Anna Marie trudged blindly back through the woods, sensing her surroundings less intensely than on the walk out to the road. The chilly air and dull throb of her ankle were nothing but a soft background hum in the noise of her mind.

She hadn't intended to spend the weekend thinking about a man. Especially a man whom she had no intention of encountering after their initial failure of a date. She had other things to do! Books to read! All of nature to explore! But here he was, wiggling his way into her consciousness and distracting her from her time alone. "It's like I'm just a teenager again, boy-crazy as all get-out." Anna Marie shook her head as she trekked along the worn path. "Well, this time I'm all grown up, and I know what I want to do."

As she turned the bend in the path that led up to the cabin, she stopped short. Remy stood outside in front of the stairs, hands in his pockets and appearing to be looking for something in the distance.

Feelings that had been quashed at the time of their ill-fated date surfaced with a vengeance. The memories swirled into focus too: Dark brown eyes, the draw of their warmth rivaled only by that of a wide toothy grin that seemed to be saved just for her. A pair of strong hands pulling her chair out for her, making sure she was comfortable before he seated himself. His mouth on a wine glass, Adam's apple bobbing as he washed down their shared meal.

She had repressed these memories, playing down her own enjoyment of the evening and the way this man had intrigued her. All in the name of self-defense.

Anna Marie thought of the assumptions she had made about Remy that had been blown out of the water: assumptions that she couldn't have a conversation about her wants and needs with a man of his experience had been challenged by the direct way in which he attempted to communicate last night about the problems of their date. He hadn't pushed, but he had asked, and did so seriously. No games.

And he had offered to sleep on the floor, and it was a genuine offer too given where he ended up. Clearly the man was a gentleman, it wasn't just an act — and she could no longer lie to herself by saying she wasn't intrigued.

She felt she was seeing him in a different light after her conversation with Logan — or rather, she allowed herself to open her eyes and see what was already there. The sensation was invigorating… and somewhat annoying: It caused her to regroup her thoughts, and it was an abrupt change.

Everything about him now seemed to demand her utmost attention. Her heart raced and she couldn't stop staring:

The way he stood blinking in the morning light, his easy posture, the way he looked at home whether in the city or the woods. The man still didn't know how to dress but everything he wore suited him somehow, even the plaid pajamas and hoodie he was sporting.

Anna Marie stopped breathing for a beat as Remy ran a hand through his hair and turned back to the cabin.

Feeling emboldened by his retreat, Anna Marie stepped out of the trees and strode towards the house.

Coffee? Chugged. Big girl pants? Firmly in place. I can do this.

Remy startled and turned around as she walked up, a relieved look on his face. "Sleep well?" he asked gruffly, as though his voice was still waking up.

Nodding, Anna Marie fiddled with the zipper of her vest as she approached, bravado waning quickly in the gaze of his handsome face.

Remy's brow furrowed as he watched her hands fumbling, and he quickly said, "Look Anna Marie, I don't want to put you out any more than I already have. I'll head out in a few minutes."

He looked somewhat distressed, or at least remorseful. Maybe the hand once again carding through his luxurious hair was for her benefit or maybe it was a nervous tic. Either way, it worked for him. "You probably haven't been comfortable with me here. I'll just leave you to it."

"Um. You can stay to get some coffee first if you want. I used up what was there but we've got more grounds. And listen— I talked to Logan. He's sorry about the mix up. I wish it hadn't happened too, but c'est la vie, right?"

A small grin. "That's true, that's true. Now. About that coffee?" he said, looking hopeful.

Softly laughing, Anna Marie shook her head. "Didn't say anything about making it for you."

"No worries, I bet you couldn't do it as good as me anyway. So I expect you to stay out of my way, unless you want to taste test." He winked.

She couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"C'mon, master chef. Let's go."

Boasting more claims of being able to make the perfect brew, Remy made a show of requesting Anna Marie's verdict on his final coffee making skills. She graciously gave them a nine out of ten, with one point deducted because he used a perfectly level measuring spoon for each scoop, which was annoying to watch.

