"Aiden Callaway—shot down. So hard to believe."
"Isn't it?" he said with a laugh. "Andrea was a snooty rich girl, and I was not good enough for her. The Callaways were blue collar as far as she was concerned."
"And proud of it," she said.
"You bet."
"Andrea didn't know what she was missing."
"I doubt she gave me another thought. But I have to admit her rejection stung."
He turned off the main highway, driving down a narrow, winding road into the hills.
"This is a lonely stretch," she commented a few minutes later. "We haven't seen a car in a long time."
"Summer is a more popular time up here, but I'm glad there's no one around. We'll have the woods all to ourselves." He glanced over at her. "I hope you'll have a good time. I know this isn't your usual thing."
"I'm looking forward to camping out. I'm beginning to see the depth of the rut I've been treading the last few years. It's amazing the perspective you get when you step away from your life for a while."
"Sometimes distance adds clarity." He paused. "Have you thought any more about the family secret you stumbled upon?"
She'd been trying really hard not to think about the secret her parents had kept. "Not really. When I think about all the lies, it makes me a little sick."
"Maybe when you speak to your father, his explanation will help you make sense of it all."
"I can't imagine that he'll even give me an explanation. I wish my mom were alive so I could ask her why she never told me about my brother. We were so close, Aiden. I just don't understand how she could keep something so big from me. And she never slipped, not once that I can recall. We had lots of conversations about me being an only child. It was something we had in common, because she was an only child, too. But it was a lie—I wasn't an only child. I had a brother. That feels so weird to say out loud."
"It's going to take some getting used to."
"It's unnatural for a family to hide a death like that. I can't imagine the steps they had to take. Now I know why they didn't have any long-time friends. They had to walk away from anyone who knew about Stephen Davidson, Jr." As she thought about their deception, an uneasy feeling crept over her. "You don’t think there was anything sinister about my brother's death, do you?"
"Like what?"
"Well, I don't know how my brother died. He was four years old. Was it an illness, an accident? Was someone to blame? Did someone hurt him on purpose? Why did was there a need for a cover-up?"
"All good questions," he said somberly.
"Too bad I don't have any answers."
"We seem to be in short supply of those these days."
She gasped as the truck hit a big bump and reached out a hand to the door to steady herself.
"Sorry," he said, "The road isn't paved from here on out."
"How far are we driving in?"
"Just a mile."
"I don't suppose there are any bathrooms out here, either."
"We're roughing it," he said with a grin. "Trust me, you will love it."
She'd been trusting him a lot lately; she had no reason to stop now.
The road ran through some thick redwood forest. The branches of the tall trees obliterated the sun in some instances or created eerie rays of light. She felt like they were leaving civilization behind. She was probably being dramatic. After all, there was a road, even if it wasn't paved. But she was a city girl, and she hadn't seen this many trees in a very long time.
Eventually, Aiden parked the car off the side of the road. "We hike in from here. I'll get the gear."
Faced with the isolation of their location, Sara felt a little less sure of her decision to agree to camp overnight. They were so isolated, and who knew what kind of animals ran through the woods at night? "
"Are there any bears out here?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, lots of 'em," he said gleefully.
"Great."
He smiled. "Don't worry, I can take care of you."
"You can protect me from a bear?"
"I have wilderness skills, Sara. When we jump into a fire, we pack for at least thirty-six hours. Sometimes we're out in the forest for a week before we can hike our way out or get close enough to find transportation."
She shook her head, the reality of what he did amazing her the more she learned about it. "Isn't the forest on fire when you're in it?"
"We don't jump straight into the fire. We find a nearby location for the drop and then hike in. We try to get in before the fire gets too big to handle, but sometimes that doesn't happen."
"Are you ever scared?"
"All the time."
"But that's part of the fun, isn't it?"
"It's a rush unlike any other. But aside from all that, we protect land like this, and that's important. The world is getting too crowded."
"Having navigated Times Square on a summer day, I can definitely agree that the world can be too crowded."
