by Darcy Burke
“Very true.” They reached the top of the rise, where the view of the surrounding countryside was gorgeous and they could even catch glimpses of Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens.
She turned a slow, complete circle. “This is so beautiful.”
“One of my favorite views,” he said, trying not to stare too hard at her. She was incredibly pretty. He wished she wasn’t wearing her sunglasses so he could see the pale blue irises of her eyes. They reminded him of a babbling brook, where the water was clear and pristine.
He pulled his attention from her. “Ready to eat?”
“Sure.”
He walked to a grassy patch, pulled off his pack, and sat down. “I hope you like turkey. I tried to go with something universal-ish.”
She dropped to the grass beside him, and set her pack next to his. “What isn’t universal? Just curious.”
“I don’t know…tuna, maybe?”
“Good point. I actually don’t care for tuna sandwiches.”
He handed her one of the sandwiches he’d made that morning. “Yay me.”
She unwrapped the plastic. “Good choice of bread. This looks delicious.” The sandwiches were on little baguettes with aioli, arugula, and swiss cheese.
“I have apples and some trail mix too.”
“Sounds great. I’m starved.”
He pulled the fruit and nuts from his pack and set them on the grass between them. They ate in silence for a few minutes.
After she finished off her turkey sandwich, she licked the edge of her mouth. It was incredibly erotic. Or maybe only to Luke, who’d somehow taken on the role of sex-starved lothario today. “You make a mean sandwich, Luke Westcott. Thank you.”
She sipped from her water pack, and Luke decided he was far too fixated on her mouth. And every other part of her.
Get it together, man.
He’d finished his sandwich and downed a few handfuls of nuts before getting up. “I suppose we should head back.” He checked his phone for the time. It was nearing one.
She got to her feet. “Sounds good. Ready when you are.”
On the trip back, he focused on distracting topics, such as movies and books.
“I love that you read books,” she said, smiling at him. “Sometimes I worry it’s a lost art.”
“And that’s a librarian’s worst nightmare, I’d imagine.”
She laughed. “Actually, that’s censorship. At least for me. So let’s see, your favorite genre is outdoors or environmental nonfiction. Do you read any fiction?”
“Sure. I like spy thrillers. And some speculative fiction. I got a little burned out on that, though. Lately, I’ve started reading historical fiction.”
“I’d be happy to recommend some titles when you come by the library.”
The trail narrowed a bit, and the surrounding foliage was thick. “Thanks, I’d really appreciate that. I’ll be sure to stop in soon.”
She looked over at him and didn’t see the branch until it smacked her in the eye.
Luke hadn’t seen it either because his attention was too focused on her instead of their surroundings. He also wasn’t fast enough to catch her before she fell.
The stinging pain brought tears to Kelsey’s eyes as her knees buckled. She shouldn’t have fallen over at all, but she’d been hit too many times, and her reflex was to ball herself up. Not that she did that exactly; she just ended up on her butt.
Luke immediately dropped down beside her. “Are you okay?”
She blinked, but the pain was still there. The branch had snapped against her left eye—the side that had always taken the most abuse. “I’ll be fine.”
How many times had she told herself that? She took a deep breath, held it for a count of three, and slowly let it out. How many times had she done that too?
“Hey, you’re bleeding a little.” He shrugged out of his backpack and brought it around to unzip the main pocket. He drew out a first aid kit and found a piece of gauze that he dabbed against her brow, just above her eye.
She couldn’t stop herself from flinching. He’s trying to help you, she reminded herself.
“Yikes, that really hurts, doesn’t it? I’m so sorry, Kelsey.”
“It’s not your fault.” Those words tasted so damn bitter on her tongue, which was stupid because in this case it hadn’t been his fault. Goddammit, had Noah absolutely ruined her?
She already knew the answer to that.
“I wish I had some ice to put on that,” he said. He stared at her with such care, his brow creased, his brown eyes tinged with concern. Close up, she could see the fine stubble along his jaw. She’d never seen him quite clean-shaven, which she found incredibly sexy.
