Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Two days after their date, Aiden found himself still thinking about Nora as he sat in the cab of his truck, eating a sandwich on his lunch break.

Truthfully, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since then. Every time he thought about the date, he felt a grin spread over his face, making him feel like a schoolboy all over again. And it had gone better than expected, all things considered. He still felt a little nervous around her, but he'd been nowhere near as tongue-tied as he had a tendency to sometimes get.

He'd felt as if he were getting to know the real her, not just the perception of her that he'd always had from the outside. And he'd found that he liked that real version even better.

He took another bite of his sandwich, glancing at his phone on the dash. He could text her, he thought, see what she might want to do for that second date. He wanted to suggest something different—something more unique than just another dinner out or a movie.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. He finished his sandwich, reaching for his phone and finding her number.

AIDEN: What do you think about a hike for our next date? Sound fun to you?

A tapping sound against his window made him jump, and he looked over to see Blake standing there. "Should we get back to work?" he called through the glass, and Aiden nodded, opening the door and sliding out of the cab, his boots crunching on the snow.

"Sorry about that," he said, a little sheepishly. "Lost track of time."

"No worries, man." Blake looked at him curiously, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "What's on your mind? You're not usually so distracted."

Aiden glanced at him, considering brushing it off and keeping things to himself. But deep down, he wanted to talk about Nora. He'd felt like he was bursting for the last two days, wanting to tell someone about the date.

"I took Nora out Saturday night," he said, scratching the back of his neck as they started to walk back to the shed they were working on repairing. "Dinner at Marie's."

Blake whistled. "That's a fancy night out," he said with a grin, and Aiden shook his head.

"She was worth it. I've been wanting that date for a long time. Wasn't sure how it would go, exactly, but it was better than I could've expected. And we're going to see each other again, so…" Aiden lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug.

Blake grinned. "That's fantastic, man!" His voice brimmed with enthusiasm, and as casual as Aiden had tried to be about it, he could tell that Blake could see how excited he really was. "You've been waiting a long time to find a lady you really click with."

"Well, we'll see how it goes." Aiden rubbed a hand over his mouth. "Nothing serious right now. She's just visiting anyway. But it's nice to get out and spend some time with someone whose company I like."

"You're a great catch," Blake said, pushing open the door to the shed. "Any woman would be lucky to have your attention. If it's not her, it'll be someone else who sees it."

Aiden grinned. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it." He did too. It felt good to have his friend's encouragement. Blake had always had his back.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, just as he was about to set it down and get back to work. He glanced at the screen and saw Nora's name, his heart doing a little flip in his chest as he realized she'd responded to his message.

NORA: Hiking sounds fun! It's been a while since I've gone, so I hope you don't mind if we take an easy trail. There's not a lot of hiking in Boston.

Aiden grinned, typing out a quick response.

AIDEN: Easy sounds just fine. Just looking forward to hanging out again. You an early bird?

NORA: Always. What's early for you?

AIDEN: Six a.m.? I can meet you at the inn, pick you up.

NORA: Sounds like a plan!

Aiden set his phone down, feeling a flush of elation that warmed him through and through, despite the chill in the shed. He'd wondered how she'd take the suggestion, but it was clear she was excited about it. And he was too. More than anything, he was excited to show her something that she couldn't get in Boston.

Something that she could only do with him here, in Evergreen Hollow.

Nora felt a thrill of excitement as she came downstairs, the graying early morning light just starting to come through the windows as she poured herself a thermos of hot coffee and tugged her boots on. She hadn't been hiking in a long time, and she was a little worried about her ability to keep up, but she felt confident Aiden wouldn't mind. She was looking forward to spending time with him doing something different.

She'd been telling the truth when she said she was an early riser, but usually she was still tired, getting up this early. This morning though, she felt as if she were buzzing even without the coffee, eager to see Aiden and head out on the trail. She felt as if she had more energy than she'd had in a long time.

The sound of truck tires over snow and gravel came from outside, and she sprang up out of her chair, grabbing the thermos and going to the front door. Aiden was idling outside, waiting for her, and she headed over to the passenger side and jumped in.

"I brought all the gear we might need," Aiden said conversationally, as he backed out of the driveway and turned onto the road. "There's a pretty easy trail that goes up to a hill at the edge of the woods. It's a nice place to see the sun rise."

"I like the sound of that." Nora flashed him a smile. "I haven't taken the time to enjoy that sort of thing as much as I should have, I think."

"Well, if there's anything worth getting up this early on a day off for, it's seeing a sunrise over Evergreen Hollow." Aiden grinned. "I've always been an early riser, but this is a bit more than even I'm accustomed to."

"Me too," Nora admitted, laughing. "But I'm glad we decided to do this. It'll be a fun experience."

She glanced over at him as he pulled onto the main road, enjoying the light banter. It amazed her how well and how easily they got along, when they hadn't really known each other all that well before. It made her wonder what might have been different, if she'd approached him in high school instead of waiting for him to approach her, if something might have happened with them then. She could have skipped all the drama with Rob, not wasted years on a relationship that in the end, she'd found out had never meant as much to him as it had to her.

But then I wouldn't have left Evergreen Hollow, she thought, looking back out at the highway with a confused feeling in her stomach. So much of her life and her identity was tied up in that moment—the one where she'd stuck to her plans and left, no matter what anyone else had to say about it. When she'd taken charge of her life and made it what she wanted it to be. Aiden had even said he was impressed with that, with her ability to stick to her goals and insist on her life being what she'd dreamed of.

