Chapter Twenty – Ensley #2
“Then, I have us booked for a hike in Johnston Canyon. It’s in the Banff National Park, and it’s one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been.
I really think you’ll love it. I went there a lot while I lived here.
I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt Grady’s presence every time I visited.
It’s strange since he was never there, but…
I still felt him. As I said, I can’t explain it. ”
Excited at the idea of spending time in a place that meant so much to Colt, I softly smiled and said, “Let me go change and we can head out. We can grab a quick breakfast to-go somewhere if we don’t have much time.”
“We’ve got plenty of time. Our hike isn’t until after lunch.”
“Even better!”
After Colt fussed about dressing warm with lots of layers, we finally headed out to a darling little café, where we had the most delicious breakfast. We stopped by an antique store and looked around for a bit before Colt said it was time to head out.
“This is so beautiful,” I said, as I took in the breathtaking view all around us as we neared the parking area for the trailhead.
He grinned. “We haven’t even gotten started yet. We’re going to start with the upper-falls hike. It’s about a mile and a half.”
As we made our way to the trail, I said, “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
“Right?” Colt said with a laugh.
The trail was a wooden plank trail with a railing on both sides of it. I had to admit, I was relieved, because the idea of slipping down the mountainside was not on my list of things to do today.
The canyon was stunning, with high rock walls leading to snow-covered pine trees that seemed to go on forever. A small river of water flowed alongside snow-covered banks, sounding so peaceful.
Once we reached the end of the wooden-paved trail, a large platform appeared. My mouth fell open and I gaped at the frozen waterfalls, with water still running behind them. The ice appeared to be blue in some spots.
“Colt, this is simply stunning.”
He smiled and took it in. Everywhere you looked was another frozen waterfall.
“The first time I saw this place,” he said, as he stared straight ahead at the largest waterfall, “I thought it would be the perfect place to ask you to marry me.”
My head snapped around to look at him. “What?”
He let out a soft, humorless laugh. “I had no idea if you were already married because I’d stupidly stopped asking my parents about you.
Still, I told myself I’d feel it…here.” Placing a gloved hand against his jacket, over his heart, he closed his eyes.
“I had no right to hope, or even dream, but something inside of me wouldn’t ever let you go, Ensley Wilde. ”
Colt opened his eyes and turned to face me.
My heart started to pound, and although he was right, it would be the perfect spot to propose to someone, it wasn’t the right time for us.
Instead, he said, “This feels like the right place for us to rediscover each other again. Not just this exact spot where we’re standing,” he clarified, “but this whole trip. Sometimes when I’m with you, it feels like the ten-year gap never happened.
But more often, I’m painfully reminded of my stupid decision to leave. ”
“Colt.”
He held up a hand. “I know, we said we were moving on from the past, and I want to. I just can’t help but wonder what life would be like now if I’d never left.”
I drew in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Do you know what I think?”
Colt shook his head.
“I think that life dealt us the cards it did because we needed them.”
His brows shot up.
“If you had stayed and asked me to marry you, I would’ve said yes, and we would have gotten married super young.
I might not have built up my business as much as I have, and you wouldn’t have experienced so much and built the life you did over the last ten years.
I’m not blind; I can see you’re not struggling for money, Colt.
The private jet? The beautiful hotel? Getting your parents out of debt.
” I shrugged. “The last ten years have also brought pain, I won’t lie about that. Confusion and a lot of anger.”
Colt looked down and kicked at the snow.
I reached out and took his gloved hand in mine. “But I’m the type of person who believes that everything happens in life for a reason. We were put on a journey that separated us, but destiny brought us back together. She answered questions we both had, and put some of that pain and guilt to rest.”
“And if you’re pregnant?”
Smiling, I replied, “Then we deal with that if it happens. I don’t think it means we have to run off and get married.”
“I do want to marry you, Pip.”
“And I want to marry you. I want to build a future with you. I want us to be a team.”
He drew me forward and kissed me. When he pulled back, his eyes were filled with light once more, and he wore a warm smile. “I like the sound of that.”
I motioned back to the trail. “Let’s go to the lower section, I want to see the waterfalls up close.”
“Sounds like a plan.”