“Nope, it’s a surprise. And you’re dressed perfectly for it. Do you need help grabbing anything?”
“No, I think I have all I need.” She grabbed a backpack and slung it over her shoulder before she shut and locked her door behind her.
“I apologize in advance if he tries to lick you in the car. I mean, to his credit, you are delectable.”
Her cheeks tinged pink, and I regretted bringing Pucks. An indoor adventure with just the two of us was sounding more ideal by the second.
I held open her door and she slipped in, greeting Pucks. Then I was in the driver’s seat and we were heading out.
“How long is the drive?”
“An hour.”
“East? West?”
“So how was your day yesterday?”
“You’re really not going to give me more details, are you? I should tell you, I’m actually not a fan of surprises.”
“Never would’ve guessed that,” I teased, earning me a glare. “Just know that it’s a dog-friendly hike with great views and I packed plenty of snacks.”
“Fine,” she muttered, crossing her arms across her chest like she was put out.
Which only drew attention to her breasts. I wanted to reach over and cup them in my hands, maybe tweak her nipples until they pebbled against my palm. Shifting in my seat, I willed my cock to calm down.
“I’ll let you pick the music,” I said.
“As you should.” She took my phone out of the cup holder and tapped on the streaming service. “These playlists are decent.” She picked one that was more rock but not as hard as my game day playlist. “Ooh, Steelwolf. Perfect. I was worried when they announced they were finding someone to take Jamie’s place, but Charlie kicks ass on drums.”
We spent the rest of the ride discussing our favorite bands and talked about my upcoming road trip. She also figured out where we were going about thirty minutes into the drive, but I refused to confirm.
“I knew it,” she said when we passed through St. Mary’s and headed past Hilltop Lookout. “I haven’t hiked Loch Lomond in ages and never this late in the year.”
I loved the excitement in her voice. This trip was exactly what we both needed, getting out of the city and away from everything, even if it was just for an afternoon. Yes, we were going to record a video with Pucks and post on social media about our relationship, but that was secondary to hopefully having a fun day. I knew her father was heading back to Montreal today and she hadn’t ended up seeing him, but I could tell it still frustrated her. I wasn’t going to ask her about it though. Keeping today light and easy was just what she needed, but if she brought anything heavier up, I was ready to listen.
I hated that he wasn’t an amazing father. Every kid deserved parents like mine. Not that they were perfect, because no onewas, but as parents, I couldn’t have asked for more love and support.
Soon after, we were parking near the trailhead.
“At least there’s no snow.”
“No kidding. And I’m so not ready for snow, but October can be hit or miss, especially later in the month.” She twisted around in her seat. “Pucks, you ready to go hiking?”
As soon as I released his seat belt hook, Pucks climbed between our seats. His tongue lolled out and he had his trademark puppy grin on in full force. She laughed.
“I guess that’s a yes.”
“Pucks loves hiking. I’ve been taking him since he was six months old.” I grabbed my phone and flipped it to selfie, making sure to get all three of us in the shot. “Okay, who’s going hiking today?” Pucks barked. “And who’s going to be a good pup and not swim to the middle of the lake?” He barked again and I grinned into the screen. “Is he going to make a liar out of me, Dani?”
She laughed. “I’d say yes.”
“I’d like to say I have control, but we all know Pucks does whatever he wants. Good thing he’s cute, right?”
“Very cute.”
“Pucks, selfie,” I said, and he plopped his head on my shoulder, staring at the phone.
“Seriously, did you train him to do that?” she asked after I turned off the recording.