Where would she be, if she'd stayed instead of going to Boston with Rob? Would she have been happy if she hadn't left Evergreen Hollow?

The question swirled in her mind as they drove, and she still hadn't settled on an answer to it by the time they reached the trailhead and Aiden parked, killing the engine and coming around to open her door.

It was beautiful, every bit as much as she'd expected it to be—and more. The snowy vista stretched out in front of them, pristine and smooth, their boots sinking in the thick drifts as they started off. The trees were shadowy in the early dawn light, the cold sharp and biting, but she found that she didn't mind. The entire world felt quiet around them, narrowed down to just her and Aiden, and she felt her mind go quiet too. It felt easier than usual to leave her worries back with the truck, all the things crowding her thoughts, and just enjoy the moment.

Aiden reached for her hand, helping her over a patch where several branches had fallen into the path, and her heart leapt in her chest. She could feel the warmth of his palm through her glove, his hand broad and solid around hers, and she felt safe. Her pulse beat quickly in her throat, even after he let go, and when he did it again, she felt the same rush.

"This hike is one of my favorites for clearing my head," Aiden said as they walked, looking ahead to the trees in front of them. "Not too tough, but still requires enough focus that you need to leave all that other stuff behind. And it's so quiet out here, especially in early morning. Winter is my favorite time for it, believe it or not."

"You really have to like the cold to enjoy this," Nora said, laughing, and Aiden nodded.

"Nothing clears the mind like a brisk winter walk." He glanced over at her. "What about you? What do you do to relax? Back in Boston, I mean."

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not great at relaxing," Nora admitted. "But I do like being at home. Curling up with some tea and a bad tv show is always a favorite. Or a day at the spa. A good massage makes a lot of things better."

Aiden chuckled. "No spa out here. But I hear there's a nice hot spring a couple hours' drive away. I haven't been there myself, but I've heard it's a nice place to relax."

"That does sound nice." Nora paused, letting him help her over another rough patch, the path starting to turn a little steep as they got closer to the hill. "I was just thinking that, though—that this is really good for getting a break from all the stress. It's so beautiful and peaceful out here. I never hiked much when I lived here before, but this starts to make me wish I had."

"Why not?" Aiden glanced at her, and Nora shrugged.

"I have a really bad sense of direction," she admitted, and they both laughed.

For a little while, they fell into companionable silence as they walked. Nora looked around as they went further into the trees, seeing it with new eyes. She'd never really appreciated it before, feeling hemmed in by how rural it all was, how far away from ‘civilization.' But after spending so long in the city, she found that she could appreciate the quiet better. The beauty of it seemed fresh and new, like she was seeing it all for the first time.

In a way, she supposed that she really was.

She looked over, about to say something to Aiden, and her heart nearly stopped when she saw that he wasn't next to her. She turned around, pulse beating for an entirely different reason, and she saw that some several yards back the path had forked. Lost in thought, she must have fallen back a little and veered off.

Quickly, she turned around, retracing her steps. She was sure he would come back too, once he realized they'd gotten separated, but she didn't see him. It must have been this fork where they'd lost track of each other, but when she went left instead of right, assuming she'd catch up to him quickly, she didn't see any sign of him. Not even boot prints, to suggest that he'd come this way.

She felt a spark of panic, blooming in her chest. This was a mistake, she thought. The hike. Coming back. All of it. She knew it was an overreaction, but turned around in the woods, it almost felt like a sign. Like a reminder that she didn't belong here in Evergreen Hollow.

Nora turned around, her heart hammering in her chest—and then she heard Aiden's voice calling through the trees.

"Nora?"

"I'm here!" She lifted her hand, waving it, although she couldn't see him to tell if he could see her. "I'm over here!"

"I hear you! Just stay there!"

A moment later, she saw him coming through the trees, and she felt a little weak with relief. He caught up to her, concern on his face, and Nora felt herself flush a little.

"It all looks the same to me out here," she admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. "Just snow-covered landscape. I got turned around."

"Your lack of direction really is appalling," he said gravely, but she could see the corners of his mouth twitching. "At least one of us can find our way."

"Thank goodness for that." She could see the humor in his eyes, that he wasn't annoyed, and it eased her anxiety. She laughed, glancing ahead. "Want to help me find my way back to where we're supposed to be?"

"Gladly."

Aiden guided her back to the trail, and they hiked up the hill in companionable silence once more, Nora being more careful not to get separated. "This way," he said, pointing to the peak of the hill. "The best spot to watch the sun rise."

She followed him up, a little out of breath, but as they stood side by side she could see the sky starting to flood with color, the first rays of dawn breaking. It was stunningly beautiful, and it made her breath catch a little, seeing it.

"I'm sorry for the heartbreak you've been through recently." Aiden's voice startled her a little, low and quiet. "But I'm grateful it brought you back to Evergreen Hollow."

Nora turned, surprised. His face was serious, his eyes meeting hers, and she felt the quick leap of her heart in her chest. "I am too," she said softly, looking up at him, and she saw his lips curve in a soft smile.

His hand reached up, gloved fingers touching her jaw as he leaned in, and her heart raced. It had been a long time since someone had kissed her for the first time.

And when his mouth touched hers, there on the snowy hillside as the sun came up around them, she was glad it was him.