Searching for Love: The Complete Story Page 13

  Worried that it would be the latter, Brody hesitated.

  Reese settled onto her couch, then scrolled through the pictures on her camera, thrilled with what she had gotten so far that morning. On impulse, she scrolled farther back, back to the pictures she had taken of Brody in Malibu, the picture of him with the woman his brother had brought by. With a half-smile, she remembered that day less than week earlier and the misunderstanding that had led to her taking the pictures.

  It doesn’t matter anymore. Brody’s no longer in my life.

  She stared at his face—those blue-green eyes, that perfect layer of stubble on his cheeks—and remembered what it felt like when he had yanked her against his chest when they had been in the ocean and the huge wave had approached them. Being in his arms had made her feel more safe and secure than she’d felt in a long, long time. She had liked being close to him. Very much.

  Then her mind went to the kiss they had shared on the day she had left. It had been incredible. Which is why she had fled.

  Stop, Reese. Just stop. Move on with your life.

  She put her camera away, reviewed the map of Yellowstone, then climbed behind the wheel of her RV and turned on the engine.

  When Reese pulled away from the curb, Brody jumped into action, following her from a safe distance, feeling like a complete stalker, but unable to stop himself from staying with her. There was no way he would let her out of his sight. Not until he at least knew where she was staying.

  I’ll talk to her. I will. But I need to figure out how to approach her so that she doesn’t run off again.

  That was his biggest fear—that at the first sight of him she would leave and he wouldn’t have any idea how to find her. It had been a stroke of luck that he had stumbled upon her at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. And he had only known to look in Yellowstone in the first place because she had mentioned that she wanted to go there. She had never mentioned any other place. If Yellowstone hadn’t panned out, he would have had nowhere else to go.

  No, he wasn’t about to let her out of his sight.

  Reese turned onto the road that led to the north rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Eager to see what new treasures she would find, when she saw a pair of elk on the side of the road, she parked in the first spot she fit in, then grabbed her camera and hurried to a close, yet safe spot from which to take pictures.

  Brody hardly noticed the elk. Instead, he was focused completely on Reese as she took pictures. After several minutes, Reese stopped photographing and walked to an overlook where she gazed at the view.

  Desperate to talk to her face to face, Brody found he couldn’t make himself get out of the truck.

  The moment she sees me, she’s gonna run.

  Without taking his gaze from her, he picked up the water bottle from the cup holder and took a deep swallow.

  I’ve got to wait for just the right moment. Problem is, I have no idea what that is.

  Reese stood in the same spot, her gaze sweeping the area, taking in the view. A moment later a man walked up to her and began talking to her. Brody sat up straight as he watched them.

  Who the hell is that? And what the hell does he want?

  “Is this your first time visiting Yellowstone?” The man who stood beside Reese asked.

  She smiled at him, noticing he was about her age. Glad to have someone to talk to, she said, “Yes. What about you?”

  “No. This is, like, my fifth time coming here.”

  “Really?” She wondered if he could give her some pointers. “Any particular places you suggest I should visit?”

  He laughed. “That depends.”

  Her smile grew. She couldn’t help it. His open expression was so engaging. He even made her not miss Brody so much, at least for a few seconds. “On what?”

  “On how long you’ll be here.” He shifted to lean against the stone wall. “How long will you be here anyway?”

  Excited about the adventure that lay before her, Reese answered without hesitation. “I’m not sure yet. At least a week.”

  The man’s eyebrows rose. “Nice.”

  “What about you?”

  “Three more days.” A small frown turned down the corners of his mouth. “Then it’s back to work.”

  Though she felt sorry for the man that he seemed unhappy to go back to his job, Reese was thrilled that she was her own boss, and could stay as long as she wanted—or at least as long as she could afford to. “So what kind of stuff do you do while you’re here?”

  “Mostly hiking.” He glanced around. “Once in a while I come to the tourist spots.” He chuckled. “Just to remind myself how nice it is to get out in the backcountry where hardly anyone goes.”

  “Aren’t you worried about bears when you’re hiking?” That was one thing that worried Reese—running into a bear.

  “Not really.”

  She imagined the terror she would feel if she were hiking and came across a bear. “Have you ever seen a bear on a hike?”

  “Just once.”

  Reese’s eyes widened. “What happened?”

  “He was a couple hundred yards away, and as soon as I saw him, I headed in the other direction.”

  “Were you alone?”

  The man smiled.“Yes.”

  Grimacing, she said, “I would have been terrified.”

  He laughed. “I’m not saying I wasn’t scared, but if you know what to do, it’s not so bad.”

  She admired the nonchalance in his tone as her inner voice taunted her. You’re just as scared of hiking as you are of going in the ocean, you big baby.

  Holding back a frown, Reese asked, “What should you do if you come across a bear?”

  As he launched into an explanation, Reese watched him, but her thoughts were on Brody. If he was here with me, I wouldn’t be afraid to go on a hike. I know he would keep me safe.

  “Anyway,” the man said, “if you’re inexperienced, you really shouldn’t go hiking alone.”

