Surrendered Hearts (9 page)

A ripple of surprise passed through her. Why was she comparing Bill and Phillip again?

A few minutes later they sat on the back deck enjoying Bill’s delicious chicken and ziti, freshly steamed broccoli, and crusty Italian bread. Jenn settled back in her chair, soaking in the peaceful evening. The sunset had faded from bright blue to a soft gold. Crickets chirped in a steady chorus, and water tumbled over the rocks in the little stream at the bottom of the hill.

“It’s so beautiful here.” She watched two squirrels chase each other around the huge trunk of an old oak tree. They chattered and flicked their tails at each other.

“Do you miss Oregon?” Bill took another bite of chicken and watched her.

“I love the Northwest, but Vermont has its own special beauty.” She sipped her ice water and set her glass aside. “There is one thing I miss though.”

“What’s that?”

“Getting up on a high hill and looking down on everything. I’ve always loved that.

“When I was a little girl we used to drive up to the top of Mt. Tabor near our home in Portland and look out over the whole city. On a sunny day you can see Mt. Hood and the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. And at night the city lights spread out and sparkle for miles and miles.” She smiled at the memory, missing her hometown a little more than she’d realized.

He chuckled. “Sounds nice, but we have all kinds of hills and mountains around here. We’re famous for them.”

“That’s what I’ve heard, but I’ve been here almost two weeks, and it seems like everywhere we go we’re just driving back and forth in a valley. Even the nature center is at the bottom of the ski slopes. I’ve never been up high enough to get a good look around.”

“There are some great viewpoints on the Round Mountain trail. We should get a group together and go for a hike.”

“What’s it like?” She set her plate on the small table between them, hoping she wouldn’t have to tell him she’d never been hiking before. He was such an outdoorsman. She didn’t want him to laugh at her and think she was a wimpy city girl.

“It’s about four miles long, there’s a bit of a climb, but most of it is pretty level. Great views. You’d love it.”

She imagined herself hiking down a trail with Bill, enjoying the scenic beauty of Vermont. “Sounds great.”

His smile spread wider, delight filling his eyes. “You really want to go?”

She felt heat stealing into her face. “Sure.”

“Okay, I’ll see if I can get some people together. Maybe Wes and Lauren will come. I think Toby might even be able to do this hike. I’ll check with Wes and see what he says.”

As soon as Bill mentioned pulling a group together, a tempting thought struck her. “What about Julia?” Jenn watched Bill’s face, trying to gauge his reaction to the suggestion.

He lifted his dark eyebrows. “I suppose we could ask her. She hasn’t come on too many hikes with us, but we all went fishing on Stillwater Lake last month and she was a good sport. At least she wasn’t like some girls, squealing at every bug that flies by or afraid to bait her own hook.” Bill chuckled and shook his head.

Jenn nodded and determined she would prove she could hike up mountains, battle bugs, and bait hooks with the best of them, or at least as well as Julia.

Jenn glanced out her bedroom window across the wild flower-filled front yard and checked the sky. The weather looked perfect for hiking. She smiled and trotted down the steps, her heart as light as the fluffy clouds she’d seen overhead. When she reached the living room, she grabbed two dirty coffee cups off the end table and carried them into the kitchen.

Wes stood near the sink, the phone to his ear, his head bent in concentration. “Does he have a fever?” He paced toward the sliding glass door leading to the back deck, a frown creasing his forehead as he listened. “Okay. I’ll be right over. We can decide what to do then.” He walked back to the counter and hung up the phone. 

Jenn set the cups in the sink. “Who’s sick?”

“Lauren’s been up all night with Toby. He can’t keep anything down. She’s trying to decide if she should take him to the doctor. And Christy, the girl who works with her in the gallery, is late again.” He shook his head. “That’s the second time this week.”

“So, you’re going over there to help?”

“Yeah. I can fill in until Christy shows up or give Lauren a hand with Toby.” He sighed and shook his head. “Poor little guy. Sounds like he’s really miserable.”

