“No,” his mom said with a laugh. “We left plenty there for other frantic shoppers.”
As the four women discussed what was planned for the fall festival, Eli got his mom a cup of regular coffee and made some pumpkin spiced coffee for the twins, knowing it was their favorite drink this time of year. Standing by the sink, with a hip braced against the counter, Eli sipped on his own refill and watched as the most important people in his life laughed and talked together…even Leah had loosened up a bit.
It warmed his heart and made him long for a future he’d never thought to hope for before.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“So you’re leaving on Monday?” his mom asked, dragging Eli’s attention away from the future he wanted to hope for to the present that he currently had.
“Yes. Monday morning, but I’ll be back Wednesday night.”
“That’s good,” Sarah said. “I’d hate for you to miss the Fall Festival.”
“Do you have guests coming in for it?” Anna asked, worry crossing her face. “Do you need my room?”
His mom waved her hand in the air. “Don’t worry about that. We have plenty of space for the people who have made reservations, but I hope you don’t mind continuing to stay here in the lodge. Without knowing who’s behind the threats, I think that’s safer for you.”
“Yes, that’s fine,” Anna said. “I just didn’t want you to be inconvenienced by my taking up a room that you might need.”
“Now that it’s settled that you will always have a place here,” his mom said, getting up from the counter, “let’s get some supper going.”
Over supper, much to Eli’s surprise, Anna revealed more about what she did, which led to a ton of questions from Sarah, and even a few from Leah. It was clear that the twins were more informed about the world Anna moved in than their mom was, but even she had asked Anna about a few things.
“I never would have imagined that it was possible to make a living like that,” his mom said, echoing what Eli had felt when he’d first learned of Anna’s career.
“It’s not quite as easy as it sounds, but if you are willing to be patient and work hard at it, being able to do it full-time is a possibility. Still, it does take a commitment to produce regular content and the ability to be creative and put something together that people want to see. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to diversify as well. I don’t just do videos anymore. In fact, that’s why I have to go back to LA. I have a meeting with some representatives from a store where I have a line of items for the home.”
“That is crazy,” Sarah said. “Has anyone here recognized you?”
“I don’t think so. I did kind of get the feeling from one person that they might have, but they didn’t say anything, and they don’t really fit my demographic.”
“Your demographic?” Leah asked.
“Yeah, my audience tends to be primarily female between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five, and this person didn’t fit that.”
“Who was it?” his mom asked.
“The boy at the grocery store. I think his name is Julian.”
Eli watched as his mom and sisters exchanged glances.
“Yes, that’s Julian,” Leah said. “And he probably recognizes you because of his sister.”
“Does he have a sister in that age range?”
“Yeah, sort of. Jessica. She’s fourteen.”
“Oh, that makes more sense,” Anna said. “Not that I don’t welcome viewers from both genders and all age ranges, it just seemed a little strange that it was a teenage boy who seemed to recognize me.”
“That Julian’s an observant one,” his mom said. “Him and Jessica both, actually.”
“Well, I really do appreciate his discretion.”
Once dinner was cleaned up, Anna excused herself to go to her room, and when she grabbed her laptop, Eli assumed it was to work on her video. He would have liked to spend the evening with her, but just like her, he had work to do. Taking Shadow with him, Eli drove his truck back to his place to spend a few hours on his woodwork projects.
The next morning, Anna joined them for church. Eli hadn’t been sure that she would come with them since she hadn’t the week before, so he was thrilled when she’d said she wanted to go with them. He’d seen the curious looks people gave her although it wasn’t as if it was the first time guests at the lodge had attended church with them. After the service, Anna had spoken with a couple of people, both of whom appeared to have met her before. Most likely on the rounds she’d made of the town when she’d first arrived.
They had dinner back at the lodge—a roast chicken his mom had put in the oven before they’d left earlier. Once the meal was over, and the dishes were all cleared away, Eli asked Anna if she wanted to go on a hike.
“You mean like climb a mountain?” Anna asked, a skeptical look on her face.
“Well, climb a bit of a mountain. It’s not a super high one, and if we start from my place, we’re already partway there.”
“Do I need special gear? I mean, I have runners with me but no hiking boots or anything like that.”
“You don’t need boots. We won’t be trailblazing, so runners should be fine. The path is well used.”
“Okay. Sure. It might be fun.” She waved to the stairs. “I’ll go get changed.”
“I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”
Eli made a quick trip to his room and changed into a worn pair of jeans, a flannel shirt, and his runners. After putting on his baseball cap and picking up his backpack, he headed to the kitchen where he grabbed several water bottles and some granola bars and trail mix. His mom kept a good supply of all of that for guests who wanted to go out hiking.
As he left the kitchen, Shadow followed him, as if knowing what Eli was planning. The dog enjoyed the outdoors, and now that he was older and better trained, Eli didn’t have to worry about him running off, so he often took him out without a leash.
