Mark intercepted his brother at breakfast the next day. They hadn’t had many opportunities to talk ever since Alex was back. Mark’s job kept him busy and he seemed to be really enjoying this.

“What’s this I hear about you helping someone with their legal work? I thought you were on vacation?” Mark said, brewing some coffee.

“Where did you hear that? Gosh, news travels soon,” Alex muttered. He grabbed some eggs from the refrigerator along with some vegetables. He looked at Mark, who nodded, so Alex would cook for two.

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of sautéing vegetables. Alex didn’t cook often or very well, it was just enough for him to get by. With a busy life, you did what you had to when it came to eating.

“So…” Mark raised his eyebrows, waiting for a response.

Alex sighed. “I did some work for Arianna.”

“Belmonte? You got in touch with your ex-flame when you got back in town? Wow, that’s fast, even for me.” Mark was surprised.

“Yeah. I bumped into her in town. She was looking for lawyers for her problem and I volunteered. It’s no big deal. I didn’t do it because we had a past or something.” Alex avoided Mark’s eyes and focused on cutting up some bacon for the eggs.

“I can see she’s got you all wound up.” Alex looked up sharply. Mark was grinning.

“Hey, don’t look at me. I haven’t done a thing. If you like her that much then why don’t you take her out somewhere?”

Alex finished making the scrambled eggs. He thought hard about what Mark said.

“You think I should take her out? Maybe out of town for a drive or something?” He handed Mark a plate full of eggs.

Mark tasted some and flashed him a thumbs up. Alex grinned.

“Yeah, take her out. There are lot of trails out here which are beautiful. Ask your girl if she loves the outdoors and take her. It’s beautiful out there, and you haven’t been in these parts for a long time.”

“That’s true.” Mark had given Alex a lot to think about. Maybe he was right. He would take her out somewhere. But he didn’t want this conversation to be all about him. Mark was doing well and he wanted to hear about it.

“So, how is your new job going? Mama said you’ve been working with the DeLucas on their winery.”

Mark nodded. He had always been a rebellious person, and when their father left, he had turned to the bottle to help him cope. But for the last few years, he had done miraculously to turn his life around.

“It’s going on well. I’m in charge of the bottling and corking unit there. I have a fair share of responsibility and I like it. I like the fact that my work has a result I can see.”

“That’s great.” Alex gave him a high five and Mark returned.

“I’m so happy you’re doing so well. I really am. I can’t tell you how much. I’m proud of you for turning your life around.” Alex smiled.

“Well, I had good role models,” Mark replied.

Alex looked away. It was high praise to be called a role model. Mark cleared his throat to end the awkward vibes in the room. They didn’t talk about that period in their lives if they could.

“So, you need help with Arianna, I’m presuming?” Mark went straight to the point.

“I do. What do I do, Mark? I want to spend time with her. She makes me feel alive somehow. Time seems to slow down, you know?”

“Boy oh boy, you’ve got it real bad.” Mark laughed. Alex looked embarrassed.

“Take her to the Hood Mountain Park. It’s got a great trail and the weather is perfect for a relaxed hike.”

“That sounds like a plan. Thanks for the idea.” He cleared the table.

“I’m heading off to work now. Catch you tonight.” Mark waved.

Alex looked up Hood Mountain Park. It did look perfect in photos. Maybe they could pack a lunch and enjoy a day together. He texted her.

Would you be up for a drive to Hood Mountain Park today? We could pack lunch. That is, if you’re not doing anything

She replied soon enough.

That sounds lovely. And no, I wasn’t doing anything important. Sophie says she’ll pack us some lunch - its pasta, is it okay?

Pasta sounds lovely, he thought. A drive with you sounds even better.

Pasta is great. I’ll pick you up in an hour?

Pick me up by 10.

Done, see you.

Alex parked outside the Belmonte Estate and walked in, only to be accosted by a Labrador. Alex was hesitant; he hadn’t been around dogs enough and didn’t know if this one was friendly. He put his hand out. Oreo sniffed at it and wagged his tail. Alex took that as a sign that the dog was friendly and patted him on his head. And that was it for Oreo. He put his paws on Alex’s chest and barked, hoping this new friend would play with him.

Sophie looked out of the house and called out.

“Oreo, come here, boy. Let Alex come in.”

Oreo had calmed down enough to let Alex walk a few steps. He patted him and walked towards the house.

“Hey, you’re a little early,” Sophie said, handing him a heavy basket.

“Oof, this is heavy, Sophie. How many people have you packed for?” Alex remarked.

Sophie laughed. She bustled in the kitchen, clearing the countertop.

“I’ve just packed enough food for two. There’s some linguine with a mushroom sauce. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t ask Ana if you were allergic.”

“No, that’s fine. I love mushrooms. Thank you for preparing lunch for us.”

Sophie brushed him off.

“I’ve packed some bread and some cold cuts too. That’ll take care of any mid-way snacking.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“I’ve also packed some wine for Ana, but she doesn’t know that. She’s been working hard, not only now, but since she went off to college. Give her a good time, she needs some time off.”

“I will. Thanks for this once again. I’ll drop her back soon.”

“You take your time, Alex. You take your time.” Sophie winked at him.

“Take your time with what?” Arianna asked as she entered the room. She was completely dressed for a day in the woods with comfortable shorts and a cotton tee.

“Nothing,” Alex and Sophie chorused and laughed.

“Let’s go.” Arianna frowned.

