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“The local board game store.”
“You play there?” Once upon a time, he’d been quite the Catan and Ticket to Ride player.
“On occasion, I’ll join the group for a D&D session or a game of Magic the Gathering.”
Not sure why it surprised me to learn Carter was a bit of a nerd, although I found the new information charming as it added to his appeal. Gerry was not a nerd, not in the smallest of hints – he was along the lines of a jock, but I couldn’t tell you what sport he was most interested in. Football, rugby, soccer; they all seemed the same to me.
“Have you lived there long?” I asked and resumed my stair climbing.
“I don’t know, roughly three years?”
I hid a forced exhale of air under a laugh. “No anniversary celebration?”
Carter had been the type of guy to celebrateeverything,and not just birthdays or anniversaries; the day he got his car, the first time he asked me out, the first time we… kissed.
He ignored my question and carried on. “It’s the perfect size, just a one-bedroom with a huge kitchen and living room, and it’s literally a block from the back door of work.”
“If you had a tunnel, you wouldn’t even need to step outside.”
“And where’s the fun in that? I love being outside. The fresh air is so good, especially here in the mountains. I just walk everywhere. Ridge Heights isn’t that big.”
The end was in sight. A few more steps. With a push of energy and a spring in my steps, I made it to the top, breathless but grateful. However, there was no restaurant. Just a snow-covered road.
“It’s… not… here?” My words fell like my enthusiasm.
“Through there.”
I followed the length of his finger to the trees on the opposite side. More blasted stairs. By the time we got there, I was going to have lost all my cuteness and look like I’d just run fifty miles, which of course, I couldn’t do.
“Great. Well, you’d better keep talking. That’s more stairs than I anticipated.”
“Trust me, it’s worth it.”
“Better be.” I crossed the road and swore a blue streak inside my head. “So. Tell me all about Ridge Heights.”
“What do you want to know?”
Why he wasn’t out of breath like I was? All these stairs seemed effortless on his part. Pangs of jealousy flared in my gut. Amanda wouldn’t suffer with this either, in fact, she’d tackle it like Rocky Balboa.
“Everything. Why’d you move here?”
“That’s a great question, and I don’t have an answer to share.”
To share?That sounded like a story; a juicy, pull-back-the-layers kind of sharing. I wanted more information, but at the moment, my focus went to lifting each tired, shaky leg to the next stair and trying to be cool and collected, not half a breath from death.
“I looked at places in Red Deer, but nothing was within walking distance of everything I’d need, and I didn’t like the feel of the place. On a whim, I researched nearby small towns, searching for everything I needed within a short bike ride or a long walk, and on the same day, by happenstance, saw a listing for a Coffee Loft expansion. Made some phone calls, secured a few things, and bought the building.” His voice went from soothing to concerned.
Had he heard my latest gasp of air?
“You doing okay?”
Good grief, he had heard. Embarrassment pushed me onward, and suddenly a renewed energy took hold, launching me closer to the streetlight several steps away. “I’m fine.”
“The rest they say is history.”
History?Oh yeah, his decision to snap up a property, buy a business, and move here. “All on a whim?”
“Sometimes taking a leap, albeit the scariest leap ever, can have the biggest rewards. I’ve never regretted my decision, not even on the darkest of days.” As if it was the most natural thing, he grabbed my hand and tugged me along. “You made it. Come see.”
