But you left.
Her eyes snapped open at the reminder, and her gaze went to the asphalt parking lot outside her window.
She sighed, then murmured, “It’s for the best.”
With a confident nod—although her heart wasn’t so sure—she pushed aside thoughts of Brody and focused on where she would go when the morning came.
Two
A knock sounded on Brody’s door. With a furrowed brow he glanced at the time on his laptop, noting the late hour, before setting it beside him on the couch.
Who would come to my place at ten o’clock at night?
An image of Reese filled his mind, and as he stood and strode toward the door, hope surged inside him.
She’s back. Reese is back.
With a wide smile, he pulled open his door. But rather than finding Reese on the other side, he saw his brother Logan. His smile collapsed, and all hope drained from him.
“Nice to see you too,” Logan said with a small frown.
“Yeah, sorry. Come on in.” Brody held the door open so Logan could step inside, then he shut the door, but not before glancing outside with a sliver of hope still intact.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” Logan asked.
“Let’s sit.” Brody led the way into the living room, where he settled onto the couch.
Logan sat on an adjacent chair. “Something’s up, and I want to know what it is.”
With a nod, Brody gazed at his brother. “You’re right.”
When he said nothing more, Logan’s eyebrows went up. “And?”
“Look, I have work to do.” Brody glanced toward his laptop to emphasize his point.
Logan snorted. “Too bad. I drove all the way here and you’re going to tell me what you were starting to tell me on the phone earlier. You said something about the woman from the beach. Reese.”
Hearing her name spoken out loud made Brody wince.
“What does she have to do with your weird behavior? And why do you want to borrow my truck and camping gear.” Logan grinned. “Which I brought with me, by the way.”
“You brought it?” This news lit a spark of optimism inside Brody. Maybe I actually could find her.
“Yeah. You said you wanted to borrow it.”
“I did.”
Logan leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “Okay, enough with the cryptic answers. Tell me your plans.”
With the camping gear right outside ready for him to use, Brody began formulating his plans, which made him more willing to tell Logan the details. He explained how he and Reese had spent time together the last few days, and how much he was growing to care for her. And how he had finally kissed her earlier that day.
Logan laughed. “All you got from her was a kiss?”
Brody knew getting that kiss was a victory—one he wanted to repeat. “She’s not like the women you’re used to.”
“Okay, but you still haven’t explained why you want to borrow my gear.”
“She left, Logan. She’s gone.”
He shook his head, obviously not getting it. “Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. That’s the whole thing. I’m going to look for her, and I’m going to find her.”
Logan’s forehead furrowed. “And you think she’ll be camping because . . .”
“She’s traveling in an RV.”
He straightened. “An RV? Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Huh.”
Brody couldn’t tell what his brother was thinking. “What?”
“I guess she didn’t strike me as an outdoor kind of girl.”
The truth was, she hadn’t struck Brody as an outdoor kind of girl either, which made her all the more intriguing. “Evidently she is.”
“Where are you gonna look?”
He had no idea, which is what had stopped him. She could have gone anywhere, and with her head start, the chances of finding her were slim. Brody’s shoulders slumped as the futility of his idea rolled over him like a bulldozer. “I don’t know.”
Reese didn’t sleep well. Between the sound of cars coming and going all night, and the bright lights in the parking lot, not to mention her dreams starring Brody Ford, she hardly got any sleep at all. Despite that, when the sun rose the next day, she was eager to get going.
While tossing and turning during the night, she had thought about where she wanted to go. And she had come to a decision.
Yellowstone National Park.
She had always wanted to visit there, and now was her chance.
With a destination in mind, she opened her laptop and pulled up Google maps. After entering her location and her destination, she plotted out her course. Not wanting to drive all day, she decided to break her journey into chunks.
I can get to Vegas by this afternoon, and to Yellowstone two days after that.
Next, she made a reservation to camp in the Bridge Bay campground within Yellowstone. Excited to see the place she had been wanting to visit—and had only seen pictures of—for a few seconds she completely forgot about Brody Ford and the way he made her feel. Then her phone rang.
Startled, her gaze went to the screen of her smart phone, which sat on the table beside her laptop.
It’s Brody.
Her heart pounded, and though she wished he was sitting next to her, her self-preservation wouldn’t allow her to answer his call.
I’ve got to cut all ties. He was definitely getting under my skin, and that could only lead to a broken heart.
She swiped the phone to reject the call, then tried to focus on which freeways she would need to follow to get to her next stop.
Brody set his phone on the table beside his plate of bacon and eggs. He hadn’t bothered to leave a message—clearly, Reese had no desire to talk to him.
Maybe trying to find her is a mistake. Why spend all that time and energy only to be rejected? Besides, she could be any number of places by now.
He shook his head as he scooped up a forkful of eggs and shoved them into his mouth. He hadn’t slept well the night before. Once Logan had left—leaving his truck and camping gear behind—Brody hadn’t been able to think about anything but finding Reese, finally deciding he would call her in the morning.
