side of the trail.
“I can’t do this.”
“Aw, come on, Liz.” The first stretch of switchbacks was grueling, but it would be even harder in sections of the trail up ahead. “We’re just getting started. It’s still gonna be a few hours to get to the halfway point, then we’ll have lunch and start the descent back.”
“Hours more of this?” Eliza whined.
He should’ve known she wasn’t up for this sort of thing. She’d always balked at their family hikes—or any sort of physical exertion, for that matter. And being a defense lawyer, she was really good at getting out of them.
But before he could say anything more, Finn stood behind Liza and started massaging her shoulders. “What do you say, Michael? Maybe Liza and I will find a different trail. There was another one where we parked, right?”
“You can barely call it a hike. It’s more like a walk along the river.” And ew. He’d refrain from saying anything about Finn’s hands on Liza’s shoulders, only since she obviously didn’t mind.
“That sounds perfect.” Liza wiped her brow. “Why don’t you and Dani go on the crazy hard trail, and Finn and I can take a nice stroll along the river? You don’t mind, do you, Dani?”
Dani shrugged. “Sounds good to me.” Unlike his sister, Dani had barely broken a sweat so far. She stretched her quads as she stood there, ready to continue the climb.
And suddenly, all the irritation at a change of plans and expectations evaporated. Why drag Liza up the mountain when he and Dani would actually enjoy the challenging trail? And added plus, he wouldn’t have to watch Finn and Liza making puppy-dog eyes at each other, and he could ask Dani about that kiss.
“Okay.” Michael opened up his backpack and handed Finn food and water for their portion of lunch.
Finn added it to his pack and took Liza by the hand. “We’ll see you back at the car later. Enjoy the hike.” He crooned something in Liza’s ear, and she laughed.
Guess Finn wasn’t too bothered by the change in plan either.
“’Bout time we lost the deadweights. Race ya to the top, Mikey.” Dani’s eyes sparked with a daring glint.
“Oh, you’re on.”
Together, they settled into a swift pace on the dirt trail. She never lost the bounce in her step, even on the steepest parts, climbing over paths riddled with tree roots and large rocks.
The expanse of blue above them, the Colorado spruce and pines offering shade when the path cut through the forest, and the mountain breeze cooling them all provided the perfect scenario for a hike. His muscles burned with exertion, but in a good way. The kind of burn that reminded him he was alive, pushing his body to the limit, breathing hard, all feeding into a sense of accomplishment as they moved on.
It had been way too long since he’d been out here. Too consumed with work, keeping his siblings on task, and working his mother’s case in what little time he could spare. Maybe he needed to make more time for things like this.
And the company was nice too.
“I don’t know what Liza was thinking when she suggested a hike for the four of us.” Michael reached over the ledge he’d just climbed and offered Dani a hand up. She grasped his palm, her slender fingers fitting perfectly in his grasp.
“Duh. She wanted to impress Finn.”
“By climbing up a mountain trail when she hates any sort of exercise?”