STILL WATERS
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CHAPTER 3
SUNDAY, MAY 23
"Mountain therapy," night 3
I know I'm supposed to have some deep feelings to journal about. After all, I've been here two full days, away from the pressures of school, out in the fresh air, no papers to write, nobody standing over me, cracking the whip. A short reprieve on worrying about my employment situation come September. That all feels awesome and rejuvenating and YAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS.
But truth be told, Dr. Cope, right now, my most powerful feelings are all about mountain man: lust, anticipation, excitement, and something very warm and fuzzy.
.
.
.
I bolted out of bed at 5:58, two minutes before my alarm. Didn't need coffee, didn't need more sleep.
Just you, me, and the mountain.
Yeah, it would be awkward seeing Edward first thing this morning after those dreams I just had. So many dreams: hot kisses, crazed groping, frantic peeling away of clothes and—
Time to push all that away because there he was, waiting for me at the trail head with his sunglasses pushed into his hair, still wet at the tips from his shower, and a look of . . . was that apprehension on his face?
My own smile died on impact. "Hey, everything okay?"
"I think so," he said. "I, um . . . didn't really think this through."
"Which part? Because I'm flexible on the lunch meat."
His smile appeared for a brief moment before running away again. "I don't really have the authority or whatever to take guests out on an unmarked trail or . . ."—he looked away and fidgeted with the clip of the backpack snapped at his waist—"or alone."
Wow, that went from sixty to zero awfully quickly.
Fear tore through me. Was this guy some kind of sex offender? He sure didn't seem the type, but how the hell would I know?
No way. There was no way Emmett and Rosalie would have allowed a sex offender on the grounds, let alone to lead a group of hikers through the mountains. Chill your bones, girl.
"Does that mean I'm uninvited now?"
"No! You're still invited, and I hope you'll come, but they kind of made me tell you all that first."
He still looked like he might throw up any second.
"Edward, is there something I need to know about you? Are you sketchy or something?"
At that, he laughed, and the tension seemed to spill out of him. "No, Bella. I'm probably the least sketchy person you've ever met. Not only would I never, ever hurt you, I am qualified to handle just about any emergency situation we could encounter on the mountain, from attack by wild animals to first aid and long-term survival."
"In that case, I think I'm good to take a day hike with you. You kind of scared me there for a second."
"I'm sorry. My brother is kind of a stickler—well, actually, Rosalie is the stickler but my brother values his . . . jewels. Anyway, I'm not one of their licensed therapists, so that makes me a bit of a wildcard, and I've only been here two weeks. This is all pretty new, and—"
"Maybe we should walk and talk?" I tipped my chin toward the trail, and he shot me a very grateful smile.
"Right. Or maybe I should shut the hell up like I promised you?" He tossed off a chuckle.
We fell into step together, and I gave his side a little bump with my elbow. "I kind of really like talking to you."
He faced forward, but I could see the end of his smile as it stretched across his cheek. "I kind of really like talking to you too, Bella."
Despite our major declarations, we both opted for silence for the next several minutes, and that worked, too. But instead of enjoying Mother Nature, my thoughts were churning with curiosity about the man next to me, and since he didn't seem to mind talking, I decided to probe a bit.
"So, how is it that you're qualified to protect me from wild animal attacks?"
"I didn't mean that to sound so arrogant—"
"It didn't."
He nodded before answering. "I grew up in the mountains. As much as I've tried leaving for . . . higher pursuits, I guess . . . I kind of suck at staying inside four walls."
I couldn't help but notice the irony. "I think those so-called 'higher pursuits' have driven me right here to your mountains."
"Well, yeah, but . . ." He shot me a look I couldn't read, then shook his head. "Nah, forget it."
"What?"
He did that thing I was getting used to with him—fighting an internal battle over how much to say out loud. I was starting to think it would be a good idea to get him wasted one night so he'd shed some of his inhibitions, but that surely was not going to happen out here on the trail. Not while he had to be all responsible for my survival.
"C'mon, Edward, just say it."
"I've read your file. I'm sorry, I had to. I led that hike the first day, so I had to be made aware of . . ."
"My issues?"
He shrugged. "Your situation. You didn't just attend a few college-level classes; you earned your master's. You and I are basically the same age, and you're, like, light years ahead of me."
Oh. "I guess I don't really see it that way. I mean, yeah, I stayed in school, but whatever. I just followed my passion."
"Heh. My passion doesn't really encompass test-taking or sitting behind a desk. Sometimes, I wish it did."
"So, yours happens to be the great outdoors. There's no hierarchy or judgment about what's better."
"You want to tell my parents that?"
"Sure. What's their phone number?"
Edward turned his head abruptly, eyebrows raised and ready to talk me out of it until he realized I was kidding. "Funny."
"Your folks chose this place to raise their family. They don't see that the classroom isn't where you shine?"
"They want me to have a good education and every opportunity and blah, blah, blah. They were all supportive of my gap year after high school, but when that turned into an admissions deferral and then a semester off, and then another gap year . . . it hasn't been an easy path for any of us."
