Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Epilogue

Afterword

The Reunion:

Ashley's Mountain Retreat

By: Angelina Rose

Connect With Angelina!

http://AngelinaRoseRomance.com/

Chapter 1

As Ashley Tate walked out onto the sidewalk to catch her cab, she thought about the promise that she’d just made with her best friends from nursing school, Claire, Emma and Shelby. The reunion had been a smashing success, and getting to catch up with the women was amazing.

Always the extrovert, Ashley had enjoyed being the life of the party yet again. When she came up with the idea to challenge her friends to finding the men of their dreams within the next two years, she didn’t really think too much about the implications for herself. How in the world was she going to hold up her end of the bargain?

Her friends didn’t know her as well as they thought. After all, she kept a tough outer shell that made people think she was always having fun. In reality, her heart was crushed over the demise of her eight year marriage to Dave Jennings. The worst part was that she wasn’t even allowed to grieve in private. Dave was a well known corporate law attorney in Houston, Texas. When it was uncovered that he was married to Ashley and his wife of fifteen years at the same time, it was splashed all over the news for weeks.

His wife lived in San Antonio, and he stayed most of the week in Houston at his apartment. Ashley had no idea that his constant business trips were actually trips back home to sleep with his other wife. Not only that, but he had three children with his wife. He and Ashley were experiencing infertility, and she often blamed herself for not being able to give him children.

Her whole world had been turned upside down. People looked at her as “the other woman” when she was married to him too. Her beauty and outgoing personality only seemed to make things worse. Now, she was saddled with finding her true love within two years, yet she didn’t know if she could ever trust a man again. What had she done? Why did she concoct this crazy plan?

Maybe she should just email her friends and back out. They would surely understand. But, being the dare devil of the group had always been Ashley’s claim to fame. She wanted to hold on to that part of herself. She had lost so much already, and losing her reputation as the life of the party didn’t seem like a good idea.

As the cab stopped to pick her up, Ashley looked back at the hotel where the reunion had been held. She knew that her friends would be expecting a great story from her in two years, and she was planning to give it to them.

***

The alarm clock went off way too early. Ashley had been staying out too late for weeks now. She had been to every party and night club in the Houston area, but had not found any suitable candidates for a soul mate. Maybe she was looking too hard? Maybe this whole plan was pure insanity?

As a labor and delivery nurse, Ashley loved her job. Having infertility issues while delivering babies was a tough job, however. She could hear her own biological clock ticking like a time bomb in her head. At forty years old, she was blessed with a young, healthy body but she didn’t want to be an “old” mother either.

Ashley rolled out of bed, hair a mess, and shuffled her way to the coffee pot. She seemed to be running on empty with only wine and caffeine to keep her going for weeks. She wondered if her friends were so stressed out about finding the right man like she was. She was certain that Emma was calm, cool and collected about it, but Emma was also a man magnet with her beautiful blond hair and blue eyes.

The phone rang, and she ran across her small Houston apartment to find it. “Hello?” she said breathlessly as she finally located her phone in her purse.

“Hey, girl!” said a perky woman on the other end of the phone. It was Candice Fremont, her best pal from the L&D floor at the hospital. Candice was one of the nurses that she worked with on a regular basis.

“Hey! What’s up? You don’t need me to take your shift, do you?” Ashley said with a groan. Candice was prone to switching shifts around with everyone.

“No… Actually, I have a lead for you…”

“A lead? For what? A man?”

“No, goofy. Get your head out of the gutter. Remember when you told me that you wanted to buy a vacation cabin in the Georgia mountains?”

“Oh, yeah…” Ashley stammered wishing that she could take back her man comment.

“Well, my cousin just put his cabin up for sale because he’s being transferred to Colorado. Are you interested?”

“Sure. I can’t afford a lot, but I was planning to use my inheritance from my grandmother to buy something for cash. Have you seen the place?” Ashley asked as she stirred her coffee and sat down at the tiled breakfast table in her kitchen.

“Yes. We spent Thanksgiving there a couple of years ago. It’s a log cabin and has three bedrooms, a wrap around front porch and a beautiful mountain view. I can email you some pictures and his Realtor’s contact info, if you want,” Candice said.

“Yes, please email me. This is exciting!” Ashley said with renewed enthusiasm. Maybe a cabin in the woods would give her time to think and create her “man plan”.

About thirty minutes later, Ashley was looking at the pictures online. The place was perfect, but she had to see it in person before making a decision. She picked up her cell phone and dialed the number for the Realtor, Parker Crenshaw.

“Hello. Parker Crenshaw,” the voice said on the other end of the phone. He had a deep Southern drawl that made her toes curl a little. Ashley was a sucker for a Southern accent. Although she had attended college in Georgia, she was originally from Maine. Hearing a man with an authentic Southern accent was really attractive to her.

“Um… Hi. My name is Ashley. I wanted to get some information on the mountain cottage you just listed on Weaver Road…” she stammered.

“Great. What can I tell you about it?” he asked.

“Well, I would actually like to fly in and see it, if that’s okay. The seller is the cousin of a good friend of mine.”

“Fantastic. When will you be coming in?” he asked.

“I am going to book a flight for this weekend arriving on Friday. According to the Internet, I can get a flight that will arrive around two o’clock Friday afternoon. Could we meet at the cabin around five? It will take me that long to get a rental car and drive from the airport…” Ashley said as she multi-tasked by looking at the Internet reservation site.

“Sounds good to me. I will meet you at the cabin on Friday then,” he said.

As they hung up, Ashley sat back in her chair. Looking around her small apartment, she knew that owning a little getaway would be a good idea for her. She had some sick time and vacation days all saved up, so she might just take an extended vacation to the mountains while she came up with her plan to find the perfect man.

