Her nerves felt frazzled, and her legs threatened to fail her as she entered the familiar coffee shop. Her favorite barista, Scott, was working the counter. Seeing her, he flashed a smile and waved a greeting. Then, pointing to a sandy haired man sitting in the back of the room, he raised his brows and patted his chest. Eliza took this as a sign of approval from the only male she knew who was prone to compete with her for a man’s attention.
Scott’s gayness didn’t bother her in the least. In fact, she enjoyed spending time with him even if it stayed within the walls of the coffee shop during slow hours.
Doing her best to smooth her appearance without being obvious about it, she moved toward the man with the sandy colored hair and piercing eyes that seemed to pull her to him without her using the slightest bit of effort to move herself.
Although she was considered a tall woman, he still managed to exceed her height by a go
Eliza took the dinner plate that Viviane had finished rinsing the soap off from her mother’s outstretched hand and rubbed it dry with a dish towel. More than once she’d suggested that they get with the times and install a dishwasher, but her mother’s response was always the same. Holding up her hands, she’d smile and say, “I have reliable dishwashers right here. I don’t need anything else.”“Where did you go today?” Viviane asked as she wiped at the excess water in the white porcelain sink with a dishcloth.Carefully placing the dinner plate on top of the others in the cupboard, Eliza thought about her answer. Should she admit that she met a stranger for coffee? Well, he wasn’t a complete stranger since she’d danced quite a bit with him the night before. The only problem was that this was something that she could barely remember.Since it wasn’t her habit of sharing g
It happened again!Eliza groaned with despair as she rolled onto her back and looked up into the early morning sky. Her nightmare was continued. She was naked in the field on the edge of the woods again. She’d gone to bed early without a drop of alcohol in her system, let alone any type of drug, yet the sledgehammer in her head was pounding even harder than the morning before. Like the first time, she couldn’t remember a thing on how or why she was in such a state.To add to her misery, along with the pounding inside her head, her leg burned and hurt like a sharp object had been dragged down it. A knife, perhaps?Struggling against the acute throbbing that radiated from her skull into the rest of her trembling body, she forced herself to sit up. Her vision was still a bit blurred, but it was clear enough for her to see dried and crusted blood that coated the singular, deep scratch down the outer side of her left calf. Th
After a quick shower to remove the grime on her flesh, Eliza decided that a long hot Epsom Salts bath was in order.She hadn’t completely emersed her body into the steaming water before she felt the relief it offered both physically and mentally. She’d taken headache medicine immediately upon entering the bathroom. Her shower had been just long enough to give it an opportunity to take effect. Now, with her body being enveloped by the comfort of heated healing liquid, she felt a sense of peace and tranquility for the first time since she’d woken up naked the morning before.Closing her eyes, she sank deep into the water while she allowed her mind to go blank. With any luck, not trying so hard to remember just might be the way to get the answers to what happened to make her wake up naked in the field two mornings in a row surface.As relaxation overtook her, she felt light enough to float. Her legs relaxed enough to actually rai
It was a miracle!Amazed and bewildered, Eliza inspected the leg that she’d wounded during the night. There was absolutely no sign of an injury. Cautiously putting her weight on it, she discovered no indication of a bruise beneath her kneecap. She had no idea that a hot Epsom salts bath could work such wonders, but there was no mistaking the fact that she was completely healed. There wasn’t even a scar from the jagged gash on her leg.She’d have spent a bit more time pondering such a miraculous recovery had she not been preoccupied with the idea of acting as a guide on the state lands for Oliver as he searched for his missing brother. She’d accepted his invitation without thinking about the fact that she’d been wounded. That came after the call ended. Her relief was acute when she discovered that she had no injuries whatsoever to concern herself with.Once again, she felt inclined to give a
Eliza sucked in air as her car pulled into the parking lot of the gas station she’d agreed to meet Oliver at. She couldn’t help equating his long, muscled figure as he leaned against the side of his late model, immaculate looking black GMC pickup truck in his faded denim jeans and form fitting black tee shirt to a male model she’d admired in one of her father’s farm magazines a few months back. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember the name of the magazine or the exact looks of the model. She just remembered that he was sexy and pleasing to the eye. She was certain that if they came to Oliver and asked him to pose, those lean muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt would make a mighty find picture. Better than the model in the magazine.What she was oblivious to was the fact that Oliver was having a similar reaction to seeing her in her well-worn, form fitting khaki hiking pants and navy tee shirt that
Oliver’s mind struggled with what information he should and shouldn’t divulge while his eyes were mesmerized by the gentle sway of Eliza’s shapely hips as she led the way up the trail. He’d told her that he was searching for his brother, but he’d offered no reason as to why. Interestingly, she hadn’t asked.At first, he thought that the reason why she didn’t ask was because she had no interest in him. After spending time with her and feeling the electricity between them, he knew that wasn’t true. She was just one of those polite people who didn’t pry.If they found his brother near nightfall, it could prove dangerous for her. It was only right to inform her of this fact. The problem was that he had no idea how to tell this beautiful woman who had an immediate hold on him from the moment he set eyes on her that he couldn’t quite explain but knew he couldn’t give up that
True to her word, Eliza left Oliver making camp just before sunset. He gave her a bit of resistance over the fact that she’d have to go back down the trail on her own, but she insisted that it was something that she’d done so often that she could do it with her eyes closed. She also made it a point to impress upon him that the trail was monitored by rangers and quite safe. This was done more for the fact that his behavior at the mention of her leaving led her to suspect that he feared being alone than to assure him of her safety.Since going back to her jeep meant that she was going downhill, she covered ground quickly. She used this short time to mull over her disappointment that the handsome, hunky man she’d just met was a bit of a wimp when it came to the great outdoors. Since she was a true nature lover, this was a major disappointment.She reached her jeep just as the sun began to sneak over the top
A smile of satisfaction and relief spread over Eliza’s oval shaped face when she opened her almond shaped, rich chocolate eyes and realized that she was snuggled in her own bed and still wearing the pajamas she’d donned the night before. Pulling her hair from the bun that she’d fashioned for sleep, she grabbed a hairbrush and smoothed the tangles from her long, wavy dark brown locks before pulling it onto a ponytail and securing it with an elastic hair tie. After a quick visit to the bathroom for her morning preparations, she rushed back to her room and quickly dressed in clothes suitable for a day of mountainside hiking.The sound of her parents rousting themselves from slumber could be heard over her head as she popped a bagel in the toaster and grabbed a cup of freshly brewed coffee that had just finished dripping into the pot. She heaved a sigh of gratitude for her parent’s consideration in setting the timer on the coffee maker so that she&rs