Page 15 of Double Booked

He went on, seemingly determined to convince her he wasn’t the roommate from hell. “I was about to clean up when I saw a piliated woodpecker out the front window. I grabbed my camera and ran outside, hoping to snap a photo before it flew off. When I returned, you were here.”

She eyed him for a moment, thinking it sounded plausible. “Did you get the photo?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“Maybe next time,” she said. He smiled fully, and suddenly, she felt overly warm. It must be the fire, she told herself.

“Anyway, let’s get back to the list,” he said.

“We don’t have to.”

“I want to.” He turned his attention to the laptop and silently finished reading. Then he sat back. “Sounds fair to me.”

She eyed him skeptically. “That’s it. You agree with everything?”

He sighed. “Well, I am a little disappointed I won’t be able to waltz around in my underwear. But other than that, I’m good.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. There was something about him that made it hard not to. Though she hated to admit it, he was handsome and charming.

“Shake on it?” He held out his hand.

This time, she didn’t hesitate. She placed her hand in his and he closed his hand around it. Warm. Strong. Gentle. Those were the words that came to mind. The fire crackled, bathing the room in a warm glow. The sun had gone down, and the world had gone quiet. In other circumstances, this setting would be very romantic, but they weren’t a couple. They barely knew each other. The reminder broke the spell, and she released his hand.

Then she stood and gathered her laptop. “I’m going into my room now. I need to get some work done.” It was a half-truth. She’d checked her email earlier and there wasn’t anything that couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

He stood too. “I need to do some work, too.”

“You’re taking pictures now?”

“No. I need to edit some of the pictures I took earlier.”

“Oh. Right.”

Taking a wide path around him, she headed toward her bedroom. Her hand was on the doorknob when he spoke again.

“Goodnight, Eden.”

Her name sounded both strong and soft coming from him, just like his handshake. “Goodnight, Cole.” She liked the sound of his name, too.

Six

Cole crouched down to get a better angle, aiming his camera at a bull elk who’d just wandered into the clearing. The elk raised his thick neck and sniffed the air, and Cole took a succession of shots. It was still early, and the park was relatively quiet. This was his favorite time to capture the elk when they were undisturbed. He took a few more photos and then sat back and watched for a while.

He'd been a nature lover all his life. Growing up in Phoenix, he’d been surrounded by desert, canyons, and mountains. As a boy, it was like having nature’s playground in his backyard. As a man, he appreciated the beauty and peacefulness even more.

He never understood how people could travel yet be content to drive by and snap pictures out of their car windows versus experiencing it up close. His train of thought led to Eden and her reaction when he’d invited her to accompany him. Maybe his enthusiastic portrayal of the elk rut had turned her off. He smiled, recalling her bewildered expression at the mention of it. If he’d invited her to go hiking, would she have had a different reaction? Who knew, but it might be worth a try.

Something about her intrigued him, and he sensed there was a lot more to her than met the eye. He wondered about her previous roommate, who he’d be willing to bet was a man. He’d noticed a flash of pain in her eyes when he’d asked about it, and she’d closed up on him soon after. It made sense. She’d come here to escape, not spill her guts to a virtual stranger. The crazy thing was, he didn’t want her to think of him that way.

Suddenly, a few elk cows wandered into the clearing, and the bull watched with intense interest. Cole raised his camera, knowing it was about to get good. The bull lifted his enormous head and bellowed the loud, almost eerie sound they were famous for. Cole clicked the video button as more cows entered the area. Then a smaller bull emerged from the woods and started approaching the herd. The dominant male charged forward, his head tipped down and massive antlers aimed at the intruder. It was no contest, and the interloper fled into the trees. Luckily, Cole caught it all on video.

Around noon, when the park started getting busier, Cole headed out. He would have gone back to the cabin and made lunch, however, he’d promised to stay out of Eden’s way during the day. He drove into town instead, resigned to joining the lunch crowd.

He parked in a public lot and walked to a nearby sandwich shop. After waiting in a long line, he took his turkey sandwich and soda outside and found a bench to sit on while he ate. People watching wasn’t as interesting as viewing wildlife, but he did it anyway. Since it was the middle of a weekday, it was mostly moms and their kids, retired folks, and tourists.

Suddenly, he noticed a blonde woman peering into a store window across the street. From the back, it looked like Eden, but he wasn’t sure. Besides, he doubted she’d be interested in a sporting goods store. The woman opened the door of the store, and he saw her profile. It was Eden!

His heart rate sped up, and he sat up straighter. What were the odds they’d both be in town at the same time? Why wasn’t she working? The same could be said of him. If he’d made his lunch before he’d left that morning, he wouldn’t be here either. Keeping an eye on the store, he finished the rest of his lunch and then disposed of the garbage in a nearby trash can.