“It’s all right, I’m good.” She tried to stand, but he reached out and took her hand, then pulled her down.
“Let’s just sit for a minute. Let you regain your equilibrium. And then I can put a bandage on this.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Come on, I have a whole first aid kit I barely ever use. Please let me use a bandage?”
A smile crept over her, and she relaxed.
He plucked some antibacterial spray from the kit and removed the gauze he’d been holding against her. “Looks like it stopped bleeding.” He sprayed the wound and put the medicine away, then withdrew a bandage, which he tried to open and failed. “Who the hell designed these wrappers?”
She took it from him, her fingers grazing his. “Let me.”
She tore it open—it wasn’t easy—and handed it back to him.
“Excellent. Remind me to call you when I can’t open the pickle jar either.”
She smiled again, loving his sense of humor and how comfortable he made her feel.
He placed the bandage against the wound and glided his fingertips over it to smooth the adhesive against her. “There. All better.” His hand lingered, his fingers stroking her forehead and temple.
She couldn’t look away from his mesmerizing gaze—it was intense but also calming. Then his eyes narrowed, and his fingers brushed along her hairline. “Ouch, what’s this scar from?”
Oh shit. She’d been so caught up in the moment that she’d forgotten that was there. And with her hair pulled back into a braid, it was far more noticeable than when her hair was loose. She had a rehearsed excuse, but it froze on her tongue. The words that came out instead shocked the hell out of her.
“My ex broke a beer bottle over my head.”
His gaze widened, mirroring her own surprise. What the hell had she just done?
“God, Kelsey,” he breathed, his voice low and dark. “Where is that son of a bitch now?”
“Prison. Thankfully.”
“Good, because if I ever see him, I might have to return the favor. Or worse.” The brown of his eyes turned nearly black, and a wave of anxiety crested over her. She appreciated his sentiment, but if he was the type of guy that resorted to violence, she didn’t want any part of him. Not even as a friend.
She backed away and was glad that he let her. Standing, she brushed her hands against her thighs. “Thanks, uh, for taking care of that.”
He put the bandage wrapper and the first aid kit into the backpack and zipped it up. He moved slowly, and she could practically hear the gears of his mind turning. Why on earth had she told him that? She didn’t talk about Noah or his abuse. Not outside of reporting it to the police and begrudgingly telling her family why they’d broken up. She’d considered hiding it from them too—God, it was beyond humiliating—but had ultimately spilled the beans. What a mistake that had been, given her mother’s characteristically unsympathetic response.
He pulled the backpack over his shoulders and looked at her, his lips pressed together. “Kelsey—”
“Can we forget I said anything? We were having such a nice day.” She just wanted to get back to the car. And then spend thirty minutes driving back with him. Ugh, what a disaster.
“No, we can’t. That’s a big deal.” He pulled his hat off and ran his free han
d through his hair. “But we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. If you ever do, I’d be happy to listen. No, it would be my privilege to listen.” The darkness had gone from his gaze and was replaced with a simple sincerity and warmth that made her breath hitch.
“Thank you. I appreciate that more than you can know.”
He put his hat back on and nodded. “Okay then, should we continue?”
“Absolutely.”
The conversation was intermittent at best until they were almost back to the car. “I’m sorry if I ruined the hike,” she said.
His head swung toward her. “Not at all. I was just thinking what a great time I had. You’re a terrific hike partner. We’ve done almost six miles, and you haven’t slowed a bit. Even after taking a branch to the face.”
“Is it bad if I admit that I’m glad we’re almost back?”
He chuckled. “Not at all. I respect your honesty. You know, that bandage makes you look rather dashing—not quite a pirate, but definitely bordering on badass.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“I definitely meant it as a compliment.” They emerged from the trail into the parking lot. “And here we are.” He unlocked the car and opened the back.
