After taking Saturday to recover from a chaotic New Year’s Eve spent racing from one emergency call to another, I collected Kennedy on Sunday morning for our hike. She smiled as she climbed into the passenger seat, wearing shorts that showed off her gorgeous legs. A small backpack was slung over her shoulder.

“I brought a few supplies,” she said, dumping the backpack on the floor. “I wasn’t sure what I’d need.”

“Just yourself,” I told her. “And maybe some sunscreen and a bottle of water.”

“Great.” She beamed. “I’ve got those plus a first aid kit, snacks, my camera, and a change of clothes.”

“Good planning. Connor would be impressed.”

She sent me a shy smile. “What about you?”

Ugh, this woman did crazy things to my insides.

“I’m impressed too,” I said gruffly, pulling out onto the road.

“So, where are we going?” she asked.

“There’s a newish trail near the west end of town. It’s only been there for a few years.” I glanced at her, stunned once again by how she managed to look exactly like the girl I used to know but also completely different at the same time. “I thought it might be a good place for us to continue our fresh start.”

“Is there much uphill?”

I chuckled. “Kenz, everywhere is uphill around here. You know that.”

She grumbled. I tried not to think of how adorable she was. I was a thirty-year-old man, damn it, not a giddy schoolboy with a crush.

I turned onto a side road and followed it for a short while. It changed from sealed to graveled just before a farm gate.

“Are we allowed here?” she asked after I’d opened the gate to let us through and we were bouncing along the rough track on the other side.

“Yeah, but we have to leave the gates as we find them to make sure any stock grazing in the area stay safe.”

We drove a little further and reached our destination. It wasn’t much to look at. A stony path that climbed the side of a lightly forested hill. The view from the top of the saddle would be worth the effort though. I headed to the rear of the car and grabbed my own backpack. I pulled a cap low over my face, shielding it from the morning sun, and turned to Kennedy. She was eyeing the trail nervously, but I knew she’d enjoy herself once we got going. She just needed to remember how it felt to be in the bush.

“Shall we get started?” I asked.

“I guess so.” She marched determinedly toward the trail. I followed close behind. A few hundred meters later, she paused. “My thighs are already killing me.”

I winked. “Hollywood made you soft.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Did not.”