"You're a long way from home, aren't you, Sara?"
She nodded.
"Are you scared?" he teased, repeating her earlier question.
She gazed into his eyes, a tingle running down her spine. She felt as if she was about to embark on an adventure. "I'm out of my element," she said. "But I'm up for the challenge."
"Good, because we're going to have some fun."
"So far you haven't let me down," she said. She grabbed a bag and they made their way into the forest.
Chapter Nineteen
Aiden led Sara through the woods, picking his path with unerring preciseness. He knew exactly where he wanted to take her. They ended up in a clearing next to a winding creek. "We can camp here," he said, setting down the gear.
"This is beautiful. And isolated."
He could hear the nervousness in her voice. "Do we need anybody else?"
"No, but it's very quiet out here, and it's a little spooky."
"I don't think you're listening very well." He moved across the clearing and put his hands on her shoulders. "Close your eyes."
"Why?"
"No questions, Sara. Just do it."
"Fine." She obediently closed her eyes.
"Now, listen for a minute, and then tell me what you hear."
She breathed in and out, her eyes closed, her expression contemplative. Sara liked tests. She liked to pass tests, and he sensed that she would do her best to tune in to the world around her.
"Water running over the rocks like a sweet melody," she said a moment later. "Birds squawking. I can picture them flying across the sky. The wind rustling the branches of the trees." She paused. "And you, breathing."
She opened her eyes, and smiled. "How did I do?"
"Very good."
"Thank you for making me take the time, Aiden."
"You're welcome. Nature has its own soundtrack."
"It's running through me now." She glanced around. "So, do we set up the tents? Take a hike? I hope there's food in that cooler. I forgot to ask what you got at the store."
"All the essentials and some non-essentials. We can set up later. Let's take a walk first."
"Will our stuff be okay here?"
"We're good."
"It's strange to think that there might be no one around us for miles."
"I prefer to think of that as a great possibility."
"In New York, you can't turn around without bumping into someone. I think that's why everyone is so tense all the time. They need more personal space."
"I know I would," he said.
As they walked a trail he'd taken many times before in his life, Aiden found himself appreciating the fact that he wasn't on his own this time. It was fun to share this world with Sara, to introduce her to a new experience, an experience she was embracing with open arms. He liked how she'd blossomed since her teenage years. She was so much brighter now, assertive, confident, adventurous and funny. She had a dry wit, and she didn't take herself as seriously as he would have thought.
His heart twisted a bit more as he watched Sara skip ahead to pick a wildflower. She held it up to her face, inhaling the scent, and something inside of him turned over. It was a sweet yet sensual moment, which was exactly the way he saw her.
Making love to her had been both passionate and tender. They'd fit together so perfectly. There hadn't been an awkward moment. Everything had seemed exactly right. He could still taste her on his mouth, still feel her body under his and hear the breathy sound of his name on her lips.
It had been a great night, and he was in big trouble…
No matter what she said about casual, no strings, no promises, he knew they were getting too close. He just couldn't bring himself to push her away again. If he did, it would probably save them both some pain. They were very different people, and they were both in a vulnerable place. He didn't know what he was doing with his life, where he'd be working or living next year.
Sara was reeling now because of the secrets she'd learned about her family, but there was probably a good chance that she would go back to New York in the end and return to the life she'd spent so much time building.
Shaking his head, he tried to stop thinking about the future. It would get here soon enough. He picked up his pace, realizing they were almost to his favorite spot, and he wanted to see Sara's face when she saw it.
A moment later, they moved around a bend, and Sara stopped abruptly. Her gaze was full of wonder as she took in the shimmering waterfall, the clear blue pool surrounded by rocks and boulders, the tall trees framing the sweetest picture she'd ever seen.
She turned to him with excitement in her brown eyes. "It's beautiful, Aiden—a secret pool, a secret waterfall. I love it. It's magical."
She was magical, he thought. Because she was stirring up feelings in him that he hadn't thought existed.
