Beth waved from behind the wheel of the small silver SUV parked at the curb out front. “Morning.” My friend’s dazzling smile cheered me considerably as I buckled into the passenger seat. “I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
“Blame the wedding. It’s good to see you, though.” I adjusted the waistband of my formerly well-fitted joggers, tightening them an extra notch as they slid down my hips.
“You’ve lost weight.” My friend frowned. “Again.”
“Getting prepared for all the holiday eating.”
She snickered, probably picturing the upcoming food fest created by Thanksgiving, the overindulgence of leftover Halloween candy at the office, followed by rounds of parties leading into Christmas and New Year’s. “Like you even need it. You’ll disappear soon. Still not sleeping?”
“Not much.” I cranked up the dial on the stereo as we turned onto the highway, adding my voice to the rock beat thumping through the speakers.
Beth joined in, swaying in her seat and singing along, while I enjoyed the escape from my thoughts.
An hour later, we pulled into the lot, the tires crunching over the gravel as Beth located a parking spot.
We climbed out, and I stretched my arms toward the sky, twisting to work out the kinks.
“How are things with Kyle?” Beth asked as she shouldered her pack.
“It’s going. I’m sure I’ll get the call to sign papers any day now.” I forced one foot in front of the other as we trudged toward the trailhead. The air seemed to thicken, and the world pressed down on me, making it harder to draw air.
“I hate that he hurt you.” A small frown appeared. “You’re better off, honey. That man changed you, and not in a good way.”
I lifted one shoulder and grimaced.
Beth wrinkled her nose. “Woman of few words, huh? How did the wedding go? Did you have fun reconnecting with old friends?”
“Well, basically Dara got her flawless fairytale wedding. Gorgeous, elegant, with the princess gown, perfect food, and amazing cake. I’m mostly glad I went, even though I didn’t get to spend much time with either Dar or Viv.”
“Mostly?” Her arched brow caused a flutter in my belly as an image of Jake flashed in my mind. “What happened?”
A hot flush took over my entire body, and I swore even my ears must be scarlet.
“Are you … blushing?” Beth’s eyes widened and she grinned. “You’re glowing. That can only mean one thing. Uninhibited shenanigans! Who was he?”
“Nobody.” I cut in front of her on the trail. My pace quickened as I attacked the upward slope, putting several feet of space between us.
A low chuckle broke free from my friend. “I smell an unfolding tale.” However, she said nothing further, the only sound the soft thud of our hiking boots on the trail’s packed earth.
As the terrain levelled off, I sucked in the musky scent of old-growth forest covered by sparse shrubs. The occasional chirping birds and chattering squirrels soothed me after the sounds of the city. Under the canopy of the trees, the humidity and warmth of the sun filtering onto the pathway caused a trickle of perspiration down my back.
“Water break,” Beth said as we reached a clearing near a small creek.
We found a flat rock and rested against it as we dropped our packs to the ground and uncapped our bottles.
After a long slug of water, I leaned back on my hands, tipping up my chin and closing my eyes, concentrating on the rustle of grass and soft burble of water. The outdoors with the expanses of sunny meadows and dramatic vistas ushered a ray of brightness into the dark mood that stalked. “I needed this. Thanks for inviting me.”
Beth patted my hand, smiling softly as she dug into her pack. “Want some?” She extended a bag filled with her famous homemade granola bites.
“My fav.” I selected a tidbit and popped it into my mouth, savouring the crunch of sunflower seeds and almonds combined with the tart sweetness of dried cranberries.
We munched in silence, each lifting a hand in greeting as another small group of hikers trudged by on their way to the summit.
“You’re awfully quiet about your romantic weekend in Whistler,” I said finally. “How did it go?”
She hummed a few bars of something that sounded suspiciously like “Another One Bites the Dust.”
“That good, huh. What happened?”
Beth shrugged. “Not much. He’s just not that into me. I’m not that into him. So I broke it off and updated my dating profile. This nonsense is so exhausting.”
“I’m sorry. What is it with these guys, anyway? They’re all hot to date and seem to have their shit together, then suddenly, that shit is everywhere. Then they can’t make a single phone call but send plenty of booty-call texts.”
As we headed up the trail, Beth asked, “How are you really?”
I heaved a sigh. My respite had ended. “I slept with my ex. It got messy.”
Her eyes widened, her lips parting slightly. “What the heck were you thinking? I thought you were done with that dumb ass.”
My friend was probably picturing a passionate reunion with Kyle. Why wouldn’t she? It wasn’t a secret that the physical side of our relationship had never been a problem. It was everything else that made me pack my treasured wine collection and head for the door.
“Not that ex.”
“Oh.” Her brows drew together, and she halted, shooting her hand out to grasp my forearm. “Ohhh. You mean that sexy biology boy from Halifax?”
“Jake’s a marine biologist.” I shrugged her off, scanning the low shrubs around us, searching for one of the lumbering black bears that frequented the area in search of berries. Maybe a huge one would emerge from the scraggly underbrush. For sure that would sidetrack Beth’s inquisition.
The crunch of her quickening footsteps and the skittering of loose pebbles pursued me. “Amara.” Her hand landed on my shoulder. “You got down and dirty with hot