Chapter 2

As Ashley drove her rental car up the steep mountain road, she wondered what she had got herself into. The tiny town of  Mountainview was beautiful and idyllic in many respects, but the terrain was a bit tough on her timid rental car. Still, it barreled up the mountainside to the gravel driveway of the log cabin.

When she saw it, she knew it was her picture perfect getaway home. Surrounded by huge pine and oak trees, the log cabin featured a wrap around porch with rocking chairs, dormer windows and a tin roof. She remembered sleeping over at her grandmother’s cabin in Maine when she was a child and hearing the raindrops ping off of the tin roof. It was so relaxing and peaceful.

Ashley could see a large black pickup truck sitting to the side of the house. When she got out of her car, she saw him jump down out of the tall vehicle. He wasn’t what she expected when she thought of a real estate agent. Instead of a boring suit and tie, he had on a pair of brown cowboy boots, rugged form-fitting jeans and a white button up dress shirt that was rolled up on his forearms.

“You must be Ashley…” he yelled from across the yard as he waved and smiled. His teeth were white and perfectly straight. They accented his sun-kissed tan and dark brown hair. She wondered to herself how he could look like he just stepped off the beach when it was the middle of Fall.

“I am. And you must be Parker,” she said reaching out to shake his hand. “Nice truck…”

“Oh, thanks. It gets me around up here. Some of these hills can be kind of tough. I’m surprised your little rental car made it up the mountain,” he said smiling as he pointed at her sad little car.

“Me too. It was a little dicey…” Ashley couldn’t help but feel a little strange being out in the middle of the woods with this overly handsome, rugged cowboy-inspired real estate agent. For a moment, she wondered if her friend was going to great lengths to set her up on a date, but she quickly dismissed that idea.

“So, are you ready to see the place?” he asked with a smile that made her knees feel a little weak.

“Absolutely. I’ve been looking forward to it all week,” she said smiling back.

They walked up the stairs onto the wide front porch. Ashley caught a chill as the wind swept across the porch. October in the north Georgia mountains was a lot colder than in Texas. Ashley shivered as she looked around the porch.

“Are you cold?” he asked looking concerned.

“A bit. It’s colder up on this mountain than it is in Texas…” she said with a smile as she tried to keep her teeth from chattering.

“Hang on…” he said as he jogged over to his truck. As he came back, she could see a denim jacket in his hands. “Here. I always keep this in my truck just in case the weather changes.”

She took the jacket and slipped it on. It was so large that it engulfed her body. “Thanks. Much better.”

“It’s a might big, ain’t it?” he said with a laugh.

“Just a little. But, I am much warmer now. Thanks…” she said looking down with a shyness that she wasn’t used to feeling.

He unlocked the door to the cabin and they stepped inside. Ashley loved the floorplan with its high ceilings and authentic log woodwork. The kitchen was open to the family room and had a breakfast bar with granite countertops.

“Wow. This place is really nice,” she said as she walked around and touched her fingers to the log walls.

“Yeah, it is. Lots of cabins up here are kind of beaten up, but the owner took real good care of this one. He renovated it not long ago,” he said as he placed the keys and some paperwork on the breakfast bar.

“Can we go upstairs?” Ashley asked thinking naughty thoughts in her mind.

“Of course,” he said. She could tell he was all about business right now. She walked up the stairs with him following behind her. There were three bedrooms, each furnished with log furniture. There was also a bathroom between two of the bedrooms. It had a stand-up shower and garden tub.

Ashley walked out onto the deck that was off the master bedroom. The view was stunning as they looked out across the mountains which were glittering in shades of orange and yellow as the sun started to set.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful,” she whispered in awe of the peaceful scene in front of her.

“I have…” he muttered under his breath as he looked at her.

“You have?” she asked smiling as she realized the compliment.

“We don’t get many women that are as pretty as you up here, if you don’t mind me saying so…” he said with a smirk.

“Well, thank you. That’s quite a compliment.” Ashley wasn’t sure what to say or do. In other circumstances, she might have run back to her car for fear of a stalker attacking her. In this case, she knew he was harmless and just being a Southern gentleman.

“I hope you don’t think I am some kind of weirdo,” he said shaking his head as if he regretted saying that. “I don’t know why I said that. It makes me sound like I just got out of prison and haven’t seen a woman in a while,” he said with a laugh.

“No problem. I’m not too worried about you,” Ashley said with a wink. “So, how soon can I close on this?”

Her comment shocked Parker who wasn’t used to women making decisions so quickly and independently.

“Well, that all depends on your financing…”

“I’m paying cash, actually.”

Again, Parker was surprised since most people needed to get financing first.

“Great. We could probably get you closed in a couple of weeks or even less. Do you want to see anything else first?” he asked.

“I would like to see a restaurant, actually,” she said with a chuckle. “In all of the effort to catch my flight and get the rental car, I just realized that I forgot to eat lunch today… and now it is dinner time.”

“I’d be glad to have dinner with you in town, if you want,” he said smiling as he looked down at his boots.

“Okay. That sounds like a good plan to me. I have to warn you, though. I am starving, so don’t put your hands near my plate,” she said laughing.

“Thanks for the warning,” he said with a wink as they walked out onto the front porch. “Let’s take my truck so we can talk about the house.”

Ashley agreed that leaving her small rental car at the house was the best idea. Her friend’s cousin had agreed to let her stay there over the weekend to see how she liked the place, so she took her bags inside as Parker locked the place up.

Chapter 3

“This little town is amazing!” Ashley said of Mountainview. Looking around, it seemed like she had landed back in time in a place where people still borrowed a cup of sugar from their neighbor.

“Yes, it’s definitely a great place to live. I’ve been here my whole life. See that little yellow house there? That’s where I grew up,” he said pointing to a quaint cottage sitting just off the town square.

“Wow. That is adorable,” she cooed. Ashley had never been to a place that felt more like home. It was odd as she had never been there before, yet she felt like she had.