"With the sun streaming through the trees, it's like a beacon from heaven pointing right here," she added. "Is the waterfall singing or is it an angel?"
He grinned. "You don’t sound much like a hard-headed lawyer now."
She smiled back at him with joy in her gaze. "How can I be cynical in a place like this?" She knelt down and ran her hand through the water. "It's not as cold as I thought."
"It's pretty shallow. The sun warms it up," he replied, adding, "I'm glad you don't think it's too cold." He kicked off his shoes and slid off his socks, putting them on a nearby rock.
"What are you doing?" she asked warily as he pulled his t-shirt over his head.
"Going swimming."
"It's November," she said, standing up.
"It's California and it's warm. Why don't you join me for a swim?"
"I didn't bring a suit."
He took off his jeans. "So?"
"Oh," she said, a lot of yearning and excitement in that small word.
"If you're going to be in nature, you might as well go native."
"Really, Aiden?" She glanced over her shoulder. "What if someone comes by?"
"We're all alone, Sara."
"You say that now, but I'm afraid I'll strip down and some park ranger is going to show up. That is usually the way my luck goes."
He laughed. "That won't happen, but if it did, you'd have a good story to tell."
"That's true. I've never really had a good story to tell. A couple of weeks ago I was at a bar with some girlfriends and everyone told their most daring, risqué story. I had nothing to add. It was sad."
"Skinny dipping in broad daylight might be a good start to a story." He stepped out of his boxers and set them on the rock.
She stared at him with lustful appreciation, and his body responded in kind; time for a dip in the cold water.
He jumped into the pool. It was cold but refreshing. "Come on in, the water is fine," he drawled.
"Isn't that what the spider said to the fly?" she asked, hovering on the edge of the pool.
"I have no idea, but I can tell that you want to join me."
"You're such a bad influence."
"Bad or maybe good," he suggested. "Come on, Sara. It's not like I haven't seen everything. And believe me I have liked everything I've seen."
Even from several yards away, he could see the delightful red flush her cheeks.
"Okay," she said, finally giving in to temptation. "But don't watch me."
"Sorry, can't agree to that." He enjoyed watching her strip and was even more pleased when she took off her bra and panties. He'd thought she might have left them on.
She waded into the pool, squealing from the cold, her arms wrapped around her breasts. "It's not as warm as I thought."
"Just keep going. It gets better." He paddled across the pool and wrapped his arms around her as they sunk down in the water. "Let me warm you up." He lowered his head and kissed her, loving her little sigh of delight, the way she melted into his arms. He was fast becoming addicted to her. The pleasure of holding her was unfortunately followed by a terrifying fear that he might be falling for her. But this wasn't the time for thinking. They were living in the moment. And today in this beautiful pool with the sun shining brightly on his head, he was determined to make the most of this moment.
* * *
"This is a first for me," Sara said, lying on the soft grass next to the pool, her head on Aiden's chest, her leg over his, the heat of the sun toasting her skin, making her feel warmer than she had in years. It wasn't just the sunshine heating her blood; it was Aiden. He'd chipped away the layer of ice that had surrounded her heart for a very long time, so long she couldn't remember when the freeze had begun.
Maybe when she was a little girl. Maybe when she first realized that her father didn't like her, much less love her. Maybe it was when Aiden had rejected her.
She raised her head to look at him.
His eyes were closed, and his expression was happy, peaceful. She'd given him that much, she thought. He might not want love from her, but he wouldn't go away empty-handed.
"You're staring at me," he said.
She was staring. She could look at him forever, but she knew that forever wasn't going to happen, so she planned on savoring these very special minutes. She liked the way his thick eyebrows arched over his eyes, the sweep of his long black lashes against his cheek, the slightly crooked turn to his nose, a nose that had been broken by one of his brothers a long time ago. His jaw was strong, his lips and mouth oh, so sensual. Her breath caught in her chest, as she realized not only was she back in her mad crush, it was even worse this time around.