Page 16 of Broken Mountain Man

"Russell?" Her voice breaks through my wandering thoughts. "Did you hear me?"

"Yeah, uh, we can head to the lake when we're done here," I manage to grit out. "For now, just pay attention."

Nodding at the bushes again, I force myself to explain which berries are safe for consumption and which ones can make you deathly ill if ingested. Lyla listens intently, seemingly unaware of the war I'm waging to keep my thoughts from straying down inappropriate paths.

By the time I've covered the basics, a light sheen of sweat glistens on my brow despite the cool morning air. I squeeze my eyes shut briefly, fighting off a wave of frustration with myself.

This reckless attraction to a stranger is quickly spiraling out of control.

The sooner I can get Lyla on her way and out of my disrupted life, the better for both of us. Before I do something unforgivably stupid that we will both regret.

"Are you done with the lesson?" Lyla asks once I've finished my overview of edible vegetation.

I shoot her a pointed look.

"Did you actually absorb any of that, or were you too busy thinking about your shower?"

She huffs out an exasperated breath.

"Yes, I listened! I just feel gross without a chance to clean up, that's all."

With a curt nod, I start retracing our steps back towards my cabin and the nearby lake.

"Alright then, let's get moving."

To my surprise, Lyla falls into stride beside me rather than following behind this time.

"So, did you pick up all this survival know-how in the military or after you started living out here?"

I tense slightly at her, circling back to my history, but force myself to reply evenly.

"A bit of both, I suppose. But the skills from my service days helped me adjust to this lifestyle more easily."

"You were being honest? You built that little cabin all by yourself?" She glances over at me, eyes widening with a hint of admiration.

My chest inexplicably puffs out a bit at her words.

"That's right. I had to learn pretty quickly how to construct a basic shelter that could withstand the elements."

Lyla shakes her head slowly, "That's amazing, Russell. You should be really proud of yourself for basically starting over like that from scratch."

The simple compliment lodges in my throat, thick and choking. I nod, blinking hard against the unwelcome sting in my eyes.

It's been so long since anyone expressed anything resembling pride over my accomplishments - not since before that fateful day that ripped my best friend from this world and obliterated everything I thought I knew about myself.

Swallowing hard, I force my gaze forward, fixing it on our path as we continue onwards in silence. I can't allow myself to unravel now, not over something as inconsequential as an offhand kindness from a stranger who will soon be gone.

"You alright over there?" Lyla's voice breaks through my momentary lapse.

"Yeah, I'm fine. We're almost to the lake, anyway." I reply, shoving aside the unexpected swell of emotion.

Sure enough, we soon emerge into the small clearing surrounding the pristine water source. Lyla pauses, taking in the picturesque scene with an appreciative gaze.

"Wow, I never would have guessed it was this pretty back here."

"It's my favorite spot in these woods," I admit gruffly.

She glances over at me with a small smile.

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