He sounded so very lost, it hurt my heart. "I'm sorry. That sounds painful."
His lips curled into a smile, and soon he was full-on laughing.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"I'm sorry. It just struck me as funny all of a sudden . . . You came up here to sort things out, and here I am vomiting up my life story all over you. I'm not really sure how that just happened, especially since I'm not what you'd call a talker."
"Well, I can't be sure because I've pretty much spent the last five years immersed in relationships with fictional characters, but if memory serves, I believe that's called friendship."
He gazed out at the horizon, where he seemed to search for his big answers. Before turning to face me again, he lowered his sunglasses onto his face. I couldn't tell if he was shielding his eyes from the sun or from my seeing something he didn't mean to reveal. Maybe he didn't know either.
"Friendship. Huh . . . it's been a while for me, too, Bella."
Tears burned behind my eyes, and I pulled on my sunglasses as well. Edward was finished sharing, and we walked on in a silence heavy with reflection.
Being with Edward was both comfortable and profoundly agitating. Our hike had just begun, and I was already mourning the end of the trail.
.
.
.
The sun rose in spectacular fashion. Side by side, we took in its majesty as we hiked along in reverent silence. About an hour in, we came to the end of the cleared path.
"Ahh, time for work," he proclaimed sadly. "Sorry, here comes the boring part."
I dug into my pack and pulled out the book I'd chosen last night. "I'm good for hours. Don't worry about me."
He chuffed. "I am worried about you. This is slow-going, tedious work. You need to promise you'll tell me if you're dying of boredom or hunger or . . . you need to use the, er, facilities."
"Facilities? You have facilities?" I was really starting to enjoy teasing him. He had the most adorable blush, something about the way his pink cheeks blended into his bronze-streaked hair just . . . yum.
"Not exactly. I have a roll of toilet paper. But please don't go off on your own without telling me. I'll help you scout out a spot."
He was getting all protective again, and it was cute and all, but I'd been going to the bathroom for at least twenty years on my own now. "Thanks, but I'm pretty sure I can find a place to pee without your help."
Shifting into mountain man mode, he narrowed his eyes and delivered his lecture. "There are over one hundred species of thorny bushes and poisonous leaves you really don't want to brush up against your . . . bare skin." He was bright red now, poor guy.
"All right, all right. Thanks."
Much relieved to have gotten that conversation out of the way, he changed the subject. "Let's get you back a safe margin from the work zone."
"Okay, boss. I'm going."
I followed his instructions, but that didn't stop me from watching. He untied the bandana hanging off his pack and fastened it around his head. Things were about to get sweaty. I wanted to tell him he didn't need to keep his shirt on for my sake, but I decided to keep that thought to myself.
He unzipped a huge canvas bag I hadn't noticed at the edge of the trail and pulled out some heavy-duty pruning tools I couldn't have used if my life depended on it. And then he began wielding them in earnest like the pro he apparently was.
Be still, my heart. Captain Lumberjack was here to save the day!
I felt like a bum, sitting by and pretending to read while he conquered the wilderness. His shirt darkened with sweat; his grunts grew louder as he thrashed at the unruly scrub. With every swing of his hatchet, he slashed away a little bit more of the underbrush and won a bigger piece of my heart.
He worked for long periods without stopping. He'd clear a chunk of new trail, drag his bag of tools along, and wave me closer. It was backbreaking work with little apparent reward, but he never complained or even appeared the slightest bit grumpy.
The only time we chatted was the occasional water break. And even then, he was only concerned about my needs. He peppered me with questions: "Need anything? Bored yet? When did you last reapply your sunscreen? Drinking enough water? Enjoying your book?"
He slashed away for hours, and I think he would've kept right on going if I hadn't told him I was hungry for lunch.
.
.
.
"I know this is totally cheesy, but Rose insisted." Edward's cheeks were as bright as the red-checkered tablecloth he was busy fluffing over the rocky ground.
"So you're saying you don't normally go to this kind of trouble when you're alone out here?"
"Sometimes, when I'm feeling wildly indulgent, I'll find myself a boulder to sit on."
Despite his embarrassment, he seemed to be getting into the whole picnic concept, kneeling beside me and handing me a sandwich and chips and fruity water out of his pack. He watched with great anticipation as I took my first bite of the sandwich.
"So?"
"Hmm." I teased him as long as I could hold out, which wasn't very long at all. "I would have to say this is, indeed, the best turkey and Swiss I have ever eaten. What's your secret?"
"Even if I told you every ingredient right down to the teaspoon of honey mustard, it would never taste as good anywhere else."
With Edward sitting next to me on the hard ground, legs kicked out in front of him, sun baking us in its warmth, I couldn't actually imagine anywhere on earth any morsel of food would taste as good. He took another bite of his sandwich and closed his eyes while he chewed. It was impossible to look away from the blissful expression on his face. It was also impossible not to tease him about it.