They were almost outside the door when they heard Sophie calling.

“Wait, you guys. Wait up.”

Sophie caught up to them. She handed them a bag with a few bottles of water. Looking at Arianna’s raised eyebrows, she said, “Hood Mountain Park, right? You’re going to need them, trust me.”

Arianna shrugged and followed Alex to the car. She had just put on her seatbelt when she realized that she was going to be spending the entire day with Alex, in a park she’d never been to.

That doesn’t sound good. Shit, is it too late to back out?

Arianna looked behind to see Belmonte Estate fading into the distance.

Nope, no exit routes left. Got to go ahead with this. Focus, brain, focus. Don’t think about how cute Alex is looking, and it’ll be fine.

Arianna exhaled. She turned to Alex, hoping to strike some conversation.

“So, have you been to this park before?”

“Hmm, what? No, not really. I’m not much of an outdoorsy person but Mark suggested this.” Alex stopped.

Of all the things you CAN say to her, you choose to tell her you’re not an outdoor person. And you’re taking her to a mountain, where there will be a trail and hiking involved. Genius.

Alex turned on the air conditioning and the radio. There were some peppy numbers playing on the radio, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arianna swinging to the music.

“You like music,” Alex observed.

“I love swinging to music. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m no dancer. That’s a pair of two left feet I have. But this? I can sway anytime, a one a two, to the left, to the right.” Arianna’s movements made Alex laugh. She genuinely enjoyed music and it showed. He was now noticing every small detail about Arianna -- how she bit her lip while dancing to the music, how she scrunched her eyes when she crooned to the songs, how her eyes widened when she noticed something beautiful, her laugh when she spilled water all over her tee shirt.

Shit, I am liking her more and more every single minute I spend with her.

It was getting a little difficult focusing on the road. Alex grunted and shifted and watched the road, even as Arianna sang the lyrics to yet another song playing on the radio.

It was a short drive to Hood Mountain Park. Alex parked the car and Arianna grabbed entry tickets.

“So, there are supposed to be nineteen trails in the park and the ranger marked a few easy ones for us,” Arianna said, joining Alex at the entrance. “I hope you don’t mind us taking the easy trail; I wasn’t sure I could do the difficult one.”

“Nope, not at all. I’ll take an easy climb any day.” He looked at the mountain stretching ahead of him and took a deep breath. He looked at Arianna and smiled. She smiled back and nodded.

“Let’s go.”

An hour later, they sat on a rock, gasping for breath. Thankfully, they were in a shady portion of the forest. They couldn’t feel the sun’s harsh rays directly on their face even though it was quite hot.

“I am…” Alex gulped some air. “…going to kill Mark. Go to Hood Mountain Park indeed.” He took huge breaths, hoping to calm his beating heart.

Arianna leaned on the rock with her eyes closed. The sudden and steep incline of the trail had surprised them. He wasn’t too great with maps, and he was sure they had missed a turn somewhere and ended up on a trail meant for advanced hikers. Midway through the hike, Alex realized they had left the picnic basket in the car. His growling stomach had to be content with a few sips of water that Sophie had wisely packed for them.

Arianna groaned. “This is so difficult. How much longer is the summit?” Alex opened the map and turned it around.

“You know, I stopped making sense of this map a long time ago.”

Arianna opened one eye and looked at him. “Does that mean we’re lost? On our second date, we’re lost in a Mountain Park without any food? You sure know how to treat a woman right, mister.”

Alex peered at her sitting with her legs crossed. The absurdity of the whole situation dawned on him. Of all the places to get lost in, he had to choose the wild. And he’d forgotten food. A laugh burst from inside and suddenly he was overcome with a fit of laughter. Arianna stared at him doubled over from laughing and a smile tugged at her lips. Within a minute, she had joined him too. She hated the outdoors too, and she’d jumped into this because of the prospect of spending more time with him.

That’s what you get for jumping into this with him. I am enjoying this.

Alex stood up and held out his hand for her. They walked up for another half an hour, helping each other with the climb, and at the next turning, they were at a clearing. They walked towards the edge of the clearing and were welcomed by the most spectacular view. There was a huge flat rock and a valley extending as far as the eyes could see. It was beautiful, to say the least. Arianna and Alex stood there, hand in hand, soaking in the view.

“The walk was worth it. Look at the view,” Alex said, holding her hand a little tighter.

“It’s not as great as it is with you in it,” Arianna whispered softly. Her heart was beating fast.

“Arianna,” Alex said, his voice hoarse. His throat felt dry.

Arianna squeezed his hand. He looked at her.

“Okay,” she said, biting her lip. “I’m going to try something. Close your eyes and don’t move.”

Alex looked surprised but he closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he felt soft lips touching his. A jolt of electricity went through his body and he parted his lips. He felt his hands turn to stone and his mind tune out. He was stunned.

He opened his eyes to see Arianna blush fiercely. As her eyes met his, a fire spread through Alex’s chest and he took a step forward. He ran his hands through her hair and kissed her, taking his time. She responded and he pulled her closer. She probed deeper, wanting more, and he responded, kissing her more urgently. Every nerve in his body was suddenly tingling. After what seemed like an eternity, they broke away.

“That made my day.”

Arianna’s words softly caressed him. His breath was ragged and he wanted to take her someplace and show her just what he could do to make her day even better. But looking at her, all flushed, all he did was hold her hand and hoped that would be enough to calm his raging heart.