Page 29 of Wind Called

“You’re sure we don’t need reservations for brunch?”

“On a Monday morning? Nope,” she replied, answering her own question. “Besides, it’s not a full-on brunch like we’d get on the weekend, just their normal menu. But I think you’ll like it. Just let me grab my purse.”

He waited in the foyer while she went to fetch her bag, and soon enough, they were climbing into his truck.

“You can just keep going down Dry Creek,” she told him after he’d turned the vehicle around and pointed it back down the lane that led to the main road. “After that, follow the signs — they’ll take us straight to Enchantment.”

Which proved to be the case, since everything was so well marked that Marc knew he could have gotten to their destination without once having to check the nav. They had to slow to a crawl once they were on the resort grounds, thanks to all the “golf cart crossing” signs and the pedestrians making their way to the putting greens that bordered the access road, but still, it was only a quarter after eleven when he pulled into the parking lot for the resort’s main building, which housed its various restaurants.

When he got out of the truck, however, he wasn’t looking at their brunch venue, but instead at the red rock walls that soared up on all sides, so close, it almost felt as if he could reach out and touch them.

“This is…pretty spectacular,” he said, and Bellamy smiled.

“Isn’t it? And the views are even better from the restaurant, since we’ll be up a few levels. Let’s go.”

She slid her hand into his, and he found himself thrilling at her touch. When he’d met her at the house, he’d wondered if he should kiss her, but the moment hadn’t felt quite right.

Now, though, she was holding hands with him as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and once again he found himself marveling a little at how easy things were between them. He hadn’t been this comfortable with people he’d known his entire life, but only a few days around Bellamy McAllister made him feel as if she’d always been a part of his world.

He could only hope that feeling would continue.

As she’d predicted, the restaurant wasn’t hugely busy, so they were shown to a table over by one of the windows without having to wait longer than a couple of minutes. And she’d also been right about the views — the restaurant had been built on an incline, so they were probably a good fifty feet higher here than they’d been in the parking lot, with those stunning red rocks feeling even more immediate now, close enough that he could see all the little divots and hollows and outcroppings that millennia of erosion had left behind.

“No wonder they call it ‘Enchantment,’” he remarked after the hostess had handed them a couple of menus and told them their server would be over in a few minutes.

“It’s one of my favorite spots in Sedona,” Bellamy replied. “If we weren’t going wine tasting after this, I’d say we should sit outside on the patio after brunch and have a drink. But I suppose it’s better if we pace ourselves.”

By which he guessed that she didn’t plan to drink any alcohol with their meal.

And that was fine. To be honest, he was half drunk on the surroundings…and the company…already.

“Good idea,” he agreed, and looked down at the menu.

Bellamy only gave it a cursory glance, seeming to signal she’d eaten here enough in the past that she already knew what she wanted. Everything looked amazing, but since they were going to be hitting the wine tasting rooms after this, Marc thought he should go with the breakfast burrito rather than something lighter so he could lay down a solid base.

“Everything’s great here,” she said, then paused to send a brief glance around the room. Although the hostess had said their waitress would be over shortly, there wasn’t any sign of her yet. Lowering her voice, Bellamy added, “Any dreams last night?”

No wonder she’d made sure they couldn’t be overheard. There were other diners in the restaurant, of course, but no one was seated close enough to them to be able to hear what they were saying.

“Not really,” Marc replied, feeling like something of a failure even though he knew he couldn’t really control when the dreams appeared…or what they might decide to show him. “Why?”

Another hesitation, one that appeared to have been prescient, since a pretty Navajo woman who looked as if she might be in her middle thirties approached their table and asked if they’d like anything to drink. Because he’d already had his coffee that morning, he asked for iced tea, and Bellamy followed suit.

Once their server had departed to fetch their drinks, he sent Bellamy a direct look.

“Did something happen after I left last night?”

Her fingers played with the handle of the fork at her place setting, and then she let out a breath and settled her napkin on her lap.

“I’m not sure.”

He raised an eyebrow, and she spread her hands, looking helpless.

“No, really. It was….”

She stopped again, since the waitress had returned with their iced teas. Then it was time to place their orders, something Marc was glad they’d gotten out of the way, since at least now they probably would have at least ten or fifteen uninterrupted minutes before the food arrived.

A sip of iced tea, and then Bellamy said, “I went outside after you left. Doing that always helps to ground me.”

---