Page 20 of Hogging the Hunk
“Let’s get you to your feet and see if you can bear weight.” Greg took Beckett’s hands in his and pulled her up.
She yelped in pain and crumbled onto the ferns lining the path. “I can’t bear any weight on it. I’m going to have to be carried.”
Greg was fit enough that he would have had no trouble hoisting Beckett in his arms. I could hardly believe it when he stalled. “Are you sure?” He dropped his voice low, blocking me with a shoulder. “It’s a mile back to the car.”
He at least had the decency to whisper while he chickened out in the face of helping someone he supposedly carried about.
“It’s just…” his gaze momentarily cut up to mine, and there was a sheepishness in his expression “… this jacket is brand new. You know how hard it is to get dirt out of white clothes.”
I deserved a high-five for keeping my derisive comments locked behind sealed lips, as well as the laugh at Beckett’s expression. She couldn’t believe Greg would desert her now, though frankly, I wasn’t shocked.
Stepping forward, I bent down and scooped up Beckett. “Is this alright?”
She was stiff in my arms, but by no means heavier than some of the animals I had to wrestle while at work. “Aren’t you on a hike with your daughter? I don’t want to keep you. I can—”
“Crawl?” I interjected. “Hobble? I guess you could roll down to where you’ve parked, but I think that would be too rocky and you’d end up in worse shape than you are now.”
Beckett giggled. “Alright, I get your point.”
“Besides, I don’t think Ellie will mind if we cut it short. She was already questioning the purpose of hiking before you came along.” Twisting far enough that I could see Ellie over my shoulder, I shouted, “Ellie, is it alright if we help Beckett back to her car? She hurt her knee.”
“Fine.” Her voice was flat, but her footfalls were faster than they had been all morning. She saw an opportunity to leave early and was going to take it.
“Your dad promised he’d take you for ice cream so you’re not too disappointed I’m ruining your hike,” Beckett shouted.
“Can I get a waffle cone?” Ellie asked.
“With toppings,” I confirmed. Beckett and I chuckled as her gait picked up to a jog. “Careful, Ellie. I’m not sure I could carry you, too.”
With a disgusted scoff, Greg turned his back to us and kept ahead so he didn’t have to witness my act of heroism. I deduced he preferred to be the one in the limelight for his good deeds.
For a good portion of the walk, I carried Beckett in silence. My mind was focused on the task, and though I certainly had plenty to ponder, my mind was a barren wasteland. One whiff of Beckett’s intoxicating perfume, lightly applied somewhere on her neck, was enough to short-circuit any higher brain functions like thinking.
“You’re sure I’m not too heavy?” Beckett asked, rearranging her hands behind my neck. A tingle trickled down my spine when her fingers accidentally brushed the hairs curling at the nape of my neck.
“Barely more than a sack of feed.”
She snorted. “Make that two and a half bags.”
“I could sling you over my shoulder and tote you to your car, if that would make you feel better.”
She laughed, then winced when I took a step that was too jarring on her knee. “No, this is fine.”
I focused on my footsteps. A fall with her in my arms would inflict more damage, especially if I wasn’t able to catch myself. That was what I kept telling myself. Why I had to avoid looking at her directly. That way, when I stared at the rocky path in front of me, I wasn’t noticing the delicate details of her face—the small mole on the left side of her nose, the many shapes of her lips as she smiled or spoke, the unruly lashes that fringed her eyes, as cool and inviting as a pool on a summer afternoon.
“Beckett?”
She readjusted her grip around my neck. “Hmm?”
“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable earlier.” My voice was quiet so only she would hear. “That wasn’t my intention. I was trying to help and now I’m thinking I should have kept my mouth shut like I usually do.”
“It’s alright, Milo. I appreciate you making sure everything’s alright.” She looked away from me, snorting out a giggle she tried to conceal.
“What?” I laughed softly along with her. I couldn’t help it—her happiness made me happy.
“Maybe we ought to leave talk of lingerie out of our conversations from now on?”
Chapter Six