“How do you feel about a hamburger?” he asked. “There’s a great diner over there.”

“That sounds so good right now,” Ashley said.

They pulled into the parking space in front of the diner. She looked around at all of the businesses in the square which included a barber shop, dry cleaners and authentic drug store with soda fountain. She expected Andy Griffith and Barney Fife to walk past her at any moment.

“After you…” he said opening the door to the diner. It was decorated like the 1950s complete with red vinyl upholstery, a jukebox and lots of chrome finishes. “Jailhouse Rock” was playing on the jukebox as a waitress led them to a table in the corner.

“Howdy, Parker,” the blond waitress said with a smile. “How’s your momma?”

Parker looked uncomfortable. “She’s doing fine, Emmy.”

As the waitress walked away, Ashley’s curiosity got the best of her. “Is your mom sick?”

“Sort of. She has early onset dementia. She lives in a personal care home a few miles from here.” The pain in Parker’s eyes was palpable.

“You were close to her, huh?” she asked not looking up from her menu.

“Very close. She started our real estate company here about thirty years ago. I took it over last year when her dementia got too bad.”

“That’s a lot on your shoulders… at your age, I mean,” she said.

“At my age? How old do you think I am anyway?” he asked with a smirk.

“Oh, I don’t like the guess ages,” Ashley said with a grin as she shook her head.

“Come on. I don’t mind. Take a wild guess.” His dare was something that Ashley couldn’t turn down.

“Well, I would say you are around thirty three years old.”

Parker let out a loud belly laugh. Emmy came back to the table and smiled at him laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“She thinks I am thirty three years old. Can you believe that?” he asked Emmy. She giggled to herself and looked at Ashley.

“Honey, he looks good for his age. All the ladies think so,” she said as she put the silverware on the table and walked back to the counter.

“Well? How old are you then?” Ashley asked raising her eyebrows.

“I am actually forty five years old, Miss Ashley,” he said leaning back in his seat.

“No way. That is not possible. What do you have up here? Some kind of magic mountain water?” she asked. City guys never looked as good, she thought to herself.

“Maybe so. I suppose it’s the mountain air or the slower pace of life.”

“I guess so.” Her palms started to sweat a little which was unusual for her. She never got nervous around men, but this one was different for her.

“What’ll you guys have?” Emmy asked reappearing at the table. Parker ordered a hamburger and fries while Emmy opted for a Patty Melt with chips.

“So, what’s your story?” Parker asked as Emmy left the table. Ashley’s breath hitched in her throat. This was getting more personal than she ever intended.

“My story?”

“Yep. What brings you up here to Mountainview? I mean, we are off the beaten path, as you know,” he said.

“I… um… I just wanted a place to get away and think when I needed to. And I love these mountains. I went to nursing school in Atlanta, and I would sometimes take day trips up to this area,” she said trying to remain as objective as possible.

“A nurse, huh? What kind of work do you do?”

“I am a labor and delivery nurse. So, I basically help bring babies into the world every day,” she said with a slight smile.

“That must be cool. I’ve never seen a baby born before, but I’ve heard it is an amazing event,” he said as he took a sip of his Coke.

“Yes. Amazing.” Ashley’s stomach churned as she thought of her own empty womb. She had wanted a baby since she was a teenager, and somehow she had never been blessed to have her own. Adoption often crossed her mind, but she just wasn’t sure it would fill the void of never having her own biological baby. At forty years old, time was certainly running out, if it hadn’t already.

“Are you okay?” he asked with a genuine look of concern on his face. “You stopped talking for a few minutes…”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I was just thinking. Anyway, let’s talk about the house,” she said changing the subject.

“Sure. Of course.” Parker went with the change of subject as he pulled out the paperwork so that she could make an offer.

***

The ride back to the cabin was quiet. They stopped off at the market so that Ashley could get a few things for dinner and breakfast while she stayed at the cabin. As they approached the road up to the house, Parker suddenly pulled over.

“Is something wrong?” Ashley asked looking behind them to see if a police officer had pulled them over.

“I don’t know. Is it?” he asked looking over at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Ashley, I know that we are really strangers, but you seem like a nice woman. You were awfully sad about something back there, and I am a great listener. I just hate to see a woman so blue about something,” he said softly. At another time, she might have thought this was a come-on, but he seemed sincere.

“I appreciate that, but it isn’t a big deal. And it certainly isn’t your problem,” she said biting her lower lip.

“I don’t feel right leaving you at the cabin alone and sad,” he said with a smile.

“Parker, I am sure you have plenty on your plate to keep you busy. You must need to get back home…”

“Nope. I live alone and run my own business. I can do what I want. And right now, I want you to tell me what’s wrong.”

Realizing that he wasn’t going to let up, she decided that she might as well spill her guts. At least he would stop asking, and it might just run him off completely. But, then she could get back to the cabin.

“Alright, but remember you asked for it,” she said shaking her head. “I was sad talking about babies because I’ve never been able to get pregnant. At forty years old, my time is definitely running out. Secondly, I was married for eight years to a man who turned out to be living a double life. He was married to someone else in another city and had several kids. As you can imagine, that didn’t make me feel so good. Talking about delivering babies just put me back in a space I am trying to forget for a few days. That’s all. Okay?”

Parker just stared at her for a moment. There was no look of disgust or even pity. There was a softness about him that tugged at her heart and made butterflies do a dance in her stomach.

“Thanks for telling me that.”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” Ashley asked incredulously.

“What do you want me to say?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said. She felt kind of irritated that she had bared her soul to this stranger, and now he seemed uninterested.

“Ashley, I need to know right now whether you want me to be a man or an objective real estate agent.”

“What?”

“Which role can I play right now? Should I tell you what I want to say as a man or continue acting like a real estate agent?”

She thought for a moment, and the anticipation of what his “man” side would say was killing her.

