Angel in Disguise (8 page)

It was true. The Holy Spirit was here and His sweet sense of peace. No wonder the Word said to “pray always” and to “continue in prayer.” She took a deep, cleansing, satisfying breath and let it out slowly, relishing His comfort.

“I believe that sounded like a sigh of contentment,” Pete said, smiling, his eyes crinkling at the corners the way she liked.

“I was thanking God for this beautiful day.”

He glanced at her warily. It didn’t matter. She’d gotten used to that look ever since she’d started talking openly about God. Her beloved nanny had taught her to keep religion private out of consideration for others, but these days God was so real, she had to acknowledge Him. How could it hurt, as long as she didn’t judge?

“I love being in the mountains,” she said conversationally so Pete wouldn’t be uncomfortable. “Where do you usually hike?”

He checked his mirrors, the rearview and sides, before answering. “No one place.”

Her hooey detector buzzed an alarm. He wasn’t being quite honest. Or maybe he thought it was none of her business.

“From the look of your gear, you must be a serious backpacker,” he said, inviting hiking conversation.

She relaxed, chiding her suspicious mind. She’d been around teenagers too long, suspecting things that weren’t there. “I love hiking, but it’s a new interest. After I broke off with Bruce, I found I liked getting away from everybody and everything.”

Pete understood perfectly. He’d become a loner when his life fell apart.

“There’s something so peaceful about being in the wilderness with the vastness of God’s creation all around,” she said dreamily.

“For me, it’s the ocean. I love the sound, the sight, the reassuring sameness of the tide.”

“An endless reminder of God’s power.”

He’d never been with someone so at ease talking
about God. He agreed with what she’d said, but it wouldn’t have occurred to him to say it.

“The thing I like about hiking,” she mused, “is you can’t dwell on the everyday stuff. You’re caught up in your surroundings, and pretty soon everything’s right with the world.”

“I think you might have enjoyed Part Two of our date,” he said ruefully.

She gave him that big, beautiful smile. “I am enjoying it. Much more than I thought I would! Remind me to tell you my first impression when we have more time. This is our turnoff, and I need a minute to get back into character. I want to be wild about my man!”

His heart beat picked up, and his grin felt so wide, he probably looked goofy. “Anything I can do to help?”

She released her seat belt and scooched over beside him. “Just drive carefully. I’m going beltless.”

The way she crowded beside him and put her head on his shoulder was enough to make a man hit the brakes and really drag out the trip.

“Nice move, Coach. You’ve done this before.”

She giggled. “Nuh-uh. It just seems to come naturally.”

He lifted his arm, tucked it around her and drove with one hand. Should they get ticketed for the belt infraction, he wouldn’t care if they doubled the fine. He felt like a young dude, riding the strip on a Friday night with the prettiest girl in town.

“Are Meggy and the crew still behind us?” she asked.

“We lost Meggy when we turned off the freeway, but I’m sure she’ll show up.”

Since she’d been about three, his sister could track him down better than a dog could find his way back home. Her radar never failed, no matter what he did to throw her off the scent. It was sheer luck she hadn’t discovered his present hideout.

He parked the truck, and Sunny asked, “How do you want to divide up the gear?”

Divide up the gear? He hadn’t looked through the equipment
Dream Date
sent. Lisa had always nagged him about stuff like that. He didn’t mind flying by the seat of his pants, but women weren’t happy unless they were a tad overorganized.

“Why don’t we just carry our own?”

“But if any real hikers watch the show, they wouldn’t expect us to go off with packs bigger than an overnight requires. Neither would they expect us to carry duplicate gear. You know how it is. At the end of the day, four extra pounds feels like forty.”

“Okay, we’ll just use one pack, and I’ll carry it.”

She looked incredulous. “Nobody does that! Women carry their share of the load, Pete.”

Man, hiking protocol was as big a deal as golf etiquette.

“However, they would expect us to share a tent. Do you want to use yours or mine? Mine will sleep two. It’s pretty small, but long enough for tall people like us to stretch out in.”

“Why not pack real light and forget the tent? There’s always the Starlight Hotel.”

