Chapter 25: The Hiking Rematch – A Rom-Com in the Wild

Ava’s left eye twitched as Mei handed her yet another clipboard, its pages neatly filled with a color-coded itinerary for the latest matchmaking "client bonding experience."

"Grandma," Ava said flatly, scanning the plan, "why do all your bonding events involve nature? And why do they always end in chaos?"

Mei gave her trademark serene smile, the one Ava now recognized as a warning sign. "Nonsense. This one will be perfectly peaceful. No zip lines. No tofu. No bickering over veganism and hunting. Just fresh air, walking, and a chance to connect with each other—and with the universe."

Ava’s skepticism deepened as she noticed the "suggested mindfulness activities" section, which included tree hugging.

"I don’t trust you," Ava muttered.

Mei patted her arm. "Trust is part of the process, dear. And besides, everyone loves a good hike."

"Not everyone," a dry voice said from the doorway.

Ava turned to see Ryan leaning against the frame, arms crossed and wearing an expression that screamed uninterested. What he called hiking gear—dark jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and spotless sneakers—looked more suited for grocery shopping than a trek through the woods.

"Why are you here?" Ava asked, already annoyed.

"Mei made me," Ryan replied, shrugging as if that explained everything. "Something about ’character-building.’"

Mei beamed. "Exactly. The forest brings out the best in people."

Ryan raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I’m pretty sure it also brings out poison ivy and serial killers."

"Highly doubtful," Mei said, her serenity unshaken.

Ryan muttered, "Still, statistically possible."

Ava pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is going to be a nightmare."

---

Setting Out: A Motley Crew

The group set off an hour later, an eclectic mix of clients who seemed more suited for brunch than the great outdoors.

There were the adventurous newlyweds—Tyler and Jenna—who insisted on leading the group with matching water bottles and headlamps (in broad daylight). Mr. Daniels, a grumpy retiree, brought his golden retriever, Buster, who was clearly the most enthusiastic hiker of the bunch. And then there was Jessica, an overly chatty yoga enthusiast who insisted on narrating every step of the journey like she was hosting a nature documentary.

"Do you smell that?" Jessica said, inhaling deeply. "That’s the scent of freedom. The earth. Connection!"

"That’s the scent of sweat and mosquito repellent," Ryan muttered under his breath, swatting at the air as a mosquito buzzed by.

Ava stifled a laugh. "Oh, come on. It’s just a walk in the woods. Try to enjoy yourself."

"I don’t enjoy sweating," Ryan replied. "Or bugs. Or nature. Or—"

"We get it," Ava interrupted, rolling her eyes. "You don’t enjoy anything."

"That’s not true," Ryan said with a smirk. "I enjoyed the cake Mrs. Patel brought yesterday. Speaking of which..." He glanced pointedly at her empty backpack. "Why didn’t you pack snacks?"

"Because this isn’t a picnic, Ryan," Ava snapped, quickening her pace.

Ryan trudged along behind her, muttering, "It could be."

---

The Dog, the Purse, and Chaos Unleashed

Things were going relatively smoothly—by Mei’s standards, at least—until Buster decided to turn the hike into his own personal adventure.

The golden retriever had been trotting happily at the front of the group, sniffing everything in sight, when he suddenly froze, ears perked.

"What’s he doing?" Ava asked, frowning.

Before anyone could answer, Buster bolted into the woods, a streak of golden fur disappearing through the trees.

"Buster!" Mr. Daniels shouted, dropping his walking stick and sprinting after the dog with the kind of speed no one expected from a man his age.

The group froze in collective confusion.

"What’s he chasing?" Jessica asked, her hand resting dramatically on her heart.

Ryan squinted into the trees. "Probably a squirrel."

Ava’s stomach dropped as she caught sight of something swinging from Buster’s mouth. "Oh my God. That’s my purse!"

Sure enough, Buster had snatched Ava’s bag, which she’d foolishly left unzipped in her rush to organize the group.

Ryan sighed, shaking his head. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Before Ava could react, he rolled his shoulders and jogged after the dog.

"Ryan!" Ava called, hurrying to follow. "What are you doing?"

"Saving your purse," he shouted over his shoulder. "And probably my sanity, because you’ll never let this go."

---

Lost and Arguing in the Woods

Ten minutes into the chase, Ava regretted every decision she’d made that morning.

"This is ridiculous," she grumbled, dodging a branch that nearly took out her face. "Why didn’t you just let the dog keep it?"

Ryan glanced back at her, his expression deadpan. "Because it’s your purse, and I assume it has important stuff in it. Like snacks."

"For the last time," Ava snapped, nearly tripping over a root, "I didn’t bring snacks!"

Ryan sighed theatrically. "Well, that was your first mistake."

They trudged on in tense silence, their surroundings becoming increasingly dense and unfamiliar. The cheerful sounds of the group faded into the distance, replaced by the crunch of leaves and the occasional rustle of unseen critters.

Finally, Ava stopped, hands on her hips. "Okay, this is pointless. We’re lost. The dog is gone. Let’s just go back."

Ryan turned in a slow circle, frowning. "Which way is back?"

Ava blinked. "You don’t know?"

"You were following me!" Ryan protested.

"And you were following the dog!" Ava shouted.

They stared at each other, the realization sinking in like a rock to the stomach.

"We’re lost," Ryan said finally.

"No kidding," Ava muttered, dragging her hand down her face.

---

The Wild Turkey Incident

The woods had grown eerily quiet. Only the sound of crunching leaves underfoot and the occasional chirp of birds broke the silence as Ava and Ryan trudged forward, still hopelessly lost.