“Speak like a man, please.”

“Okay. I think whoever the jerk was that lied to you all of those years should be taken out behind the wood shed so he can get the crap beat out of him. Secondly, you are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in person, and any man should be honored to share his life with you.”

Her heart sped up as she looked at this man who had seemingly been dropped in her life by God himself. Was he a mirage? Was he some kind of dating angel? It was everything she could do to not jump into his lap and bite his full bottom lip. Instead, she just said “Thank you.” What a crock. Thank you? That’s all you can say?

“You’re welcome,” he said with a slight smirk as he re-started the truck and made his way up the steep incline to the cabin.

Chapter 4

As Parker pulled up the driveway in the dark, Ashley was amazed at how easily he did it. She wondered if she could ever venture out at night once she owned the place. It was hard to imagine being able to maneuver her large SUV back home up the steep incline, but she decided that she would figure it out one way or another.

“Thanks for dinner. It was great,” she said looking over at him as she reached for the door handle. “Let me know what the seller says about my offer. You have my cell number, right?”

“I surely do. Listen, I never do stuff like this, but would you be interested in going out tomorrow?”

“Like on a date?” she asked trying not to look too excited.

“Yes, ma’m… like a date,” he responded with a grin. “I was thinking you might like to see the sights around here in the day time. I could pack us a picnic lunch, and we can do a little hiking.”

“Hiking? I really didn’t bring proper clothes for hiking,” she said.

“Well, I don’t mean we have to climb rocks or anything. You got a pair of boots, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do have boots.”

“Wear ‘em,” he said with a wink. “And bring a jacket just in case. The mountains can be a bit crisp this time of year.”

“Okay then, yes sir,” she said saluting him.

“Very funny. Here’s the keys to the place. I will be here to pick you up around ten,” he said handing her the keys to the door. When their hands touched, she swore she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her.

“Good night,” she said softly.

“Good night, Miss Ashley,” he whispered back as he held her gaze for a moment.

Parker watched her as she unlocked the door and waved from inside the window before he pulled off. Ashley sat down on the sofa and sighed.

***

Morning couldn’t come soon enough. Ashley had tossed and turned in the uncomfortable bed all night as she waited for the sun to rise. Thoughts of the handsome and dashing Parker Crenshaw were dancing in her head, and she had a hard time fighting back the excitement over their date.

The other, more logical part of Ashley told her that he was off limits. After all, he lived several states away and long distance relationships were on her list of “don’ts”.

Putting on a pot of coffee, she looked at the clock. It was only eight o’clock, and she was already dressed and sitting by the door. How desperate was that? As Ashley sat down on the sofa, she heard a text message on her phone.

How’d you sleep?

It was Parker! She couldn’t believe how butterflies started dancing around in her stomach at the mere thought of him.

Not very well. The bed is like sleeping on tree limbs!

As she typed, she stretched her neck and back.

Maybe that cup of coffee will help wake you up…

She smiled for a moment before she realized that she hadn’t told him she was drinking coffee. She put down her phone and ran to the front window only to see him sitting in a rocking chair on the porch with a smile.

“Parker! What are you doing here so early?” she asked with a smile.

“I guess I was a little excited about our date,” he said slowly standing up. “I’m not a stalker, I swear.” He held up his hands as if he was trying to stop traffic.

“I’ve gotta say, I am not sure that would hold up in court,” Ashley said with a smirk.

“Wanna get some breakfast?” he responded ignoring her comment.

“Sure. That sounds good. Let me get my coat and purse,” she said walking back inside. Ashley’s insides were a mish-mash of emotions - excitement, anxiety, trepidation. How could they all fill one space?

As they drove into town, they talked about her life back home in Texas, her job, her family. She felt more comfortable with him than she expected after having known him for a couple of days. Conversation flowed easily and freely. It struck her that communication with Dave was never so easy. As an attorney, he could pick apart anything she said so winning an argument with him was near impossible.

They pulled up to a small restaurant called “Celia’s” and Parker walked around to open the door for her. She slid out of the truck, thankful that she had worn jeans, boots and a baby blue sweater in the cold, mountain air.

The restaurant was small and very country. Celia, a big barrel of a woman, gave Parker a warm hug as they walked through the door.

“Hey, honey!” she yelped as she kissed him on the cheek. Ashley couldn’t help but be a little jealous of her at that moment.

“Hey, Aunt Celia…” Parker said trying to get his breath as she hugged him.

“Your aunt?” Ashley whispered.

“Ashley, this is my aunt Celia… the friendliest lady in town,” he said with a smile.

“Hi there, Ashley. And how do you know my favorite nephew?” she asked with a grin.

“He’s selling me a house,” Ashley said.

“Oh, I see…” she said in an almost disappointed tone.

“Aunt Celia, don’t…” he warned as he held up a finger.

“Fine… There’s a table right over there. Make yourselves at home,” she said pointing to a table in the corner.

As Ashley sat down, she looked at Parker’s uncomfortable face. “What was that about?”

Parker smiled and his face turned a shade of red. “Well, my Aunt Celia is a matchmaker at heart. She thinks every woman I bring in here should be my date…”

“Every woman? You bring a lot of women here?” Ashley said as she looked around smiling. “Not exactly a babe magnet, Parker.”

“No, I bring clients here for breakfast meetings a lot. She wants to fix me up with everybody,” he said.

“Why does she want to find you a date so badly?”

“Because I haven’t dated in several years since…” Parker stopped himself.

“Since?” Ashley’s curiosity was peaked now, and she wasn’t going to let go.

“It’s something I don’t really like to talk about…” he said looking down.

“Oh. Sorry…”

“It’s okay. You opened up to me yesterday, so I guess I should return the favor. I’m a widower, Ashley. My wife died five years ago, and I have not been on a date since then.”

