Alaskan Mountain Pursuit Elizabeth Goddard (best short novels .TXT) 📖

a mixture of so many expressions. Even though he hadn’t pressured her to share anything, he felt like he should step back, give her a chance to see if she wanted to continue this story. He had a feeling it wasn’t one she told often.

“I’m going to take a quick walk around.”

“Without me?”

“I’ll be within sight at all times,” he promised. “I just want to check the perimeter, basically make sure I don’t see any signs that someone’s hiding.”

She blinked. “Okay.”

He nodded. Walked away. Whatever happened between them or didn’t, Clay never wanted her to feel anything resembling pressure. This story was a piece of Summer. If she wanted to share it, it was a piece he’d accept, whatever it held. But Clay needed to know she’d thought through what they were doing, the way they were quickly crossing the line into a relationship that wasn’t in any way superficial anymore, was barely resembling professional at this point, though it was still completely appropriate.

Clay’s check of the woods around them didn’t yield anything, which was reassuring but also concerning. Was it too quiet? Or was he just jumpy? Clay still had no way of knowing whether the shooter would come after them again tonight. On one hand, it was logical to assume their shooter had a plan of attack—a reason why he had chosen to strand them in this desolate place. On the other, he might have assumed animals or exposure would ensure they didn’t make it out of the woods alive, even if he didn’t personally follow them far.

Only time would tell. And Clay was a patient man. He could wait.

He just wished for Summer’s sake that he could reassure her.

Instead he sat back down near her and the fire, and glanced over at her.

Her emotions weren’t written as plainly on her face anymore, the familiar mask had come back over it. He expected that was the end of that.

“I ran off with another mountain runner.”

The words had no preamble, nothing to soften the blow.

“He wasn’t a Christian, and my parents and especially my siblings made it clear how they felt about me giving up on what I’d been taught, leaving with him, living with him...” Her voice trailed off and Clay heard what she left unsaid. He had no idea what to say. There didn’t seem to be anything he could say to encourage her, and he could feel that she wasn’t done—she was just giving it to him in parts the best she knew how.

“They warned me.” She blew out a breath. “They told me nicely, harshly, any way they thought I’d listen, all of them taking turns playing good cop and bad cop, really.” Summer shook her head. “I put them through so much and I didn’t even know it at the time.” She shrugged as a tear, only one, ran down the edge of her cheek. “I didn’t think about it.”

“People usually don’t.”

“Anyway. I pushed them away enough that they finally left me alone. And I was happy. I thought we were happy. And then...”

Clay’s stomach rolled. He thought he could feel what was coming next.

“I got pregnant. But...”

She didn’t pause long enough for the words to sink into Clay’s mind before she kept going. He fought to stay focused, keep his mind from spinning, asking questions he didn’t know if he should ask aloud or leave unsaid. God help her tell me what You want her to share. He finally managed to form the words to a prayer in his mind. It was all he could think to do.

“I lost the baby. Miscarried at thirteen weeks.”

He didn’t know much about babies but did some quick math. Three months? And the whole pregnancy was only supposed to last nine? He thought he recalled that the risk of losing a baby usually happened in the first trimester. She’d been a third of the way there, out of the woods...

“He had a new girlfriend by the time I got out of the hospital.” Her emotions had shuttered again, her eyes revealed nothing in the darkening light. “I couldn’t run for a couple of months due to complications. By the time I was physically ready to get back to it, my family needed me. I owed them an apology that was more than just words. The lodge was in trouble so I came back, hoping the tiny bit of fame I had leftover would be enough to give the hikes we offer at Moose Haven Lodge an edge over some of our competition, especially the bigger chain resorts. If I’d helped out the summer they’d asked me to, rather than leaving with Christopher, the lodge might never have been in trouble to begin with...” Her voice trailed off.

Another exhale. “And that’s why he wanted you to stay away from me. I’m not the kind of woman you deserve.”

“What makes you so sure? You’ve been through more than most people your age dream about and you’ve come out stronger. Don’t you see that? You aren’t broken.”

“I am, Clay.” She shook her head. “I am.”

He hesitated. “Fine. But if you are, it’s just so God can put you back together. Stronger. Even more beautiful.” He lifted her chin, softly, slightly.

He looked at her face but she wouldn’t meet his eyes, kept hers on the ground. He didn’t move his hand, didn’t look away. Finally her eyes lifted to meet his, filling his heart with something stronger than he’d ever felt, some kind of pull, attraction that Clay had to fight with all his might to resist covering her lips with his. He wanted to kiss away the pain she’d shared, kiss away her insecurities, but it wouldn’t be fair to her, to either of them. Not right now. It wasn’t the right time or place. For either of them. Especially in light of all Summer had just shared. He was starting to care about her, much more than she realized, Clay was pretty sure. But she was vulnerable right now