Page 41 of Unsealing Her Fate

“Yes, I would love that.”

She hands over a weathered book with a hunky, shirtless man on the cover. Color me surprised. Grandma likes risqué books!

“I know I don’t know you, but I wasn’t really expecting this!” I say with a laugh.

“Oh, honey, every girl needs a little spice in her life,” she says with a wink and a knowing smile.

I haven’t read a romance novel in ages, but I used to love them. I’m excited to dive in, and I’m thankful for the distraction. I open to the first page and almost immediately lose myself in the love story. Hours must pass before I realize I’ve barely moved, and everything is stiff.

Wow!I needed that so much.

My mind was finally off Christopher and the despair I feel at my situation for a while.

Movement out of the corner of my eye catches my attention, and I turn to see the older woman and boy stand and grab their bags.

“Are you leaving already?”

Her warm, kind eyes look at me. “Yes, this is our stop.”

I’m weirdly disappointed. “Oh, well, here is your book back. It was very nice to meet you. Thank you for sharing.”

She shakes her head and wraps her hand around my outstretched one holding the book. “No, my dear. You keep it. I think you need it more than me.”

I almost argue that I don’t want to keep her book but change my mind. I really enjoyed the distraction and what I’d read so far.

“Thank you for the gift. I wish you both the best, and I hope you have fun on whatever adventure you both get into!” I say to her before giving the boy a smile and a wink.

Her gentle hand lands on my shoulder. “Just remember that after the worst storms come the most beautiful sunrises,” she says mysteriously before getting off the train.

With everything I have in me, I hope she’s right.

Hours pass with me absorbed in the book, sleeping, or falling into the depths of hopelessness. I grabbed a sandwich, chips, and soda from the food car earlier. It was decent, but I didn’t have much of an appetite right then, so I had to force it down.

I try not to linger on how bad this situation seems. It doesn’t do me any good right at this moment. I made the choice to run and start over, and I need to make the best of it. Put all my focus and energy into getting somewhere safe, then coming up with a plan to get me out of this mess.

When I check the time, I realize I’ve been on the train for nearly forty-one hours. My legs are stiff, my back aches from the uncomfortable chairs, and I’m restless. I don’t think I can stand riding for much longer.

I look out the train car window and see vast mountains, the caps topped with snow. The sky is perfectly blue, and there’s nothing but land for miles. It looks so peaceful I ache. I decide right then and there that I’m getting off at the next stop. I feel a tug in my heart for this place, my soul seeking the peacefulness it seems to exude.

The train announces the next stop only twenty minutes later. Fraser, Colorado. I’ve been to Aspen before, but I have no idea where Fraser is.

I take a cleansing breath and gather the few things I took out of my bag before pulling my jacket back on and flipping the collar up to cover the bruising. It’s turned a nasty purple and dark blue, and it’s harder to cover with my makeup.

First thing on the list of things to buy: a scarf! I make my way to the exit and peer out. The landscape is breathtaking. This will be a perfect place to paint. Even with all the apprehension and fear looming over me, suddenly I feel much more optimistic about my new hometown and what the future may hold.

Chapter 16

Steppingoffthetrain,I take a big breath of the cool mountain air. It’s like this little town is wrapping its arms around me lovingly, embracing my presence as much as I embrace being here. The sense of peace I already feel is astonishing.

“Excuse me,” a stranger’s voice says from behind.

I turn to see a woman trying to maneuver around me.

“Sorry,” I respond, a little embarrassed. I lost myself in the moment, and I’m holding up the line of people needing to get off the train.

I need to find hotel information at the train station’s front desk. Specifically, I need a hotel that will take cash and preferably won’t ask for an ID. While I’m not picky in my current situation, those needs usually mean less than savory conditions. Either the building is in a rough area, it’s a rough room barely cared for by employees, or both.

But this town seems small and peaceful. It doesn’t seem like the kind of place to have dangerous neighborhoods and scary people lurking around every corner, which is precisely why I like it so much. Appearances can be deceiving though, so I need as much information as possible about the new little town I’ll be calling home.

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