Bill walked into the kitchen carrying his backpack. “Morning. You guys about ready to head out?”

Wes explained Lauren’s call and Toby’s illness. “Lauren and I need to stick around home today.”

“Sorry Toby’s sick.” Bill pulled his water bottle and a bag of nuts out of the backpack and set them on the counter.

Jenn sank into a kitchen chair. First Julia had canceled because some people from out of town had called and asked to see properties for sale in Tipton. Now Wes and Lauren couldn’t go.

Wes grabbed his toast off the counter. “Hey, that doesn’t mean you guys have to cancel the hike.”

Bill glanced uncertainly at Wes.

“It’s a beautiful day.” Wes gestured to the sliding glass door. “Why don’t you get out there and enjoy it?”

Bill shifted his focus to Jenn. “Do you still want to go?”

Her stomach did a funny little flip. Would that be weird for just the two of them to go? Wouldn’t that be almost like a date? No, she was being silly. She’d been looking forward to this hike all week. The mural was finished, and she wanted to get out of the house and celebrate. She smiled at him. “I’m up for it if you are.”

Some undefined emotion flickered in Bill’s eyes. “Okay. Let’s get our gear together, and we can head out.”

An hour later, after dropping Wes off at Lauren’s and making a quick stop at the Green Mountain Bakery for blueberry cake donuts and coffee, they arrived at the trailhead where they planned to leave Bill’s truck and begin their hike.

“I’m glad you suggested leaving Wes’s car where the trail ends.” Jenn climbed out of the truck and bent to tie her shoelace. “Hiking four miles one-way sounds a lot better to me than doing an eight mile round-trip back here.”
 

Grinning, Bill grabbed their packs from the back of the truck and handed the smaller blue one to her. “Well, I want you to enjoy this hike, not get blisters and sore feet.”

His comment made her smile, and she felt all the more determined to meet this new challenge head on. She’d show Bill she was not a prissy city girl, but someone who could hike through the woods and enjoy nature with him. She slipped the backpack on and tugged her shirt back in place.

Bill leaned in closer and helped her adjust the straps. “You want this to ride a little higher on your shoulders or you’ll get uncomfortable.”

She caught a whiff of his clean, woodsy aftershave and pulled in a deep breath.

“How’s that?” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. His eyes looked very blue today with little specks of gray around the iris.

Blushing, she tore her gaze away and silently scolded herself for gawking at him. “It’s . . . fine.” The pack actually rubbed on her sore shoulder, so she shifted it a little, thankful she only carried her lunch and Wes’s camera.

“Okay. Let’s go.” Bill turned and led the way toward the trail, walking at an easy pace.

Jenn followed him and shifted her attention to the quiet, shady forest. They walked along in silence for a few minu
tes until Jenn asked Bill
about a particular tree with a huge, rough trunk.

He told her it was a red oak and launched off on a two-minute spiel, giving her the all the details. He slowed and glanced over his shoulder. “Sorry, just throw a stick at me if I get too boring.”

She laughed. “You’re not boring. I like learning about the trees up here. Most of these are different from what we have in Oregon.” She walked on studying the tall ferns growing at the side of the trail. The fronds curled in a perfect circle reminding her of lush feathers.

She took another step, and winced. “Hold on just a second.” She sat on a fallen log covered with moss and reached to untie her shoe.

Bill turned back. “What’s the matter?”

“I think I’ve got a rock in my shoe.”

“Let me help.” He knelt in front of her and loosened her shoelace.

“Thanks.” She felt a little like Cinderella as he pulled off her shoe, shook out the rock, and then slipped it back on.

He retied it and looked up at her. “How’s that?”

She stood and took a couple steps. “Feels better. Thanks.”

They walked on, treading through a patch of soft pine needles covering the forest floor. A pair of cute little chipmunks raced across their path and scuttled up a tree.

