Chapter Six
~Willa~
Apprehension coursed through Willa’s body as she made the final turn toward the trailhead where she’d agreed to meet Dan, her first match on the Apples to Apples app. He was a local and seemed like a nice enough guy, so when he messaged Willa and asked to meet up, she couldn’t think of a reason to say no. Dan worked as the manager of a small hobby farm on the edge of town, a job that allowed him to pursue his real passion, which was participating in as many outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and river rafting as possible.
As someone whose favorite pastime was couch surfing and gossiping with her best friend, Willa realized they weren’t exactly a perfect match, but that was also kind of the appeal. Since this was her first foray into the dating world in a long while, Willa thought it would be good to take the pressure off by choosing someone who would be a good trial run, but not necessarily someone she saw much of a future with. Not like the sexy fireman from yesterday.
Kemp was an unusual name, but the only thing unusual about the man himself was just how drawn to him Willa had been. Obviously she’d felt attraction before, but nowhere near as powerfully as she had with him. Willa was helpless against his pull. No, not helpless. She felt herself going willingly , finding that no matter where he stood, her body angled toward his, her feet pointing in his direction. Even as she left the store, Willa found herself turning back more than once to catch another glimpse of his handsome face and tall, muscular body.
It wasn’t just his looks that had caught her attention, though by God , they were spectacular. Long thick legs and arms the size of pythons, one of which was covered in a half sleeve of near-black tattoos that disappeared up into his shirt. The intricate designs laid over hard muscle had short-circuited Willa’s brain, causing her mind to slip down a rabbit hole of wondering just how far they went and where else she might find them. His body seemed like a scavenger hunt that would reveal one delicious surprise after another.
The sheer height and mass on display had been a bit intimidating, but the open and inviting expression on his face coupled with his slow, easy smile had instantly put Willa at ease, making her want to curl up against his chest as his large hands ran through her hair. Never in her life had she wanted that, so to be hit with the desire so intensely had thrown her for a loop. It’s what had her scurrying out of the cereal aisle and almost leaving behind a week’s worth of groceries when she saw him again at the checkout.
It would have been so easy to say yes to dinner with him, but the fact that Willa could see a future with the man was what had her saying no, using the very lame “we just met” as her excuse. The last time she saw a future with someone, the relationship turned into something twisted, and she lost a lot of herself along the way. Willa liked to think she knew better now, but the truth was she just wasn’t sure she trusted herself yet. He didn’t seem like the type of guy to turn into a controlling monster, but Willa had thought the same thing about Jeff. It was better to stick with a surefire one-off for now. At least, that’s what she kept reminding herself as she pulled her older beater of a car into a parking space.
The parking lot was fairly empty, though that wasn’t surprising given the weather forecast. Dan assured her it was unlikely to rain until much later that night, but the gray clouds overhead weren’t giving Willa the same confidence. After giving herself a once over in the rearview mirror and deciding she looked as put together as she ever would, Willa stepped out to the main signpost, waving when she spotted Dan waiting for her. His long black hair was pulled back into a tight man bun, and he wore hiking gear from head to toe, resembling a model from a Patagonia catalog.
As Willa approached, she saw his expression go from one of excitement to confusion as he took in her own choice of apparel. “Willa?” he asked, still looking bewildered.
“That’s me,” she announced with a smile. It wasn’t quite genuine, but this was definitely a “fake it ‘til you make it” situation.
They shook hands. Willa felt nothing, not even a whiff of chemistry between them. Kemp’s touch had zapped her, waking her up from a long hibernation. He had lit up her nerves to the point where every sensation was magnified tenfold. Dan’s touch was the opposite, like slipping into a tub filled with tepid water, experiencing nothing but disappointment and slight irritation at the lack of heat.
Dan’s gray eyes moved up and down her body, but not with interest. Instead of leaving a trail of heat on her skin, like Beckett’s perusal of her body had, Dan’s left her feeling cold. He scrutinized Willa’s outfit and, from the slightly curled upper lip on his face, he found her wanting. His expression reminded her a little too much of Jeff. She already regretted going to this date.
