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Then, I disconnected the call.
For several long moments, I stared straight ahead, feeling nothing but disbelief. But within a matter of seconds, everything started to hit me.
My life had taken such a drastic turn from what it had been, from what I’d imagined it could be. And now I was out in the wilderness, alone, and coming into contact with animals that could kill me.
For what?
Was this healing?
Was this even remotely close to getting me where I wanted to be?
I shook my head, feeling nothing but despair.
Despair, anger, hurt, and frustration.
Never again.
Never again would I put myself in a position like this.
It was a good thing I’d made that decision, too. Because it was only my determination to protect my heart that helped me when a knock came at my door not even thirty minutes later.
THREE
Jack
There was nothing quite like seeing someone in a life-threatening situation.
I’d gone outside today to take care of the animals and feed them, and almost immediately, something caught my eye.
A wild bison.
We were in Wyoming, and it was winter. It wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility to see the largest land mammal roaming free.
But generally, most individuals wanted that experience to happen at a distance.
Now that I was back in the fenced-in space behind my cabin, I couldn’t stop thinking about what had just happened.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her. About the way she looked. About the words she said. About the utter fear I felt emanating from her.
My neighbor.
My gorgeous neighbor.
A woman I had seen on four separate occasions now, only one of which I’d managed to have any contact and communication with her. There was the day she moved in, two days where she’d gone from her cabin to her car and come back with grocery bags, and today, when it seemed she’d gone out snowshoeing.
It was the first I’d noticed her doing anything even remotely fun or adventurous. Of course, I realized it took people some time to move to a new place and settle in, but I was surprised at how little I saw her, even during the winter months.
As grateful as I was to have been able to have the interaction that I did with her today, I would have given it up if it meant she wouldn’t have been in danger like that.
Fortunately, she wasn’t physically harmed, but I wasn’t quite so sure about her mental state. I’d never seen a woman move so quickly to get somewhere she felt safe.
I had wanted to go after her immediately, to make sure she was okay, but I needed to make sure my animals were taken care of first. Plus, I had concerns about how she might react to me following right behind her when I didn’t even know her name.
So, I thought it would be best to give her some time, do what I needed to do, and then go to her to check on her.
As quickly as I could, I finished feeding the animals and tending to the necessary business I had out back.
Not even an hour had passed since I’d been standing outside beside my neighbor when I was walking up the steps to the front door of her cabin. Ascending the stairs, I considered why I hadn’t ever made this approach before. When she moved in, I could have easily stopped over and introduced myself.
