to last for ever. The words had just come out.
Will you marry me?
‘We’ve got one hour before we’re due to depart, so take this time to check your pack, check your first aid kit, use the bathrooms, freshen up—whatever you need to do before we set off. Let’s meet back here at one o’clock precisely, people.’
Mack headed out of the room and a general hubbub began as people began to talk and check their bags and equipment.
Gray had already checked his bag three times. Once before he’d set off from Edinburgh, a second time when he’d arrived in America and a third time when he’d first arrived at the park. He knew everything was as it needed to be. There was nothing missing. Nothing more he needed to do.
Technically, he could relax—and, to be quite frank, he needed a bit of breathing space. He headed outside to the porch of the ranger station and sucked in a lungful of clean air before he settled himself down on a bench and took in the sights.
It was definitely beautiful here. There was a calmness, a tranquillity that you just didn’t find inside a hospital. Hospitals were clean, clinical environments that ran to a clock, to procedure, to rules and regulations. As busy as a beehive, with people coming and going, visitors and patients, operations and clinics.
But here...here there was peace. And quiet. And—
The door swung open with a creak and suddenly she was there. Alone. Before him. Those ice-blue eyes of hers were staring down at him. Cold. Unfeeling.
He got to his feet, his mouth suddenly dry.
‘I think it’s time I made some rules about the next week.’ She crossed her arms, waiting for his response.
‘Beau, I—’
‘First of all,’ she interrupted, holding up her hand for silence, ‘I think we should agree not to speak to each other. I appreciate that circumstance may not always allow that, so if you do speak to me, then I’d prefer it was only about the course. Nothing else. Nothing personal.’
‘But I need to—’
‘Second of all...you are to tell no one here what happened. I will not become the subject of idle gossip. And thirdly...when this is over, you will not contact me, you will not call. You will maintain the silence you’ve been so expert at keeping for the last eleven years. Do you understand?’
He did understand. All too keenly. She wanted nothing to do with him. Which was fair enough. Except that he felt that now she was here, right in front of him, this week might be his chance to explain everything. Forget a pathetic phone call or a scrappy little email. That had never been his style. He had seven days in which to lower her walls, get her to accept his white flag of truce and ask her to listen to him.
But he didn’t want to become the subject of gossip, either. He didn’t want to fight with her. Nor did he want to share so much that she found out about his injury. But time would tell. They had a few days to cool down. They’d get to talk. At some point.
‘I do.’
Her lip curled. ‘You see? That wasn’t too hard to say, was it?’
Then she pointed her finger at him, and he couldn’t help but notice that her hand was trembling.
‘Stay out of my way, okay? I want nothing to do with you. Ever.’
He nodded, accepting her rules for the time being, hoping an opportunity would present itself to allow a little bending of them.
They would have to talk eventually.
* * *
Beau checked her first aid kit against the checklist—gloves, triangular arm bandage, two gauze pads, sticking plaster, tape, antiseptic wipes, small scissors, one small saline wash, a safety pin. Not much for a medical emergency, but she guessed that was part of the challenge. The other part of the challenge for her was going to be a mental one.
Ignore Gray McGregor.
How hard could it be?
She retied her hiking boots, used the ranger station bathroom and then grabbed something to eat, forcing herself to chat pleasantly with some of the other hikers. No one else had a medical background, it seemed, apart from her and Gray. The others were experienced walkers, though, used to long treks and mileage, so she hoped they could all learn something from each other.
At one o’clock precisely Mack came back into the room, followed by another ranger. ‘Right, everyone, gather round. I’m going to issue the buddy list. Now, remember, your buddy is more than just your friend. They’re your safety net, your lookout, your second brain. You don’t go anywhere without your buddy, okay?’
He awaited assent from the group.
‘Now, we’ve tried to divvy everyone up equally and pair people with similar interests, so here goes.’ Mack picked up his list. ‘Okay, let’s see who we have here. Conrad and Barb—you guys are married, so it makes sense to buddy you guys up... Leo and Jack—you guys are both from Texas... Justin and Claire—you guys mentioned you’ve met before, walking the Great Wall of China... Toby and Allan, both ex-Forces personnel...’
Beau shifted in her seat. There were only four of them left to name: her and three guys, one of whom was Gray.
Please don’t pair me with Gray!
But what did she have in common with the other two? They were brothers, and surely Mack was going to pair brothers. Which meant... Her heart sank and she began to feel very sick.
‘Dean and Rick—brothers from Seattle, which leaves our UK doctors, Beau and Gray. Welcome to America, guys!’
Beau couldn’t look at Gray. If she looked at him, she’d see that he was just as horrified as she was about this.
Was it too late to change her mind and go home? Go back to the hotel in Bozeman and stay there for a week?
No! You’ve never backed away from anything!
Looking around the small room, she saw that everyone was pairing with their buddy, shaking hands and grinning at each other. Reluctantly she let her gaze trickle around the room until she locked eyes with Gray. He looked just as disturbed as she was—uncomfortable and agonised—but he seemed to be hiding it slightly better. She watched as he hitched his backpack onto his back and came across the room to her, looking every inch the condemned man.
Staring at him, she waited for him to speak, but instead he held out his hand. ‘Let’s just agree to disagree for the next week. It should make this easier.’
Easier, huh? He had no idea.
She ignored his outstretched hand. ‘Like I said, let’s just agree not to talk to each other at all. Not unless we have to.’ Her voice sounded shaky, even to her own ears.
‘That might make things difficult.’
‘You have no idea what difficult means.’ She hoisted her own backpack onto her shoulders and tightened the straps, turning away from the muscle tightening in Gray’s jaw.
‘I