“That was great. Thanks again for inviting me.”
He took a long drink from his pack before pulling it off and tossing it into the Jeep. “Thanks for coming. I hope you’ll hike with me again some time.”
She took off her pack and set it in the car. “I’d like that.”
“Great.” He sat on the bumper. “So, this coming weekend is the Ribbon Ridge Oktoberfest. Have you been before?”
She nodded, tensing for what might come next. And she was right.
“Would you like to go with me? Whenever you can fit it into your schedule.”
She did have Saturday evening off. She could say yes. But that didn’t mean she should. Today had been fun, but after telling Luke about Noah… She wanted to crawl into a hole and bury her head for a week. Or forever.
“I’m actually really booked up this weekend. Two jobs and all that.”
He turned his head away from her slightly and looked out toward the road. “Right. I get that. Well, if you change your mind, or your schedule frees up, let me know.”
He sounded disappointed. She actually felt a little disappointed, but it was for the best. There’d been a moment—okay, several moments—when she’d felt so comfortable with him…so drawn to him. How else could she explain telling him about Noah? She’d never done that and even now couldn’t quite understand why she’d done it. Had she known that he would be so supportive? He hadn’t pressed her in the slightest, and that gave her something she hadn’t felt in a long time: hope.
For what? A relationship? She tried to imagine how that would work. She hadn’t even been able to handle him tending her wound without shrinking away. What would happen when he kissed her or touched her…intimately? The last year or so with Noah had been so awful.
Yep, she was ruined. Her heart ached.
Luke stood up from the bumper. “You ready?”
She sensed his impatience. Or frustration. Or both. “Yep.” She moved away from the back end and went to the passenger door as he shut the hatch.
Once they were in the Jeep, he fired up the engine and pulled out of the lot.
After five minutes or so, he yanked his hat off and tossed it into the backseat, then ran his hand through his hair, making it stand up. It gave him a just-rolled-out-of-bed look that was far sexier than it ought to be. Kelsey tried to ignore the visceral reaction burgeoning in her gut. She hadn’t been attracted to someone in so long. The sensation was a bit frightening.
“Any chance you want to tell me about your ex?” he asked, keeping his gaze on the road. “Nothing major. How long were you together?”
She didn’t want to tell him. She kept hoping that chapter in her life would just miraculously disappear. Hence the reason she never talked about it. Maybe if she didn’t, she could pretend it had never happened. Except things like the scar he’d noticed would always be there to remind her. And someday, Noah would get out of prison, and she’d have to deal with that. Her stomach knotted.
“We met in college. We were together about six years.”
That sounded so awful. How could she not have known better?
“I imagine you had some happy times.”
The knot in her stomach vaulted to her throat. How could he know that? How did he know just the right thing to say to ease the tension curdling through her? “We did.”
Until she’d gone to grad school in Seattle. He’d come with her and hated every minute of living in the urban environment. He’d hit her a few times in college, but things had worsened in Seattle. It had started with him throwing things, followed by putting his fist through the wall. He’d progressed to shoving her or grabbing her hard enough to leave bruises and on to slapping and occasionally closed-fist punching. Then the hitting had become more regular, but still not bad enough for her to realize what was happening. At the time, at least. In retrospect, she’d been an idiot.
He’d saved his grand performance—beating the crap out of her—for when they’d moved far away from family. From his comfort zone. In small-town Oregon, he’d been able to isolate her, to ensure that he was her sole relationship. And she’d fallen into that trap like an idiot. She clasped her hands in her lap and squeezed as her agitation built.
“How’d he end up in prison? I mean, did you have a trial and all that?”
She would’ve, if it had been necessary, but Noah had taken the plea deal. “He pled guilty to assault.”
“I’m glad you didn’t have to go through a trial. Not after everything else.”
He had no idea what she’d been through. He was making assumptions. And yet, he was absolutely right. And he got it. Or seemed to anyway. She didn’t know what to do with that.