“Cute, Pete. I don’t know where you hike, but on Big Bear the weather’s so changeable you never
know what to expect. The last time I was here it rained during the night. The time before, it snowed.”

He was definitely in over his head. From now on, he’d keep his mouth shut and go along with anything she suggested.

“Just kidding,” he said, trying to sound as if he were.

“Your stove or mine?” Sunny asked, digging into her gear.

He didn’t know if he even had a stove. “If you’re particular enough to want to use your own equipment rather than the stuff
Dream Date
sent, I think you should decide what we take.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Talk about an inspiration. “You are hereby appointed captain of the Keegan-Maguire Exploration Team.”

“I accept.” She laughed, as if at some private joke.

“What now?” He loved the sassy look in those butternut eyes.

“I was just thinking how much fun you would have had with Cheryl. She sure wanted to ‘explore’ with you.”

“Explore the mall—that was her speed.”

“She said she’d give you her phone number. Did she?”

She had, and he’d tossed it. “Nah, the fireman got it,” he fibbed.

“Firefighter,” she corrected.

He’d give her that one.

While they’d talked, he noticed she’d been splitting
the weight fifty-fifty. No way would he let her carry all that, not even for a little while. She was probably stronger than she looked, but her strength couldn’t compare to his. He switched a couple of heavier-looking pieces from her stack to his.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked in mock outrage, trying to snatch a hatchet out of his hand.

“Just trying to balance things like they ought to be.”

“Women aren’t weak, Pete. They carry their share of the load.”

“You seem kind of hung up on that,” he teased, dropping the hatchet back on her pile with a thud and, just for kicks, switching more things from his pile to hers.

But she put them back with great dignity. “I said it before, and I’ll say it again. Women carry their share of…”

“The load,” he chimed in. “Coach, you know, you really do have a problem with that.”

“Deal with it.” She motioned to the TV van turning into the parking lot. “We’ve got company.”

His sister looked relieved to see them. “We got stuck on the freeway. I was afraid we’d missed you.”

“You thought we’d leave without your send-off?” he teased.

She scanned his face and muttered, “You seem to be in a better mood than usual.”

Sunny heard the familiarity between the two and knew she’d been right. Pete and Meggy did have an existing relationship. Had Pete’s wife left because
she was sick of him fooling around? Maybe Meggy wasn’t as sweet and innocent as she looked. If she’d been taken in by another faithless charmer, there was no hope for her. She might as well swear off men forever.

Meggy pointed to a gigantic pine. “Brad, to establish the location of this segment, why don’t you start your shot near the top of that tree, pan down, and catch Pete and Sunny playing peekaboo at the base. Okay with you two?”

Pete grinned. “Gee, Meggy, it’s been a while since I played peekaboo. Refresh me on the rules.”

Meggy butted him with her hip, bumping him off balance. “Don’t give me a hard time, or I’ll tell Mom.”

Mom? They had the same ebony hair, the same dark, long-lashed blue eyes. They could be siblings. It would explain the silent communication she’d seen pass between them. The knot in her stomach eased. Pete wasn’t like her ex after all. That was reassuring to know.

He came up behind her, put his arm around her shoulder and murmured, “Are you ready, wild woman?”

She looked up at his eyes, sky-blue and kind, eyes that would never let a woman down. “Ready,” she whispered, stroking his cheek, loving it when he leaned into her touch and kissed her palm. Was he playing his role, or like her, letting need guide the way?

On the peekaboo shot, she flirted outrageously. With Pete it was surprisingly easy. He captured her, wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered
in her ear, “Brad’s got his camera on us. Give me a smoldering look. Show the congressman what he’s missing.”

Smoldering? Good grief, how did one smolder? It had to involve bedroom eyes. She could look sleepy.

“Wow,” he breathed, “that’s perfect.”

His gaze dropped to her mouth, and then, as if he couldn’t resist the draw between them, he lowered his face and completely covered her lips. This she could take for a long, long time.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Brad whined.

That broke the kiss.

“Watch your mouth!” Meggy ordered, “And just do your job.”

“But we’ve got enough of this stuff. Let’s move on.”

“Brad, you don’t seem to realize you’re skating on very thin ice. I’m calling the shots here.”

“Good! Call something besides this.”

