“Sorry, I’m busy enjoying my morning. More trail mix?”

This time, she poured some in his palm. Easton dumped the whole handful in his mouth and swallowed without choking, the second impressive thing he’d done that morning.

Eyeing her powder-free hands and bare toes, Easton shook his head. “I’d have gone with shoes. The last thing you want is a sliced heel right now.”

“Not worth the trade-off.” River wiggled her toes at him. They sat in comfortable silence until she added, “Seriously though, thanks for the help yesterday. Your pizza box holding skills are commendable. Almost as good as your climbing skills.”

“I suppose I don’t need to check your climbing skills if you’re already up here. That surface was slick, with not a lot of holds. I’m tempted to be impressed.”

Flashing him a grin, River popped another peanut in her mouth. “I’m tempted to take that as a compliment.”

“Not a lot of free soloing up on the Old Man though.”

River hadn’t heard that one before. “The Old Man?”

“It’s what we call Mount Veil.”

“Gotcha.” She tilted her head. “I love a compliment as much as the next girl, but why do my climbing skills matter to you?”

“Because it’ll be a lot easier getting you and your people up the mountain if I don’t have to carry you on my back.”

River blinked. “What’s that?”

“You didn’t know?” Easton asked, sounding as confused as she was. “I learned last night that you three are my clients for the expedition up Mount Veil.”

“All I knew was that after being given the runaround by that number you gave me, Jessie made arrangements with a local climbing company to take us out there.” River indicated the mountain range rising higher behind them. “You’re our guide?”

“So I’ve been informed.”

Pausing midchew, River considered that. “Hmm. Well, that makes things super awkward.”

“Does it?”

“No, not really, but I may have to reconsider asking you for a drink now since you’re officially on the payroll.”

Easton shook his head with a chuckle. “Are you sure you want to do this? Veil’s no joke. I can just as easily take you out to—”

To his credit, Easton didn’t finish that sentence.

“On a nature walk?” River looked at him challengingly.

“Someplace less difficult to access,” Easton countered. “Our nature isn’t a cakewalk. Plenty of wildlife and lots of chances to get into trouble.”

“That doesn’t sound like me at all.” River laughed softly, then leaned back on her palms. “Don’t worry. I’ve been climbing in the Rockies since I was a child, although nothing too technical. Bree and Jessie have some experience too. I’ve been training in earnest the last several years. I made a run at El Cap last spring.”

“You free soloed El Capitan?”

“That’s the goal, but no. I was part of a three-man team. We climbed the Nose with equipment.”

“There’s enough free-climbing on that route to make most pass. I am impressed.”

For some reason, the good opinion of this stranger on her climbing skills was a hundred times better than a stranger’s opinion of her acting skills. Maybe because acting was what she did. But climbing was who River was.

“Alpine climbing up here is different,” Easton warned her. “The windchill can be brutal, and most of Mount Veil is glaciated. Crevasses kill in these mountains faster than you can blink. You’re using a whole different set of skills to summit than in the lower forty-eight.”

“Yes, but since Moose Springs wants nothing to do with us, Mount Veil is the best option I’ve got. My movie is up there.” Twisting so she could face him, River took in Easton from head to toe. “You know, this might work.”

Instant suspicion filled his eyes. “What?”

“It’s nothing to worry about.”

“And yet I find myself worried.”

“Can the beard be trimmed a little?”

A flat look was his only answer. River bumped his shoulder companionably. “Easton Lockett. I would have connected the dots sooner, but all the emails have been from a Joshua L.”

“Dad’s my camp manager. He doesn’t go on climbs with us, but he puts together the client lists and arranges the supplies. Dad’s an old pro at all this.” Easton glanced at her. “I have some paperwork I need you to sign.”

“Umm…technically, I have paperwork for you.”

“Do I even want to ask?” Easton sighed.

“You’re going to need to sign a nondisclosure agreement, a medical directive in case something happens on the mountain, and a form that states you refuse to hold anyone associated with the film liable for any damage or death that may occur during filming.” River winked at him and added, “If Bree bops you over the head with a baseball, you’re welcome to press charges, but we try to limit that as much as possible. But the big one is the nondisclosure agreement.”

He wasn’t only hot and skilled and…well…hot. Easton was smart too. Smart enough to narrow his eyes.

“River. Why am I signing paperwork for you?”

Biting her lip to keep from giggling, River decided the look of slowly dawning horror on his face was better than beard stroking, tight shirts, or man buns could ever be. Leaning in, River whispered in his ear.

“Because you, handsome, are going to star in a documentary.”

Chapter 4

   “Your girlfriend made the front page.”

From across their breakfast table, Ash tossed the local newspaper at him. On the front was a picture of a very familiar redhead and her team of hooligans, all three trying and failing miserably to hide the film equipment in their hands. Even in newspaper ink, River was gorgeous. Especially when facing down the newspaper photographer with a defiant glare that would make the bravest of men shrink back a few feet.

She looked even better climbing down a rock face, not that Easton had snuck a peek.

“‘World famous actress films documentary about Moose Springs,’” he read aloud. “Why am I looking at this?”

“Because you’re on page two. Tasha from the Moose Springs Daily Register had so many interesting things to say about you.”

A smirk crossed his twin’s face, making Easton internally groan.