Page 5 of Fall for You
Dallas winced as he eyed the traffic below. Great. One more way he was like their father.
He turned his attention back to Willow and her weirdness. “But you picked up on it too?”
“Yeah, man. She got all cagey when I asked about what she did in her free time out there in the middle of nowhere.” Antony exhaled loudly. “It was offbeat, bro. Not like Willow at all.”
Dallas nodded. That was it exactly. From anyone else, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But Willow was different. She was open and cheerful and…
And their baby sister, dang it.
He frowned, and Antony stayed quiet.
“You think something’s wrong?” Antony finally asked. “Should I be coming back sooner than Christmas?”
“Nah.” Dallas relaxed into his seat. “I wouldn’t worry too much. It could be nothing…”
“You don’t think that.” Antony said it like a statement, and Dallas didn’t deny it. “Why don’t you go back out there?” A door slammed in the background on Antony’s side. “You’re close enough, and I think we both know you could take the time off work since you’re so bored.”
“I’m not—” Dallas couldn’t finish. And besides, his chest was starting to swell again. That hint of excitement he’d felt earlier when Bailey had texted was back.
He liked it at the inn. Heck, he’d always liked it out there, even when they used to go as kids to visit their grandparents during the summer and holidays.
But being out there now, when it was an inn still trying to get on its feet…
It was exactly the sort of excitement he needed.
And Willow really was acting strange. She did need someone checking up on her. And that was what big brothers were for, right?
The thought of Bailey’s response gave him pause. “They don’t need me filling in anymore…”
Antony scoffed like this was the dumbest excuse he’d ever heard. “It’s an inn, man. Owned by our family and run by our sister. Just go.”
He hesitated, wanting to say yes. He just needed the right excuse.
“You have vacation time saved up, right?” Antony asked. “Use it already.”
Dallas’s face split with a grin. He’d needed an excuse…
And there it was.
Chapter Two
The October wind whipped Willow’s blonde curls around her face, and she stopped trekking up the mountainside long enough to scrape her hair back into a ponytail.
She took a moment to stand still and enjoy the sunshine. She’d almost crested the ridge that led to No Man’s Land, and from here she could already spot the breathtaking view of the valley below.
Tilting her head back, she grinned up at the sky.
At the veryBigSky.
A little laugh escaped. Every time she came up to No Man’s Land, she was reminded of why this state had earned the Big Sky nickname. Alone like this, it was impossible not to be swept up in the heady joy that came with this view.
Kinda like falling in love, she imagined.
Of course, Willow had no firsthand knowledge of love, but she suspected it came close to the swelling happiness she felt whenever she took this walk and experienced God’s work.
With another deep inhale, Willow let her smile linger as she put one foot in front of the other until she reached the telltale tree that marked the spot.
Herspot.
