Chapter Twelve
Operation Small Town, Day 24
“Inhale and lift your left leg up,” the instructor says calmly from my phone. I follow her cues and work my way into warrior two. Elle teaches yoga classes as a side hustle, and she’s gotten me into it. At the beginning, I was a complete mess. I honestly felt bad for the other people in the class that had to watch me. I was a one-woman game of Twister , with a puzzle of outstretched arms and legs, and every time I laid down, I left a sweat angel on my borrowed mat. Since then, I have definitely improved, and luckily, here in my lakeside retreat, the only people who can see me are a couple on their deck across the way.
I made myself a big breakfast and enjoyed it on the deck, but at ten o’clock I found myself staring at my phone, willing it to ring. When I realized I didn’t want to be that girl, I pulled up a yoga video on YouTube and got to work.
When I hear a throat clear behind me, I jump so hard that I completely fall out of warrior two and flat on my face. “Ow,” I say, rolling on to my butt.
Of course, it’s Liam. Of course, the one person in the world I would be the most mortified about seeing me do yoga is standing six feet away. Of . Course .
“Hey,” I say, rubbing my head. “You scared me.”
Liam runs his hand through his hair and avoids my gaze. He’s wearing a pair of board shorts and a blue tank top. I remember mocking men who wore tank tops at some point in my life, but from this view, Liam in a tank top is my new favorite thing.
“Sorry. I knocked on the front door but then I heard a voice outside,” he says, gesturing to my phone where the yoga teacher is still talking. I scamper over to where I have it propped up and turn her off.
“Well, I’m sorry you had to witness the hot mess that was me doing yoga,” I say jokingly.
“I’m not,” he says. I squint at him. “But I had to say something before you started lifting your legs up again and I embarrassed myself,” he adds, bowing his head to hide the smile on his face. I giggle.
I’m sorry, did Liam Miller just imply that he is attracted to me? No, that couldn’t be right.
All this back and forth I’ve been doing with Liam, it’s been fun, but there’s no universe in which this man could actually like me. I mean, just look at him. In my experience, guys who look like him don’t give me a second look. At least in Manhattan they don’t. I have several years of dating app history to prove it.
“So, what’s up?” I ask, crossing my legs under me.
“Oh, I wanted to see if you were free today.”
“No work today?” I ask.
“That’s one of the perks of being the owner. I have a bunch of minions who work for me. They can handle lunch. I’ll go in for dinner.”
“Oh, well aren’t you just so big-time?” I tease.
“I try,” he admits with a shrug. “So, are you free?”
“I am,” I say almost immediately. Cool, Lucy . Cool . “What did you have in mind?”
“I thought you might like to see my favorite place in Hudson Hollow,” he says, smiling.
“Still trying to sell me on the small-town life?” I say, before my brain has a chance to catch up. Ugh, I hate that I said that. Think before you speak, Lucy. Think. “Sorry, I—”
“Yes, I am trying to sell it to you. But I don’t think I’ll have to work too hard,” Liam replies, crossing his arms across his chest.
The smile that breaks out on my face probably looks goofy, but I can’t help it.
“That sounds perfect. What kind of attire does this perfect small-town setting require?”
“Something you can hike in. I’ll come back to pick you up in a half hour,” Liam says, turning on his heel. Before I can process what he just said, he’s jogging off my deck.
“I’m sorry, did you just say hiking? Hiking ?” I yell, but I’m only met with a deep chuckle in return. “Do I look like I hike?” I yell, knowing Liam is already out of earshot.
*
An hour later I’m in the best hiking attire I could find—capri leggings, a moisture-wicking tank top, and a pair of sneakers. I tie my hair into a single braid and let it fall over my shoulder. I throw a water bottle, sunscreen, and my sunglasses in a bag and meet Liam out front.
“Ready to jet?” Liam asks, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
“Just so you know, Elle can track my phone. And if I don’t call her when I get back, she is going to go all New York detective on you,” I say hurriedly. “Just in case, you know, you’re taking me on a hiking expedition to murder me in the woods,” I add for clarification.
Liam scoffs. “Well, you’re the worst planner ever. You can’t tell your captor your rescue plan! Now I’ll have to have you call Elle before I kill you, leave your phone at the house, and drag you all the way back into the woods to bury you. That just makes way more work for me.”
“ Okay …” I start, taking an obvious step back from him. “I’m slightly concerned at how much you’ve thought this through.”
“ I’m slightly concerned about how much you thought this through.”
With the way he accentuates his words, I can’t help but burst out laughing. I don’t think I’ve ever physically keeled over before, but Hudson Hollow, and Liam, are providing so many firsts for me. I laugh until a tear forms in the corner of my eye. Liam’s laugh is magnetic. Before I can stop myself from thinking it, I’m wondering what it would be like to stop his laughter with my lips.
My expression must be telling because Liam’s smile quickly fades. “You good?”