It was all around a very domestic scene. One would never know this was only their third meal together.

Sitting at the kitchen table, he fiddled with his coffee cup and avoided her gaze. She sipped her hot chocolate in between zipping and unzipping her vest. She steeled herself for what she wanted to say.

"I know I said I didn't want to talk about it… but about our date…"

Relief showed in Remy's face. Maybe he wanted to clear the air as much as she did. "Yeah, let's talk about that. We gettin' along so well, what happened then? I know it doesn't matter now, but— " he trailed off.

Tracing a knot in the wood of the table, Anna Marie said, "It seemed you wanted to move faster than I did. It was too much for me so I cooled things off."

Remy frowned. "Is that all this is? We could have taken it as fast or slow as you wanted. I'm not gonna lie — if you had been interested in it, I wouldn't have said no to something that night. But I still would have wanted to get to know you too. And you weren't interested in anything, so I let it go," he pointed out.

And it was true, he didn't go after her when she rapidly said goodbye and ran as soon as the bill was paid. He had called once to follow up and left it at that. The man wasn't desperate or pushy, that's for sure.

"It's not that I wasn't interested, it's just that I…" she paused as though waiting for him to fill in the rest. He regarded her silently. "I don't do one night stands, or anything on the first date." She finally finished. "And I thought that's what you wanted."

Remy nodded. "I have had one night stands in the past, but like I said, it depends on you. What you want, and how I felt about you. And with you I wanted more than just one night."

"I get that now. But at the time…" she shrugged and raised her hands in a what-can-you-do gesture. "I didn't know. So I assumed. And I'm sorry for the way I acted — you didn't deserve that." She tapped thoughtfully at her mug.

Her hands were trembling slightly and she spilled her chocolate drink on her right sleeve.

"Damn it all," she muttered, snatching up a napkin and trying in frustration to blot the stain out of the white wool.

"Don't think that's gonna help anything," he eyeballed her progress. "Better go get that rinsed. Did it hurt you?" He reached for her wrist to help check if the hot liquid had burnt her, but Anna Marie yanked her arm back. "Don't! — Don't need to look at it, it's— it's fine." She hurried away, cursing Ghirardelli and their entire line of hot beverage products.

Standing in her short sleeved tshirt in the bathroom, Anna Marie regarded her flushed cheeks in the mirror. No time for that when there's setting stains, she told herself sternly. She had already stripped off her sweater and doused it in cold water. Soap and gentle scrubbing got the worst of it out, but she lingered trying to get the last little bit clean before soaking it.

"Hey, I've got a Tide pen if you— " the door creaked open.

Anna Marie turned, startled, as Remy stood in the doorway. His eyes wandered quickly over her frame, alighting on her…

She followed his gaze and slapped a hand over her arm, as though to cover the worst of her scars. Her face now burned bright and she looked away from her intruder.

"Sorry Anna Marie, just thought this could help. Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

She flushed further, if that was even possible. Soon her entire head would be on fire. "It's an old wound," she muttered. "Nothing to worry about." She shoved past him towards the bed area and tore apart her duffel looking for another shirt. She found a lined fleece sweater and threw it on, zipping it up to her chin — as though that could somehow mitigate the damage done by that wayward hot chocolate. This is not how the day was supposed to start. The flustered woman took a deep breath.

When she had gathered herself enough to come back to the kitchen, Remy was waiting for her. He leaned by the fridge, casually examining his nails. "You sure you're ok? It really looked like your arm is hurt." His gaze intently searched her face. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's…" Anna Marie hesitated. The band-aid had already been ripped off; he had seen the scars.

And he was still here.

"I have scars from an old burn, that's what you saw. I usually don't show people until I've known them for a while so I was caught off guard, that's all." She swallowed, tried and failed to look casual.

"It's none of my business," Remy said slowly, eying her posture, "but chere— sorry, I mean Anna Marie— I'm not scared of a little ol' scar. If you don't want to share it, that's ok. But for what it's worth, coming from your least favorite date ever, any way you look is a part of you, and you're a beautiful woman. And this time, I'm not teasing."

