Page 35 of The Lost Book of First Loves

She decided to follow the creek and see where she ended up.

The afternoon was lovely, with a few scattered clouds and a light breeze that rustled the leaves of the undergrowth. She couldn’t get enough of those mountains that loomed beyond the ranch.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen mountains before. Seattle had lovely green hills. On a clear day she loved seeing them from her penthouse yet somehow, these Wyoming mountains seemed more wild and rugged.

A narrow path followed the creek, which was no wider than six or seven feet across, and she enjoyed picturing a famous writer trying to work out his plot problems here.

Something silvery and fast glinted in the sunlight. Was it a trout? Ali had told her the creek was teeming with them and was famous for fly-fishing.

She leaned over for a closer look, grabbing hold of a tree branch so she didn’t slip into the water.

When she straightened, she felt that odd flutter in her chest,a reminder of the device that was ready to shock her back to life if necessary.

Panic spurted through her and for one terrible moment, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Bark gouged her fingers as she gripped the tree limb tightly.

She hated this. She wanted her life back. She wantedherselfback!

She closed her eyes and tried to center herself. It took a good five minutes before she felt as if she could return to the safety of the cabin.

With sweat crawling down her spine like she was running a long race on a humid summer afternoon, she made her slow way back. She had covered maybe half the distance back to the cabin when she heard someone calling her name. Alison, she realized.

Sweet relief poured through her. She was still panicky, but at least she didn’t have to be afraid she would die alone here on the trail.

“I’m here,” she called back. “On the creek trail.”

A moment later, she spotted the younger woman coming toward her.

“Is everything okay?” Alison asked. “You look pale.”

“I’m fine. I might have overdone things a little.”

“I’m glad I found you. I was worried when you didn’t answer your phone.”

“I must have forgotten it,” she confessed. As if she needed more proof that everything was upside down in her life right now. She never went anywhere without her phone.

“You should always keep your phone with you if you leave the cabin, in case you need help or something.”

“I’ll do that,” she said, feeling chastened, but still grateful for Alison’s concern and her generosity in sharing her family’s ranch. June still didn’t quite understand why Alison was being so kind to her, but she had decided to simply accept it.

She drew in another deep breath, feeling more centered now that Alison was there.

“Was there a reason you dropped by?”

“Nothing major. I wanted to see if you would like to come up to the house for dinner. It won’t be fancy, only salmon and some early vegetables from the garden, but Jo, our housekeeper, is a great cook and so is my grandmother.”

Her instinct was to refuse the invitation, unsure if she was up for an evening of making small talk with Alison and the grandmother she had yet to meet. But how could she refuse, when they had so kindly offered this comfortable, restful place to recuperate?

“That would be nice. What time?”

Ali checked her watch. “Anytime. Grandma is home from the bookstore and is working on a salad. She likes to have dinner early.”

In herBeforelife, June would still be working at this hour, with a few more hours left at her desk before she grabbed a quick sandwich and another coffee on her way home to continue working until bedtime.

Right now, the thought of that life completely exhausted her.

“Sure. Now is fine. I don’t have any other plans.”

Alison smiled. “Great. Grandma will be happy.”

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