Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
No. She’s in the lodge. The trail led to the lodge, so she must be staying there.
I squeeze my hands into fists and sprint up the remainder of the incline. It levels out and I take a deep breath as I walk in circles, admiring the stunning view.
This really is a nice spot. Montana seems like a good place to make roots. If anything, my brother Owen is here with his new girl.
I’ve been on the move for so long, never staying more than a few weeks in any one place. Maybe it’s time to settle down. That thought has been popping up every now and then, but ever since I saw that angel, I don’t know… The thought has been getting stronger.
I continue walking through the forest, keeping my eye on the stunning scenic view. The mountains stretch on forever. It’s all untamed nature up here, just the way I like it.
The flowing river hits my ears before I see it. My sweaty skin tingles as I head toward the tempting sound.
It’s crisp mountain water. Crystal clear and perfect for washing off the heat of a hard punishing run up a mountain.
I peel off my sweaty shirt as I arrive at the same spot from yesterday. I’ve been hiking up here for the past three days and bathing in this extraordinary river. I hadn’t seen anyone around, so I thought it would be safe to go in naked. That was until I saw my magical little forest nymph watching me.
I look around and see nothing but trees, rocks, and flowing water, so I slip off the rest of my clothes and head over to the large rock. I stashed a bar of river-safe soap under a rock on my first day here, but a clever raccoon got to it and had it for dinner.
I hid my second bar under a rock so big that only a grizzly bear could move it. With a grunt, I move the rock and grabbed the bar that’s wedged into the dirt.
“Oh yeah,” I whisper as I walk into the frigid water. It’s cold, but it’s invigorating. It feels nice after that long run.
I take a deep breath and drop under the water, letting the cold river wash away the sweat and the heat.
My mind does what it keeps doing, which is replaying the scene from yesterday. I see her perfectly in my mind—that blonde hair tied into a ponytail, a flush of red on her adorable cheeks, her radiant blue eyes watching me with fascination and wonder. I wonder how long she was there watching me. I wonder why she ran.
When my lungs are burning for air, I burst out of the water and start soaping my sweaty body up.
My eyes keep darting to the spot where my girl was yesterday, but she’s never there.
Until she is…
My heart stops with a squeeze and then starts pounding when I see her walking up the path toward the river.
She’s smiling nervously as she walks over in short beige shorts and a white tank top. Her hair is loose and she looks even more breathtaking than yesterday, which I didn’t think was possible.
The flowing water is just below my waist. It’s covering my lower half, which is a good thing because I’m starting to get a little stiff as I watch her.
She really is an angel. She really is the one for me.
I don’t want anyone else. Just her.
It’s fate, her and me. If there’s such a thing as soulmates, that’s us. We’re made for each other.
I can already tell. I can feel the intense need to make her mine flowing through my body and gripping my heart. The need, the urgency, the desire—it won’t let me go until I make her mine. That I’m sure of.
She walks over, leans on a tree trunk, and watches me with a shy smile on her luscious lips.
I wipe some cold water over my face to make sure I’m not dreaming. To make sure I’m not hallucinating all of this.
She’s still there. This is all too real.
“You’re back,” I say.
Those adorable cheeks get a little redder. “Yeah, well, the view up here is incredible.”
Her blue eyes get wide when she realizes what she said. God, she’s cute.
“Do you always bathe in rivers?” she asks, quickly moving on.
“When I can,” I say. “Want to come join me and try it?”
She lets out a snorting giggle and then covers her mouth in embarrassment. “Maybe some other time,” my blushing beauty says, unable to look me in the eye.
“Perfect,” I say as I stare at her. “It’s a date.”
Her eyes eventually find their way back to me and I grin, still in disbelief that she’s here.
“You’re staying at the Greene Mountain Lodge?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
“You didn’t come down for dinner last night.”
“How do you know that?”