“Don’t worry. I set them straight,” he said. “I told them it was blackjack.”
“Travis.” She lightly punched him in the arm.
“It’s going to take them some time to get used to me,” he said as he reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. “I’m not an expert on small towns, but I know they don’t warm up to strangers quickly.”
Christine’s breath lodged in her chest. Was he considering staying for more than a few days? “I don’t want to be the one keeping you here,” she said. “I know you don’t like Cedar Valley.”
“I don’t hate it,” Travis said as he led her to his motorcycle. “I see the good and the bad. It doesn’t offer entertainment or excitement on a silver platter. That doesn’t mean it’s not there. You have to look for it.”
“That’s true,” Christine said. How often had she and her friends created a scavenger hunt or found something fun to do just out of sheer boredom? “You haven’t seen my Cedar Valley.”
“I guess I need a guide, Christine.” His eyes sparkled and Christine recalled how he’d offered his services in Vegas. “Show me your Cedar Valley.”
She pursed her lips as she pretended to think about his request. “It’s going to take more than one night.”
He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“Face it, Travis. You’re just not doing Cedar Valley right,” Christine said. “Let me show you the way.”
* * *
TRAVIS STOOD ON the rock ledge and listened to Christine as she pointed out landmarks along the mountain range. The thick forest was behind him and the scent of the trees wafted in the air as they had walked on the carpet of brown fir needles. The trail to the ledge had an eerie feel to it, but that had more to do with the ghost story Christine told than the fog nestling low between the spindly trees. They had arrived at the edge of the forest just as the sun was beginning to set. Travis reached for Christine and held her in a loose embrace as they watched the sky turn pink and purple.
“Isn’t this place gorgeous?” Christine asked in a hushed tone as the colors changed against the blue mountains. “Okay, so it’s not the volcanoes in Indonesia.”
“It’s beautiful.” It was a majestic sight. He understood why this was Christine’s favorite spot in Cedar Valley. Probably her favorite spot in the world.
“Jill and I used to rock climb around here when we were younger.”
He looked at Christine and saw her wistful smile. “Why did you stop?”
“We always wanted to do more, try different locations, but we never got around to it.” She glanced up at the sky. “We should head back before it gets dark.”
“Thanks for showing me your Cedar Valley,” Travis said. He had a feeling that not many people knew about this spot.
“I’d like to show you more,” she said as they followed a path back to the forest. “Maybe someday.”
“Someday is my least favorite word,” he said. “It sounds so far away and vague.”
“So are your plans,” she said.
That was true. His next move wasn’t clear. He wanted to stay with Christine, but she was the one woman whom he shouldn’t be with. Her world was small and she had difficulty finding the courage to break out of her comfort zone. She lived in the same house she grew up in and her friends were the same people she knew from kindergarten.
That may appeal to some people, but it was a warning sign to him. If he stayed in Cedar Valley, would it be like his childhood? Would he follow the same pattern as his grandmother?
“My grandmother always used the word someday. Someday she’ll feel better. Someday she wouldn’t be so afraid. But her fears ruled her life—and mine,” he said as he followed Christine through the forest. “When I was out on my own, I decided that I wouldn’t get too comfortable, too set in my ways. Someday wasn’t going to be in my vocabulary.”
“You achieved your goal,” Christine said as she looked over her shoulder. “You don’t have a home, you’re in constant motion and you didn’t follow the same path as your grandmother.”
Travis nodded slowly. “True, but I made those choices out of fear. I’ve had a lot of exciting moments in my life, but it hasn’t all been a grand adventure.” There had been times when he’d been weary, lonely, and he’d wondered what he had to show for his life. He wanted to create something lasting, have a circle of friends instead of acquaintances. He wanted someone to worry about him. “I want what you have in Cedar Valley.”