The revelation shocked her. She’d never expected that he was a widower. She figured he was just a lifelong bachelor.

“I’m so sorry, Parker,” she said, instinctively reaching out and placing her hand on his. As a nurse, she’d had to comfort many people over the years.

He looked up at her and stared into her eyes for a moment. “Thanks…”

Ashley realized that she still had her hand on his. Removing it, she picked up a menu to divert her attention. One of the waitresses took their order.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” he said.

“Why did you ask me on a date if you don’t go out on dates?”

“Because I couldn’t help it,” he said with a smirk.

“What do you mean?”

“There was just something about you… Losing someone you love teaches you that you can’t take things for granted. If you feel something, you need to act on it.”

“And you feel something?”

“Well, I did show up at your house two hours early, didn’t I?” he said with a wink.

“Yes, you did…” Ashley said.

As they ate breakfast, Ashley kept thinking about the “feel something” remark. What did he feel for her after only two days? Was that even possible?

When breakfast was over, they drove up deep into the mountains. He parked the truck near a pathway and got out.

“Where are we going?” Ashley asked, all too aware that she was willingly trekking into the woods with a stranger.

“There is a waterfall and small pond up there. It’s a bit out of the way, but it is the perfect spot for a picnic later. Is that okay?” he asked.

“Sure.”

Parker got the picnic basket and his backpack, and they began to head up the trail.

“So, have you ever thought of moving to Georgia?” he asked out of the blue.

“No. I’ve never really thought about it. I mean, I lived here during college, but then I ended up in Texas. I have great friends there, but nothing is out of the question, I suppose.” Ashley surprised herself.

“We have a great hospital just outside of town. I bet they need labor and delivery nurses there,” he said with a smile as he cocked his head at her.

“Are you trying to sell me a house or sell me on moving here?” she asked.

“Maybe a little of both.”

“You don’t really know me that well, Parker. I’m not as wonderful as I might seem,” she said flipping her hair sarcastically.

“Oh really? You seem pretty cool to me.”

They continued to walk as Ashley talked about college and life back in Texas. Parker spoke about living in Mountainview all of his life.

“Do you ever think about leaving here?” Ashley asked.

“No, not really. It’s a great place to live. And raise a family…”

Ashley’s heart sped up again. Family. There was that word again. Why did she feel so emotional about having a baby lately? Back in Texas, things like this did not bother her, but this stranger was making her feel all sorts of things that she had managed to keep buried for years.

“You want a family?” she asked quietly.

“I do. I would like to have the whole thing. A house, a white picket fence, kids running around… What about you?”

“Well, I don’t think that’s going to happen for me, Parker,” she said trying to gently remind him about her infertility issues.

“Don’t say that, Ashley. You know better than I do how many medical interventions they have these days. Plus, there’s always adoption. I don’t mean to pry into your life, but to me it’s an easy decision. If you want to be a mother, it doesn’t matter if the child shares your DNA…”

Ashley had never really considered adoption seriously, but she knew he was right. What was she waiting for? Prince Charming? She could be a mother any time she wanted if she adopted. Being pregnant was something she wanted for herself, but she wanted to be a mother more than she wanted to be pregnant.

“You’re right… I’ve never thought of it like that.”

“I just know that you can’t live in that kind of grief forever. Before you know it, years have passed and you are no further along,” he said sitting down on a big rock beside the path for a break. Ashley said down next to him.

“Can I ask you what happened to your wife? I understand if you don’t want to talk to me about it,” she said.

“You’re easy to talk to, Ashley. I don’t mind,” he said softly as he looked at her. “My wife’s name was Franki. We were married for four years. She had a congenital heart condition that we didn’t know about until she was pregnant. At five months into her pregnancy, her heart went into a fatal arrythmia…” he said choking back emotion. “I lost them both at the same time.”

Instinctively, Ashley put her hand on his knee. “I am so sorry, Parker. I cannot even imagine…” she said with tears in her eyes. “And here I was complaining about infertility…”

“Ashley, we all have things that we grieve. Yours is no less important than mine,” he said softly. Their faces were so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips.

“Do you know what the baby was?”

“It was a boy. We were going to name him Dylan,” he said with a smile. “We had a service for Franki and Dylan. They were buried together,” he said.

Ashley sat there for a moment, not knowing what to say. How had she grown so close to this man so quickly? She remembered back when she was dating Dave, and they had to do what she called “the dance”. He had to call her, she played coy and tried to make him jealous, he’d back off, she’d go forward. It had taken weeks to get together with Dave. Now, she was fighting the urge to propose marriage to Parker. The thought made her giggle at a very inappropriate time.

“Are you laughing?” Parker asked.

“Oh, my God, Parker. I am so sorry. I wasn’t laughing at what you said…” she said as she waved her hands in the air.

“Well, something sure was funny,” he replied with a smirk. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

Summoning the courage, she told him about her dating life with Dave. “I giggled at the thought of being more connected with you right now than I was with my husband during our whole marriage. Ironic, right?”

Parker studied her face for a moment before he leaned in a softly kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks for letting me talk.”

Ashley’s hands shook as adrenaline filled her body. “Thanks for trusting me enough to tell me,” she said as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. It took all of the courage she could muster, but it was so worth it. His warm, stubbly skin sent shivers down her spine.

As she pulled back, he looked at her in the eyes. “Ashley, I want you to know that I have never done this before…” he whispered.

“Done what?” she whispered back as the tips of their noses touched.

“Kissed a client,” he said as he put his hand on the base of her head and pulled her closer. His lips covered hers with a gentle passion that she had never felt before. Her arms went limp as he pressed into her like he had been longing for this closeness for years… and he had.

Chapter 5

Much to Ashley’s dismay, his cell phone started to ring and interrupted their moment. He pulled back and looked down. “It’s the seller. I need to take this,” he said looking flustered.

