Page 30 of The Billionaire's Kiss
Chapter Twelve
Orla
As Warner and I got closer to Barton Creek, we heard the trickling sounds echoing off the canyon wall. Laughter mixed in with the sound, telling me unseen children were playing in the waters.
His hand securely held mine as we went down a pathway through somewhat thick trees. “Watch your step. It gets rocky up here near the water. I don’t want you to slip and fall into the water.”
“Perhaps we should slow down a bit, so that doesn’t happen. There is a slight chill in the air, and getting wet might give me a cold. The last thing I want is to be sick.”
He slowed his pace. “Yeah, good idea.”
As we eased through the trees, they suddenly opened up, and there it was—the crystal clear water. “This is beautiful!”
Looking up the creek, I saw some children splashing around in a shallow area. Their mother was looking at her cell phone as they laughed and played in what had to be frigid water.
“Come on, there are some falls ahead that you’ve got to see.” Warner tugged me along, being careful where he stepped. “Step on the same rocks as me.”
Following him, I tried to look at everything as we moved along the shoreline. But I had to watch where I stepped, so I knew I was missing things. “I can’t believe this is right in the heart of this city.”
“It’s a hidden gem alright.” He kept going.
And I kept listening to the sounds. “I hear the waterfall. But it doesn’t sound that big to me.”
“It’s a small one. But it’s still pretty. Way up the creek, not in this park though, there are more spectacular waterfalls. We could take a road trip so you can see them if you’d like. Of course, that would have on some other day.”
“I would love to do that.” We stopped, and I could finally look up. A series of large rocks rose in the creek, making for a three-foot waterfall that moved through the rocks, carving them into craggy shapes. “Oh, this is beautiful.”
“I thought you’d like it.” He pulled me up to stand beside him, running his arm around my waist and pulling me closer. “It’s got a lot of detail if you really look.”
“I see. The clear water has made an impact on the rocks, hasn’t it?” Thousands, maybe even millions of years, had marked the area. “Ancient.”
“Yeah. I suppose it is.” His lips pressed against the top of my head. “Thanks for coming here with me. I see it very differently through your eyes.”
“Can you imagine the native people who must’ve lived around here? Can you believe what a utopia they lived in? I’d fight to the end not to be kicked off this land.” It was hard for me to believe that people could’ve been moved away from this paradise.
“They may have met their ends trying to stay here,” Warner whispered as if giving reverence to spirits that might still be lurking nearby. “Odd that I’ve never thought about that until now.”
“I agree.” I ran my arm around him, giving him a little side hug. “Thisisyour part of the world, Warner. You should know all there is to know about it.”
“I’ve been busy.” He chuckled. “Not that it’s a good excuse for being ignorant of my homeland.”
“That seems to be pretty common with most Americans. The mother of those children back there was so busy with her cell that she didn’t see the expressions of pure joy on her children’s faces. Sad. Where I’m from, people are more important than anything else.”
Nodding, Warner seemed to agree with me. “I have to admit that most of us do have a tendency to ignore what’s right in front of our faces. Technology and work have taken places as top priorities.”
“It’s never too late to change, Warner.” Inhaling the cool air, I tried to slow myself down. I didn’t want to appear as if I was judging Warner or his country. “But as you said, technology takes priority. Maybe that’s only because it’s relatively new and always evolving. Perhaps that’s why it’s so addictive. I’m sure, with time, things will settle into place. At least where technology is concerned.”
“Work is another story, huh?” Warner asked with a chuckle. “The almighty dollar makes slaves of many of us—myself included.”
“You don’t have to let it, do you?” I ran my thumb along his knuckles as I smiled at him.
“Our resort is in its first phases. I’m afraid that work will have to come before most things for a while longer. We don’t want to sit back now when we’ve got a good head start.”
“Spoken like a true businessman. I suppose that’s why I’m just a barmaid. I put my life first. I always have and always will. I can’t imagine any job changing that.” We’d walked around the park for so long that the sun was beginning to set. “Perhaps we should start heading back to your car. It’s going to be dark soon.”
Turning back from the way we’d come, he led me along the creek. “You seemed to have had a good time walking around here today. I’ll have to show you as many of my state’s natural areas as I can in the coming days.”
“That sounds good to me.” But I wasn’t sure he’d actually have the time to do that. “If your work will allow it.”
