Mad Hatter's Alice Read Online Free Page A

fine.”
    “Okay, don’t fall too far behind though.” She nodded and leaned against a big tree. Turning, she looked back down the trail. It wasn’t a steep grade, but her calves and thighs were aching.
    “Maybe a bear will come eat me. I could just stay here and wait for one. Wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
    “I wouldn’t worry so much about bears.” She squeaked in surprise and turned to see Wayne standing next to her. “I’d be more worried about Hopps having a conniption when you didn’t show up.” His saucy grin set her heart to pounding even harder. He appeared calm and refreshed even though he carried a bundle of heavy-looking ropes and a backpack. She searched for sweat and didn’t see one bead anywhere on his handsome face.
    “I’m tempted to head back down the mountain just to see him foam at the mouth.”
    “That would be a sight.” His grin faded into a look of concern as he studied her face. “Are you all right, Alice?”
    “Yeah, it’s nothing a long soak in a hot tub and a fistful of painkillers won’t cure. I need to lose some pounds. This body isn’t built for climbing like a mountain goat.”
    “I don’t see anything wrong with your body.” She studied his face, but couldn’t find any sign of subterfuge.
    “Um...about what I said last night...” She stopped as he lifted his hand with a cheeky grin that lit up the gold ring in his dark eyes.
    “Alice, the last thing I want to hear is your apology for acknowledging this heat between us. Just be glad there were twenty people sitting around the fire or I might have ravished you right there on that log.” The hungry look in his eyes and the way his voice dropped seductively had more than her toes curling. She swallowed hard, her mouth going dry at the thought of his hands on her ass as they kissed.
    “Oh, my.” She whispered and he laughed.
    “Yeah, let’s get going before I get us both fired before my first day on the job.” He reached out a hand and she slowly placed hers in it. They both jumped at the contact. Then he smiled and tugged her away from the tree. “Watch your footing, Alice. We wouldn’t want to go falling down any rabbit holes.”
    “I would if I got to land on top of you,” she whispered under her breath, but his happy laughter told her he’d heard. To change the subject she stared at his floppy hat. “Hey, why does Andrew call you the Mad Hatter?”
    “We went to basic training together. I wore this hat a lot. He dubbed me the Hatter and it stuck.”
    “You really love it then.”
    “I do. It belonged to my grandfather. He served in World War II and then participated in Vietnam. I wear it to remind me of him. Plus it’s given me a lot of luck.”
    “I see.”
    “What do you see?” He angled a questioning look her way.
    “A sweet guy who’s too good to be true.” He laughed, but the grin stayed on his face as they hiked through the trees.
    Wayne held her hand the rest of the way up, and released it just before they met up with the rest of the group. Following him out of the trees, she immediately stopped to enjoy the scene before her. Sunshine from a cloudless sky lovingly kissed the trees and lake below and all around them. The Adirondack Mountains of New York were known for their rugged beauty, and she couldn’t deny the majesty of the land before her. Wayne’s indrawn breath next to her had her glancing his way. She realized with a start that he wasn’t looking at the scenery, but at her.
    “Beautiful.” He whispered softly.
    “There you two are! Miss Grace, why am I not surprised that you would be the last one to the party?” Hopps shook his head. “Late as usual. Well, the last two shall be the first two over the side. Come get your gear on.”
    “Heaven help me.” She gasped, as she realized this was the part where they were expected to scale down the mountain before following the lake’s edge back to camp. She didn’t want to go anywhere near the sharp drop, much less flop her