Page 13 of Dare to Fall
And now that she’s back in my life, I’ll do whatever it takes to make her mine—forever.
Chapter Seven
Gabby
“This is where you live?” I ask, scanning the clearing in surprise.
When Tucker told me we could follow the valley between the mountains and walk to his property from where we capsized, I immediately wondered if I would be the dead body featured on a future Dateline documentary. But what choice did I have? The rapids made crossing the river on foot impossible, so getting to the only known road was not an option.
“This is home,” he confirms.
A medium-sized RV stands near a fire pit with camping chairs around it. A small shed I suspect is full of outdoor gear sits off to the side. A narrow dirt-packed trail leads to a cleared plot of land that’s walking distance from the RV, with pipes sticking out of the ground in various places, as if something is about to be built there.
“Pretty cool, right?” Tucker asks, his breath tickling my neck as he comes up behind me.
Instantly, heat collects between my legs.
It shouldn’t surprise me that Tucker Black, bad boy heartthrob that he was in high school, is capable of sending a woman into another universe with nothing more than his very capable hands. And maybe, if I’m being completely honest with myself, I was jealous of all the girls who got to fool around with him back then.
When he left town, I’d never had a real orgasm. I was still a virgin.
“This is really yours?”
The three-sixty view is all mountains and fall foliage. The stark colors are unreal from this vantage point. It’s mostly cloudy, but the sun peaks through in spots highlighting patches of colorful trees. It’s a picture perfect moment if ever I saw one.
My fingers itch to capture the breathtaking nature scene in a photo, but when I pat my pockets, I remember my phone’s in the waterproof bag I miraculously recovered during the kayak flip. Odd that nearly dying doesn’t have me more rattled.
The bag sits in a camping chair near the fire pit, far enough away that I decide pictures can wait a few moments longer. Or maybe it’s the way I enjoy Tucker coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist that makes me reluctant to travel any distance away from him.
“It’s not much yet,” Tucker says, his beard tickling my cheek. “But I’m going to build a cabin over there. One with a deck that faces the sunset. A smaller one with rocking chairs to face the sunrise. It’s going to take a while, so until then, I have Bertha.”
“Bertha?”
“I didn’t name her,” he says, unwrapping his arms from me. I feel the absence of his warmth instantly, like someone stripped a fuzzy blanket off me. “But the guy I bought her from gave me a steal of a deal, on the condition that I kept her name.”
“You’re making that up.”
He shrugs once. “It’s the truth.”
“This isyourland then?” That part is less believable than the Bertha story. Tucker was always antsier than even me growing up. He couldn’t wait to leave our hometown, to get away from his abusive, gambling addict of a father. He was never the settle-down type. It wasn’t just something we had in common, it was the core of our friendship.
“I bought it a month ago.”
“Another great deal?” I guess.
“A great deal is an understatement. There’s already electrical and sewer hookups. The lady I bought it from was going to build a cabin, but then she met the love of her life and moved to Spain. She knew she wasn’t coming back, and she wanted the land to go to someone who would appreciate it.”
“Let me guess. You met her in some airport terminal, and she instantly fell for your charms?”
“Actually, Annie lived right here in Cinnamon Creek.”
“How did she meet Mr. Spain?”
I follow him as we walk around the cleared spot for the future cabin, trying to imagine what it would be like to look out a kitchen or bedroom window in the fall and be greeted with these amazing views in all directions.
It’s the kind of dream that could tempt me to settle down—one day, very far down the road.
“She and her sister won an all-expenses paid trip on a radio show contest, of all things. It was one of those group tours. Anyway, she met Alejandro at a wine tasting, and well, it was love at first sight.”
