Page 61 of The Lost Book of First Loves

She clamped her teeth together, aware she was talking entirely too much about the man.

“That’s nice,” June said. “I feel that way about Adam and Rudy.”

“You’ve been friends since your college days, right?”

“That’s right. I don’t know where I would be without them.”

“Yet, you never... dated either of them?”

“I dated Adam for a while. It feltwrongsomehow. We both realized we were better off as friends.”

Yeah. That was what she had to remember about Xander. He was closer to her than just about anyone else on earth. How could she risk ruining that by letting herself see him in a romantic way?

She sighed, her head aching from chasing the same thoughts through her brain around and around.

“We should probably head back if we want to make it out of here before dark.”

“Good idea, especially since I’m driving.” June stood up and swiped the dirt off her legs before she climbed into the driver’s seat of the Jeep, turned around and headed back down the road toward home.

Chapter 20

Juniper

She dreamed she was back in college, running hard to catch a bus to take her to an important job interview. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t make it. It remained just out of reach. She almost reached it and tried to run faster, then felt a shock as Ali driving a Jeep came out of nowhere from the periphery of her vision and ran straight into her, sending her flying through the air.

She woke feeling disoriented and vaguely queasy. She blinked at the sliver of vertical light coming through the curtains she hadn’t closed completely the night before.

As had happened to her every morning since she had come to Wyoming, it took her a moment to remember where she was, until the pieces clicked into place. She was sleeping in the bedroom of the writing cabin belonging to Carson Wells, where she was recovering from a cardiac arrest.

The reality still seemed as bizarre and outlandish as anything her subconscious could conjure up.

The alarm on her phone went off when she was still trying to drag herself fully awake. Why had she set it so early? She didn’t have to go to work.

Suddenly, she remembered.

Beckett Hunter was starting a new project today and had agreed to let her watch the beginning stages.

She pushed away the warm quilt and sat up, sliding her feet to the cool wood floor. Out of habit, she touched a hand to her heart, as if to reassure herself it was still beating.

More excited than she had been about anything since shearrived in Wyoming, she hurried to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she dressed and headed to the kitchen. She still had a half hour to eat something and make the short walk over to his workshop.

She poured coffee and threw a piece of whole wheat bread into the toaster, then slathered on no-salt almond butter when it popped up. She was halfway through when she heard a snuffling sound out on the porch.

Peering through the window, she wasn’t at all surprised to find Hank on his haunches on the door mat, as if he had arrived to escort her to Beck’s workshop.

“Good morning,” she said when she opened the door. The dog wagged his tail and she grabbed a couple of the treats she had picked up at the grocery store the night before.

He wolfed them quickly then sat waiting patiently while she finished off her toast and took a few more sips of her coffee.

“Okay. I’m ready,” she said. She locked the door behind her and the two of them started off through the trees, birds chirping noisily along their way.

She was grateful she had grabbed a hoodie, since the mornings here in the mountains were cool and refreshing.

She usually walked the mile to work in Seattle, even in heavy rain. She had to admit that she preferred the birdsong to horns, sirens and the other sounds of the city.

It would be tough to go back.

She frowned at the thought. No. It wouldn’t be hard at all. That was where her life was, her career, the business she had helped build. She loved it and missed it and couldn’t wait until she was healthy enough to return.

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