AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Taeli
Did I just ask Graham Tuttle to take me on a date? What was I thinking?
I wasn’t. There’s no other explanation. One minute, he was lecturing me, and the next, I was demanding he feed me.
I stand in front of the bathroom mirror and take in my appearance. Dark circles and unruly hair.
Perfect.
“It’s not like he hasn’t already seen you, Taeli,” I scold my reflection.
Okay, quick damage control is in order.
I turn the faucet on to the hottest setting, grab a hand towel from the linen closet, and steam my face. Then, I dab concealer under my eyes and add tinted moisturizer, bronzer, a couple of coats of mascara, and raspberry lip gloss. I pull my hair from the knot, run my fingers through it, and spritz on some perfume.
I take the damp towel and run it over my feet before I slip them back into my sandals.
On my way back down the stairs, I run into Mom.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” she asks.
“I’m going to dinner with Graham.”
Her eyes go wide. “Isn’t it early for dinner?” she asks.
“Yeah, maybe,” I say nervously.
“I’m sure you’ll find something to do until it’s time to eat. Don’t worry about Caleb. I’ll take him on a Granna date to the arcade tonight.”
“Thanks,” I say before continuing to the door.
“Taeli?” she calls, and I turn to look up at her. “You look beautiful. Have fun.”
She winks at me.
Graham is waiting by his truck when I make it out to the porch.
I hesitate as I watch him clean some paperwork off of the passenger seat and toss it in the back of the cab.
My heart is racing. I take a couple of deep breaths to calm myself.
It’s just two friends spending the evening together, I tell myself.
When Graham notices me, he smiles and opens the door wider, beckoning me.
Here goes nothing.
I trot down the steps and take his offered hand. He helps me up into the raised truck, then rounds the front and joins me.
“Where to?” he asks as he starts the engine.
“Anywhere. Let’s just drive,” I request.
A grin spreads across his lips. “We can do that.”
He pulls out of the drive and heads toward town, but when we reach the valley, he takes a right turn, and we start climbing again.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“On an adventure.”
He drives us up the back side of the mountain, deep into the woods. The gravel road is narrow, and the ascension is steep. There isn’t much out here, but the view is spectacular.
“I forgot how beautiful it is here in the summer,” I say as I reach for the button to roll down my window. Cool, fresh air floods the cab, and I rest my chin on my arm that’s propped on the windowsill.
The warm afternoon sun kisses my skin, and I close my eyes. It’s like I’m sixteen again. The sound of gravel crunching under the tires, the babble of the water rolling over rocks in the creek below, the soft song of the breeze rustling through the trees.
I open one eye and look over to Graham, who is watching me instead of the road ahead.
“I didn’t realize that I’d missed this,” I confess.
We come to a private entrance at the top of the mountain, and he brings the truck to a stop. I sit up and watch as he hits a button clipped to his sun visor, and the massive iron gate begins to open.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“My place,” he says.
We wind our way up to a modern, large Swiss chalet home perched above the tree line. The house is gorgeous. The front of the two-story structure is almost completely glass. Framed in rich, dark wood. A covered deck wraps around the main level, and the carved support beams lead down to a patio with a stone fireplace. The roof is gabled with wide eaves and exposed construction beams—perfect for surviving heavy snowfall.
“You live in a ski resort,” I muse.
