Page 27 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

“You’re right,” she said eventually. “I totally judged you on how you look. That was wrong of me, and I apologize.”

“You don’t need to. I get it. We’re humans – that’s what we do. But we’re past that stage now. Now, we can put all that aside and get to know each other as …”

“Friends?” The disappointment in her voice was easy to hear.

He reached across the console and waggled his fingers. She placed her hand in his and he wrapped his fingers around hers. A rush of warmth filled his chest. Her hand felt small, warm, soft … right.

“More than friends.”

He glanced over at her, and she looked serious as she met his gaze. He waited, wondering what she might say, but she didn’t speak. Instead, she gave him a slight nod and squeezed his hand.

~ ~ ~

Half an hour later, Everly held the travel mug tight in both hands as the truck bumped down a rutted dirt road. Tanner had given her the choice of driving up to a restaurant in town for a sit-down breakfast or picking something up from the bakery. Since the bakery option would mean more of the amazing coffee, and he said that if they got a to-go order, he could take her to see a lake in the mountains, it had been an easy decision.

She’d driven around the valley a little since she arrived, and it was stunningly beautiful just from the highway, but she couldn’t wait to see more of it.

“Nearly there,” Tanner told her. “You don’t have to wait; you can eat your burrito on the way if you want.”

“I’m good. Do you want me to unwrap yours for you?

“No thanks. I can wait.”

A few minutes later, the road, which was more like a trail now, turned away from the base of the mountains, and she gasped at the sight of the lake.

“Wow! It’s so beautiful. I would never have guessed that this was here. Everywhere seems so dry and parched, and then … there’s this.”

Tanner nodded happily. “I love this place. We used to come here all the time when we were kids. I’m glad you chose this option.”

“Me too.”

He drove past a few picnic tables that were scattered around and finally parked the truck next to the very last one. There wasn’t another soul to be seen. At least, not another human.

Tanner tapped her arm and pointed through the windshield. She looked in the direction he was pointing, but she couldn’t see anything unusual on the sage and juniper-dotted slope of the foothills.

He beckoned for her to come closer, and when she leaned in, he pressed his cheek against hers and held his finger out in front of her face. Following the line of his finger, she easily spotted them – a herd of elk!

“Wow! They’re so beautiful.”

“Right?” He nodded his agreement.

“Do they – don’t laugh at me. Do they just roam the mountains and go where they please? Or is this some kind of nature preserve or something?”

“They just roam free. I mean, Yellowstone’s only thirty miles down the road, and of course there are plenty that live there. And bison, too. In the winter they come down from the high country to where it’s warmer, but these guys live here year-round.”

Everly watched them. They weren’t stupid; they moved rapidly across the open country, and more slowly as they made their way along the tree line. After they’d all disappeared into the trees, she realized that her cheek was still pressed against Tanner’s.

She turned to look at him, and found his big, green eyes smiling back at her. “Cool, huh?”

“Incredibly cool! Although, you surprise me. I would have thought that it was an everyday kind of thing for you to see them.”

“It is, but it never gets old. And it’s awesome to share it with you. You should see the look on your face.”

She shrugged. “I’m not going to deny it. I’m blown away! To see those great big creatures like that – and so many of them – and to know that they’re just wild, and free. That they’re living their lives out here, undisturbed by humans. I … It’s amazing! As a species, we’ve screwed up so many things; I love seeing that this …” she swept her arm out in front of her “… is still out here. That even while we’re going about our busy lives in our busy towns and cities, life here is still unaffected by it all.”

To her surprise, Tanner leaned in closer and brushed his lips over hers. When he pulled his head back, his eyes seemed to twinkle.

“What was that for?” she asked.

---