“We don’t camp in this spot. We hike in. Three miles in, actually.”

If he expected that piece of news to slow down the indomitable Sophie Vasquez, he was bound for disappointment. At the thought of an hour-long walk through rugged terrain with only him for company, her face lit with a beaming smile. “Do we? How fun. We’ll be so remote, even cell phone reception won’t be able to reach us. My mother may never recover.”

The power of her smile nearly made him stagger. He’d never met a woman so full of joy for no reason other than because she felt like it. He’d grunted like a caveman, resisted every opportunity to grow, and kissed her like someone who hadn’t touched a woman in years, and she’d responded to each with unadulterated pleasure.

He had no idea what to do with so much happiness within his reach.

Actually, he did have a few ideas. That was the whole problem. More than anything else, he wanted that same happiness for himself. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see any way of getting it that wouldn’t involve stealing it out of Sophie’s grasp.

“Yeah, well. Don’t get too excited. Where cell phone reception can’t reach, neither can indoor plumbing.”

Her nose wrinkled at that, but it didn’t stop her. “You’re just trying to scare me.”

“Is it working?”

“No. I’ve suffered worse discomforts in my life than peeing in the woods.”

He laughed and handed her a pack containing most of his food and medical supplies. It wasn’t as heavy as the one with the rest of his camping gear, but she still staggered under the weight. He would have gladly carried it himself—that and everything else he’d brought for the weekend—but he knew her well enough by now to realize that his chivalrous urges wouldn’t impress her. In fact, she’d buck against them with everything she had.

He had no idea what was wrong with Sophie’s family, but they obviously had blinders on when it came to her capabilities. He’d yet to find one goddamn thing this woman couldn’t do, and the way she set her face and hoisted the thirty-pound pack onto her back confirmed it. Especially when she turned to him with her beaming smile and said, “I’m ready when you are.”

It took Harrison a few minutes to get everything bundled on his own person. Every movement of his arms seemed like it would send Bubbles tumbling out of the sling, so he took things slow.

Up and down. Left and right. Twist and turn.