Discern (10 page)

“Hopefully, I’ll see you around.”

“Sounds good,” I smiled, trying to remain cool.

There was nothing calm about what I was feeling inside. I felt like screaming with joy. He carefully closed the car door. I let out a large sigh as I laid my head back against the headrest. He was amazing—and I was a wreck.

He probably wouldn’t stick around if he was aware of all my insecurities. He was way too perfect. I was angry with myself for behaving so rudely to him back in August and September. I could not fathom why someone like him would be interested in me.

The roar of the car engine coming to life stopped my twisted thinking. I would just go with whatever happened and try not to analyze every nagging little detail. It was truly preposterous how guarded I was. I would seek out every oddity or flaw and become obsessed.

The house was empty when I arrived home, just as I had mentally prepared it to be. The bookstore bag was wrapped around my wrist as I hurried up the stairs. It was nearly midnight, so I decided against reading the book tonight. I would find a nice, quiet place tomorrow to delve in to the adulterous life of Betty Jo.

The sheets were nice and cool as I slid into bed. No novel could be as exhilarating as the time I had spent with Andrew tonight. Nothing much happened, but it was perfect for my fragile state. I closed my eyes—wondering if I would be able to let someone in to my life again.

5

Chautauqua
Park

The loud bursts of cheering woke me from my peaceful slumber. I had forgotten all about football Sundays and how irritatingly loud they could get. It was a little past noon, so I was fairly certain the Broncos weren’t playing yet as they had late games because of the Mountain Time zone.

Something definitely was riling up the company downstairs. I stretched my arms and yawned as I reluctantly rose from my warm, cozy bed. Another loud burst roared beneath my floor, where the living room was located, jolting me out of bed. There was no way I was going to be able to get any reading done here at home.

I stomped loudly as I stormed into the bathroom. The warm shower seemed to relieve some of the irritation, but the question of where I would go to read my book lingered. Libraries weren’t open on Sundays around here and the cafés were packed with college students, primarily the ones I had attended high school with.

Wrapping the towel around my body, I stepped out of the shower and proceeded to peer out my bedroom blinds. The sun shone brightly and it was only early October, so I was certain it would not be too chilly to visit one of the many hiking trails Boulder had to offer. This would be a perfect, quiet place to dive in to the scandalous happenings of
Dickson
County
.

After deliberating over what to wear, I pulled out my laptop and checked the weather report online. It was going to be a pleasant sixty degrees outside, but tonight would drop in to the thirties—I was glad the book was only one hundred and fifty pages long. Blue jeans and a short sleeved burgundy top is what I decided on, grabbing a light sweater to take along just in case. My brown hiking boots were easily spotted since I had never taken them to
California
.

They were slightly dusty since they hadn’t been used since my mother’s death. They were a little tighter than I remembered, but would do for one afternoon of short distance hiking. I knew just the place that sat right off the main trail, perfect for some quiet book reading. Just as I tied the final knot, there was a light knock on my door.

“Come in!” I shouted over the cheering downstairs.

“Hey, sweetie,” my father smiled, entering the room.

“Hey, Dad, who’s playing?”

“The Chiefs and the Chargers.”

Both teams were rivals of the Broncos. “That makes sense,” I said, realizing the cause for all the loud cheering.

“Where are you headed?” he asked, as his eyes drifted down to my boots.

“
Chautauqua
Park
.”

“What for?” His brow arched.

“I have that book to read, and I need a quiet place.”

“We can leave,” he offered.

“No, it looks like a nice day outside. A good chance to get out of the house before winter rears its ugly head.”

“That’s my girl,” he smiled.

“Dad, I’m not going on a date, just to the park by myself,” I smirked.

“I know, but it’s encouraging to see you get out of the house.”

“I’m getting there,” I smiled.

“Be careful out there. Don’t forget your phone and mace.”

Ever since I started driving, I had carried a small bottle of mace on my keychain, per my father’s request. I had taken a few self-defense courses, but I wouldn’t say I was qualified to fight anyone. “Got ’em both.”

He held out his arms awaiting a hug. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he squeezed tight as usual. “Call me if you want to have dinner tonight.”

“Okay,” I agreed, knowing he only offered out of kindness. I planned on a nice day and evening alone—as usual.

Chautauqua
Park
was one of the most popular places to hike in
Boulder
, especially this time of year. The leaves were changing color and the mountains tops were lightly dusted with snow. The trails led right to the Flatirons. Grabbing the bag I had packed with a cozy, fleece blanket, a small lunch and my book, I headed out to my dirty car, which desperately needed a wash.

I jumped on highway ninety-three, letting the cool, autumn breeze gust through my open window. The beauty of the
Rocky Mountains
was undeniable. Although it pained me to admit it,
Boulder
was truly a beautiful, picturesque town rich with history and culture. Its year round events had always made the small town exciting, never requiring many trips elsewhere for good cuisine or shopping. But my own personal tragedies had overshadowed its beauty.

The air gently whipped around a few loose strands of hair as I contemplated the direction of where my life was heading. The thought of ever leaving
Boulder
never crossed my mind when I was younger. My love for Braden began at the young age of eight. I had every intention of marrying him, starting a family with maybe three children, a large, beautiful home and a happily ever after life right here in
Boulder
.

Twelve years later, everything had changed—changed without my consent, but nevertheless had forever irreversibly changed. Marry no one and get the hell out of town again had been my intention the past couple of months. But now, that seemed a little harsh and sad as my thoughts drifted back to the brief encounter with Andrew at the bookstore.

