Layla felt a bit lighter as she left her apartment and made her way downstairs. This chapter of her life was over. She was about to go on an adventure in Canyon Springs. Afterward she would try her hand at something new.
She hadn’t told Elena she didn’t intend to return to Los Angeles. Pride still kept her from admitting defeat out loud, but by the end of the week, surely, the two of them would have spent enough evenings drinking several bottles of wine, catching up, and spilling secrets.
In addition, Layla had to admit she wouldn’t be disappointed if there was some truth to the whispered rumors that shifters were freakishly fit, large, and sexy. She didn’t believe for a moment that they could actually use some sort of brainwashing to convince people to have sex with them. That was ridiculous. But hell, it had been a damn long time since Layla had gotten laid, and she wasn’t opposed to a one-night stand with some hunky shifter. Maybe a bear or a wolf.
She laughed as she stepped out of the building for the last time and met her Uber. The woman glanced at Layla with an odd look while Layla continued to chuckle to herself as they headed to the airport. It wasn’t as if Layla was going to inform Pam the Uber driver that she was hoping to have sex with a shifter this week.
Seriously though, what was Layla thinking? Canyon Springs was a small town. It would be rude to arrive and immediately start scouting out the men. People would expect them to be in mourning. Their aunt just died. A bit of reverence was in order.
Gah. The only reason why Layla knew what the woman looked like was because Mabel was her identical twin. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to pick her aunt out of a lineup. Grandma Mabel hadn’t even kept childhood pictures of the two of them. At least not out for anyone to see.
When Mabel passed away, Layla and Elena hadn’t been able to stay in their hometown of Hyde Park, Colorado, more than a few days. They’d given Mabel’s lawyer permission to hire someone to hold an estate sale. Layla knew there was a small storage unit in town, which held mementos and keepsakes, including old photo albums, but neither she nor Elena had gone back to pick anything up or even visit. They really should someday soon. It was only a few hours from Canyon Springs. If only life weren’t so darn complicated.
Layla closed her eyes during the drive and took several cleansing breaths. No matter what, this was going to be an adventure, and she hoped to make the most out of it.
She also hoped Elena would agree. They needed to reconnect. Have some fun. Laugh. Eat. Drink. And hey, if they also managed to meet some sexy hunks, Layla wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity.
Chapter 2
December 3, 1964
Dear Mabel,
I just got off the phone with Mom. She said you met someone! I’m so happy for you. She said his name is George. I bet he’s handsome and perfect. I hope if you marry him you’ll consider inviting me to the wedding.
How is teaching going? My students are getting restless as we get closer to the holidays. There are still several weeks left before Christmas vacation, but you’d think it already started.
It snowed six inches here last week. We were off school on Friday. I heard the storm missed Hyde Park almost entirely. That’s lucky for you, I guess. It’s pretty, but we’re in for a long winter at this rate.
Stay safe. Write me about George. I want to hear all about him.
Love, Marge
Hunter’s legs were throbbing from lactic acid build up. Perhaps a five-mile run hadn’t been the best idea this evening. Or, maybe it had something to do with the fact that he didn’t run that hard or that far often enough.
For the last few months, he’d been swamped at work. Luckily, it was looking like things would lighten up for a bit. He had even considered taking a few days off. Though he had yet to mention that to his best friend and partner, Caleb.
Still sucking in deep breaths, he stood at the edge of a ridge staring into the distance. The view from this particular lookout point was beyond spectacular. His favorite in all of Canyon Springs. Years ago, he’d mapped out this particular route for his runs, making sure he ended up standing right here in the end where he could see for miles in every direction. The lush, green trees were life-affirming in the summer, and when they were capped with snow in the winter, the vision was postcard perfect.
As Hunter lifted one arm to extend behind his head for a deep stretch, holding his elbow back with his other hand, he breathed in the clean scent of pine and nature. The ridge was only a half mile from his home, which gave him the perfect distance to cool down after his run.
The sun would set in a few minutes, and he intended to watch it before heading back. Just as he was switching arms, he inhaled an unfamiliar scent. For a moment, he stood frozen, his mind swimming with the implication. He tried to absorb what was happening, but his brain kept firing random thoughts that were impossible to fully process.
Luckily he managed to convince his feet to move, allowing him to spin around at the same moment the owner of the scent came jogging around the corner of the windy road.
Hunter blinked, unable to breathe or speak or move another muscle. Was it possibly his mind was playing tricks on him, and the fucking amazing woman wasn’t real? He finally managed to draw in another breath, causing him to confirm what he already knew. The blond pixie with the bouncing ponytail was his mate.
The woman was wearing workout clothes that left nothing to his imagination. She had on tight, black spandex pants, a black sports bra, and a fitted pink tank top. Her hair was so light that it surprised him that she had tanned skin.
At first, her head was tipped toward the ground, but she must have sensed him because she suddenly jerked her gaze up, catching him staring at her. She flinched, probably from being startled. Or even scared. After all, she couldn’t have expected to run into another person on this ridge.
Hunter had never seen her before, naturally. If he’d ever been even remotely close to her in the past, he would have known she was his mate and already claimed her.
The sexy blonde lifted a hand to give him a brief polite wave and a slight smile, but she continued running around the corner across the street from him. He hadn’t missed her gorgeous brown eyes, though. They nearly brought him to his knees.
Hunter watched her, dumbfounded, unable to take his gaze off her until she was completely out of sight. He couldn’t decide what to do. There was a distinct chance she had no idea who he was to her. If she had, she would have been in the same predicament as him, startled, mesmerized.
An overwhelming sense of urgency filled Hunter’s entire being. He needed to know who she was, where she’d come from, what she was doing in Canyon Springs. He needed to touch her, hear her voice, hold her in his arms, run his hands through her hair. He needed her to understand who she was to him and be willing to move forward in the direction the two of them were destined.
None of that was going to happen right now. If he followed her, he would scare the hell out of her. She was out running alone, which made him nervous for her safety. Why the hell would she be out on this mostly deserted road?
Hunter continued to stare at the spot he’d last seen her, breathing more heavily than he had been the moment he’d first stopped. For thirty years, he’d heard the lore. He knew how this worked. Shifters rarely had a say in who Fate determined they were destined to mate. Most of the time, it simply happened. Just like this. Out of nowhere, blindsiding its victims whether or not they were ready.