AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Deep down, I couldn’t say it wasn’t what I might have wanted now. Granted, I wasn’t exactly the kind of girl who’d just jump right into something like that. I’d made a decision a long time ago, long before my most recent debacle, to be adventurous and try out new things in life while exercising a bit of caution when it came to my heart. I longed for something I hadn’t ever had, and I wanted to do it right.
With him being the way he was, Forrest certainly left me feeling eager to try.
Not wanting to kill the moment completely, but also unwilling to be so forward, I confessed, “That remains to be seen.”
Those five words did not leave Forrest feeling discouraged. If anything, he only seemed more determined.
He dropped his gaze to his plate and picked up his fork while he attempted to stifle a grin.
This was good.
I could work with this—playfulness, teasing, and flirting. Having that and mixing it with the caring and compassionate side of Forrest, there was a lot to like about what I felt between us.
I just needed time to be sure I wasn’t making a mistake.
SEVEN
Daisy
“Wow. This is wonderful.”
The words spilled out of me as I held my crutches firmly on either side of my body and scanned the space.
“Do you like it?” Forrest asked.
Continuing to take it all in, I didn’t bring my eyes to his as I nodded. “This is very unexpected. I’m surprised by the modern take on these.”
Forrest and I had just gotten back to the resort a few minutes ago, and as we had planned to do, we came back to the cabin where he was staying. Apparently, even after spending nearly all day with me already today, Forrest hadn’t changed his mind about wanting to have dinner and watch a movie with me tonight.
So, we were here.
But I was utterly blown away by the cabin he was staying in. For some reason, I’d expected it would be just a typical log cabin, but I was wrong. It still had some of the features that gave it that rustic feel, but for the most part, it felt like a smaller version of a modern-day contemporary home.
Where my resort suite had it covered when it came to offering guests a luxurious stay, Forrest’s cabin was cozy. It was obvious when staying in my suite that I was on vacation, whereas the cabin closely resembled and felt like a home.
“Yeah, they updated all of them in recent years, and while I think there are still a couple that scream cabin in the woods, most got the modern upgrades,” Forrest explained.
I returned my attention to him. “This is the first time I’ve ever been to this ski resort, so I have no idea what these used to look like. What I will say is that they’ve done a phenomenal job on them. I’m impressed.”
Forrest nodded. “I always like to come here for a snowboarding trip to take some time off each year, and I’ve never stayed anywhere but the cabins. Even when I was younger and came with my family, we always stayed in the cabins.”
Though he had mentioned it to me a few days ago, it wasn’t until he said it now that something hit me.
Forrest liked coming here every year. This was my first time ever being here, a trip I made because I wanted to see if this could be my new hometown. And on the drive to breakfast this morning, I’d been admiring the location while wondering if me meeting Forrest here and things being so good between us was a sign that this was where I was supposed to be.
On that thought, I knew what I wanted to do.
“It sounds to me like you love this place,” I noted.
“I do,” he confirmed.
“Would you ever move here permanently?”
Forrest sent a confused look my way. “At the ski resort?”
Shaking my head, I clarified, “No. No, I meant here in Scarlet Valley. If you like it enough that you come back every year, do you think it’s a place you’d ever want to live?”
Forrest considered the question for a matter of seconds before he replied, “I don’t think so. I think this place has just become one of those familiar spots for me. I know what I’m going to get when I come here. Plus, it gives me what I need when I want to take a vacation and clear my head after months of work. It offers exactly what I want and need when I’m looking for some downtime.”
