My Despicable Ex (Book 1) (12 page)

As the sun began to pain the sky in a
pinkish lavender, I reflected on many things. I still missed my mom
terribly, and I reminisced about all the wonderful times we’d
shared before her life had been cut short.

Whenever I had problems as a child,
I’d build secret forts or go to private corners of the woods.
Hiding and distraction had always my way of dealing with problems.
I watched ants carry their leaves, picked up insects, and stared at
spiders spinning their intricate webs. I’d make little boats out of
leaves and gently set them in the woodland stream, then watch them
take their gentle voyage with the current. Life had been so simple,
so carefree back then, and I missed that feeling.

Since my breakup with Jake,
I’d grown stronger every day, somehow finding the strength to carry
me through each passing sunrise and sunset. Nobody understood why
it took me so long to get over Jake, not even Nadia.
Is it wrong to love someone so
passionately?
I still wondered.
Nevertheless, what had happened between us was in the past, and I
knew I’d never allow myself to get involved with Jake again, for
he’d only bring me more heartache, and I would not put myself
through that. I would never forget the pain of my bleeding
heart.

I’d always enjoyed finding a special
retreat, a place where I could be alone with my thoughts. That was
something else that Nadia had never quite understood, as she was
the kind of person who had to have someone with her wherever she
went. When we were kids, she wouldn’t even walk up the street to
the corner store without dragging me along. I, on the other hand,
could be quite a loner at times. I used to go in the woods, find a
boulder fit to be used as furniture, then sit there for hours, and
watch and listen as fish swam and gurgled, frogs jumped and
croaked, and birds flew and chirped. It was the only thing I could
do to get my mind off my parents’ fighting, which they did all the
time. When they separated for a couple of years, I felt like it was
my fault.

Sure, I had grown into an adult, but I
knew I was still doing the same damn thing I’d done as a kid, still
looking for that special spot, someplace to escape to. There I was
again, running away from my problems, hiding from Jake and looking
for a distraction at the bottom of a canyon.

Time passed, and before I knew it, the
sun was bathing the whole place in dazzling rays, turning the
canyon red, pink, and fuchsia. I knew I had to head back before
darkness enveloped the canyon floor. I saw the cutest gray fox,
some birds, and a bunch of mule deer as I ambled back to the
cabin.

When I got back,
we sat at the picnic
table.
Jake eagerly listened to my story,
then told me all about his little adventure. The weather was
wonderful, giving us a perfect view of the stars and moon in the
clear night skies.

“
I hiked up the Clear Creek
Trail to Phantom Overlook. It was awesome,” Jake said. “I also hit
the North Kaibab trail to Ribbon Falls, and I took tons of
pictures. Then me and some other hikers headed to the cantina,
where we had dinner and played cards.”

“
It sounds
lovely.”

After a long,
exciting day and lulled to sleep by the sounds of nature and the
lingering buzz of a little alcohol, my eyes closed in no
time.

* *
*

When morning
came, I awoke to the sound of Jake stirring around. It was only
five a.m., and silvery moonlight was still gushing in through the
window, giving everything a haunted house glow.

Slowly, Jake
climbed out of bed and quickly slipped on a pair of
underwear.

I couldn’t
help but stare at his dazzling looks, his tight six-pack abs, that
muscular chest, and those hard biceps. He was adorable in his
tightie-whities. “Mornin’,” I said as he slipped into his jeans and
walked to my bed, still shirtless.

“
Good morning,” he said.

I stared at
his messy, jet-black hair. “Sleep good?”

He flashed me
a brilliant white smile. “Like a baby.”

“
Breakfast is in an hour,” I said. “We should go take showers
and get ready. I’m starving and don’t wanna be late.”

He gathered
some cleaner clothes than the ones he was already wearing and
headed outside to go take a shower.

After I
showered, I put on a pair of jeans that fit me like a second skin,
and I slipped into a matching denim shirt. I pulled my hair into a
long French braid and used very little makeup, since I was sure I’d
sweat it off anyway.

When Jake came
back from his shower, I couldn’t help sweeping my gaze over his
well-fitting jeans and white t-shirt, a classic look I’d always
found sexy. The t-shirt clung to his broad shoulders, chest, and
bulging biceps. His jeans fit him perfectly and emphasized his
narrow waist. I knew if I didn’t stop drooling, he was going to
notice.

He touched the
brim of his cowboy hat and tipped it toward me. “Ya ready to go git
some vittles, pretty lady?” he asked in his best John Wayne, which
was humorous at best.

“
I’m starving,” I said, smiling. “Let’s go.”

The scrambled
eggs, bacon, and coffee was delicious and helped to wake us
up.

After the
scrumptious meal, I mounted my mule, and we took off on our journey
out of the canyon, back to the top. The mules rested a few times as
we went uphill, making for the perfect photo opportunities,
allowing me to snap some fantastic pictures, memories I’d treasure
forever. Again I had to be thankful for the cowboy hat, because the
sun was beating down hard.

Finally, Earl
had gotten me back to the top, and I couldn’t have been more
thankful. We hung out for a while, walked some trails, and observed
the canyon from that perspective before we headed back to the
hotel.

* *
*

Once we
returned to our far less rustic accommodations, I unpacked, took
another shower, and put on clean clothes to lounge around in. I
called Nadia, only to discover that she’d been going crazy trying
to run the boutique all by herself.

I looked at my
watch and realized I had just enough time to call one of our
vendors right before they closed. I looked up their number and
dialed, only to be passed from one person to another. “Listen,” I
said, “we need that material ASAP. So help me God, if this delay
causes us to miss the deadline for getting this design in our
collection, I will cancel all future orders and tell all of my
colleagues to do the same.”

Jake peeked in
his head, excitement flooding his face. “You’ve gotta see this
sunset.”