Jenn spotted a trillium plant with its white, three-petaled flower above three broad leaves just like one she’d painted in the mural and pointed it out to Bill.

He chuckled. “You have a very good memory.”

“Painting that mural was a great way for me to learn about the plants and animals around here.”

They rounded a curve and Jenn gasped with delight. The forest fell away on one side of the trail, opening up to a beautiful view of Wild River Valley below them. “Wow, I didn’t realize we were up so high.”

Bill stood at her side, obviously enjoying her reaction.

Jenn lifted her hand and shaded her eyes as she took in the view. “What’s the name of that lake?” She pointed to the far end of the valley where the silver water shimmered in the morning sunlight.

He stepped up behind her and leaned in close to see where she was pointing. “That’s Jarmen Lake, one of the best spots for canoeing around here. Good fishing too. It has some great little islands you can explore out in the middle.” 

His breath tickled her cheek and sent a delightful shiver through her. She glanced over her shoulder at him. Their gazes connected and held. She sent him a tremulous smile and turned back to the view of the valley. But all her senses focused in on him, savoring his nearness.

Bill stepped away and crossed his arms. A slight frown replaced his smile, and he stared silently into the distance.

Disappointment lodged in her heart. He didn’t like being close to her. She could feel it. Reaching up, she touched her collar. Had the straps of her backpack pulled her shirt away from her neck and exposed her scars? Anguish twisted through her at that thought. She tried to focus on the view, but her thoughts jumped back to Bill. Was he repulsed by what he’d seen? Was that why he moved away and always seemed to raise a wall between them whenever he got close?

Stop! It didn’t matter what Bill thought of her. She didn’t want to get involved with him. That would be too complicated and painful. And she definitely couldn’t deal with any more pain or complications in her life right now.

They hiked on for another hour then stopped to take a break and eat lunch at the next viewpoint. Bill lounged in the shade on a soft bed of pine needles. She sat a few feet away with her back against a large rock, looking out over the Valley. Wild River curled through the forest below them like a twisted silver ribbon. She followed its path as far as she could see and wondered if it eventually emptied into Lake Champlain.

A strong breeze rustled through the trees overhead and blew Jenn’s hair in her face. She swiped it out of her eyes and glanced over at Bill.

He sat up and scanned the sky, then stood and brushed off his pants. Frowning, he studied the thick clouds gathering behind them in the west. “Looks like it’s going to rain.”

Another gust of wind blew past, turning the leaves over. The birds fell silent, and a strange quietness settled over the forest. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Goosebumps rose on Jenn’s arms. “Should we turn back?”

Bill searched the sky again. “We’re over half way. We need to keep going.”

Her stomach muscles tightened as she thought of getting caught in a storm. A surge of wind whipped through the trees. It swirled around them, stirring up a cloud of dried leaves and pine needles. She squinted and shielded her face against the flying debris.

Bill grabbed her hand. “Come on. I don’t like the look of this. We need to get out of the open.” They dashed down the trail and back into the woods just as huge raindrops began pelting them.

“There are some caves up ahead,” Bill called over his shoulder. “We can get out of the rain there.”

Jenn’s heart raced as she leaped over rocks and fallen logs. The shower became a downpour, and soon they were soaked to the skin and splashing through mud puddles.

“Up here.” Bill took her hand again and led her off the trail, over some slippery rocks, and into a large opening in the hillside shrouded by thick brush and tall trees.

Jenn stumbled into the cave, panting from their mad dash. She swiped her hand across her wet face and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Water ran down her legs, into her socks, and dripped onto the dusty ground at her feet. Her clothes clung to her, sending a clammy shiver down her back. Cool air carrying a dank, musty scent drifted toward her from the deep recesses of the cave.

“Man, that’s some storm.” Bill wiped his eyes and shook off his hands. Rain had plastered his dark hair to his forehead, and little rivulets ran down his face and dripped off his chin. He reached for his shoulder straps and pulled off his backpack. “I’ve got an extra shirt we can use like a towel.”