They’d gotten him as a puppy just before his dad had left, and in the turmoil that had followed, Shadow had become Eli’s, well…shadow. During his year in hiding after Sheila’s disappearance, he’d traipsed all over the land his family owned and even some they didn’t. Shadow had been his only companion on those long walks as Eli had tried to figure out how he was supposed to live the rest of his life with the stigma of being a murder suspect.
He was out on the front porch, backpack over his shoulder, Shadow sitting at his feet, when Anna walked out of the lodge. She wore a pair of dark jeans and a turtleneck shirt under a light jacket. In her hand, she carried a knit cap and gloves.
“Your mom said I’d probably need these,” she said as she put the gloves in her pocket then tugged the cap on.
“She’s right. If the sun disappears behind the clouds for any length of time, it can get chilly.” He went over to the truck and opened the front door for her then opened the back door and whistled for Shadow. “I figured we’d take the truck up to my place and start there since this is the first time you’ve done this hike.”
“I’d say you didn’t have to take it easy on me, but I’m smart enough to keep my mouth shut,” Anna said with a laugh.
“Well, I’m not viewing this as a workout like some of the hikes I take.” Eli started the truck. “This is more of a stroll to show you a bit more of our land.”
It only took a couple of minutes to get to his place, but once there, they didn’t go inside. Instead, he led her around the house to where one of the trails passed by. The path had been cleared long ago, so the earth was packed down firmly by years of use. It still got a bit muddy when it rained too hard, but the covering of trees overhead shielded it most of the time.
That day, the sun shining through the branches above them cast a dappled pattern on the path. There was a breeze, a gentle brush of air that caused the trees to rustle around them, bringing with it the scents of fall. The leaves that had already fallen crunched beneath their shoes as they walked.
Even all these years later, Eli
would come out to hike when he was feeling agitated or bothered by something, in addition to doing it for exercise. And while his motivation that day was to spend more time with Anna, he also wanted to show her the beauty of fall in the place he called home. As they walked along the trail, he felt a blanket of peace settle over him. The sounds of nature reminded him that this was the world in which he was most comfortable. A place that embraced him without judgement.
Anna moved ahead of him on the path, tipping her head back every once in a while. She seemed as enthralled with the beauty around her as he often was. When the path widened for a stretch, Eli jogged to catch up with her.
“It’s beautiful, Eli,” Anna said, her voice hushed as if she didn’t want to disrupt the sounds of nature. “I’ve never been much of an outdoors person, but I’m starting to reconsider.”
“Even some of us who have lived here with this around us aren’t outdoors people. Sarah, for example. She loves to paint nature, but by and large, she doesn’t like to be out here hiking in it.”
“I suppose I understand that. Just because you have access to something that others might take full advantage of, doesn’t mean you have to enjoy it. Like me, for instance. I live close to the ocean, but that doesn’t mean I’m out there constantly.”
“I don’t go to the beach much myself,” Eli said. “I much prefer the mountains.”
“I can see why.” Anna tipped her head back again, then stumbled as she apparently missed seeing a root on the uneven path.
Eli reached out to grab her arm to keep her from falling. “That’s the hardest part of hiking, keeping your eyes on the scenery and the ground at the same time.”
She gazed up at him, a smile on her lips. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Eli knew he needed to release her, to put some distance between them, but right then, he felt like everything was perfect.
There was no pending interrogation. No threats sent from an unknown person. No demands to participate in an anniversary service. No worries about his responsibilities for his family. Just him, nature, and the woman who was rapidly claiming his heart. The one who looked at him like she was feeling some of the same things he was.
Before the words lurking within him could spill out, Shadow brushed up against their legs, breaking the moment that had been woven around them. Eli released Anna and reached down to ruffle his fingers through the dog’s fur.
“Let’s keep going,” he said, casting a glance at Anna. “There’s a nice place further up the mountain where we can stop. It has a terrific view.”
They walked side by side for a little bit further then, as the path narrowed once more, he stepped back to allow Anna to go ahead again. Though the trail was one of the easier ones, Anna was still fairly winded by the time they reached the stopping point he’d mentioned. She flopped down on the bench and took several deep breaths.
“I am so out of shape it’s embarrassing.” Anna stretched her legs out as Eli sat down next to her.
“Don’t worry about it. Lots of people can’t hike the trails around here without needing a break. That’s why my grandfather made this bench and had it put here. There are several benches at varying spots along the trails for people needing to rest.” He swung the backpack down to rest between his feet and unzipped it. He handed her a bottle of water and a granola bar. “So you’re in good company.”
“Thank you,” she said as she took them. “I didn’t even think about bringing water with me. Talk about being poorly prepared.”
Eli pulled out the small dog bowl he carried with him and emptied one of the bottles into it. Shadow trotted over and lapped loudly at the water.
Anna reached out to touch Shadow’s back. “You’re a good doggy daddy.”
“He’s good for me too,” Eli said. “He keeps me company.”
“If I ever got a dog, it would have to be a tiny one. You know, one that would fit in my bag.”
Eli laughed. “Shadow would probably blow a dog like that right off their feet with one sneeze.”
