Page 11 of Forever Theirs

ASPEN

Crisp, clean air flowed through my nose as I inhaled deeply and held it until it burned in my lungs, then slowly released it through pursed lips. Over and over, I repeated the calming exercise while sitting on the hard composite wood planks of the back porch, gazing out at the gorgeous view of several snow-covered mountain peaks that glinted in the bright afternoon sun. Or was it early evening? With no phone or watch to monitor the time and a desperate need to unplug, plus the nearly sixteen hours of sunlight during this time of year, it made it difficult to know exactly how long I’d been sitting here, lost in thought.

The short nighttime hours would make getting enough sleep here tough, but it also had its benefits. Longer days and more hours of natural light than back home meant additional time out on the trails and in the mountains taking pictures.

With a content sigh, I plucked the Uplift Adventure and Rescue brochure—the one Aiden made sure I had several copies of after he helped carry my bags into the cabin—off the porch beside me and scanned the offerings.

“Ugh, how is a girl supposed to choose?” I groused to myself and flipped back to the first section to review all the options again.

Everything looked fun and amazing, and there were way too many great options to pick from. I wanted to book every single one, but there was no way, considering I only had seven days in Anchor Bay before having to go back to my shit-show life. A heavy weight settled in my chest, making me work for each inhale. With the heel of my hand pressed to my sternum, I rubbed to dispel the building pressure created by just thinking about Seattle.

What the hell will my life look like after this spontaneous trip is over?

There was no way I could, or would want to, go back to the magazine after my abrupt and unprofessional exit. Hell, even the thought of returning to that big city filled with pollution, surrounded by strangers, and the soul-eating loneliness I felt every day made my heart race with anxiety. That wasn’t living. It was barely surviving, just going through the motions.

I didn’t want to go back, not when being here for less than half a day showed me there was so much more out there. A happier life, one where I didn’t dread waking up in the mornings to do it all over again.

This was my chance to reset the trajectory of my future, just like what Aiden called this random, crazy trip, and he couldn’t have been more right. Sitting on the back porch of the very basic single-occupancy cabin, staring out at the mountains, with the clean air rustling my hair, caressing my skin, and filling my lungs, settled me in a way I hadn’t felt in too long.

This place just felt right. As if I was exactly where I was meant to be.

A soft knock on the cottage door had me unfolding my pretzeled legs and standing with a groan. On the way to answer the door, I glanced at the wall clock. The corners of my lips pulled up into a giddy smirk. Aiden was five minutes early for the celebratory drinks we planned before he left earlier, and somehow, I knew that wasn’t the norm for him. With his easygoing nature, I had a feeling he was the type of person who ran a few minutes late wherever he went.

I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, giving it a quick twist and slowly easing open the heavy wood, verifying through the three-inch crack that it was in fact Aiden waiting on the other side before opening the door all the way. Holy hell, the man was beyond gorgeous. He’d changed into a basic deep green T-shirt that hugged his chest and arms, paired with dark-washed jeans, and he seemed to have at least tried to fix his floppy hair to keep it out of his eyes.

At well over six feet, he gazed down at me, and the wide, all-white-teeth smile that was on his face slowly dipped into a frown.

My stomach flipped. Shit, was he disappointed with what he saw? I looked down at my soft green sweater, jeans, and boots. Maybe I should’ve put in more effort, like brushing my hair or putting on some lip gloss.

“I didn’t hear a lock disengage before you opened the door.” I blinked up at him, not understanding the odd, confusing statement. He was right, but who the hell paid attention to that kind of detail? I must have forgotten to lock it after he left, as I was in too much of a hurry to lose myself on the back porch. “Does that mean it wasn’t locked?”

“Forgot to, I guess.” I shrugged, somewhat relieved his frown was because of the lock situation, not because of how I was dressed or looked. “It’s fine. I’m fairly certain bears haven’t figured out how to turn doorknobs,” I said, tongue in cheek, not understanding the big deal. The Nest wasn’t secured by high fences or anything, but with the way they spread out the guest cottages and were so far from town, I wasn’t concerned about some random person walking in on me, unlike back in Seattle.

“It’s not bears I’m concerned about, Aspen,” Aiden said, his voice tight.

The few rogue hairs that had escaped my messy bun drifted across my face as I cocked my head. “Then what should I be worried about?”

Lips in a tight line, he glanced over his shoulder, a muscle along his jaw twitching as he worked it back and forth. “Just from now on, lock it for me, okay? The town might look small and inviting, but not everyone is on the up-and-up like me and my best friend, Miles, who you’ll get to meet here in a few. He’s meeting us at Dave’s.”

I nervously chewed on my lower lip and tightened my grip on the edge of the door. “All right, yeah. That sounds okay, I guess. You’re sure I’ll be safe with you and your friend? Me going out in a town I’ve never been to for drinks with two guys who I don’t even know the last names of sounds like the start of every horror film or episode ofDateline.”

He snorted an incredulous laugh. “You will be perfectly safe with us, but you made a valid point.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled a slender leather wallet free, flipped it open, and thumbed out his driver’s license before handing it to me. Holding the stiff plastic close, I scanned his photo, annoyed that the picture was good while I looked like a strung-out addict in mine, before reading the listed information.

“Aiden Davey Taylor.”

“My friends call me Aiden or Crocket.” I tried to give it back to him, but he retreated a step and held up both hands. “I want you to feel safe and comfortable with me, Aspen. Take a picture of it.” He hitched his chin toward the license. “Send the photo to a friend and let them know I’m taking you to Dave’s bar in Anchor Bay. I’ll have Miles do the same when we see him there.”

The reservations that rose within me when he mentioned meeting his friend faded. He could be putting on a good-guy routine to get me alone, but it didn’t feel that way. Maybe it was the loneliness talking, but he seemed worth the risk. With a slow nod, I stepped off to the side and gestured for him to move off the porch and into the cottage. The moment he was over the threshold, I quickly shut the door behind him to keep the annoying summer bugs outside where they belonged. With my spine pressed against the door, I held his license out between us.

“Can you take a picture and send it to me?” He arched a questioning brow. “My phone is off and buried somewhere in the bottom of my bag.”

Gaze locked on me, he nodded and did as I asked, showing me the screen after he sent the photo to the number I rattled off. My shoulders dropped a fraction, and I released a slow breath. While I appreciated his concern, I really didn’t want to power up my phone, which I’d turned off the second I sent Barbara my resignation letter.

Cowardly? Maybe. But I would deal with the aftershocks of my actions later.

Much, much later.

“Suggesting that was very considerate and brilliant,” I said, shoving my hands into the back pockets of my jeans before propping a foot up against the door.

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