  Reese laughed. “Oh, I’m not going to. Believe me.”

  He tilted his head. “So you’re here by yourself?”

  Not sure if she should admit it, but not wanting to lie, she settled on, “For the moment.”

  The man nodded. “My name’s Edward, by the way.”

  “I’m Reese.”

  He smiled. “If you ever need a hiking buddy, Reese, I’d be happy to fill the job.”

  That didn’t sound like a bad idea. “Okay, thanks.”

  “I can give you my cell number, and if you want a hiking buddy, you can text me.”

  Brody watched Reese take out her cell phone and type something in.

  Is this guy trying to pick her up? In Yellowstone?

  Bright green jealousy slashed through him as he watched Reese smile and chat with the man beside her.

  Who does this guy think he is anyway?

  Then the reality crashed over him.

  I have no claim on her. She left me behind. She doesn’t even know I’m here.

  Feeling like an idiot, Brody’s face heated with embarrassment, and he slid slightly downward in his seat. Even so, he couldn’t drag his eyes away from Reese, and he watched until the man finally left and Reese got back in her RV.

  Six

  Feeling good that she had met someone new—maybe even made a new friend—Reese looked at her map as she tried to decide where to go next.

  Old Faithful. I definitely need to go there.

  Her decision made, she put the map aside and headed north, turning left at Canyon Village before heading on. She stopped at a number of places along the way, noticing several trailheads as she drove along.

  I’d really like to get out there and hike. That would be the best way to explore this place. And get some great pictures. Her forehead crinkled in worry. But not alone.

  Thoughts of Brody filled her mind, and when she thought about their kiss, warmth spread throughout her body. Sadness that she had had to leave, as well as guilt that she hadn’t even told him good-bye, w
eighed her down.

  I don’t like it, but it was for the best. It was.

  She thought about Edward, the man she had met earlier, and considered taking him up on his offer to be her hiking buddy.

  He seemed to know his stuff when it comes to hiking. And if I want to get out there, I need to go with someone.

  Once again, she longed to have Brody by her side. He had been so kind and thoughtful to her. Nothing like her ex-husband, Josh, who had told her to her face that she was no longer the kind of wife he wanted. Then to solidify his point, he had told her he didn’t love her anymore.

  Pain at the memory of his cold words pierced her, and tears unexpectedly filled her eyes.

  Maybe true love’s just not in the cards for me. She wiped at her eyes as she focused on the road. You can accept that. You can survive on your own.

  With a small nod, she pushed a smile onto her mouth and drove on.

  Well over an hour later, after stopping to take pictures whenever something caught her eye, Reese arrived at Old Faithful.

  Brody had been following Reese all morning, and with all the stops she had made to take pictures, it had been difficult to keep her from noticing him. He smiled as he thought about her passion for photography and the times she had taken pictures of the sunset from his balcony in Malibu.

  I’d like to be by her side now as she takes photos.

  He frowned.

  But that will never happen if you don’t reveal yourself, idiot. You drove all the way here, and now you’re trailing her. Is that all you’re going to do? Just follow her around like some deranged stalker, and never talk to her? You have to take a chance. If you don’t, you’ll definitely never be part of her life.

  His phone rang. Thinking for a moment that it was Reese and that she had caught him following her, he snatched the phone from the center console and glanced at the screen.

  Logan.

  With a sigh, Brody swiped the phone, then said, “Hey, bro.”

  “Did you find her?”

  Pride in his success made him grin. Until he remembered that finding her was probably the easy part and he had yet to reveal himself. “Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did.”

  “No kidding?” Disbelief was evident in Logan’s tone. “What did she say? Is she with you now?”

  Wanting to hide the fact that he had been too worried to approach her, Brody only told part of the story. “I just barely found her, so I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet.”

  “Oh. Well it’s amazing that you found her at all. And she was at Yellowstone? Just like you thought?”

  Brody kept one hand on the steering wheel and both eyes on Reese’s RV as she drove toward her next destination. “Yep. Just like I thought.”

  “I have to say, big brother, I’m impressed.”

  You would be less than impressed if you knew how many chances I’ve passed up to actually talk to her. “Thanks.”

  “Call me as soon as you talk to her, okay?”

  Now that Logan knows I found her, I’m gonna have to deliver. Brody grimaced. Maybe that’s the push I need. “Will do, bro.”

  They disconnected, and a few minutes later Brody followed Reese into the Old Faithful area where she parked her RV in the large parking lot near the Old Faithful visitor’s center. Brody pulled into a space a distance away.

  Grow a pair, Brody, and talk to her. Now.

  Fear of being rejected by her, the only woman who had captured his interest since he had lost Megan, made him hesitate. But as he watched her climb out of her RV and begin walking toward the geyser basin, he forced himself to follow, although from a distance. The crowds weren’t huge this early in the season, although there were many people at the most popular Yellowstone destination. Still, it was easy to blend in with the crowd as he monitored where Reese went.