“Is that what you’re wearing for the hike?” His tone was slightly patronizing, but he seemed to be an expert in the outdoor arena, so she gave him a pass this time.
Slightly irked by her date, Willa peered at her jean shorts, oversized chambray top, and sneakers, shrugging at what she had previously thought was a pretty good choice, given the activity. “Yeah. I mean, I’m from Florida, so hiking is more of a short walk down to the shoreline, but I think I’ll be good.” Her eyes tilted up at the sun that managed to just peek through the clouds. “Besides, you said it won’t rain until later, right?”
“I did,” he agreed, his voice skeptical. Dan’s expression shifted and he smiled politely as he gestured toward the trail. “Shall we?”
As they started what Dan assured her was an easy, one-mile hike, they made small talk about where they were from and what they did for a living. He seemed to be impressed that Willa worked for the mayor, even when she mentioned only having been there a week. He spoke fondly about his own job before they switched topics to their shared interests, of which they had very few.
“You really don’t ever want to go spelunking?” When Dan turned to Willa, he stared at her as if she’d grown a second head. Apparently, he couldn’t imagine someone not wanting to partake in the wonders of cave exploration while she couldn’t fathom why someone would.
“Yeah, I really never want to do that.” Why would she want to crawl through an underground cave in the pitch dark? If that was his thing, more power to him, but she didn’t need to explore that kind of unknown to get a thrill. Willa could watch someone else do it via The Discovery Channel from the safety of the couch with a bowl of popcorn on her lap if she ever got that curious about it.
“Huh,” he replied.
Despite her lack of enjoyment, the more they talked, the more Willa was convinced that Dan had been the perfect choice for trial date number one. They had nothing in common beyond living in the same small town, and not once did she feel even the slightest inkling that there could be anything more between them than this shared experience.
As they came upon a small clearing in the woods, Dan glanced at the large sports watch on his wrist before turning to look up the rest of the trail with a sigh. “Do you mind if I go ahead? I was hoping to hit a personal best today.”
Willa’s feet nearly slipped out from under her when his words registered. “You want to leave me here by myself?” This wasn’t just her first time on the trail, it was her first time on any trail. When she referred to a hike as being like a walk on the beach, she hadn’t meant it figuratively. When it came to actually being out in nature, Willa was about as much of a novice as one could get.
Beyond a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks, Dan didn’t look the slightest bit embarrassed about wanting to ditch her during their date. “Kind of,” he admitted with a shrug. “It’s a beginner trail that should be easy enough for you to follow. I doubt we’re the only ones out here.”
They were definitely the only ones out there. In the time they’d been hiking, Willa hadn’t seen another soul, probably because everyone else had the good sense to take one look at the dark clouds, fattened with rain and ready to burst, and stay home. Even so, Willa couldn’t fault him for wanting to get something out of a date that had been lackluster at best. She did feel the tiniest bit guilty that she’d agreed to it knowing it wouldn’t pan out.
“Fine,” Willa huffed. The trail was mostly marked. Even for a nature newbie such as herself, the odds of not getting lost were in her favor. “I’ll just follow along and will turn around when you reach me on your way back down.”
Showing the first signs of interest in what Willa was saying since they first shook hands an hour ago, Dan smiled and started hiking again. “Great. Just follow the trail and I’ll see you soon.”
Willa mentally flipped off his retreating form. “Great,” she muttered, stepping over a large rock. Smooth move, Willa. Not having a future with someone was one thing, but driving them to ditch her was another. She would need to either date someone she was remotely interested in or work on her acting skills. Sighing, she glanced around the deserted mountain and started up the trail.
If Willa had been wanting to prove to herself that she was a strong, independent woman, she supposed that hiking without a guide on an unknown trail was one way to do it. It would be good for her, trying something new. New experiences were how people grew as individuals, she reasoned with herself over and over again as she tripped and stumbled her way up a mountain she didn’t even know the name of. The longer Willa was on the trail, however, the quieter her mind got and the more she could hear Jeff hissing in her ear, You’re such a mess, Willa. Where would you be without me?
