“Tell you what, I’ll bring a few different guns so you can try them out. We’ll figure out what the best option is for you. When do you want to get together?”
“Sooner the better.”
“How about tomorrow? A day trip will do me good. I could be up there by around ten if that works.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Guilt crept in on her for asking the favor. She hadn’t expected him to drop everything to come help, and she knew he usually worked on the weekends.
“Positive.”
“I’ll pay for the ammo and whatever else we need,” she insisted. “How about I make a picnic lunch for us and we can work some fishing into the schedule too?”
“How about I bring something?” he said.
“Sounds good.” She found herself looking forward to it, and not just to check it off her list.
“Can I bring anything else?”
“Nope, you’re doing plenty, and I really appreciate it,” Natalie said. “Do you still have my address?”
“I do, but if you want to text me with a pin drop from your cell phone, that’ll save me looking it up.”
“Absolutely. Also, the GPS doesn’t bring you in the right way, so if you call when you get to Chestnut Ridge, I can talk you through the last few turns.”
“I’ll do that. Should be close to ten.”
“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it, and I look forward to seeing you.”
“Me too. Natalie, I’m happy you called me. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She said goodbye and hung up the phone with a sigh of relief. Hopefully there’d never be a situation where she needed to shoot something, but she wasn’t about to take any chances. If this situation with Marc Swindell taught her anything, it was that anything could happen.
Randy had seen where she lived with Marc. This was about as far away from that lifestyle as a girl could get.
Why do I even care? I’m not trying to impress him. I’m happy here, and that’s all that matters.
She set down her coffee cup and walked out to the small clearing beyond the deck. It looked so peaceful now. It hadn’t taken but one night to learn that once the sun set, this side of the mountain was pitch black unless the moon was bright. Even then, there were dark, shadowy areas where creatures could lurk.
As she walked farther into the open area near the bridge, her eyes darted for signs of any wildlife. The grass swayed in the breeze and leaves drifted to the ground in a dizzy spiral.
It really was beautiful. Sure, she had a lot to learn, but she was ready.
Her phone rang. She tugged it from her back pocket, where she promised Sheila she’d always keep it in case she got into trouble. Sheila’s picture smiled back at her from the phone. Natalie answered, “Hey, Sheila. Good morning.”
“How’s nature treating you? Are you ready to throw in the towel and come back to the city? It’s no fun here without you.”
“I miss you too, but no, thank you. I’m fine. It’s definitely different, but I am enjoying the solitude.” She let out a relaxing breath. “I really love this place.”
“Are you serious? Wait, is that your nice way of saying I talk too much?” Sheila was teasing, but it was also true there was never quiet time in Sheila’s house unless Sheila wasn’t home.
“No, you stop that. I was referring to no road noise. No airplanes overhead. No music from the neighbor’s house.” There’d been a chorus of dueling coyote howls the other night, but she’d figured out she could lower the top part of the window instead of raising the bottom. She felt a lot safer that way. “I’m settling in.”
“It’s hard to picture you there.”
It was a little hard for her to imagine at first, too, but she loved it more every day. “Wait until you see it in person. The pictures I sent don’t do it justice. It’s so beautiful and peaceful, and when you come up, you’ll have to see for yourself. And the people. Sheila, they are the nicest people in the world. Thoughtful. Welcoming. It’s like living in one of those Christmas-movie towns.”
“It sounds like you’re one hundred percent sure you don’t need a place to stay, and that makes me a little sad, but I do think I’m going to downsize a bit. It’s time I break free from my past and start doing something besides work.”
Natalie walked back to the deck and sat in the chaise lounge. “Sheila? Is everything okay?”