Well, that hadn’t gone anywhere.
He thought about all the time they had spent together—not that much time, really. But in that time he had begun falling for her. She had been the first woman who had captured his interest since Megan had been killed in a car accident the year before.
Digging through his memory, he combed through the conversations he had had with Reese, trying to recall where she had said she wanted to go. After a few moments, a partial memory filled his mind.
It starts with a Y. Yosemite? No, that’s not right. Then a smile curved his mouth. Yellowstone. That’s what she said. She wanted to visit Yellowstone.
Hope and optimism erupted inside him. Now he knew where to look.
Three
Two Days Later
As she drove through Island Park and saw the sign telling her how many miles were left before she reached Yellowstone, Reese grinned.
I can’t believe I’m almost there.
Less than an hour later, she pulled up to the Yellowstone entrance, paid her fee, then entered the park. At the first picnic area, Reese pulled off the road and studied the map she had gotten at the entrance, then headed toward the Bridge Bay campground.
The scenery captivated her, and she found herself pulling over multiple times to take pictures—of the vista, of blooming flowers, and of anything else that caught her eye. The previous winter had been mild, so though it was the first of June and chilly outside, there wasn’t much snow on the ground.
An hour later Reese pulled into the Canyon Village visitors center parking lot. After buying a book with information about the park, she climbed back into her RV and continued toward Bridge Bay. It was early afternoon, and as she passed through Hayden Valley, she saw a number of bison, whi
ch she stopped to photograph.
Eventually she reached Bridge Bay. It didn’t take long to set up her campsite—there were no hookups, so she simply parked before preparing a simple meal, which she carried outside to eat. Her gaze swept the area, and contentment swelled within her.
I’m so glad I came here. Malibu was beautiful, but Yellowstone has a different kind of beauty.
As images of Malibu filled her mind, she couldn’t help but think of Brody. Wondering what he was doing at that very moment, Reese felt a stab of disappointment that things couldn’t have been different between them. That she couldn’t be the right kind of woman—a woman who would fit in to his fancy life. Though not truly sure she had made the right choice in leaving without so much as a good-bye, Reese tried to convince herself that it was the only option.
It was better for me to end things with him before either one of us got too attached to the other. If I’d stuck around, it would have been harder for him—more awkward for him—when he discovered I’m from the wrong side of the tracks.
Pushing aside thoughts of what could never be, Reese focused on eating her meal as she surveyed the area near her campsite. This early in the season there were still many campsites that stood empty. She enjoyed the solitude, knowing it wouldn’t last forever. She had reserved the site for seven nights, but didn’t want to think about where she would go when it was time to move on.
For now I’m going to enjoy my time here and get my feet back under me.
With a smile, she leaned back on her camp chair and breathed in the brisk air.
Brody was surprised he hadn’t gotten a speeding ticket as he had raced toward Yellowstone. Now, as he paid his entrance fee and drove into the park, the sense of optimism he had felt at finding Reese seeped away.
She might not even be here. And if she is, where is she? There are a number of campgrounds. How will I find her? And this place is so big. It will take an entire day to search every campground. And that assumes she’s even parked in a site when I arrive.
Despair and discouragement settled over him as he parked in a pull-off and looked over the map he had gotten at the entrance. Knowing Yellowstone was a popular destination, he had reserved a campsite at Canyon Village, and then had asked the reservation agent if Reese Montgomery had reserved a spot. The woman had refused to answer his question about Reese, so all he could do was search for her himself.
At least I know what her RV looks like.
With a frown, Brody pulled back onto the road and decided he would begin by searching the closest campground, which was half an hour away—Madison.
Forty-five minutes later, as he pulled away from the Madison campground, he told himself it was too much to hope that he would find her that easily.
You have several campgrounds yet to search. There’s still a good chance you’ll find her.
With his jaw set in determination, Brody drove on. Hardly appreciating the beauty around him, he focused on every RV he saw on the road, confident he would know Reese’s RV when he saw it.
When he reached Canyon Village, he checked in before driving around the campground, on the look-out for Reese’s RV. Not finding it, and noticing the sun was beginning to descend, he decided to set up camp. It had been a while since he had put up a tent and he didn’t want to be stuck doing it in the dark.
Forty minutes later he had Logan’s borrowed tent up and his sleeping bag and gear stowed inside. He put the few items of food he had brought into the food storage box—he had no desire to attract a bear—then he walked to the Canyon Village visitors center to get something to eat at the small restaurant.
Four
After a quick breakfast, Reese reviewed the guide she had bought at the visitor’s center the day before, then secured her belongings before getting behind the wheel of her RV to drive to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Excited for the pictures she could take—and eventually sell—she found herself stopping several times along the way to take pictures she hadn’t even planned on.
This place is fantastic for photographers.