“
Can’t you see I’m on the phone?” I snapped.

Jake ignored
my hostile tone, then motioned for me to come outside.

I just rolled
my eyes at him and continued, “I need that shipment…and I need it
now!”

Click
.

After I hung
up in a rage, Jake softly touched my arm and led me outside. The
horizon truly was something to see, with vivid, flaming reds and
fiery oranges in swirls spreading out as far as my eye could see,
as if the whole sky was made up of some kind of psychedelic paisley
pattern that I would have killed to have in a nice cotton blend.
Once again, the chasm took my breath away.

I turned to
face Jake. “This is spectacular.”

“
You miss out on so much when you won’t get off that phone of
yours,” he scolded.

I wanted to
lash out at him and tell him to mind his own business while I was
minding mine, but he was right.

“
When was the last time you
left that stupid thing at home and actually took a look at the
world around you? Before this trip, when did you take time to enjoy
forest or grasslands or all the tiny details of nature? You used to
love the outdoors. Heck, we even counted ridges on a leaf once,
remember? When was the last time you looked at the dewdrops on an
intricate spider web or walked barefoot in the sand?”

I bit my lip hard in thought. “So I’m
a workaholic. What’s it to you?”

“
It’s just…sad. I still love to backpack, hike, and camp. It’s
my way of being out here in nature. I work hard too, but I take
time out to enjoy nature’s beauty.”

“
I
guess since I’ve grown up, I’ve never really slowed down enough to
think about it. I feel like I’ve been on the move for years, like
I’m always in a hurry, speeding down some freeway I can’t pull off
of without crashing. Maybe I do need to stop and smell the
roses…and the cottonwoods.”

“
Well, it’s admirable to work hard, but you should work to
live, not live to work. It’s all about balance. I’ve learned a lot
of lessons since you knew me before, and that’s one of
them.”

“
Gee, Mr. Miyagi, now can you teach me to stand like a crane
on a log long enough to kick someone in the face?”

“
Lesson not just karate
only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance, everything
be better. Understand?” he said, his Okinawan mentor impression not
much better than his John Wayne, which made me laugh at him all
over again.

Chapter 9

We spent a couple days
relaxing and marveling at the Grand Canyon before we headed out for
our next stop,
the
Royal Malewane
, located on the Thornybush
Game Reserve and
adjacent to Kruger National Park in South Africa. It was one
of
Africa’s most popular places to stay
and home to the big five: buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and
rhino.

When we arrived in
Johannesburg, we had to take one more flight on a small plane, as
that was the only way to reach our destination other than driving
five to seven hours. The flight was a little bumpy, but we got
there in an hour in a half, and I was thankful when
w
e landed safely
on a dirt airstrip.

Two friendly
men were waiting for us in an open-top Land Rover. “It’s so
wonderful to meet you, Jake and Ashly,” one said. “I’ll be serving
as your tracker and guide for the duration of your stay. My name is
Anto.” He had dark skin and a beautiful smile.

I shook his
hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“
This is Derrick,” Anto said. “He is your ranger.”

I smiled and
shook Derrick’s hand as well.

They popped
open the trunk and took care of our luggage, then started the
engine and sped off.

I couldn’t
stop staring at the animals all around me. Shouting in excitement,
I pointed to impala trampling through the bush. I looked over at
Jake and saw that he was grinning from ear to ear, also enjoying
our safari.

When we
arrived, we walked up a wooden walkway to the entrance, where we
were greeted by smiling faces. Several people handed us cool towels
and tropical fruit drinks, greeting us like royalty and instantly
making us feel welcomed.

I took a long
sip of my refreshing drink and thanked the woman who had handed it
to me. “Mmm! Very good,” I said, nodding at her.

The woman’s
gaze drifted from Jake to me. “You make beautiful couple,” she
said.

I bit my lip
and looked at Jake awkwardly.

He just
shrugged at me, then smiled at the woman. “We are having a
wonderful time together, and we can’t wait to experience
Africa.”

“
It’s a beautiful place,” she said. “I hope you enjoy your
stay with us here.”

Jake went with
the manager to check us in, leaving me to talk to the
woman.

She smiled
sweetly at me. “Please come. I escort you to your
suite.”

As she led me
down the boardwalk, my gaze drifted out toward the bush. Elephants
roamed freely, and giraffes stretched their necks to munch on
leaves. I couldn’t stop gaping; I’d never seen an elephant or
giraffe roaming free, outside a cage.

All
the suites were elevated on stilts and reminded me of bungalows.
Ours was spacious and decorated with dark wood furniture, a
beautiful fireplace, a dining room, a kitchen, a bedroom, a
bathroom with a Victorian bathtub next to a floor-to-ceiling glass
window and shower, antiques, and a huge canopy bed. It was more
like an apartment than any suite I’d ever been in, and the whole
layout took my breath away.
There was a
fully stocked bar, and the refrigerator was filled with soda,
snacks, and candy.

I glanced out the huge
windows in the living room and could see our private outdoor
terrace and a lovely view of the bush. There were no curtains, so I
had a clear, panoramic view every time I looked out.
We even had our own
wraparound wooden deck, a plunge pool, and thatched gazebo. I
couldn’t believe there was a
cabana, an
outdoor living area with sofas and a dining table, and even an
outside shower. I smiled at the champagne chilling in a fancy
silver bucket of ice.

Sweat was pouring down my back, so I
decided it was time to cool off. I quickly changed into my bathing
suit and climbed into the plunge pool that overlooked a clearing in
the untamed African bush. It was refreshing, and as I looked around
me, I couldn’t believe where I was. I was surrounded by plush
green, a choir of birds I’d never heard before, and a chorus of
monkeys, as well, lullabied by the trickling, soothing water coming
from the plunge pool.