She shifted in her seat. “I’m sorry, but can we talk about something else?”
“Of course. I’m sorry. I’m just… I’m upset. Which is dumb, I guess.”
“It isn’t.” She’d so wanted someone to respond this way when it had happened, but she hadn’t had any friends—Noah had done a great job of isolating her from everyone. And her mother had blamed her. Gram would’ve been there for her, but Grandpa had just died, and Kelsey hadn’t wanted to burden her. “I appreciate your concern. Truly. But I like to leave it in the past where it belongs.”
“I get that. Do you mind my asking when this happened?”
“About two years ago.” She remembered that night so vividly. Summer had just turned to fall, and she’d been so looking forward to the holiday season. They’d started talking about marriage, and she’d been certain he would propose. Now she knew she’d dodged a bullet.
“That was here, then,” he said. “In Ribbon Ridge. I remember meeting you at least two years ago.”
“Yes.” They’d been living in the area maybe three or four months. She angled herself away from him and focused out the passenger-side window, hoping he’d drop the subject.
“Damn, I keep talking about it, sorry. I’m a dick.” He exhaled. “So, I had a girlfriend before.” He let out a sharp laugh. “That sounded stupid. I had a girlfriend in California. We tried a long-distance thing when I moved back here, but it didn’t work out.”
She turned back toward him, grateful for the change in topic. The fact that he was offering up his own love life for discussion intrigued her. “Was it because the relationship was long distance, or was it doomed before that?”
He slid her a glance tinged with admiration. “You’re very astute. It wasn’t great. I think I knew that. Hell, it was probably part of why I decided to come back.”
“Ouch. That’s pretty telling if you have to move to another state.”
“Yeah, I guess. Wait, that’s not fair. Paige is a nice person. I still like her, actually.” He sounded a bit confused. Or surprised. Like he hadn’t expected to say that.
&nbs
p; Kelsey couldn’t imagine a conciliatory breakup. “That’s nice. You’re lucky.”
They were nearing Ribbon Ridge, and Kelsey looked forward to getting home, jumping in the shower, and being alone. Except she’d told Gram she’d drop by her new apartment after the hike. Kelsey had offered to cancel and help, but Gram had insisted she keep her “date.”
Kelsey looked over at Luke. His profile was devilishly handsome with his sexy stubble and the firm line of his jaw. “Luke?”
He flicked her a glance. “Yeah?”
“Was today a date?”
“Uh. I sort of thought so, but I’m not really sure. Does it matter?”
It was what it was, right? She’d had a good time. Until she’d messed it up. “I guess not. I just wanted to, you know, understand your expectations. You know what, never mind. I had a good time, and that’s all that matters.”
He nodded firmly. “Absolutely.”
They were quiet until he pulled into Ribbon Ridge. “Are you going to work after I drop you off?” he asked.
It was nearing four. She had plenty of time to go to the library and get a couple of hours in, but no, she’d go visit Gram. She looked at him askance. “No. Are you?”
“Ha! Maybe. We’ll see how I feel after I shower. I’m sure I have plenty of e-mail from Cam to read. He’s busy coordinating our first wine club dinner in a couple of weeks, and he’s adamant that we all chime in. But really, what the hell do I know about planning an event?”
“Probably more than you realize. I mean, you know what you like, right?”
His gaze shot toward her and lingered. “I do.”
Heat pooled in her belly, and she wondered if she ought to let her guard down. He was pretty great. But the nagging fear that he could be someone entirely different from what he presented was nearly crippling.
She didn’t respond because she couldn’t think of a thing to say. He pulled onto Main Street and got into the right lane. There weren’t any open parking spots in front of her building, so he had to turn the corner.
“You can just drop me here,” she said.
He slowed the car. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s no problem.”
He pulled into an empty loading zone. “It’s also not very gentlemanly of me to let you out around the block from your apartment. I wanted to park and walk you to your door.”
