“It would be a perfect, tranquil hike if not for the company.” I look at him pointedly. “And by company, I mean you. Evie’s welcome anytime.”
He holds his hand to his back. “Ouch?”
“Did you pull something, Mr. Long Legs?”
“Mr. Long Legs?” He pulls his water bottle out of his pack and takes a sip.
“Well, I’m not about to call you Daddy.”
He does a spit-take, spraying water onto the path before us. “Thanks to you, I’m never going to look at those spiders the same.” He wipes his sleeve along his mouth. “And I was pullingsomething—the knife you stabbed me in the back with from yourcompanycomment.”
I look him dead in the eyes, having to crane my neck to meet his gaze. “Trust me, if I was going to stab you with a knife, it would be in the front.”
“Ah, I should’ve known your hot doctor fantasy would deal more with stabbing.”
“Referring to yourself as a hot doctor is a little conceited. Don’t you want to teach your niece humility?”
Tyler shoves his hands into his pockets, looking the picture of calm, even with our heated banter. “You’re the one who said the phrasehot doctor fantasy.”
I fist my hands on my hips. “And you’re the one who told me never to mention it again, so why are you bringing it up?”
He groans and mutters something under his breath that sounds strangely close toexasperating woman. I don’t know why he’d ever say that though.He’sclearly the problem here.
“Fine, no more doctor talk.”
Evie meets us back on the main path as we near the canyon. The canopy of trees overhead leaves me feeling the drop in temperature. I wrap my arms around myself, trying to conserve my body heat.
“What are these?” Evie looks around in awe at the rock formations.
“They’re shelters, caves, and cliffs made of sandstone,” Tyler says.
“It looks cool.”
I take in my surroundings, just as awed as Evie. The sandstone is honeycombed from weathering over time, and it adds a beautiful effect to the rock shelters, outcrops, and cliffs it forms. Where we are in the canyon, there are several pocket caves in the stone, only big enough for a few people to fit in. I definitely wouldn’t want to be trapped in one of those with Tyler.
Looking further ahead, I notice multiple waterfalls, and it’s obvious Evie has spotted them too.
She squeals and runs ahead, still holding tightly to the leash. “Look, Winston!”
Tyler folds his arms across his chest and shakes his head. “I think I’ve been demoted.”
“Same.”
He takes another chug of water, and I watch his throat bob with the movement. “At least we can agree on something.”
“Even if it’s just that we’re playing third and fourth wheel to Evie and Winston.”
Tyler motions toward his niece. “We should go make sure they don’t get hurt.”
When we reach them, he walks over to Evie, but I can’t help but stare at the waterfalls. You don’t always have to travel far to see beautiful views. Sometimes beauty is only as far as your own backyard.
Tyler returns, handing me Winston’s leash. “I’m going to take Evie a little closer to the falls. We’ll be back soon.” He walks away, and Winston whines at my feet.
“I know you want to be with her, buddy, but the mean man didn’t offer to take you with him.”
He groans, laying down with his legs up in the air like he’s playing dead.
My overdramatic dog remains this way until Tyler and Evie rejoin us on the trail.