"Shouldn't you keep your eyes open in case of a snake ambush or something?"
He lowered his gaze and made a quick sweep around the area. "There's only one type of venomous snake up here, and they're almost definitely still hibernating for another couple of weeks."
"Almost definitely?" And here, I thought I'd been joking. "Wait, what about the nonvenomous ones? They don't sleep?" I scooted closer to Edward, and he laughed.
"Snakes are the least of your worries up here."
"Is that right? And what is the most of my worries?"
"Black bears, definitely. And moose are a very close second."
"Wonderful."
He smiled that easy, confident, one-with-nature smile that looked so damn good on him. "Don't worry, Bella. I'll protect you."
As unenlightened as my response might have been, I could not deny my swoon for the whole chest-beating Tarzan thing he had going on. Sue me. Not that I was about to let Edward see it.
"Oh yeah? Who's protecting you? You don't have a gun in that backpack, do you?"
"God, no. I could never shoot a living creature. It's all about respecting the animals."
"Respect the animal while he's tearing you limb from limb?"
"No, respect the animal so it doesn't come to that." He finished the last bite of his sandwich and brushed off his hands on his shorts, which was amusing considering how dirty his shorts were. "Say a bear appears over there on that crest. What do you do?"
"That depends . . . how fast can you run?"
He gave me his stern expression again. It was hot. "Nowhere near as quick as a bear but fast enough to outrun you. Try again."
"Okay, let's see . . . I could throw him the rest of my sandwich and—"
"A fed bear is a dead bear. You can't do that. Giving him human food would ultimately lead to his demise. Next?"
"Isn't his demise better than mine?" Now, I was just fishing.
Edward must have caught on to my ridiculous ploy. His eyes were smiling, but his mouth wouldn't give in. "He's not going to keel over after the first bite. It's a subtle process. He starts looking for human food, turns to a life of crime, yada, yada."
I couldn't decide which was sexier, serious mountain man or playful Edward. Either or both worked for me.
"Okay, I've got it."
His eyebrows perked up. Adorably. "Yes?"
"I climb the nearest tree."
"That is your worst idea yet. Bears, especially black bears, are champion tree climbers. He would follow you up there and throw you to the ground."
"Jeez, that sounds pretty harsh."
"No, Bella, harsh is what he does to you after that. You finished with your lunch?"
I popped the last bite of my sandwich into my mouth. He probably needed to hit the trail again. "Yep."
He rose onto his knees. "Okay, roll over onto your stomach."
"What?"
Hands on his hips now, he repeated his command. A bit menacing, but I was game.
I flopped gingerly onto my full belly and waited for his next move. He placed his palm on my back. His knees bumped up against my side.
"Put your hands behind your neck, elbows wide . . . yep, just like that."
My heart was pounding into the plastic plaid sheet separating my chest from the earth. Edward leaned over so his voice was near my ear.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but spread your feet apart like you're doing a jumping jack."
I tried to crane my neck around to see his face, but his hand locked me firmly in place. "Sorry, what's the right way to take that?"
He let go with a soft pat between my shoulder blades and a gentle chuckle. "That's what you do if you encounter a bear."
"So I can get up now?"
His knee hit the turf in front of my face, along with a sturdy, outstretched hand. "I think that's probably a good idea."
.
.
.
Edward was careful to have me back well before sunset. We hadn't talked much on the hike back; he'd been pretty beat after a full day of physical labor. I'd worked up quite a sweat, too. Watching mountain man in his natural habitat took a lot out of me.
I thanked him for lunch and bringing me back alive and sharing his mountain with me. He blushed and shook his head and said he was glad I had a nice time. It was all kinds of almost-first-date awkward but I wouldn't have traded it for anything.
Author's Note: HEY! Hi! I see some new readers out there! *waves* Welcome, welcome, and thank you to all of you who have popped in to say you're here. If any of you new kids are interested, I do post occasional teasers and hot mountain men pics in my Facebook group- look me up at Born's Pumpkin Patch!
I have two big recs to thank for the new foot traffic: Nicffwhisperer over at The Lemonade Stand (a longtime supporter, thank you!) and Tarbecca, who rec'd it over at the Fic Dive at ADF (A Different Forest).
It seems I'm not alone in my little *quirk* about organizing books. Heh. Shocking. And for those of you who mentioned the dynamic of the three brothers, I've always loved what SM gave us to play with in terms of those boys and their different personalities, and always loved the unique bromance (which, ahem, sometimes turns into romance but NOT when they're brothers!). Confession time- THIS story, this mountain man, was my very first vision of Edward, but I guess the story wasn't ready to come out. Instead, I ended up writing a certain family resort on an island off the Pacific coast, similar Emmett and Jasper, very different Edward. You might recall that story... "The Cliffs"? Anyone? LOL. So here we are, 6 years later, and mountain man has burst forth once again demanding his story to be told. Who knew?
Many, many thanks for all the kind reviews and insightful comments that get me thinking...and writing. You guys really are the best. XXX ~BOH