He grabbed the towel from her hands and began to dry her face. “We have to go today,” Charlie said, bending down to run the towel over her legs. “I have to be back Thursday for my lecture on Friday night.”

She stared at him for a long moment. “All right,” she said. “Go down and tell Lily that I’m taking a few days off. I’ll be ready in a half hour.”

Charlie grinned. That was a lot easier than he thought it would be. He’d anticipated a series of not-so-valid excuses followed by an outright refusal to accompany him. Obviously, after their argument last night, Eve wanted to put their relationship back on track. And what better way than a night or two in the wild?

On schedule, Eve appeared a half hour later, bundled in warm clothes and carrying an overnight bag. She wore the hiking boots he’d purchased for her, along with the wool socks. “What’s in the bag?” he asked.

“My stuff,” she said.

“You don’t need anything more that what you’re wearing,” he said, taking the bag from her shoulder. “In fact, you don’t even need everything you’re wearing.”

“I at least need clean underwear,” she said, bending down to rummage through the bag. She stuffed panties and a lacy bra into her jacket pocket.

“We’re hiking at mid-day. It will be warm. You’d be better off in shorts and a t-shirt. Just bring a light jacket. And a pair of pants. And dry socks.”

“This is exactly why we shouldn’t be going,” she said. “I don’t even know what to wear.” She began to strip off the sweater she wore. “What about pajamas?”

“We’ve never needed them before,” he teased.

“We’ve never slept in the freezing cold before. I know enough to know that it’s cold at night in the mountains. There’s still snow up there.”

“We’re sticking to the foothills. The weather will be chilly, but there won’t be any snow.”

When she’d finally decided what to bring, Charlie gathered it up and carried it out to his SUV. He shoved it into the top compartment of his pack, then helped her into the front seat.

He headed the truck southwest, toward the Nederland area. There were plenty of places to hike and camp in the national forest and they were close enough to home in case Eve was completely miserable.

As they passed the Hotel Boulderado, a famous old Victorian-era hotel that featured luxurious rooms, Eve pointed out the window. “I’ll treat,” she said. “A night at the Boulderado. A soft bed, a big bathtub.”

“I’ve spent hours in the kitchen with you,” Charlie said. “Now it’s time for you to see a bit more of my world.”

“To what end?” she asked. “When you spend time in the kitchen with me, at least you get a meal out of it. What do I get out of this?”

“Time alone with me. In a sleeping bag. Fresh air. Exercise. Maybe we’ll even see a bear.”

“Except for the bear, I could get all that at the Hotel Boulderado,” she said. “And I’d have a real bed.”

They stopped for coffee and to Charlie’s surprise, after a jolt of caffeine, Eve’s mood brightened considerably. By the time they reached Nederland, she was interrogating him about the food he’d brought along and the cooking utensils she’d have available for the evening meal.

Charlie had planned the trip carefully, knowing that if he threw too much at her all at once, she’d never want to hike with him again. He’d chosen to trek along a familiar forest service road for three or four miles, then cut off on a trail that led to a flat and spacious campsite.

He wanted Eve to like this, to enjoy an outdoor adventure with him. He wanted to share the things he loved about the outdoors in the same way she shared her love of cooking with him. It was what couples were supposed to do. And more than any thing, Charlie was starting to look at the two of them as a couple.

There were so many places he imagined showing her, so many cultures to eat their way through. Some of the best food he’d ever eaten was in little out-of the-way places in exotic locations. He was beginning to imagine a life for them, all laid out in front of him. And in the same way he used to get excited about a new adventure, he was anticipating the challenges of loving Eve.

But there was one thing he worried over. Would there come a time when the excitement of being with her faded? Or would he always feel as if there was much more to explore?

They parked the truck about a mile in. Charlie handed Eve a small daypack with bottled water, protein bars and a map. Then he hauled his large pack out of the back and slipped his arms through the shoulder straps. He’d packed light and they weren’t at altitude, so the hike wouldn’t be difficult compared to some he’d done.

“What do you have in there?” she asked.

“Two down sleeping bags, a tent, cooking supplies, food, your clothes, my clothes, stuff to make a fire. And two bottles of wine.”

Eve shook her head in disbelief. “You’re a really good packer,” she said. “I have to give you that.”

He slammed the cargo door on the SUV and shoved his keys in the pocket of his hiking shorts. “All right. Let’s go. We’re heading that way,” Charlie said, pointing to the north.

It was an absolutely perfect spring day. The sun was warm and the breeze cool. They hiked at a moderate pace, chatting as they walked. For the first time since they’d met, they had a chance to really get to know each other. Without the option of jumping into bed, they could enjoy each other’s company. She told him about the moment she decided to become a chef, about cooking school and about buying the Garden Gate.

They laughed and teased, falling into an easy camaraderie that Charlie had rarely found on any of his adventures. When they reached the head of the hiking trail, he asked if Eve wanted to rest, but she was willing to go on.

They reached the campsite about a half hour later, a beautiful spot set at the edge of a high meadow with the Rockies providing a perfect backdrop. Not far from the site was a river, fed from the snowmelt.

Charlie shrugged out of his pack and set it against a tree, then helped Eve out of hers. “You did well,” he said.

“I’m exhausted and my feet hurt,” Eve replied.

“Take off your boots and lay your socks out to dry.”

She sat down on a nearby log and did as she was told. But as she pulled her socks off, she winced in pain. Charlie walked over and examined her foot, startled by the angry red blisters on her big toe and the back of her heel. He helped her out of her other boot and he found another blister on her little toe.

“Why didn’t you tell me your feet hurt?” he asked.

“I really didn’t notice until now. They’re just blisters.”

“They’re going to be even more painful on the walk out,” he said.

She laughed. “I’m a lot tougher than you think I am.”

Charlie gave her a wary look. “You sit. I’m going to set up the tent. Then I’ll go get some water. You can soak your feet and they’ll feel much better.”

As he pulled the poles for the tent out of the pack, Charlie glanced over at Eve. He’d always had just one person to worry about on his adventures-himself. But now that Eve was with him, he needed to be more careful.

Hell, there were a million and one things that could hurt you in the woods-bears, mountain lions, rattle snakes. A simple fall could kill you. He felt uneasy about the responsibility. Yet there was no one else he’d rather have looking after Eve than himself.

When he finished setting up the tent, he stepped back and pointed to it with a flourish. “Home, sweet home,” he said.

Eve laughed. “That barely looks big enough for one person, let alone two.”

“We don’t need much room,” he said. “It’s not that much smaller than my bed and we get along fine there.” He held out his hand. “Come on. Let me give you a tour.”

She stood up and gingerly walked across the hard-packed ground. They both crawled inside and Charlie leaned back, bracing his elbows behind him. “This is the bedroom,” he said. “And the living room. The kitchen is out there. As is the bathroom. The bathtub is down by the river.”