Her Small-Town Romance. Jill Kemerer

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ leak or something. He should be relieved. But her no stirred up bits and pieces he’d been suppressing all week, like the sinking feeling he got when his younger brother, Sam, sneered, “You, teaching? You realize you’ll have to leave the house and be friendly, right?” As if Bryan had no social skills. He knew how to be friendly. But Sam’s words had kicked up doubts. Would his personality kill his chances with the director of the retreat?

      Jade stood on wobbly legs, and her fingertips darted to the table for support. “I don’t want to take the class, but I will. I have to.”

      He pulled his shoulders back. A part of him would prefer no students to this one. Too cute. Too out there. Too everything. “I can cancel today’s session.”

      “No!” Her eyes widened. “Don’t do that.”

      “Why not?” He suppressed a sigh. Did she want to be here or not? Maybe this would qualify him for the eccentric personalities the retreat director mentioned.

      She shook her head so rapidly her hair waved behind her. Her face paled again. She wasn’t going to faint, was she? Bryan stepped forward, but she remained standing.

      “It will ruin everything.”

      Ruin what? He didn’t know and wasn’t asking. He’d grown up with two sisters. Their way of thinking had always been two steps ahead of his.

      “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t get so worked up. We’ll go to the trail right now. No big deal.”

      “The trail?” she squeaked. “Right now?”

      “Yeah, isn’t that what you want?”

      “I... I...” Her hands twisted as if she were wringing out a wet washcloth. “I think I’m having a panic attack.” Her breaths came in short, audible gasps.

      “Here.” He took a paper bag out of his backpack and handed it to her. “Breathe into this. When you’ve got it under control, tell me what’s going on.”

      * * *

      Jade slumped on the bench and sucked in a breath. The paper bag crinkled into itself. When she exhaled, it puffed out again. She didn’t dare look at Bryan. First of all, he was a full foot taller than her, and her neck might snap trying to stare at him from her seated position. Secondly, the sight of him made her gooey insides extra mushy. His level of attractiveness on a scale of one to ten was a twenty. Those blue eyes reminded her of the desert sky, and he had a cleft in his chin. A cleft! No man should have such touchable dark blond hair.

      And now he was restlessly waiting because he seemed to think she owed him an explanation. Which she did, after treating him to a full-blown episode of her ridiculous phobia. She pulled the bag away from her mouth.

      “I don’t like forests.” There. She’d said it. And shoved the paper bag right back, daring him to mock her. His eyebrows drew together.

      He probably couldn’t comprehend the thought—him so tall, so fit, so at ease outdoors. He was practically perfect. She scowled. The guys she found attractive were always practically perfect—at first. Their charm wore off as they grew condescending, dismissive. No, thanks. She had enough on her hands getting her shop established.

      “Why don’t you like forests?”

      A hysterical cackle rose in her throat, but she clamped her mouth shut, not allowing it to escape.

      Why? Why indeed. Since her breathing had stabilized, she smoothed out the brown bag and set it on her lap. “I’ve never lived around many trees.” Except for the summer in Germany when she was seven—her heartbeat grew faint as the memories returned. He didn’t need to know her secrets. “They’ve always given me the creeps.”

      “Oh.” He nodded, rubbing his chin.

      Jade lightly massaged her temples. Trying to overcome this fear was impossible. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried numerous times. The excitement of quitting her job last month must have given her a false sense of power. Picking a town smack-dab in the middle of dense woods to open her business made no sense.

      Except it did.

      After Mimi died, Jade kept replaying the wisdom her grandmother shared over the years. One piece of advice had clung to her heart. Jade, honey, I hope you find your Lake Endwell, a place where dreams come true. Poppi and I always said we’d move there, but God had other plans for us. Listen to His plan for your life.

      Moving here made perfect sense. Jade wanted her dreams—all of them—to come true.

      “I’m missing something, right?” Bryan sounded uncertain. “If you don’t like the forest, why did you move here?”

      “It’s complicated.”

      “Is there anything I can do?” He propped his foot on the bench.

      She hoped so. She’d set her moving plans in motion after poking through Lake Endwell’s website and stumbling across Bryan’s class.

      An answer to her prayer.

      Living here wouldn’t work unless she could tolerate trees. Yesterday she’d grown dizzy and hysterical driving through the tightly packed woods on the way into town. The thought of breaking down and getting lost... She shivered. How would she be able to make the thirty-minute drive to a mall, the discount stores or an airport unless she overcame this fear?

      “I don’t have any experience with not liking trees.” Bryan’s eyes clouded over. “Not sure I can be of much help.”

      Maybe Bryan’s class was God’s way of getting her here. Maybe He had another plan in mind for her to get over her affliction. Rising, she brushed off her jeans and willed her lips into a tight smile. “I’ll figure something out.” But what? She hadn’t felt this torn since hearing Mimi had cancer.

      “Well, the least I can do is show you around the park.” His low, soothing voice unlatched the tightness around her chest. “You might not feel as scared if you know more about it.”

      She added nice to her mental list comprising Bryan Sheffield. But then, didn’t they all seem nice at first? The nitpicking and disapproval began after they realized she wasn’t as great as they’d first thought. The story of her dating life.

      “You don’t have to.”

      Bryan tilted his head. “You obviously want to get over your fear or you wouldn’t have shown up today. I’m no therapist, but I know my way around the woods.”

      “I must seem crazy.” Jade wasn’t a seven-year-old child anymore, and logically, she knew the chances of getting lost again were slim.

      “Nah. I married crazy. You’re...” Crimson climbed his neck. “Never mind. Follow me.”

      Married? Relief flooded her. Of course he was married. Married and safe. Now she wouldn’t have to worry about being attracted to him. She’d promised herself no romance until she got the rest of her life in order and figured out the right type of guy for her.

      “Grab the paper bag,” Bryan said. “You might need it.”

      * * *

      “Surviving СКАЧАТЬ