Jabbing her finger toward the trails, Meggy snapped, “Skate on up there and shoot their approach.”

With an impudent salute, he asked, “Which trail?”

“Beginners,” Meggy said.

“Advanced,” Sunny amended, knowing Pete would prefer it, though it would be a stretch for her. “I don’t want to hold this guy back.”

Pete stroked her back and said, “Honey, the hike’s not why we came. Meggy’s right. The beginner trail will do just fine.”

Before she could argue, he touched her lips with
a kiss, butterfly light, but possessive, the kiss of a longtime lover. Was he acting or not?

Of course he had to be. If he could play this game on her behalf, the least she could do was stay in character. “Darlin’, I can’t let you make all the sacrifices.” She snuggled against his chest and rubbed her hands up and down his biceps. “My tough guy loves a challenge. We’re hiking the advanced trail. Definitely.”

She felt Pete’s quick intake of breath.

“No!” Meggy cried. “That’s too—”

“Let it go, Meggy,” Pete interrupted.

“But, Pete…”

Pete threw her a silencing look, and she covered her mouth with her hand as if that were the only way she could oblige. Her eyes begged him to reconsider.

He shook his head and picked up his pack. What was going on?

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Meggy muttered.

He passed her without a word, following Brad.

“If I haven’t heard from you by seven tomorrow night,” she called after him, “I’m sending somebody to find you.”

With his sister so worried, why hadn’t Pete told her the truth? They weren’t really going hiking. The trail they chose didn’t matter. But if Pete hadn’t told her, there must be a reason. Maybe the less Meggy knew, the better her integrity was protected.

Still, there ought to be something reassuring she could say. As if they were going through with the hike, she said, “Meggy, we’ll be fine. I’m not new
at this, and Pete’s an experienced camper. He knows what he’s doing.”

“But he doesn’t… Pete isn’t…” Meggy stopped, her mouth worked wordlessly.

“Meggy, what is it?”

“It’s…nothing.” Her troubled eyes followed Pete. “I’m just a worrier. You guys have fun.”

It didn’t ring true. The hooey alarm buzzed loud and clear.

Sunny adjusted her backpack straps, giving the woman a moment to share if she would. But Meggy turned and walked to the van, her self-assured, outgoing personality completely subdued.

Their path rounded a champion lodgepole pine that had to be fifteen feet or more in circumference. Pete waited with Brad at a small clearing, his irritation still obvious despite the smile he put on his face for her benefit.

One last time they performed for Brad’s camera, acting as if they’d hiked for several miles, stopped for a rest and removed their backpacks. They sipped water from their canteens and pretended they couldn’t resist a mountain-blessed kiss.

Naturally the kiss got the tingles in her stomach all worked up again. She barely knew this man but, given the choice, she’d take one of his kisses over a pistachio double dip anyday. They’d had—what?—two dates, and already she wondered if Pete Maguire wasn’t God’s choice for her.

Brad finally lowered his camera and said, “Okay, kids, you’re on your own. The sweet young things in L.A. are callin’ me back, and I’m outta here.”

When Brad rounded the lodgepole pine and they
were alone, Pete enveloped her in a big hug, lifting her off her feet. It was celebration time.

Straight-faced, she said, “I think we ought to invite Brad over for a home-cooked meal.”

“He can bring one of those sweet things from L.A.”

“I’ll make a cheesecake.”

“I’ll bring my mom. She can make pot roast.”

They were just fooling around, saying anything, it didn’t matter. What mattered was the connection between them, the humor, the fun. The awareness. Pete’s eyes scanned her face, her eyes, her mouth, especially her mouth. Overhead a bird sang, and she thought she’d never been happier.

He lowered his head. Ripples of excitement swept through her body.

“There’s no audience.” Emotion made his voice husky.

“Just you and me,” she whispered, her eyes locked on his mouth.

“We didn’t expect this.”

“No, but it feels right.”

His kiss was soft, gentle, a perfect match with hers. He gathered her in his arms, pulled her close and kissed her as thoroughly as he had when the camera recorded it all, as if he really needed her.

One minute more and she’d forget the values she held dear. She lifted her mouth, but kept her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around him. It wasn’t easy to let him go.