“Oh, fine, perfect,” I say, wiping the tear from my eye with a big smile. “Ready to not get murdered.”
“Let’s do it.”
When I approach the passenger side of his Jeep, I notice it’s missing a few key elements.
“Uh, Liam? How are we driving up a mountain with no doors on the car?” I ask skeptically.
“I never said we were driving up a mountain. We’re driving to the entrance of the trail. Then we’re hiking,” he says with a wink. “Come on, City Girl, let’s see how country you can be.”
Well, damn . If that line doesn’t make a girl want to hop in that truck, I’m not sure anything will.
With Blue sequestered to the back seat—he was not pleased—we head down the highway.
As we drive with the wind battering our skin and my hair whipping in the wind, I take a moment to marvel at myself. I’m in a strange place, away from home, away from my parents, with a somewhat stranger, in a car with no doors, about to hike up a mountain. Who the hell am I and what have I done with Lucy Bowen?
Hudson Hollow Lucy is independent. She can go where she wants, with who she wants, and doesn’t feel guilty about it. (Okay, she’s working on that last part.)
Liam catches me smiling and flashes a brilliant one back at me. I try to remember the last time I was this happy.
Nothing comes to mind.
On impulse, I unbuckle my seatbelt, ground my backside into the seat behind me, plant my feet on the floor, and stand up.
“Woohoo!” I scream, stretching my arms out wide. I can barely hear Liam’s laughter over the wind. He revs the engine and picks up speed, and I let out a screech.
We only travel a few miles before Liam pulls into a gravel parking lot where a few other cars are parked.
“Witnesses,” I jest. He lets out a light chuckle.
“You watch too much T.V.,” he says, shaking his head. He clips a leash on Blue who quickly jumps out of the truck behind him. When Liam takes a few steps toward the one and only break in the towering trees where the path begins, I hesitate by the truck, an anxious feeling in my stomach.
“Lucy,” Liam’s voice snaps me out of my panicked state. He returns to my side in a few quick strides. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh nothing. Just planning my escape route in case things turn sideways,” I say with a nervous smile.
Liam turns his whole body to face me and leans one hand against the car, so that his arm is caging in one side of my head. It could be claustrophobic, but instead, it’s extremely attractive.
“You know you don’t have me fooled, right?”
I raise my chin to meet his eyes. “What?” The word comes out with a shaky exhale.
“You make jokes to deflect. It usually works for you, but I’m catching on,” he looks down at me. He pushes his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose and purses his lips to the side.
I see his eyes moving side to side behind his glasses, and I want to ask what he is thinking. I wonder if he wants to kiss me but is holding back. He moves an inch—the movement is so subtle that I almost don’t catch it, but it’s like we’re opposite ends of a magnet, pulling and pushing at one another, unable to meet.
A sound escapes Liam’s throat, something between one of his signature grunts and a moan.
It’s at that moment that I realize how much I want to kiss him . Yes, he’s gorgeous, and yes, I’ve been attracted to him from the moment we met, but the more I’ve come to know him, the more my body wants to reach for him. It’s as if my heart is literally guiding me to him, like he’s an anchor on some imaginary finish line, pulling me closer and closer.
Suddenly, he leans back, and I feel an emptiness around me, and I’m exposed to the elements. Back to reality.
Liam looks away and clears his throat. “Ready, Freddie?”
I smile. “My aunt always says that.” Liam smiles back as he holds his hand out to me.
“So, shall we?” he asks. Blue looks at me expectantly, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.
“We shall.”
That’s the truth of how easy it is. One step. Then another. Winnie the Pooh always said that he got to where he was going by walking away from where he’s been, right? What if it was really that simple? What if all I had to do to make a change for myself was take one step forward?
So, I do.
We manage to make it half a mile up the wooded path before Liam breaks our silence.
“It’s about three miles up to where we’re going,” he says, letting Blue lead the way for us.
“And will there be snacks at the top of this mountain?” I ask, trying to hide the fact that I’m already out of breath. I really need to go to the gym more.
“I think I know you well enough at this point to know the only way you won’t push me off this mountain is if I feed you at the top,” he says with a knowing smile.
“I don’t think there’s anything inaccurate in that statement,” I say confidently. I stick my tongue out at him too.
Liam slows his pace and allows me to catch up once we’ve made it onto more level footing. We’re surrounded by towering trees without a person in sight, so this really would be the perfect place to kill someone. I need to stop watching so many scary movies. Why does my brain keep going there?!
Blue matches Liam’s stride and finds a place in between us. He seems to know where he’s going. “Do you two come up here a lot?” I ask, as if I’m expecting either one of them to answer.
“Probably once a month, I’d say. Blue needs all the exercise he can get, otherwise he does zoomies around the house. This will tire him out for a few days, at least,” Liam replies, patting the dog’s head. And me , I think, trying to take an inconspicuous deep breath.