  After stopping by the visitor’s center to find out when Old Faithful was set to erupt—in another thirty minutes or so—Reese walked to an empty bench facing the geyser and settled in to wait. As she waited, she scrolled through the pictures she had taken, mentally noting which ones she would upload to sell, optimistic that this trip would easily pay for itself.

  Maybe I’ll even extend my visit.

  Then she smiled to herself. This was only her second day. No reason to think too far into the future.

  Better to focus on the here and now.

  The benches around her began to fill up, and she glanced at those around her, smiling at the obvious excitement they felt.

  A family sat on the bench behind her and she overheard them talking about a hike they had taken the day before. They talked about the deer they had seen, and the herd of bison that had been nearby. Reese imagined being closer to the wildlife in a more natural setting rather than just viewing them from a pull-off on the side of the road, and yearned to get out there herself.

  She took out her cell phone and composed a text to Edward, asking if he was still interested in being her hiking buddy. He replied immediately.

  Edward: Absolutely! When do you want to go? Where are you now?

  She told him where she was and that she wanted to go right away.

  Edward: I’m actually not far. I’ll come find you and we can head out as soon as you want.

  Reese accepted, thrilled with the prospect of going on her first hike in Yellowstone, then turned her attention to Old Faithful, which was due to erupt in about twenty minutes.

  Well away from the benches where the majority of people sat, Brody stood in the shade of the trees as he gathered the courage to approach Reese—and tried to think of what to say to convince her to give him a chance. In his head, he held an imaginary conversation with her, preparing responses to whatever she might say.

  When Old Faithful erupted, his gaze went between the white water gushing upward and the back of Reese’s head as she took photo after photo. The eruption ceased, and the crowd began to clear.

  This is your chance.

  Brody took two steps in Reese’s direction, but then froze. The man Reese had been talking to at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was approaching her. Her back was to him, but as the man drew closer, Brody’s gaze was riveted to her. What would she do when the man reached her? Would she be angry that he had suddenly appeared? Brody hoped so. Then he would move in.

  Seven

  “Reese,” a voice said beside her.

  She turned with a smile, then stood. “Hi, Edward. I’m so excited to go on a hike. Thank you for doing this.”

  He smiled. “No problem.”

  It occurred to her that asking him to hike with her might have messed up his plans. “You know, if you have something else planned, we can always postpone.”

  He laughed. “No, it’s fine. I was actually trying to decide what to do with the rest of the day, so I’m glad you texted me.”

  Relieved, she smiled. “Okay. Great. Where should we go?” Even as she asked, she knew she was slightly crazy to go on a hike with a complete stranger. But she didn’t get any kind of negative vibe from him. Besides, who else could she go with? Besides her brother Seth, who was serving in the military half a world away, she had no friends in the world.

  Except Brody.

  Pushing away that thought, she frowned. He was gone from her life. Leaving the way she did had made certain of that. They weren’t right for each other—at least she wasn’t right for him. So cutting all ties had been the right thing to do.

  “There’s an easy hike not too far from here called Mystic Falls,” Edward said in answer to her question. “I thought we could go there.” He glanced around the place she had been sitting. “Do you have water you can bring?”

  “Oh. Yeah. I have some in my RV.” She gestured toward the parking lot.

  “Where are you parked? I’ll drive to you and you can follow me to the trailhead parking lot.”

  Brody’s frown deepened. Reese seemed very comfortable with this guy and he wondered if he was someone she knew who she just happened to run into at Yellowstone.

&n
bsp; Maybe he’s an old boyfriend. Maybe she’d been planning on meeting him here and that’s why she left without saying good-bye. I was just a nice distraction to keep her occupied until she could meet up with him in her dream location.

  Brody scrubbed his hands through his hair, then let his arms fall to his sides.

  Coming here was a waste of my time. I was a complete idiot for thinking I should come looking for this woman I barely know. What was I thinking?

  With a shake of his head, Brody walked to his truck, climbed into the cab, and stared at Reese’s RV, furious at himself for being so stupid. As he watched Reese’s RV—not sure why he hadn’t already driven away—he imagined what Logan would say when he told him what had happened.

  What do you mean you didn’t even talk to her? Why did you drive all that way to just watch her go off with some other man? What happened to the man who goes after what he wants?

  Brody frowned, knowing if Logan said those words, he would be exactly right.

  What is my problem? Am I ready to give up so easily?

  As he analyzed his motives, Reese came into view. But she wasn’t alone. The man she had been talking to was beside her. They approached her RV, then with a wave, the man walked away.

  Huh? What’s going on?

  A minute later the man rode up on a motorcycle, paused a few yards past the front of Reese’s RV, then Reese pulled forward and began following him.

  Curious—and truth be told, not yet ready to let Reese go—Brody followed as well.

  It didn’t take long to reach the parking lot that Edward led her to. Reese parked her RV, grabbed her camera from the passenger seat and a bottle of water from her fridge, then climbed out. Excited to be going on a hike—even though, according to Edward, it was just two miles—Reese hurried to where he had parked his motorcycle.