A Place in the Sun(67)

They swore they didn’t mind hanging back with me as I rested, but I knew they were both wishing they didn’t have me as a dead weight. I’d always assumed I was pretty fit. I’d swum a ton since arriving in Vernazza and walked everywhere, but I’d yet to train my body for this.

We’d started early, when the sun was still hidden in the clouds, but not long into the hike, the sun made its appearance, scorching us from above and making the hike just that much harder.

I could hear the sizzle against the back of my neck and legs. Cicadas welcomed the heat, humming louder than ever in the short trees dotting the trail.

Halfway through the ascent, Gianluca, Taylor, and I reached a sort of plateau in the center of a shady tree grove. The group was sitting there in the shade, resting and drinking water. Paolo and Matteo had reclined back on their hands with their legs outstretched. It looked as if they’d been there ages, waiting for us to show up, and I reddened, embarrassed at how much longer I was taking than the rest of the group.

Fortunately, Sofia and Katerina looked near death as well.

“I think I’ll hang back with you guys for the next leg,” Sofia said, still trying to catch her breath.

I nodded and accepted the water bottle Taylor handed to me.

“Thanks.”

“You’re doing great,” he said, coming to take the seat beside me.

“Not quite what you had in mind visiting Vernazza, right?” My words were dotted with my measly attempts to catch my breath.

He narrowed his eyes, thinking over my question, and then he turned his full attention to me. “It’s actually really great. They have trails like this back in Seattle. It’s not quite as sunny, but the views are spectacular.”

“Oh? That sounds lovely. The sun is the part that’s getting to me, actually. It’s been so cool down in Vernazza, I didn’t realize it could get so hot up here in the mountains.”

He turned to dig into his backpack and pulled out a little red handkerchief. “Here, this bandanna has been wrapped around my water bottle. It’s ice cold and you can wrap it around your neck.”

I nearly sighed with relief when the chilled fabric hit my skin. I tied it around my neck and grinned.

“Thanks.”

“You look like a cowgirl,” he said with a funny little smile. It was then that I realized Taylor was flirting with me. Up until that point, I’d been smiling along, content to have a chat, but then I realized Taylor was looking at me the way blokes did when they fancied a girl: hopeful, swoony, a bit overeager.

I blanched and stood, wiping the dirt from the back of my denim shorts.

“Are we ready to head on?” I asked.

Gianluca came up beside me and together, we took up the lead at the front of the group. We trekked on in silence for a bit, the only sound coming from our feet crunching against the dirt. I could feel his attention on me and I turned to glance at him from beneath my lashes.

He was wearing a little grin.

“Don’t even say it.”

“What?”

“I can see the wheels spinning in your head, Gianluca.”

“I was just going to compliment you on your fancy red bandanna.”

“He was just being nice,” I hissed right before properly tripping over my next stair. “See! You were having a go at me and made me trip.”

He reached down and hauled me back to my feet, brushing the dust from my bare legs. Even when I was clean, he didn’t remove his hand from my upper arm. He took some of the weight for me and half carried me up the next few flights of stairs. It was all a bit macho man for my taste, but honestly, it felt good. At that point, my feet were just two massive blisters.

“I know I shouldn’t, but I haven’t felt this jealous in a long time, Georgie,” he said, his tone low enough that the others couldn’t hear.

I arched a brow. “Scared I’ll run off to the new world with a hunky American?”

His eyes narrowed. I’d pushed a button and I liked it.

“Maybe I will. It worked for my brother; he found a nice American girl.”

He shook his head, having had more than enough of me for the moment.

“How’re your feet?”

I supposed he could tell they were aching.

“They’ve been better.”

“Should I put you on my back? I could carry you the rest of the way.”

I grinned. “My own personal Sherpa.”

He didn’t think that was as funny as I did.

“No, it’s okay,” I continued. “It’s the only way I’ll learn.”

I still felt a bit ill, not quite sick, but I thought the sun might have been getting to me a little. My stomach felt a bit queasy too, but I didn’t want to tell him that. It was his birthday and nothing was going to ruin it.

Matteo and Paolo suggested the guys go on ahead, race up the hill against one another, and we encouraged them. Honestly, I needed a bit of a break from Taylor and Gianluca. The two of them doting on me like that was going to go straight to my head, and I’d soon start believing even more than I already did that I was god’s gift to mankind.

“Finally,” Katerina said, linking her arm through mine. “Let’s let them go on ahead and we’ll go at our own pace.”

Sofia agreed, muttering in choppy English mixed with Italian about how torturous the hike was.