Angry that he still had any influence over her, even in the slightest of ways, Willa glared down and plucked up a heavy, moss covered rock before chucking it at a fallen log, feeling only marginally better when it cracked through the rotted wood and hit the hollow inside with a thunk . Her therapist told her it would take a while for his voice to stop popping into her head, and that Willa just had to drown him out with her own voice.
The trail continued to twist and turn, a seemingly endless loop through the trees. “Quick mile my ass.” Apparently Dan was as bad at measuring distance as he was at gauging the weather.
For almost the entire hike, her own voice was screaming at her to go home and watch a movie with her good friends Ben and Jerry, but she’d ignored it. Not wanting to disregard her wishes any longer, Willa decided to call it quits on the hike and go back to her car. She pulled out her phone to text Dan a goodbye, only to watch a fat drop of rain splash onto the screen. At the same time, the fact that she had no reception sunk in. She cursed Dan and his horrible weather prediction.
“Wonderful,” she grumbled as more rain poured from the sky. It was just heavy enough to obscure her view and add even more difficulty to the hike, but it also fueled her desire to get the hell out of there and back to her car.
As Willa descended the mountain as quickly as she could, water seeped through her shirt, causing her to shiver despite the time of year. Early June weather in Washington was beautiful, unless you were wearing the wrong clothes and were soaked with rain like she was. Water continued to saturate the ground Willa walked on, so much so that for a moment she was tempted to just slide down the rest of the way on her rear. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option when her foot caught between two rocks and she tumbled forward.
Luckily, Willa caught herself with her hands, but that was about the only good news she had. Her knees hit the ground with a loud smack and her ankle twisted painfully, so much so that she let out a distressed cry. The downpour drowned her out. When Willa pushed herself up, her hands squelching in the slick mud of the forest floor, she scanned the area and realized her surroundings were wholly unfamiliar. There were no trail markers nearby. Evergreen trees surrounded her. Dan was probably nowhere near her. All of those things should have sent Willa into a panic, but all she could do was laugh hysterically.
It was an odd reaction when her ankle throbbed with pain, her shoe tightened, and her foot swelled. Her clothes were nothing more than soggy rags covering her trembling body. If only Willa’s ex could see her now. He’d have a big fat “I told you so” ready for her, and she would probably deserve it. Eventually her laughter died out, leaving her tired and defeated.
With a heavy sigh, Willa extracted her ankle as gently as possible, wincing while she rolled over to examine it. If her one year of Girl Scout training was correct, it was definitely not broken, probably not even sprained, but when she attempted to put any weight on it, a sharp pain shot up her leg and to her lower back before she collapsed into the mud again. Thick sludge and bits of gravel covered her legs as Willa sat and stared out into the distance, wishing she’d forgotten all about dating and never come.
Grabbing her phone one last time and seeing that there were still no bars, Willa did her best to crawl over to a tree for some cover from the rain. The evergreen needles themselves were thin, but the abundance of them provided enough of a canopy that she was no longer in the middle of the deluge. The temperature wouldn’t get so low that she might suffer from hyperthermia if she was stuck out there for a long time, at least she didn’t think it would. Willa probably should have paid more attention during her scout years instead of focusing on when she would get her free box of Thin Mints.
At least Lottie knew where she was. Of course, she left the house to start her shift at Branch and Brew before Willa had. Lottie probably wouldn’t be back home until after ten. What if she came home and went straight to bed? Or worse, what if she assumed Willa was out hooking up with Dan and didn’t expect her back until morning? Then she would really be screwed.
Settling herself in for the long haul, Willa wrapped her arms around her chest, leaned her head back against the tree trunk, and tried to think warm thoughts. She immediately dismissed thinking about the hot sun and warm sand in Florida since she didn’t want a reappearance from ex-asshole number one, so instead Willa tried to think about a cozy fireplace she could lay in front of, the orange and blue flames dancing about as the heat penetrated her clammy skin.
