Page 36 of The Lost Book of First Loves

“I should grab a sweater and run a brush through my hair.”

“Sounds good.”

They turned together and headed back toward the writing cabin, with its green roofline and river-rock chimney.

“I’m glad to see you out exploring the area. Have you done much hiking?”

June remembered that uncomfortable spurt of fear on the trail. “Not really. I went to the horse pasture earlier today and tried to walk along the creek just now, but didn’t make it far.”

“You will. Don’t be discouraged. You’ve been through an ordeal. It takes time to recover your strength.”

“I suppose. I have to admit I’m struggling with the inactivity. I’m not used to doing so much... nothing.”

Alison laughed. “I know exactly what you mean. I keep having this nagging feeling between my shoulder blades that I’m forgetting to do something important. I’ve only been out of school since April and still can’t shake the feeling I should be studying for a test or writing a paper or something.”

“Youarestudying for the bar, though.”

Alison sighed. “I know. That gives me plenty to do. I just have to push myself to get going.”

The clear reluctance in her voice made June frown. Why did she sound so conflicted? She would have thought Alison would be eager to take the last step to becoming an attorney.

At the cabin, June washed her face and brushed her hair, then changed into a fresh shirt.

As they walked the short distance to the ranch house, Alison chattered about her day spent at the bookstore and about Xander Scott, the friend she’d gone to lunch with in town.

“I’m sure you’ll get the chance to meet him,” Alison said. “We’re in and out of each other’s houses all the time. He and I might be taking a horseback ride into the mountains sometime this summer. Will you be okay if I’m not around for a few days?”

Why wouldn’t she? “You’re not responsible for my health, Alison.”

“Will you please call me Ali? Everybody does except my grandmother. When you call me Alison, I feel like I’m back at the Move Inc offices being reprimanded for not speaking up about something in the marketing meeting.”

“Was I really that terrible to work for?”

“Not at all. I simply wasn’t cut out for the management internship.”

“Why did you apply in the first place?” June asked. “I’ve been trying to figure that out. It seems an odd choice for you.”

Alison hesitated. “I can’t really tell you. I guess it was afluke, really. One of those random decisions we don’t always understand. I heard about it and for some reason I was intrigued.”

What was that evasive note June heard in her voice?

“I had heard good things about you and about your management training program,” Alison went on. “I thought I might be a good fit. I was obviously wrong, but if I hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we?”

That was true on many levels. June could only be grateful for whatever twist of fate had brought them together that day so that Ali could save her life.

“Oh, look. Beck is here. Great! Grandma didn’t tell me she was inviting him, too.”

June looked quickly up at the house, where she saw a man walking in.

So much for avoiding him. That might be difficult when they were seated at the same table, sharing a meal together.

When they walked into the ranch house, he greeted them, looking dark and gorgeous in tan slacks and a casual blue shirt.

June was uncomfortably aware of a sudden thrum of awareness that took her completely off guard, as if she had accidentally touched an electric fence.

When was the last time she had reacted physically to someone? She honestly couldn’t remember. She hadn’t dated anyone in more than a year and hadn’t really missed it.

That was definitely a tingle, though. Maybe the kick-start to her heart had also started something in her hormones, a side effect the doctors hadn’t bothered to mention.

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