Chapter 26—The Ride to Jake’s

Within ten minutes the doorbell rang. Christina let her mother answer it and hid in the kitchen, straightening her blouse and tucking loose strands of hair behind her barrette. She took a quick glance in the little mirror over the buffet.

Laurita opened the door, and Jake and his dad, Joe, stepped in. She shook hands with both of them. "Would you like something to drink? Christina, you have company!"

Christina waited a few seconds and then pushed through the swinging doors into the living room.

"No thanks, but we'll take a rain check," Joe said, smiling at Laurita. "Jake wants to get Christina outfitted for a hike tomorrow. Right, Jake?" He looked back at his son.

"Right," Jake said. "Christina, this is Joe. You're still coming, right?" Christina nodded uncertainly. "And I thought Lizzi's stuff would fit her. That way, if she doesn't like hiking, she hasn't wasted money on gear." Then he gave such a wide grin that it reminded Laurita of someone in a toothpaste ad.

Christina noticed how smooth Jake was, with an answer and a grin for everything.

"How long do you think you'll be?" Laurita turned to her daughter. "You still have chores to finish, remember?"

"We'll have her back in an hour," Jake said.

"You'd better go then." Laurita hugged her daughter. "See you later, sweetie."

Christina followed the guys, helpless as a puppy trailing after its new owners.

Bemused, Jake opened the front car door and bowed like a manservant indicating the carriage for his princess. Then he got into the backseat, grinning of course.

"So, Christina," Joe said as he shifted gears to get the Jeep Wrangler underway. "Are you excited about going into the hills?" Joe showed the same natural enthusiasm as his son.

"I-I think so," she stuttered, knowing she sounded lame, but feeling intimidated around so much male energy. Her father had died when she was little, so she had never known him, or many other men for that matter, as her mother didn't date. The only man she was close to was her Mexican grandfather. And he was in southern California.

They drove toward the hilly part of town and pulled into the driveway of a handsome log home with a view of the valley. The sky was purple, and the sun was sinking fast.

Joe pulled the key out, and Jake watched Christina move gracefully from the front seat. He had finessed the hike agreement with her big time, but it had paid off. She was on the team. He felt a rush, like when he'd survived a computer game of glacier hiking. Wait till she meets Lizzi, Jake thought.