Page 28 of Mountain Bean Dream
“Pathetic, right?”
“No, not at all. Admirable. It’s absolutely terrifying asking someone out.”
We drove by Sleepy Hollow Road, the hustle and bustle of the busy tourist town in the rear-view mirror.
From the side of my eye, his smile pushed high the apples of his bearded cheeks. “Did you ever think that maybe the right guys were afraid to ask you out?”
The most unladylike snort blew out of me, and with it, a bit of snot flew out as well. So attractive.
He handed me a tissue.
“Well, maybe that’s why? They’d get covered in this.” I wiped my nose and tossed the tissue into the little trash bucket he had on the floor between the seats.
“Well, thank you for sharing. You don’t do that a lot, do you?”
Slowly, and unbelievably surprised by his insight, I shook my head.
“In the time I’ve known you, you’ve never once mentioned any family members. Is everything okay?”
I focused out the window, watching as the towering evergreens blurred by and trying to spot an elk lumbering in between or see if I could spot a bear out of hibernation. It was all greens, browns, and the occasional grey from the rocks.
“Sorry. I overstepped. You don’t have to tell me.”
A deep, painful sigh gusted out of me. “It’s complicated.”
Although I wasn’t making the huge bucks like the A-listed Hollywood stars, I did receive a decent income as a B-level actress. However, by the time I was a legal adult, I needed to take control of my finances which were being squandered by my spend-happy parents. When I took that away from them, they cut me out of the family until they begged and pleaded for money. After leaving mid-season, I changed my number and told my PR manager I was taking a hiatus for an undisclosed time. Then it was radio silence. And for a while, I had mostly enjoyed it, but it was lonely. I’d been sheltered for so long that at my age, I still didn’t know how to make friends. So sad. Money brought me everything I could ever need, except deep meaningful relationships.
We passed Tekerra Lodge and crossed over Miette River. We weren’t far from home, thank goodness, and I could put this building awkwardness behind me.
He chuckled, a sweet melodic sound that tugged on my heart. “Show me a family that isn’t plagued with complications, drama, and the occasional rift, and I’ll buy your ocean-front property in Saskatchewan.”
I couldn’t help the snicker that rolled out. “Guess you have complications too?”
He pointed at his chest. “Proud member of the black sheep castoffs.”
My eyes widened. “Me too, but I don’t know that I’m as proud of it as you are.”
“I wear it like a badge as I’ve earned it.” He leaned his elbow on the edge of the window. “Mind you, it took me a while to get to that point.”
“How long?”
He quickly took his focus off the road to look at me. “Years.”
“Then I have time before I’ll get my badge.”
“Maybe. May not.” We turned onto the short road leading to the motel. “So what’s your story?”
“No way, you first.” The gauntlet had been tossed. I’d already shared more than I ever thought I would.
He raked a hand through his hair, leaving some of the waves floating through the air.
“Fair enough.” We emerged from the thick grove of evergreens lining the road into a clearing with the parking lot and the two-level motel stretching out at the end of the small lot. “I’ve always been different, ever since I was a toddler. The two different coloured eye thing never helped either.”
Wow. I found that part of him positively electric and as such, I couldn’t help myself from staring.
“I was picked on in school. For being different.”
“Seriously?” I nearly growled.