Gray laughed. “I know exactly how lucky I am. Especially given what an idiot I was.”

“Was?” Aidan asked.

Gray wrapped an arm around Aidan’s neck and returned the painful noogie.

Aidan gave Gray a push in front of him and then tripped his brother up the stairs.

Then they walked into the building together and went their separate ways. Aidan walked into his and Hud’s place starving and exhausted. He wanted a huge breakfast spread that included eggs rancheros and a mountain of French toast and Lily in his bed.

Naked and willing.

None of the above was waiting for him. He opened his fridge and was staring at slim pickings when his phone rang.

“Problem,” Hudson said.

Aidan closed his eyes. “Dude, I just got home and am on three hours of sleep. Solve your own problems.”

“I’m at Gray’s desk staring at a monitor and I’ve got Lily sitting on a north-facing rock staring down Dead Man’s Cliff.”

“Shit,” Aidan said.

“Want me to go out there?”

“No.” Aidan shoved his hand through his hair. “I’ve got her.”

He drove up the hill and jogged the rest of the way, and was at the trailhead in under seven minutes. He tried calling Lily. He went straight to voice mail. Blowing out a breath, he hit the trail. It wasn’t often he did this. In the winter, he often skied every part of this hill, but in the summer months if he ended up out here in any capacity, it was because he was looking for someone, or fighting a blaze.

He was halfway up when he heard Lily coming down. And sure enough around the next turn she nearly plowed right into him.

She was flat out running for her life.

So that she didn’t take them over the edge he grabbed her arms and absorbed the impact.

With a gasp she stilled. Out of breath, damp with sweat, she stared up at him. “What are you doing here?”

“You first,” he said.

She backed from him and gulped in air. “I’m running.”

“From what?”

She stared at him for a beat and then laughed. She had to bend over and put her hands on her knees, and he took the moment to soak up the sight of her in a T-shirt and spandex shorts, both revealing lots of smooth, gorgeous skin and mouthwatering curves.

Finally she straightened.

“You going to tell me what’s so funny?” he asked.

“You, thinking the only reason I’d be running is because something’s chasing me.” She smiled. “I’ve spent the past month eating my emotions. The only thing I’m running from is the calories I’ve consumed.”

“Oh.” He relaxed. “I thought maybe—”

“I needed rescuing?”

“Well … yeah,” he said, and rubbed his jaw, watching her closely to see if she was going to fall apart.

He should’ve known better.