A wide grin curved her mouth as she focused her lens on a family of geese in the Yellowstone River.
Brody woke up later than he had planned, but after breakfast he headed out to continue his search. He hadn’t slept well. Besides the issue with Logan’s air mattress, which kept losing air, he had had several dreams featuring Reese. Only they were more like nightmares. In every one she had either told him she had zero interest in him, or he had discovered that she had found someone else.
A lingering sense of rejection played around the edges of his mind as he drove, fueling his negative self-talk that he would never find her, or that if he actually did, she would be furious at him for tracking her down—basically becoming a stalker.
Is that what I am? A stalker? Maybe this whole exercise is a mistake.
Then he thought about the regret he had battled over the last year—regret that he hadn’t spent more time with Megan before she had been killed.
I can’t live with more regret. I have to at least try to find her. I have to talk to her face to face.
Resolved to do all he could to find Reese, he pulled into the Fishing Bridge RV Park. First he stopped by the office, hopeful that if he was standing in front of them, they would tell him if she was there.
Ten minutes later he had learned she didn’t have a reservation there.
At least I can mark that one off my list.
Back in the truck, Brody pulled out the map to see where he should go next.
Bridge Bay Campground. It’s just a couple of miles down the road.
He tossed the map onto the passenger seat and headed off.
Driving slowly around the campground, he studied each RV he saw. None of them looked like Reese’s.
What if she left for the day? Or what if she didn’t even come to Yellowstone? You could be on a hunt for someone who will never be found.
Fresh discouragement crashed over him as he left the Bridge Bay Campground and drove back the way he had come. Trying to turn his thoughts away from Reese, if only for a few minutes, he watched the bison on the hillsides of Hayden Valley.
Reese gazed at the spectacular view before her. The thundering of the waterfall in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone demanded her attention, and she noticed a stripe of green on the far left of the falls. Canyon walls in yellows, oranges, and tans descended to the valley floor below her where a clear green river flowed over rocks, making sections of white water rapids.
With her camera in her hands, she took pictures from every angle, thrilled with all the photos she had taken in the short time she had been in Yellowstone.
And I’ve hardly even thought about Brody.
A tiny frown played around the corners of her mouth as she pushed an image of his face out of her mind.
When Brody reached the end of Hayden Valley—only a few miles before arriving back at his campground—he noticed a sign for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Might as well do a little sightseeing while I’m here. It took me long enough to get here.
Frustrated at his lack of success in finding Reese, he sighed as he turned onto the road that led to the parking lot. As cars came into view, he drove towards them and saw several available parking spaces. Approaching an empty slot, he glanced at the RV’s parked along the curb, then slammed on his brakes.
An older RV caught his eye. An RV that looked suspiciously like Reese’s.
No way. There’s no way that’s hers.
Heart pounding, eyes wide, Brody threw the truck into reverse, then pulled into a parking space a few slots back. One where he would be able to see the RV’s driver when she returned.
Reese climbed the concrete stairs to the higher overlook, eager to get pictures of the waterfall and canyon walls from a new vantage point. Exhilarated at the beauty around her, she snapped away, then noticed people on a higher ridge on the other side of the valley.
There must be another overlook. I’ll have
to check my map.
As she thought about all there was to see—she hadn’t even been to the geyser basin to see Old Faithful yet—a sense of adventure surged through her.
I wish Brody was here. I think he’d love this.
The thought came into her mind unbidden, but the moment she realized what she was thinking, she frowned.
I have to forget about Brody. He’s not right for me, and I’m not right for him. I’ll find someone else. Or maybe not. Maybe I’ll just be on my own. And that’s okay. I don’t need anyone to be happy.
But deep inside, the loneliness she tried so desperately to keep at bay cascaded over her, and she knew she was telling herself lies.
Focus on today. Now. What’s around you.
With a small shake of her head, she climbed down the steps and headed toward the parking lot.
Brody kept his gaze riveted to the area at the end of the parking lot, the area where all the tourists were. Occasionally his eyes shifted to the RV, just to make sure it was still there, just to reassure himself that it really did look like Reese’s. Her RV was old—she had said it was thirty years old. Most RV’s that he saw were much newer.
It has to be hers.
He didn’t know what he would do if some old guy walked up to the RV and got in—someone who wasn’t Reese. Just the thought of that scene sent a sharp pang of disappointment into his chest.
His gaze went back to the area at the end of the parking lot.
And that’s when he saw her.
Five
Stunned to have actually found her, Brody gasped in disbelief. Squinting, he stared at her from the relatively hidden space of the truck’s cab, wanting to make sure he wasn’t fooling himself. He watched her head directly to the RV, where she disappeared from view as she evidently climbed in through the main entrance.
Now what, genius? Knock on her door? And then she’ll do what? Be so happy to see you that she’ll throw her arms around you? Or will she punch you in the face for tracking her down, then disappear forever?
Searching for Love: The Complete Story Page 12
