*
Honestly, if I wasn’t so in love with New Orleans, I would move here. The morning air is crisp as I make my way on the trail around the lake. The woman at the front desk told me that the trail actually goes all the way around the lake, but I won’t make it that far.
Today.
But I will explore it on my day off this weekend. For this morning, I’m just jogging down about a mile and back. The cold air filling my lungs feels amazing, and the view continues to stun me.
Who knew that deep down I was a mountain girl?
Amazing.
Suddenly there’s a clearing and a small beach leading to the water, so I stop running and walk down on the coarse sand. It’s flat enough to stand here and move through a few yoga poses, so I do. The sky is the biggest and bluest I’ve ever seen, and the mountains are reflected in the water.
This is as peaceful as I’ve ever felt in my life.
It’s a damn shame I had to come all the way to Montana to find this.
I stand and take a few deep breaths, but footsteps behind me have me turning, my hand poised over the bear spray clipped to my waistband.
But it’s Simon.
Not a bear or a mountain lion.
So I turn back without a word and take another deep breath.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he murmurs as he stands next to me. He’s tall, probably as tall as my brothers, who stand at close to six and a half feet. And without my heels, I feel incredibly short next to him.
I glance up at him quickly and nod. “I love it.”
“Glacier Park is nearby,” he says, Britain falling off his tongue and making my stomach clench. His voice is like melted butter. Thank God he’s not smiling at me right now. The combination could be lethal. “I’ve hiked through there many times.”
“How long have you been coming here?” I ask and tip my head back so I can look up at his face. His eyes, the same color as the sky, are trained on the mountains.
“About three years,” he replies. He looks like he wants to say more, but he doesn’t. He glances down at me and smiles, and my stomach drops.
God, that smile could end wars.
“If you have time, I recommend taking a day up in the Park. If you think this is beautiful, it will astonish you.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
He nods and shuffles his feet, crosses his arms over his chest, and we stand here, quietly, for a long moment, taking it all in. A bald eagle soars out of the trees, over the water, and suddenly dives down to pluck a fish from the water, then circles back to his tree.
“Did that just happen?” I whisper in awe.
“Indeed,” he replies softly. And then, without looking at me, he whispers, “Why are you here, Charly?”
“Because my sister made me,” I reply immediately and grin. “Childish, I suppose.”
“She made you?” He raises a brow and looks down at me. “What would the punishment be if you refused?”
“Refusing was never an option,” I say without thinking. “And Van isn’t the type to hand out punishments.”
No, she was on the receiving end of punishments for too long to dole them out.
We stand in silence again. It’s true that I came because of Van, but I came for me, too. I’m woman enough to admit it.
I needed a break. And maybe I needed to step back and take stock of things.
“I don’t know what I need,” I say, surprising both of us. “But I do know that I’m here because my sister isn’t strong enough to be here herself yet.”
I look up into the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen and into an ocean of questions. Before he can press for more, I smile and back away.
“If I’m going to make it to a lecture in an hour, I’d better get back to shower and get ready.”
“You look beautiful,” he replies and I think he means it. I wrinkle my nose.
“I’ve been running,” I remind him. “See you later.”
And with that, I run away, from the sexy man standing at the edge of the water and the troubling thoughts he’s stirred up in my head.
Damn him.
Chapter Two
~Simon~
“Okay, now take a deep breath.” I’m sitting on the edge of the stage, watching the women in the room. Some are seated at their tables with their heads down. Some are lying on the floor.
The room is silent, periodically broken by sniffles and soft sobs.
Today’s exercise is always a difficult one, for them and for me.
“You are magnificent women,” I say softly. “You are precious, just like the baby in the basket. You wouldn’t hurt that baby. You would comfort her. Hold her gently. Say sweet words to her.
“So why then, do you abuse yourself as an adult? I want you to take another deep breath, and then sit up carefully. Today has been an emotional one. I never said this journey was going to be an easy one.”