Thinking about fire naturally had her thinking about Kemp. The name didn’t suit him, but everything else about the man suited her just fine. He was definitely not the type to ditch a woman halfway through a date to tick some checkbox on his personal athletic record. No, he seemed like the type to go out of his way to show a girl a good time. He would have taken her out on a nice date, his smile and laughter alone making an evening spent dressed in something other than her coziest pajamas worth it. Willa would bet money that he was a generous lover too.
The idea brought a sad smile to her face. Willa had been with a fair number of guys, but none of them had been anything to write home about in the bedroom department. Sex with men had been…fine, she guessed. With Jeff, it was somehow even worse than that because it was always about what he wanted. Why had she put up with his shit for so long? Willa didn’t even have the excuse of being dickmatized because their sex life had been less than mediocre.
It seemed like hours passed while she berated herself. After enough time had come and gone, Willa was finally so frustrated, so completely fed up with herself at not having ended that toxic relationship sooner, that she finally let some of her anger at Jeff and at herself spill out. Gazing up into the darkening sky, Willa screamed at the top of her lungs. The earsplitting sound shot from her mouth like a rocket and went on for a few seconds until she was all out of air, her chest heaving as she tried to fill her searing lungs. The cold air burned slightly as Willa sucked it in greedily, but it also felt very cathartic, with her sore limbs loosening ever so slightly.
Any release of tension or sense of calm she’d achieved through her dramatics vanished the moment she heard a twig snap. “Wow,” someone called, startling her. “That’s quite the set of lungs you have there.”
Willa’s head whipped in the direction of the low voice, her wet hair slapping her cheek as she blinked rapidly. Wiping rainwater away from her eyes, she peered over to see who was speaking to her. Had Willa hit her head when she fell? Is that why she was seeing the man who occupied her mind more often than not lately here with her? She must have a concussion. “Kemp?” She wasn’t sure if she was speaking to the man himself or a possible hallucination of him, but either way, she instantly felt much better about her situation.
The image of him turned out to be very real as he chuckled, stepping over branches and rocks as he approached her. A rain slicker covered most of his body and a bag was slung over one shoulder, but even wet and bedraggled, he was hotter than the fires he was trained to battle. He pushed his sandy brown hair out of his eyes as he crouched down next to her.
“About that,” he began, slipping the bag off his shoulder. “Kemp is my last name. Beckett is my first.”
Willa nodded dumbly, too dazzled by and elated at the sight of him to do more than that. “That suits you better.” It was unique and kind of manly, encapsulating his easy personality much better than his last name did.
Beckett smiled, the right side of his mouth hitching up slightly higher than the left, making him look impossibly sexier. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to pass that message along to my parents.” He opened the bag and pulled out what looked like a long sheet of aluminum foil before tapping the fire department logo on his coat with a long forefinger. Willa tried not to think too much about the strong hand that finger was attached to and what he could do with it, but it was difficult because she was still absolutely mystified.
“You know, Willa. I told you how you could find me, but I gotta say, this is extreme even for you, Wild Woman.”
Willa stared, blindly nodding again when his words finally struck her. “Wild Woman?” Willa squeaked. It wasn’t the worst nickname she’d ever been given, but she certainly didn’t understand how she had come to earn it. The last few years of her life had definitely been wild, but not in a way that would be any kind of brag.
Beckett’s smile widened. “Yeah. Wild Woman.” He winked. Wrapping the shiny silver sheet around her and smoothing the hair off Willa’s face, he continued to fuss over her as he gazed into her eyes. His were a beautiful hazel, the flecks of green and gold near the center capturing her attention and holding onto it tightly. “How about I tell you all about it on our way out of here?” Warmth spread though Willa’s body as she placed her hand in his and she nodded once more. Despite the horrible way the hike had started, it would end on a much better note now that Beckett was with her.