Ashley could only hear one end of the conversation, but it sounded like good news on her offer. When he hung up, he smiled at her. “You got the house!”

“I did? I am so excited!” Ashley said jumping up off the rock. As she did, she lost her footing on a small rock beside the big one and started to fall. Parker grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him which sent her careening into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she grabbed onto his neck and ran her fingers through his thick hair. Laughing, they continued their kissing session where they left off.

“Ashley…” he moaned as he pushed her back.

“What? I’m sorry…” she stammered.

“No. It’s not you. I just haven’t done this in a while, and if we don’t stop, I may not be able to get us off this mountain…” he said with a laugh. Ashley smiled at the thought of him desiring her so much.

As they continued up the pathway, they talked more about their lives. Parker told her that he played guitar, enjoyed carpentry and loved to garden. She told him about her failed piano lessons as a kid, her friends from nursing school and her love of pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. The conversation flowed easily and freely.

“Here we are,” Parker said about thirty minutes later as they reached another pathway leading to the right.

They walked down the path, and Ashley could hear raging water. When they reached the end, they entered a small cave. She was stunned to see the most beautiful waterfall cascading down from a rock cliff above. It fell into a beautiful aqua blue pool of water that was surrounded by large, smooth rocks. “We can sit on the rocks and have our picnic.”

“My goodness, this place is breathtaking,” Ashley said putting her hand on her chest while her mouth gaped open.

“Even more so with you standing beside it,” he said with a shy smile.

“You’re too sweet,” Ashley said smiling back.

“I found this place after my wife died. I would often take long hikes to clear my mind. One day, after a heavy rain, I could hear this in the distance. I kept hiking until I found it. It’s a place I try to come to often… to clear my head,” Parker said.

Ashley slowly walked over to one of the big rocks and looked up. The waterfall raged like a savage beast, yet it fell into the most peaceful body of water. The dichotomy really made her think.

“It’s amazing to see such a raging rapid turn into a pool of peace at the bottom, isn’t it?” she said looking up. “I mean, out of angst can come pure serenity like that…”

Parker eyed her for a moment. “You are one complex woman, Ashley Tate,” he said.

“Complex? You think so? My reputation back home is more of a party girl who doesn’t think too much and doesn’t have all those girly emotions,” she said climbing onto one of the big rocks.

“Really? I don’t see that at all. The question is who do you want to be?” he asked sitting down facing her.

“I’ve never really thought about that,” Ashley said. “People have always thought I was the life of the party, and I guess I just played into that. It was easier than trying to prove them wrong.”

“Well, if it means anything, I think you are a fantastic woman just the way you are.” When he spoke to her, she felt sincerity in every word. Parker Crenshaw didn’t seem to need to put up appearances or stroke her ego.

“Thank you… and it does mean a lot coming from you.”

They sat together quietly for a few moments, staring up at the massive waterfall.

“Does it have a name?” Ashley asked, breaking their silence.

“Not that I know of,” he said.

“How about we call it Franki Falls?” she suggested with a smile. As soon as she did, he reached across and pulled her in front of him so that they were eye to eye.

“That is just about the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

They spent the next hour eating the lunch that Parker had brought for them which included turkey wraps, chips and strawberries. Watching Parker eat strawberries did things to Ashley that she wasn’t expecting.

“Well, I guess we’d better start heading back down…” Parker said as they finished up lunch.

“I guess so. In fact, I need to pack up my things. I have to catch a flight tomorrow morning.”

The mention of Ashley leaving was enough to cause a lull in the conversation. She wondered what she should do now. She had found this amazing man, and now she had to go home. At least she could visit him occasionally when she visited her cabin. The thought of him meeting another woman who actually lived in the state tore her apart inside, and she was afraid to admit it to herself.

As they walked down the mountain, they were quiet. She could tell that Parker was deep in thought about something, but she wasn’t sure what.

“Are you looking forward to getting back home?” he finally asked.

“I suppose. It will be nice to see my dog, Layla. She’s a chocolate lab. My neighbor has been feeding her for me while I’m gone,” Ashley said.

“I love dogs. I have a boxer named Boxer. Original, huh?” His laugh lit her up inside.

“We grew up with boxers. They are great dogs,” she said. Without warning, he reached down and took her hand. She didn’t pull away as they walked the rest of the way down the path and to his truck.

“I’d like to take you one more place while you’re here, if you don’t mind,” Parker said.

“You know I will be back at some point soon, right?” she asked laughing.

“I know, but I am enjoying this day and would like to extend it. Do you mind?” he asked looking at her across the seat of the truck.

“I don’t mind at all.”

They drove up a couple of side streets and then up a steep incline. When he made a sharp turn to avoid a squirrel, Ashley went hurtling to the left and right up against him.

“See why wearing a seat belt is important?” he asked with a wink. She nodded and strapped in using the middle seat belt instead of her own. Pushed up against his firm thigh, she felt her own thighs heating up.

When they came to rest at the top of the hill, she was looking at a gorgeous chalet style home with huge picture windows and a porch that wrapped around the whole house. A boxer came running to greet the truck.

“Boxer! Hey boy!” Parker said rubbing the dog’s head as it jumped for joy at his arrival. That’s when Ashley realized that he’d brought her to his house.

“So this is home, huh?” Ashley asked as he opened her door and she jumped down.

“This is home. I bought this place about two years ago.”

They walked toward the house and then around the big front porch to the back. The view was stunning. She could see a large lake off in the distance and mountains surrounding her. As Parker keyed the door, her eyes were drawn to his furnishings. She wanted to see how this man lived.

Glossy hardwood floors welcomed her inside. Everything was done in an elegant rustic style from the plush leather furniture to the antler designed chandelier in the formal dining room. Black granite countertops with flecks of copper color were in the kitchen along with a stainless steel refrigerator and chef’s oven.