Shadow abandoned his bowl and began to sniff around the trees that surrounded them. His sounds blended in with the nature around them, including the birds chirping high in the trees.
“I can see why you’d never want to leave here,” Anna said a few minutes later. She looked over at him. “You’re as much a part of this place as this place is a part of you.”
Eli wasn’t sure if he wanted to agree with her or not. It almost sounded like she was reminding herself that he couldn’t—wouldn’t—leave New Hope Falls. “I guess maybe we’re the product of our environments.”
“If we were to date,” Anna began, her gaze on the trees in front of them. She paused, her brow furrowing as she seemed to reconsider what she was going to say. “Do you really think this could work between us?”
Eli hesitated, not sure what she wanted him to say. She’d seemed open to the idea, even thought it was possible just a few days ago. If she hadn’t felt that way, why would she have even entertained the idea of them dating?
“I haven’t been here that long, and already I have to go back to LA.” She rubbed her hand on her thigh. “And it’s not likely to be the only time. Sometimes I have to go to New York as well.”
Had she changed her mind? Was she trying to give him reasons for why it wouldn’t work between them? He would never demand that she not leave New Hope Falls— though it was hard not to want to do just that since his father had left New Hope for business and had never come back to them. Would Anna do the same thing? Would she one day grow bored with living in a small town? She seemed very enamored with it at the moment, but how long would that last?
“I can’t leave here,” Eli said. “I can’t abandon the girls and my mom the way my dad did.”
“I understand that.” Anna glanced over at him. “It’s just that, short of abandoning my whole career, I can’t commit to staying here all the time. Would that be something you’d be okay with?”
Eli wanted to say yes. To say that he believed if they both wanted to build a relationship, it would work. But he didn’t even know for certain that she’d return after this very first trip from New Hope Falls to LA. Maybe she’d get back there—to her home—and realize that while this had been a nice break, a perfect vacation, her life was really there in a place where he could never live.
“Maybe this is something we need to discuss when you get back from LA.” If she came back. “You’ll only be gone three days, right?”
“Right. Yeah. Okay. Maybe that would be better.”
The environment seemed to be in tune with the shift in the conversation between them because what had been light and airy on the hike up had turned weighty and dark. In the same way, the sky above them darkened, clouds blocking the sun from casting light amongst the shadows, and the wind began to move the branches of the trees more viciously.
“It looks like it might start to rain,” Eli said. “We’d better head back.”
He gathered up their trash as well as Shadow’s water bowl then whistled for the dog. Shadow led the way down the trail with Anna behind him while Eli brought up the rear. The walk down went much more quickly than the one up had, no doubt because Anna was no longer focused on the scenery around her. She kept her head bent, gaze on the trail, and didn’t have any more missteps as they made their way down the trail to his place.
The clouds began to spit on them the last hundred feet or so, and by the time they made it around the house and into the truck, it had begun to rain more steadily. Even though he would have preferred to stay longer with her on the mountain, it appeared that all things considered, them leaving the mountain when they did, had been the right decision.
“Thank you for taking me on the hike,” Anna said as he pulled his truck back into the spot between her rental and his mom’s car at the lodge.
“You’re welcome.” He turned the ignition off then shifted to look at her. “I can still drive you to the airport tomorrow.”
“You don’t
have to do that,” Anna said, petting Shadow as he poked his head between the front seats. “It’s a super early flight. It leaves at seven, so I’ll have to be there around six.”
“I don’t mind. An early morning wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for me. I’ve got plenty of work to do, so it might actually be good.”
She looked skeptical as she said, “If you’re sure.”
“I’m positive.” And he was. Despite how awkwardly things had ended up on the mountain, he still wanted to spend time with her. Perhaps what little time they had left.
“The only way I could convince my team to be happy with just three days was if I arrived early on day one and left late on day three.” She looked up from Shadow and gave him a small smile. “I want to be back in time for the Fall Festival.”
“That doesn’t start until the weekend, so you’ll be back in plenty of time.”
“Don’t tell my team. I needed an excuse to leave as early as possible. I’m sure your mom and Norma could use some help.”
“No doubt,” Eli agreed. “There are always plenty of things to do in the days leading up to the festival.”
“That’s good. I want to be of help.”
A lull came in the rain, so they quickly got out of the truck. Eli opened the back door, so Shadow could jump out, then jogged to catch up to Anna as she climbed the steps to the porch.
“So I guess we need to leave by five-thirty to make it to the airport by six,” Eli said as he opened the door and waved her to precede him inside.
“The airport’s not super busy, is it?” she asked.
Eli chuckled. “No, not very. It’s a pretty small airport.”
“I did wonder because there weren’t a lot of flights departing from there to LA.”
Sunday nights were usually fend for yourself meals since they’d had a big dinner following church, so it was no surprise to find the kitchen empty. His mom had probably gone to see Norma, while Sarah was most likely hanging out with a few of her friends. Leah, no doubt, was downstairs in her room doing whatever it was she did when she closed herself off.
A Love So Real: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 1) Page 24