"I think we’re making progress," Ryan said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Based on what?" Ava snapped. "The fact that we haven’t been eaten yet?"

Ryan smirked. "That’s the spirit."

Before Ava could come up with a snarky reply, a sudden rustling sound from the underbrush froze them both in place.

"What was that?" Ava whispered, her hand instinctively reaching out to grip Ryan’s arm.

Ryan squinted toward the trees, his posture stiffening. "Probably a squirrel," he said, though his voice lacked conviction.

Ava’s grip tightened. "That’s not a squirrel noise."

The rustling grew louder. Ava’s pulse quickened. She imagined every possible scenario—feral coyotes, a bear, a rogue deer with a vendetta. But nothing could’ve prepared her for what actually emerged.

With a deafening gobble-gobble and a chaotic flurry of feathers, a wild turkey burst out of the underbrush like a feathered missile.

Ava screamed—a high-pitched, movie-worthy shriek that sent nearby birds scattering from the trees. Without thinking, she leapt onto Ryan’s back, clutching him like a koala clinging to its favorite tree.

"Kill it! Kill it!" she screeched, burying her face into his shoulder.

Ryan stumbled under her weight, his arms flailing as he tried to keep them both upright. "It’s a turkey, Ava!"

"It’s coming right at us!" Ava yelled, her voice shaking.

Ryan swatted at the turkey with one hand while trying to adjust Ava’s death grip with the other. "Go away, bird! Shoo!"

The turkey, clearly unimpressed by Ryan’s attempt at intimidation, flapped its wings aggressively and advanced, its beady eyes gleaming with pure malice.

"This thing has a vendetta!" Ava shrieked. "Why is it still coming?!"

"Because you’re yelling like a banshee!" Ryan shouted, stumbling backward as the turkey let out another menacing gobble.

Ava tightened her grip on Ryan’s shoulders. "You’re supposed to be the brave one!"

Ryan staggered, his sneakers slipping on the damp leaves beneath them. "Brave doesn’t mean turkey whisperer!"

Before Ava could retort, Ryan’s foot caught on a root. He stumbled once, twice—then toppled backward into the muddy creek behind them, dragging Ava down with him in a flailing heap of limbs and feathers.

The turkey, its mission apparently complete, strutted off into the underbrush with a victorious gobble.

---

The Muddy Creek: Romantic Chaos

Ava surfaced first, sputtering as she pushed a clump of wet leaves out of her face. Mud clung to her jacket, her hair, even her cheeks, and the chill of the water sent a shiver down her spine.

"This is a nightmare," she groaned, wiping mud from her eyes as she glared at Ryan.

Ryan emerged a second later, equally drenched and covered in muck. Somehow, he still managed to smirk as he brushed a leaf off his forehead. "Well, at least the turkey’s gone."

"This is your fault!" Ava snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

Ryan raised an eyebrow, his smirk growing. "My fault? You were the one who decided I was your personal jungle gym!"

"You’re the one who got us lost in the first place!" Ava shot back, water dripping from her sleeves as she gestured wildly.

Ryan let out an exaggerated sigh, raking a hand through his wet hair. "For someone who’s supposed to be a matchmaking expert, you’re terrible at teamwork."

Ava opened her mouth to retort but froze, her words catching in her throat. There was something about the way he was looking at her—soft but steady, his usual sarcasm replaced with something quieter, more genuine.

"Thanks for... trying to save my purse," she said finally, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

Ryan’s smirk faded into something gentler. "You’re welcome. And for the record, I don’t mind getting lost with you."

The words sent a surprising warmth blooming in Ava’s chest, one that had nothing to do with the layers of mud coating her. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away, standing and brushing at her jacket even though it was beyond saving.

"Come on," she said, her tone brisk. "Let’s find the trail before we get eaten by something bigger than a turkey."

Ryan grinned, rising to his feet with a dramatic groan. "Like a bear?"

Ava shot him a sharp look. "Don’t even joke about that."

As they trudged out of the creek, still soaked and muddy, Ryan fell into step beside her. "For the record," he said, glancing at her sideways, "this isn’t the worst date I’ve been on."

"This isn’t a date!" Ava snapped, though her lips twitched like she was fighting a smile.

"Could’ve fooled me," Ryan quipped, the teasing lilt back in his voice.

---

The Return to the Group

By the time Ava and Ryan finally stumbled back onto the trail, the rest of the group had gathered in a small clearing, chatting and sipping from water bottles as though nothing catastrophic had occurred.

Jessica, the overly enthusiastic yoga instructor, was the first to spot them. Her jaw dropped as she took in their disheveled state. "Oh my gosh! What happened to you two?"

"Turkey attack," Ryan said simply, wiping a streak of mud off his cheek like it was no big deal.

Tyler and Jenna, the newlyweds, burst out laughing, while Mr. Daniels shook his head and muttered, "Figures." Even Buster, the golden retriever and inadvertent catalyst for the chaos, wagged his tail cheerfully as though he hadn’t just turned their hike into a search-and-rescue mission.

Mei stepped forward, her calm smile as infuriatingly serene as ever. "Ah, the universe works in mysterious ways."

Ava glared at her grandmother, her patience stretched thinner than her mud-soaked jacket. "Don’t start."

Mei raised an eyebrow, unbothered. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No," Ava muttered, crossing her arms.

"Yes," Ryan said at the same time, his grin firmly back in place.

The group erupted into giggles, and Ava felt a fresh wave of mortification wash over her. She glanced at Ryan, ready to snap at him again, but the look in his eyes stopped her short.

There was something warm and playful in his expression, something that made her heart skip a beat despite her better judgment.

Maybe, just maybe, Mei was right after all.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read