I glanced over to see his face. He looked as solemn as he sounded. I touched his hand briefly. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what it’s like to have a relationship like that.”
He looked over and then lifted his hand to brush his thumb down my cheek. “And I hope you never do. But, as I said, I owe him a lot. If not for him, I wouldn’t be where I am. And I probably wouldn’t have met you. That counts as a win in my book.”
The warmth from his words spread through my body. I wouldn’t have met him either, and so far there was plenty to like. Even love. Declan was unlike any other man I’d met. And certainly not like the boys I’d known in college. He didn’t seem to want to mess around with my emotions or use me for anything. He truly seemed to care unconditionally. Kind of like my dad.
It was crazy how much alike they were, and how much I’d grown to respect Declan in a few short days.
I pulled off the highway and headed toward the mountains, a familiar excitement building inside. This was my free place. Even back in college when my heart seemed to ache every single day, I could come out here and lose myself in the trees and the green, and the world would, even if only momentarily, be at peace.
“I like watching you drive,” Declan said. “Like you enjoy it.”
“I do. Another kind of freedom, I suppose.”
He was quiet while I turned down a dirt road and found a spot to park. When we were settled, I looked over and warned him, “I still have so many questions.”
“That’s why we’re here. And I know you need this.”
I did. I’d needed this for weeks now. When I came out here, I didn’t have to worry so much about real life. The forest was like a cocoon, keeping me warm and safe and taking away all the rest.
We both stepped out of the car and put on our backpacks. Mine felt lighter than it had when I’d packed it back at home. I narrowed my eyes at Declan. “Did you take something out of my bag?”
He grinned. “You might as well leave yours here. I’ve got everything else in mine.”
Frowning, I pulled my backpack around to the front, unzipped it, and saw nothing but a handkerchief left in the depths. “Declan.”
“It'll be easier this way,” he said.
“Easier?”
He plucked my backpack from my hand and tossed it in the back seat. “Let’s go.”
I poked him in the shoulder, reveling in the warmth of his skin and the strength of his muscles. He wore long shorts that showed off strong toned and tanned legs. And the T-shirt he wore hugged his pecs and biceps, affording me a great view of his physique. Yeah, so he was stronger, but I could still carry my own backpack.
Wondering what Declan had in mind, I joined him at the head of the trail. “This is my favorite hike,” I told him.
His fingers curled around mine. “Good. I get to learn more about you this way too.”
We started up the trail, and I hated that he had to release my hand, but there were parts of it that were only wide enough for one person. Part of the reason why I loved this trail so much was that it was secluded, not many knew about it, and the further up you went there were even fewer people. It went all the way to the top of the peak, but my favorite part was the waterfall.
“Have you hiked here with your dad?” Declan asked.
I nodded. “He’s the one who showed me the place. He said he found it when he was hiking with Mom before I was born. They did a lot of that back then.”
“Do you miss her?” When I glanced back, he shrugged. “I mean I’m sure you do, but I don’t remember much about my mom.”
“How young were you when…?”
“Six years old. One day I was with her, and the next she’d passed away. It…” He sighed. “I don’t really remember it. Just that I went into foster care after that. Three homes until Christopher Dark decided he wanted to adopt a son—someone to carry on his name since he and his wife didn’t have kids. I barely knew her either—she passed away about a year after the adoption.”
My heart ached for him. He could barely remember a mom who had probably loved him unconditionally, and then there had been foster care for years before Mr. Dark had come along and adopted him, only to use him in some sort of experiment for a purpose we still didn't know.
I swallowed and nodded. I could relate just a little. But was it better or worse that I’d had my mom for longer only to lose her?
“I miss my mom every day,” I admitted. “But it’s better now, good memories. It was hardest when I