It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to her. More than just enjoying the pretty words, she felt confident that he was telling the truth — that seeing her scars didn't bother him.

"Thanks. I appreciate that. And for what it's worth, you weren't my least favorite date."

"Oh?"

"Yup. Once had a disastrous Wednesday brunch with a guy who called himself 'Rattlesnake Steve.'"

"Ouch," Remy chuckled and motioned towards the exterior door with his head, part suggestion, part request.

Shuffling along behind him onto the cool porch, Anna Marie breathed in the fresh air once again. The sun's rays were just reaching onto the deck in speckled patterns, swaying with the trees.

She settled herself down onto one end of the porch swing and looked out over the land as she calmly drew a breath. She was safe, and Remy hadn't run away in shock and horror.

Anna Marie picked at her purple fingernail polish in an effort to distract herself. Specks of glitter floated to the ground like the ashes of the previous night's campfire.

Still in his pajamas, Remy sat down on the swing an arms length away. He looked rumpled from sleep and was still fussing with his hair to set it to rights. She smiled. It really was cute when he did that. He gave a low whistle, "Gettin' chilly out here now. That sun feels good though."

She had to agree, it was beautiful if a bit brisk. Her companion had an arm slung on the back of the swing, and darn it if Anna Marie didn't want to see what it would feel like to snuggle underneath it and warm up.

"So, how slow?"

"Huh?" She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"How slow do you like to go then, if the idea of a one-night stand sends ya running off? No sex? No kissing?"

Anna Marie thought for a moment as she got her brain on track with the new direction of conversation. "It would depend on the circumstances. For example, with you it'd be different, it wouldn't be slow, you've already seen— so, I guess it wouldn't matter anymore." She bit her lip, immediately realizing the implications of her statement.

Remy stared. "So you mean… your arm was holding you back?" He rubbed his face in thought. "That makes sense now. Like I said, no reason for it on my account. But you said with me it'd be different…" he spoke as though thinking aloud to himself.

"Yeah, it would," Anna Marie replied. "Think we know each other fairly well by now. I even know what you look like with bed-head," she teased.

Caution laced his next words. "So… does that mean you'd be interested in trying dating again? Now that we've talked? If not I won't bring it up again, honest truth. We'll chalk the whole thing up to a misunderstanding and go our separate ways."

"No! I mean, yes… I am interested."

Shifting in his seat to get a better look at her, Remy asked, "so what does that mean exactly? Tell me what you want. 'Cause Remy's a patient man when he wants something. I don't mind waiting."

Take deep breaths. "It means I want you. I'd like to try again, if you can forgive me for how I acted?"

His slow-spreading grin told her she was more than forgiven. "C'mere," he motioned with his head.

Anna Marie got her wish as she slipped under his arm and sat close, knees pulled up around her chest and feet on the bench. Her right arm was tucked down against his left side. His arm stayed on the back of the seat, but his fingers grazed her shoulder lightly. "This ok?"

"Mmhmm. Yeah." She had suddenly gone all melty.

They sat for a few minutes like this. Anna Marie relished the closeness and the warmth. His long hair tickled hers and she had to stifle a giggle.

Looking quizzically at her, Remy asked, "What?"

She shook her head, tangling their hair further. "Nothin'."

He gazed down at her, and raised his arm to stroke her cheek with a warm hand. "More than friends, right?" he murmured.

"Yeah."

A faint smile played on his lips and Anna Marie couldn't stop staring at them. She thought her eyes might dry up into deserts from not blinking.

Remy leaned in until their foreheads were almost touching. Sunlight sparkled into her eyes, and their lids fluttered closed against the glare. Anna Marie breathed in deeply: breathed in the sweetness of his cologne, the mint on his breath. Warmth radiated from his body, and she shivered from the chill at her back.