“What do you think?” Parker asked with a sly smile.

“This place is gorgeous!” she said putting her hand over her mouth. “You’ve done well for yourself…” she said continuing to look around. “My cabin must feel like a shoebox to you.”

“Not really. It can get very lonely here. This place is a might too big for me.”

“Why did you buy it then?” she asked.

“You will think I am a nut…”

“No, I won’t.”

“I got a sign,” he said quirking his lip up.

“A sign?” she asked cocking her head in confusion.

“Well, three years ago, my buddy, Landon, and I were down in Atlanta. His Dad was sick, and I went with him to the hospital down there. Anyway, we were sightseeing in Atlanta. This woman, a psychic, came up to us on the street. She said she had some vision for me. I laughed it off until she started saying things about my life that only I would know,” he said.

“Really? Wow…” Ashley sat down on a stool.

“Anyway, she said that Franki was telling me that it was time to move on. She was sending me someone who could love me like I deserved. She told me that I had to move forward and start over, and that when the time was right the woman would appear.”

“And?” Ashley said, her voice shaky.

“I brought you here because I thought you might be that woman, and I wanted to see what it felt like to have you in my home,” he said softly. “I guess that was kind of sneaky of me, huh?”

“A little sneaky, but sweet,” Ashley said, flattered by what he had done.

“I still don’t know about all that psychic stuff, but I just wanted to spend more time with you. I know this probably feels rushed to you, but I…” Before she could stop herself, Ashley shot up off the stool and kissed him passionately. He matched her passion as he pushed her back against the counter. Running her fingers through his hair, she pulled him in as tightly as she could. She could feel through his rugged jeans just how excited he was for her to be there.

He picked her up and put her on the counter as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer. His kisses trailed down her ear to her neck and then to her collarbone. Ashley couldn’t remember a time when she felt so much passion for a man she’d just met. At forty years old, she was comfortable in her own skin and in her sexuality, but this was taking it to a whole new level.

“Parker, wait…” Ashley said coming to her senses.

“What’s wrong?” he asked pulling back a bit.

“We can’t do this. I’m leaving tomorrow, and I don’t know when I will be back. I just can’t start something like this right now,” she said jumping down from the counter.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here… I put you under so much pressure,” Parker said.

“No, no… Please don’t think that. Parker, I really like you. I mean I really like you a lot. But, I live in Texas. My work is there. My home is there. This cabin will just be a getaway a few times a year. I can’t do that to you.”

“Do what to me?” he asked cocking his head.

“I can’t lead you on. You deserve an amazing woman who can share your life with you. It just can’t be me…” Ashley said. “I think it might be best if you take me back to the cabin now.” She stood by the living room doorway as he gathered his keys and wallet. Without looking at her, he opened the front door.

The drive back to the cabin was silent. He didn’t appear to be angry, but she knew he was hurt. She felt awful about the way she was leaving things. She had only come to Georgia to buy a cabin, not to fall in love with Prince Charming. How had this happened so fast?

When he pulled in front of her cabin, he shut the car off and looked at her.

“I want you to know that I will handle this real estate transaction professionally. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Of course you will, Parker. I never questioned that.”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen, Ashley. It took me by surprise too. I shouldn’t have let things get so far off track. That was my fault… mixing business with pleasure…”

“Parker, I will never regret our time together these last two days. It was a whirlwind romance I will always remember fondly.” With that, Ashley got out of the truck without looking back for fear that she would jump in his lap and kiss him again.

Chapter 6

“Good to see you back, girlfriend!” Candice said as Ashley arrived for her shift. Ashley was exhausted from another fitful night of sleep. Parker was invading her dreams, and she couldn’t seem to get the smell of his cologne out of her hair.

“Thanks. It’s good to be back,” Ashley said with a smile that Candice saw right through.

“Everything okay?” Candice asked as she started to pack up to go home.

“Sure. Everything is fine…”

“No, it’s not.”

Candice knew her well, and Ashley also knew that there was no getting out of this conversation.

“Just a little heartsick, but I will get over it soon enough,” Ashley said with a smirk. “And I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Okay, okay… but you know where to find me when you want to talk,” Candice said patting her on the shoulder as she got on the elevator.

The next two weeks were pure drudgery. The labor and delivery department seemed awfully busy, and Ashley was anxiously awaiting the closing on her cabin. Of course, that meant another trip to Mountainview. It also meant seeing Parker again. Excitement and anxiety shot through her every time she thought about it.

She had hoped that Parker would call her or text her when she went home, but he never did. Her gut told her that he was angry with her, or at least hurt. How could a short two day meeting result in her feeling completely heart broken?

“Excuse me, nurse?” an older woman said from behind Ashley.

“Yes, ma’m?” Ashley responded.

“My granddaughter is the one who had the stillborn baby this morning. Can you tell me when the doctor will come by to see her?”

A young woman with a seemingly healthy pregnancy had come in that morning and delivered a stillborn baby girl. The whole staff was grieving along with the family as it was completely unexpected. To see the young woman sob as she held her lifeless baby was almost too much for Ashley to take.

“He should be by in about two hours. I am so sorry about your great grandbaby,” Ashley said putting her hand on the woman’s shoulder.

“Thank you. We are all still in shock, I think. But, God will provide as He always does. Just another life lesson for us all…”

“Life lesson?” Ashley wondered what kind of lesson that could possibly be.

“Everything has a lesson in it, my dear. Sometimes, these things happen and it teaches us to appreciate what we have while we have it. Some relationships are so brief. But, I know my granddaughter will always remember those nine months of feeling her daughter kick and move around in her tummy,” she said with a faint smile.

“I’m sure.”

“Can I give you a piece of general advice, honey?” the woman asked.

“Of course,” Ashley said.