Andrew’s presence was comforting. I felt very foolish for ever keeping my distance from him. His view was impartial, as he lacked any real knowledge of my history here at home. He was only aware of the contents that I had chosen to divulge. It was refreshing to converse with someone with no preconceived notions or judgments.

After a few turns, I carefully adhered to the posted speed limit signs and rolled into the parking lot of the park. I flipped open the trunk and gathered my overstuffed bag filled with all of this afternoon’s necessities. The bright, pink bag resembled more of a beach bag, which had been its intended use, but today it didn’t seem as pretentious as it would have weeks ago. I swung the bulky, but fairly light bag over my shoulder and proceeded to the worn, dirt trail.

Fresh pine filled my nostrils as I began the mile and a half hike up the trail. The air was slightly crisp as I rose in elevation, giving way to the relief that I had packed a sweater.

 
I glanced up ahead to a familiar small dirt path that led to a cluster of trees. I smiled as I turned onto the path, remembering the time I had spent here with my mother. We mainly spent our summer days here, as my mother was not fond of cool weather. We would play Frisbee or just simply talk about our dreams and desires.

My only desire back then was to maybe teach, but definitely be married and have three kids. She desired more compassion from people to help fund and volunteer with her charities. She was amazing in every aspect of her life. It was hard to believe her life ended in the manner in which it did.

I quickly shook the thoughts of her untimely death as I reached the familiar spot nestled below a few evergreen trees. A couple lay a few hundred yards from where I was, and it was obvious I had intruded on their moment as they shifted their bodies for more privacy. It was fairly quiet in the park today, which suited me, just fine.

Taking out the red plaid, fleece blanket from the bag, I inhaled the smell of the laundry detergent. My father had not changed brands even though he always complained of its floral scent. I smiled as I remembered my mom chuckling at his dislike for such an insignificant matter as detergent.

Glancing back toward the lip locked couple once more; I straightened out the corners of the blanket on the hard, crunchy grass. I wondered if I would ever find someone again that I truly desired to be close to.

Retrieving the class-required book from my bag, I carefully sprawled out on the blanket. The bright, radiating sun instantly warmed my face and arms, and I decided against wearing my sweater. I sighed and reluctantly opened to the first page.

After reading for a while, the growl of my stomach forced me to set aside the book and rummage through my bag for the lunch I had packed. The book had been a pleasant surprise. It was definitely better than I had expected. The affair wasn’t as cruel as I had imagined. She never had the chance to breathe or really enjoy life within her marriage. Her life revolved around her husband and children, never having the chance to find what truly made her happy.

She didn’t despise her family or husband, just desired a moment for herself. I carefully unzipped the plastic bag containing the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I had packed. My mother’s presence was definitely there as I sunk my teeth in to the warm, soft bread. I cannot remember a day I didn’t eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cheese curls as a kid—it was my favorite meal.

After a few bites and sips of my lukewarm bottled water, I was ready to finish Betty Jo’s tale of forbidden love. My hand blindly searched the bag for the golden yellow apple I had packed. I leaned back on the blanket preparing to enjoy my juicy dessert.

Before I could take a bite, I heard the sound of rustling coming from the thicker patch of evergreen trees a few yards away. My head snapped in that direction. There were two men in camouflaged hunting gear moving around.

I was no expert on park rules, but I was sure there was no hunting allowed in this part. I looked over to where the lovers had been, but they were no longer there. The realization that I was alone hit me. I felt a little uneasy as I glanced back toward the two men.

I could hear whispering. My stomach knotted as I tried to inconspicuously begin rounding up my things, deciding this was an excellent time to leave.

“Hey!” one of the men shouted.

I quickly gathered all my belongings and shoved them into the bag. They called out again, and I still ignored it—I wasn’t going to acknowledge their attempt to gain my attention.

Just as I grabbed the corner of the blanket, a faint shout or scream of a male voice resonated from behind the trees. The men no longer stood where they once had. A bright iridescent light shined upward from the top of the tree line. A loud deafening screeching sound bellowed out—it was definitely time to leave.

I continued to gather the corners of the blanket, but I was again stopped as a pair of brown hiking boots appeared beside me. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck.

“Oh, no,” I murmured.

“Haley,” a saintly voice spoke.

I immediately looked up. “Oh, thank goodness,” I exhaled.

“Are you all right?” Andrew asked worried.

“I am now,” I smiled.

“What happened?”

“Nothing, just a few random hunters startled me,” I smiled nervously.

His eyes scanned the tree line. “I must have scared them away.”

“It was foolish of me to come out here alone.”

“It was probably even more foolish of them to choose this spot for hunting.” His grin was wicked.

“Did you hear them scream?”

“No. I didn’t hear any sounds,” he answered blankly.

“Did you see the light coming from the trees?” I asked nervously.

“No. I didn’t see or hear anything. Creases appeared on his forehead. “But I just got here.”

My eyes met his, revealing the same beautiful sparkling emerald eyes from last night—I was truly delusional.

“Wow, you must think I’m crazy,” I sighed, embarrassed.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I believe you probably saw and heard something,” he smiled, reassuringly.

“Sure.”

“Maybe you can see things others can’t,” he suggested.

“Well, if that’s the case, then I just got that power as of last night,” I said nervously.