She tilted her head up until she could feel his lips graze hers, no more than a touch. Her mind was buzzing, loud and full of anticipation. She barely had time to stop wondering what it would be like to really kiss him before he erased the last space between them.

His lips were warm and strong on hers, sure and yet not forceful. Anna Marie leaned into the kiss, hand at his chest, enveloped in utter comfort.

Separating from one another, Anna Marie's lips were left wanting but pulled irresistibly into a smile. Remy mirrored her as the corners of his mouth kicked up and he slid his hand from her neck. She blushed and huffed a soft laugh. "Been thinking about that for a while now," she murmured.

"Glad you're done thinking," he grinned. "Bet you do enough of that for the both of us."

She certainly had. Now, her mind made up, Anna Marie stood and tugged on his hand until he rose with her, leading his tall figure behind her towards the cabin door. She could feel his sturdy presence at her back, radiating heat. They passed into the room and Anna Marie bit her lip, eyeing the bed they had yet to share.

This was the fastest she had moved with anyone for a long while, but it felt right. She focused on what she was gaining, not on the time that they had lost due to her self sabotage: somehow she felt confident that the timing was just as it was meant to be.

Remy snaked an arm around her waist and pressed his body to her back, solid and warm. "You sure about this?" He murmured, kissing the back of her neck.

In between chills she answered softly, "never more sure." And it was true: her heart beat quickly but not with nerves or fear. It beat with anticipation.

Thoughts of her arm and its trail of painful memories rose in her mind for a brief moment as she removed her sweater, only to be gently set aside with it as she reminded herself that it wasn't a factor in her time together with Remy.

It was the last time that such thoughts arose in her mind that morning.

"What're you gonna do after I leave?" Remy asked gruffly, propped up on one elbow and gently tracing Anna Marie's arm with his fingers. "You change your mind about trying some hiking?"

Smiling ruefully, Anna Marie shook her head on the pillow. "The walk I took this morning overdid it a bit, ankle's sore. It would have been nice to see more of the leaves, though."

Remy scratched at his stubbled jaw and thought for a moment. "So let's go see the leaves. We'll take a drive further up the mountain. That is, if I can convince you to spend the rest of the morning with this handsome Cajun before he rides off into the noon sun?"

Anna Marie laughed. "That sounds just my speed."

"Then let me get dressed, and we'll be good to go."

"A silk shirt perhaps?" said Anna Marie slyly, sitting up.

Pulling away, Remy looked slightly offended. "What? That was my best going-out shirt!"

Anna Marie smirked.

"It's fancy and it goes with all my dress trousers!"

"Does it, though?"

"Fine. Deal. No silk shirts."

"Music to my ears, shuggah."

He laughed and pulled her mouth down to his.

—-

Anna Marie huffed visible breath into the brisk air and rubbed her hands together, waiting for Remy to join her at her car. His jeans-clad form thundered down the cabin's wooden front steps, one hand in his jacket pocket and the other carrying her coffee thermos. "Picked the perfect weekend for this, couldn't be any prettier out here." She had to agree.

Flipping her plaid scarf over one shoulder, Anna Marie hopped into the car and Remy did the same. She revved the engine to life and the pair were off.

Driving with the top down was a sigh of relief — heat blasting on cold feet, while their faces chased the teasing brush of the chill above. The fading autumn trees threw their foliage into the wind, chasing the next stage of their own journeys. The leaves scattered in the golden sunlight, swirling in a brisk, bracing push of air.

The mountain came alive as they drew higher yet, searching for the perfect overlook spot. This one and that one were ignored until they found one that opened up onto the valley below. They halted, and bustled quickly out of the car to feast on the delicious view.

The stone wall protecting them from a sheer drop was the perfect place to stop and breathe in the autumn air. They could see through the orange and yellow foliage to the green valley below, barns and silos in the distance feeling a world away from their own secluded peak.

The two young lovers grinned and whispered and held on to each other with the fervor of new emotions. What the future held, it was too early to say. But trading smiles in the Autumn breeze seemed a very good way to begin again.