“Something tells me that you’re not used to going out of your comfort zone a lot,” Liam says, and I’m caught off guard by his question.
“I traveled by myself to this town, didn’t I?” I remind him.
“That’s true, but you also hesitated to hike up a mountain with me,” he replies. He brushes his hair off his face and shrugs.
“Hey, I don’t think that’s fair,” I say. I stop walking, the mulch crunching beneath my feet. “You don’t know me well enough to say that.”
“Then prove me wrong,” he says, not slowing down his pace. I note that that’s the second time that he’s said that to me. I think he’s playing a game with me, and I don’t know if I like it.
“Ugh,” I grunt, annoyed. I take a few quick steps to catch up with his long stride. “You know, this is exactly the type of cat-and-mouse game that a murderer would play,” I mumble.
“Seriously, I’m concerned about where your mind goes,” he says, shaking his head.
I catch up to him and our steps fall into sync. “I will have you know that I do go out of my comfort zone.”
“Well, from where I’m standing, it seems like you’re a little close-minded,” he says.
“Close-minded?” I practically shout. He turns to look at me. I put my hand up to my ear like I’m making a phone call. “Hello, pot? This is the kettle. You’re black .”
Liam looks down and chuckles. “I guess that’s fair. We both have a little bit of pride in where we come from.”
“So, why are you giving me such a hard time about it?” I ask.
“Maybe because I want to know more about you. Something tells me that you don’t love the city and your job as much as you say. When you talk about it, you’re almost like… reciting a speech.”
I stop in my tracks again. “Okay, if you keep stopping every time I say something, this is going to be a very long hike,” he says, waving his hands at me.
I stomp my foot and continue walking.
“I think you’re making assumptions about me that have no basis,” I say, my frustration starting to show. I don’t have to put up with this. I like Liam, I really do, but I don’t appreciate it when someone speaks to me like they know me better than I know myself. “I’ve worked very hard to get where I am.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second,” Liam interjects.
“It seems like you do. Things haven’t always been easy for me. School was hard, reading was hard, and now I have a career where I read books for a living,” I explain. “I’m proud of that. My parents worked really hard to provide me with opportunities they didn’t have.”
Liam looks at me for a moment and then smiles.
Dude fucking smiles at me.
“What are you smiling about?” I snap, putting my hands on my hips.
“That was a very impassioned speech,” he says. “And it’s great that you overcame obstacles to get where you are now. All I’m saying is, just because it was supposed to be your dream job, doesn’t mean it’s actually going to be.”
Liam’s words make me pause for a moment. I slow my pace, and it takes him a moment to realize I’ve broken my stride. He stops and looks back at me, expecting me to say something. But I’m so flustered, I’m not really sure what to say.
“What?” Liam asks, sliding his sunglasses onto his head.
“I don’t know. I guess… I never thought of it that way,” I reply, a confused look on my face.
“Lucy, it’s your life. It’s great that your parents support you, but the only person you have to answer to is yourself,” he says, taking a step closer to me. “If you don’t like something about your life, change it.”
I shake my head. How did we get into this discussion? “I—Thank you for the psychoanalysis on this nature trail, sir, but as I keep telling you, I do love my job. I’m happy where I am. I don’t know what makes you think otherwise,” I say, picking up my pace again. “Let’s talk about something else.” Is he right? Of course, he’s right. What he is saying is completely logical, but it couldn’t possibly apply to me. Could it? No. I’ve worked too hard. And I really do love my job!
Don’t I ?
“Made you think, though,” Liam says knowingly.
I grimace at him. “Stop looking at me. I clearly can’t hide anything on my face when you are around,” I say, shoving him out of my path. I take a moment to wipe the sweat from my forehead before continuing up the trail.
“What would you do, if money didn’t matter and you could quit your job tomorrow?” he asks, jogging to catch up with me.
“What would you do?” I say, turning his question on him.
“Exactly what I’m doing,” he says with a shrug. “Don’t dodge the question. Don’t think about it. Just answer with the first thing that pops in your head.”
Up ahead, the trees are starting to clear, and I can see a glimpse of water in the distance. I let out a slow breath. “I love my job. I know I might complain about it, and Manhattan sometimes...” Liam opens his mouth to speak but he decides against it. “I’m happy where I am. Really. Being an editor has always been my dream.”
“Dreams can change,” he says, matter-of-factly.
I put my hands on my hips, a bit annoyed at his continued line of questioning. “Mine hasn’t,” I reply, sternly.
“All I’m saying is that if a dream doesn’t work out, find a new one. Life is finite. Days are finite. Dreams aren’t.”
I sigh and walk past him, following Blue up the trail without another word. I don’t know what he’s getting at, but I know my dream. How long has Liam known me? A few weeks? I’ve known I wanted to work in books for years. Am I tired of being an assistant? Of course. But that is why I am here. If I write enough about this town, I will be on my way to acquiring books.
I just have to finish the job I came here to do. No distractions.