Page 20 of Lone Wolf in Lights
Grabbing the saltshaker, he broke into the past, a place he rarely visited. “Now that we’re dating, guess you should know a thing or two about me,” he said with a smirk.
She laughed softly, meeting his gaze. “Yes, I guess I should.”
He sprinkled the salt and then reached for the pepper shaker. “I grew up here in Timber Falls with my mom and my sister. My dad wasn’t in the picture, and still isn’t. But for me, Jaxon and Gunner, it was adventuring every day, whether we were fishing by the creek or building forts in the woods.”
Willow’s expression softened, her eyes brightening.
“Jaxon was always the levelheaded one, planning our next adventure. And Gunner—” Eli chuckled “—he could charm the birds from the trees with his guitar, even back then. We had a great childhood.”
“Sounds like it,” Willow said.
Eli paused, taking a forkful of eggs before continuing. “And then there was bull riding. It’s a beast of a sport. You’ve got to have grit, balance and a touch of madness.” Willow laughed, and the sound warmed something icy in his chest as he continued. “I started older than most, because a company out in Seattle had seen some of my carpentry work.”
Her brows lifted. “You’re a carpenter?”
He nodded. “Really, it was something I did on the side while working for Jaxon’s father on the ranch—just some passion projects—but the CEO had come to town and had been impressed by some live edge furniture I’d done. He offered to fly me out and give me a job.” Eli took a quick sip of his coffee before continuing, “I had nothing really going on, so I jumped on it. I lasted three weeks before moving back home.”
“You didn’t like it?” she asked.
“Hated it,” he replied. “The big city wasn’t for me. I didn’t mind the carpentry though, and still enjoy building the odd piece of furniture, but I came home and entered the rodeos around Montana and eventually hit the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit, working my way up the ranks.”
Willow took a bite of her toast. “What made you choose such a dangerous career path?”
“Guess I was chasing thrills, proving something to myself after the carpentry path didn’t work out,” Eli confessed. “But looking back, out there, on the back of a bull, nothing else mattered. I loved it.”
“And now?” she asked softly.
“Now,” Eli said with a sigh. “I’m more about finding peace, something steady and real.” He locked eyes with her, allowing the truth of his words to sink in. “My home is Jaxon’s ranch. I’ve got a good purpose there.”
“It’s a beautiful place to spend your days that’s for sure,” Willow said.
He agreed with a nod, not planning on going any deeper into his past. Nothing good lived there. “What about your life before moving here?”
Eli watched as Willow played with the rim of her coffee mug, a hint of hesitation in her eyes before she looked up at him. “I grew up in Ann Arbor, which was always exciting, you know? Full of life and fun. Charly, Aubrey and I—we were inseparable. Dreamers, each of us chasing this life we planned all out.”
He nodded, taking in the sweet smile that danced across her lips. Eli could picture it—the trio of friends, their laughter spilling, young and brimming with aspirations.
“Got my MBA from the University of California,” she continued, as Eli devoured his eggs. “The girls and I lived in this cramped apartment in Berkeley that somehow felt more like home than any place I’d ever been.” She paused to shrug. “Until I came here.”
“It happens all the time,” he said with a smile. “The magic of the mountains makes it hard to leave.” According to an old legend in this town, the Absaroka Mountains possessed a unique power that brought soulmates together. With the fresh air, vibrant energy and endless blue skies and water, it was easy to see why some people believed that. Eli wasn’t sure about all that, but he did notice that many visitors who came to Timber Falls ended up staying for good.
“I did hear of that legend,” she said, before taking a bite of her toast and then continuing on, “After college, Portland called with a promise—a job that would catapult me forward.”
“Sounds like you’ve always been moving forward. Seeking. Striving,” he said.
“Maybe,” she agreed, shrugging. “But then...”
“You came here,” he finished for her, knowing as much as he didn’t want to revisit the darkness, he was certain she didn’t want too either.
She nodded, picking up her toast again. “I came here.”
Eli watched the play of emotions across her face. Her eyes, once clouded with nervousness began to soften.
“And now I’m doing this...with you,” she said with a smile.
“Life’s funny that way,” Eli responded, reaching for his mug. “You end up in places you never expected.”
He took a long sip of his coffee as at a nearby table, two women suddenly said, with voices carrying over the noise, “They look good together, don’t they?”