“Never leave anything unsaid to those you love. And, as an old woman, I can tell you another piece of advice. Always take chances because they often lead to the best things in life.” She smiled as she squeezed Ashley’s shoulder and then turned to walk away.

Ashley stood there stunned for a moment. Why had this random woman given her this message? And what would she do with the advice?

***

“Miss Tate, you can sit right here. When the seller and  his agent arrive, they will sit across the table from you so that we can easily pass the closing paperwork back and forth,” the secretary said as she took Ashley into the closing room. It had been two more weeks of waiting when the closing got delayed due to inspection issues. The seller ended up having a major plumbing leak repaired. Ashley was starting to worry that her cabin in the mountains was not to be.

“Thanks,” Ashley said as the woman left the room. A big bowl of candy sat in the middle of the table. Ashley reached for a mini candy bar to ease her grumbling stomach.

“You know, that stuff will ruin your appetite for lunch.” His voice rang through her like a bell. She felt her insides start to quiver as memories of kissing Parker shot through her.

“Parker,” she whispered as she looked up at him with a smile.

“The seller will be here shortly. He got caught up in traffic coming through Atlanta,” he said as he sat down across from her. His hair was perfectly messy, and he wore a thick gray sweater that smelled of his cologne.

For a moment, they just stared into each other’s eyes. Ashley thought about the advice that the old woman at the hospital had given her. She was determined to make the best use of every moment she had with Parker.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered as she played with the candy bar wrapper.

Parker’s eyes got wide when he heard her words. She could tell he was genuinely surprised.

“You have?” he asked.

“More than I ever expected. I think I made a mistake,” she said with a smirk.

“You did?”

“Are you dating someone now?” she asked hoping the answer was no.

“Nope. You are a hard act to follow, Miss Tate,” he said in a husky voice that made her want to climb across the table. “And, for what it’s worth, I’ve missed you too.”

“I just got scared, you know? It was all moving so fast.”

“I know. But sometimes the best love stories happen that way,” he said with a grin.

“True. I have something to tell you…”

Just as she said that, the seller and attorney joined them. As the closing went on, Ashley’s heart raced at the thought of what she needed to tell him. Once the closing was over, he offered to drive her up to the cabin so she could leave her rental car in town.

When they got into his truck, he let out a big sigh and threw his head back. “Okay, I can’t stand it anymore. The suspense is killing me! What do you have to tell me?” he asked.

“Let me explain first. Ever since Dave and I split up, it has been hard to live in Houston. Everything reminds me of Dave. Even the hospital reminds me of him because he would often pop in and surprise me early in our relationship. Every restaurant reminds me of him. These are not good memories, you know? They are memories of a wasted eight years of my life,” she said.

“I can understand that.”

“I started to wonder why I was staying there, in the safety of what I knew for so long. Did I really want to live in Houston? What was keeping me there? And I realized that it was comfort. And I don’t want to spend my life being comfortable. I want to take risks and see what’s on the other side of safety…”

“And?”

“I resigned from the hospital and sublet my apartment in Houston. Yesterday I got confirmation that I will be the new head labor and delivery nurse at Mountainview General!” she said grinning from ear to ear. Ashley really was excited about working in a small town hospital and living in her mountain cabin.

“Seriously? You’re moving here?” Parker asked still trying to process the information.

“Are you going to hug me or what?” she asked with her arms out.

“No. I am going to kiss you!” he said throwing his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. His warm lips felt like home to her.

“Look, I can’t make promises about where this will lead, Parker. I want to take it slow and make sure that we are both happy…”

“Of course. I want you to be comfortable, Ashley. No pushing, I promise. Now, are you ready to go home?” he asked smiling.

“More than ready,” she said.

Epilogue

As Ashley drove to meet her three friends, she was bursting with anticipation to tell them about her whirlwind two years. They would never believe how her story turned out. Finding her Prince Charming had been so unexpected, yet it was the best thing she had ever felt in her life.

Saying her vows with Parker six months ago in a private ceremony by the Franki Falls had been magical. More magical than that was the lump that was growing day by day in her belly. She had just learned that her baby was a girl. They had decided to name her Hope since that summed up what their life together had been about.

Taking a chance had turned out to be the best thing Ashley had ever done. Now living in Parker’s dream house, the couple used the mountain cabin as a place where friends and family could come up and spend time in their quaint little town. Life was as good as Ashley could ever imagine, and she couldn’t wait to find out what had become of Emma, Shelby and Claire. Had they been as lucky as she had? Stepping out of her car, she walked toward the hotel to find out.

Afterword

Thank you so much for buying and reading THE REUNION: ASHLEY'S MOUNTAIN RETREAT novella!  This story is the second in "The Starting Over Series." Since word of mouth is so critical to readers and authors alike, I would really appreciate it if you'd pop back to Amazon and leave a review of this story. It will only take a minute or two, but you opinion is priceless.

REVIEW THE REUNION: ASHLEY'S MOUNTAIN RETREAT

Read the first book in the series!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Reunion-Vacation-Starting-ebook/dp/B009SRIGX4

About the Author

According to her family Angelina Rose was a sweet child … maybe a little shy. She often spent a lot of time making up stories rather than running around and playing outside with her brother and sister. She won several writing competitions and used the prizes to help her single mother pay the bills.

Like Emma, Claire, Shelby and Ashley, Angelina Rose is a Nurse. At a recent reunion of her graduating class she could not help but notice how the same girls would group together and laugh, chat and even shed some tears over their lives since graduating. Many of the girls had divorced … so Angelina thought "what if a group of the nurses came up with a plan to meet in two years and have a new love story to share?" Then this first story in the series was born!

Angelina lives in the mountains with her husband, her two poodles and two bombay cats.

Contact Information

Website:

http://AngelinaRoseRomance.com\

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Copyright Information

All rights reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.  All rights reserved.  No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the Author.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Epilogue

Afterword