“I’ll be ordering a big dinner,” he teased as he began unwrapping his muffin.
She laughed. “Somehow I doubt that.”
“With wine ... and dessert,” he continued with a playful grin.
“Oh boy,” she snickered. “Now I’m in trouble.”
He gave her a big smile and she felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach in response. She realized she was starting to like him and wondered if that was wise. She decided to ignore it and pushed the thought from her mind.
“Do you mind if we stop at the gift shop?” Amanda asked. “I want to buy something for my mom and maybe they have something here.”
“Sure,” he agreed. “I think there are also some nice views from outside that we can look at. If you like, we can go for a walk after. There is a trail not far from here that isn’t very long and is not too difficult.”
“I would love that!” she answered excitedly.
He grinned, feeling happy that she looked so happy.
Chapter 4
Amanda found a cute pair of earrings in the gift shop for her mom. She purchased them and then she and Viktor walked around the visitor center taking in the mountain views.
“I have to send this to my mom! Would you take my picture?” Amanda asked Viktor.
“Absolutely,” he agreed.
She handed him her phone and took up a position in front of a large grassy field with huge mountains in the background. She was absolutely beaming and looked ecstatic to be there.
“Do you mind if I take a picture of us?” he asked as he handed back her phone.
“Sure!”
He stood next to her and put his arm around her back as he took a selfie of them posing in front of the mountains. Viktor looked calm and content with a big smile while Amanda looked like she was ready to burst with joy.
Amanda loved to be outdoors in nature. Whether it was the woods, a lake, the ocean, she was just happy to be outside taking in the fresh air and not be in a room. She was in her element and felt completely at peace.
“Can you send that to me?” Amanda asked.
“Of course.” He sent it even though she wouldn’t receive it until she was able to connect to Wi-Fi. “Would you like to go to the trail now?”
“That sounds great.”
Amanda’s excitement was infectious and Viktor wasn’t immune. He was nearly as excited as her as they parked their car in the Glencoe Lochan Trail car park. They got out and walked to a welcome sign that described the trails and showed them on a map.
“Which one would you like to take?” Viktor asked.
“Can we do the Mountain and the Woodland trail?”
“I would love to,” he agreed.
They began on the Mountain Trail. It was a loose gravel path with large stones and tree roots to traverse. The first part was initially steep but leveled out a little, giving them a picturesque view of Loch Leven. The view was breathtaking. The water was so serene it was like a mirror reflecting the trees and mountains. They took some pictures and Viktor asked for another picture of the two of them, something he would continue to do throughout the day.
The trail descended down again and took them alongside the lake where they stopped to take more pictures.
“I really can’t thank you enough for bringing me here,” Amanda said as she gazed at the tranquil lake feeling in awe of the natural beauty. She didn’t even care that Sheila had abandoned her anymore. She was having a better time than if Sheila had been with her.
“I’m glad you came,” he replied. “I would have been lonely.”
“Me too.” She looked at him and smiled.
He smiled briefly and then quickly turned his attention back to the lake. “Looks like there is a little platform on the water up ahead.”
“Let’s check it out.”
They continued ahead and walked to the end of the platform putting them several feet over the water. Viktor leaned on the railing at the very end while Amanda snapped more pictures. She snuck one of him pensively looking out over the water.
“Do you want to take a picture of us?” she asked.
“Yes. I do.” He answered as he pulled out his phone to take another selfie of them.
A family was passing by and the mother offered to take their picture. They agreed and Viktor put his arm around her as they posed for the picture.
“You make a beautiful couple,” the woman said with a smile as she handed Viktor back his phone.
Amanda blushed and Viktor simply smiled and thanked her, deciding it wasn’t worth refuting since they would never see the family again. The family walked away and Viktor turned to Amanda.
“Don’t worry. I have no illusions of us being a couple,” he assured her. “I just didn’t think it was worth explaining.”
“I know. You were right. I would have done the same thing.”
“Shall we see where the next trail leads?” he gestured towards the path.
“Yes. Let’s.”
The trail brought them back almost to where they started but they turned to take the Woodland Trail which wandered between Douglas firs and sequoias that had been planted by Lord Strathcona in 1895 to help his Canadian wife feel more at home. They passed a babbling brook and a small water lily covered pond.
Amanda was soaking in the greenery when Viktor grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back.
“What?” she looked alarmed.
“Shh.” He pointed to something in the woods.
She followed his line of sight and saw a small herd of deer peacefully grazing between the trees. One of the deer looked up at them for a minute and then went back to eating, seeming unconcerned by their presence. Amanda was able to snap a couple pictures before they wandered out of sight.
“This day has been absolutely perfect!” Amanda declared as they began walking again.
Viktor couldn’t help but reflect on what a complete transformation Amanda had undergone. How sad she had been
