She felt herself blush but she reached out and shook his hand.
“Alyssa,” she said shyly. “And it’s nice to meet someone who seems to have such a dedication to nature.”
He didn’t break her gaze for a second.
“We have to look after Mother Earth,” he winked. “And this place is very special indeed.”
She nodded in agreement and brushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear nervously.
“Have you been into town yet?” he asked her as he took a step back and looked over his shoulder.
“Only this morning,” she smiled. “It’s beautiful, I can only imagine it gets even more lively at night.”
“Night is very different,” he grinned with raised eyebrows. “Why don’t you come down later? A few of us are getting together at Arlo’s. You’re more than welcome to join us?”
Alyssa’s insides were dancing and she felt like fist bumping the air, but on the exterior, she remained cool and calm… and a little unsure.
“Are you sure I wouldn’t be imposing?” she asked.
“Of course not,” Kodhi laughed. “You have the royal invite. You can’t come to town and just sit in your cabin for weeks on end. It’s good to get to know people and tonight, at Arlo’s, we have a band playing. You should come and check it out and laugh at the tourists with us. No doubt, they’ll all be dancing drunk and out of control by nine o’clock.”
She bit her bottom lip and shrugged.
“I haven’t got any other plans,” she smiled. “So, sure, that sounds great.”
“Good,” he nodded with a wicked flash in his eyes.
Her heart was beating faster and faster, and she knew that at any moment she was going to start blushing. The way he was looking at her was making her nervous, but only because she hadn’t been attracted to someone in a long, long time. And the more she was around him, the more she knew she wanted to be around him.
There was something between them that felt powerful and new.
“Okay,” he smiled. “Do you know where I mean?”
She tried to remember what she had seen that day when she had gone down onto Main Street and the name Arlo’s did seem somewhat familiar.
“Right at the very end of Main Street,” he said. “In one of the old wooden buildings. It’s the sports bar.”
She wracked her brains and, suddenly, it clicked, she had seen it.
“Sure,” she smiled. “I do know where you mean.”
“Okay,” he smiled back. “Great. Well, I’ll be in there from seven with some friends.”
She raised her hand again to wave.
“I’ll see you then,” she said as he turned and carried on walking.
She watched him as he made his way out of view and disappeared, once again, into the forest. The trees wiped away any trace of him and it was almost as if it had never happened. She reached down to her forearm and pinched herself with her charcoal covered fingers.
“Ouch,” she hissed. “Definitely wasn’t a dream then.”
And then she couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
She gathered up all her things and started to make her way back to the house.
Her art would have to wait for now. She had less than four hours until she was going to be heading back to Main Street to meet some of the people from the town, and to see the gorgeous Kodhi again.
She knew she shouldn’t think it, but she couldn’t help herself….
I wonder if he likes me… she mused as she felt the blush creep over her again and butterflies start deep in her belly.
And it felt good to have something to look forward to.
“See, I knew I was going to like it here,” she grinned as she made her way slowly up the rocks. “Who needs an overcrowded city when you can make waves in a small mountain town instead…?”
She laughed and hitched up the canvas and easel.
It hadn’t been what she was expecting from her first real day in Lost Creek, but it was certainly a nice surprise.
And now, she couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the day had in store.
5.
Getting ready for nights out back in the city had felt like nothing but a chore and a waste of time. Everyone was so overdone and glamorous, and the girls were all in competition with one another. It was all about who was the skinniest, who was the most tan, who had the best heels and the most expensive handbag. She had seen girls wandering the streets late at night in skirts so short they looked more like belts, and she had felt the need to dress the same.
If she hadn’t, she would have been the frumpy and ugly one who wasn’t making an effort. But there, in Lost Creek, things were so much different.
Alyssa had always been a casual kind of girl. She had never been happier than when she was lounging around her apartment or studio wearing a pair of paint-splattered blue jeans. When she had gotten with Simon, she had felt the need to dress to impress him, but there was something about the people she had met in Lost Creek that seemed really different. Even though their town was beautiful and expensive, it was clear no one felt the need to impress any one. No one was trying to outshine the next person, and even though they all had beautiful homes, they dressed casually and comfortably to navigate around the snowy paths and roads along the mountain.
Alyssa looked at herself in the full-length mirror in her bedroom as she turned from side to side and studied her outfit. She’d settled on a pair of skinny, tight, indigo jeans with a pair of fur-trimmed Uggs and a low cut, woolen Cardigan. She wound a scarf around her neck and swept her blonde hair over her shoulder as she delicately placed her earrings in and smiled back at her reflection.
She was dressed simply but she felt good.
She had worn some incredible dresses in her time in the city, but there was nothing that felt better than this. She loved to be able to be casual, and to be herself. She reached for her padded jacket and put it around her shoulders and grabbed her purse. The day had been warm but she felt the chill roll in with the night and she didn’t know how things could change there. She had heard her parents speak of the sudden winds that made them feel as if they were in the middle of winter, and she didn’t want to get caught out walking home. Especially when she would be alone and it was night.
As she walked down to Main Street her heart was calm but she was still nervous. She was already trying to think of conversation topics and list them all down in her mind in case there were any awkward silences. But then, she scolded herself for being so presumptuous. It wasn’t as if she was just meeting Kodhi. He had invited her to go along as friends and it was just her that was getting ahead of herself.
Arlo’s shone out of the darkness and made her feel warm inside the second she saw it. The bar was housed in a gorgeous wooden building that looked like a chalet, and the music and sounds of fun that filtered out into the night made her smile and yearn to be closer.
Out on the street, two little fire pits burned brightly and the doorman stood in front of them warming him hands. He was as big and burly as many of the other men she had seen around town, and she smiled as she approached the door.
“Evening,” he called to her and she flashed him a smile and waved.
Inside, the bar was alive and bouncing. The heat and scent of ale hit her immediately as she crossed the threshold and she couldn’t help but laugh. The mountain folk sure knew how to party.
The main bar was long and ran right along the whole length of the room. It was old and wooden, as were the walls and floor, and it made it feel as if the place was even more atmospheric. Stags’ heads were mounted on plaques and cow hides graced the couches and bar stools. Men and women laughed and joked, music blared out of an old fashioned jukebox and everywhere felt sweet and festive. The lights were low and there were plenty of candles with flickering flames, big TV’s lined the back wall and were showing different sports on each one and men lined up around them whooping and cheering while drinking beer.
Alyssa made her way over to the bar and
rested her purse down on top of the counter. She wasn’t nervous anymore, but she knew she wanted a glass of wine. She wanted to be on the same level as everyone else in there because the atmosphere was infectious. The man behind the bar clocked her and walked over slowly, he smiled and leaned in so that he could hear her.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
Alyssa was just about to open her mouth and reply when a heavy set of hands slammed down next to her on the counter and Kodhi leaned in close.
“You came,” he grinned as he took her full attention away from the bar and made sure it was firmly on him.
“Of course,” she laughed. “You invited me.”
He nodded and then looked back over his shoulder to the barman.
“Arlo, this is Alyssa,” he said as he nodded in her direction. “And Alyssa, this is Arlo. This is his place.”
Alyssa held out her hand and shook his. Arlo was as imposing as Kodhi and she couldn’t help but think that maybe all mountain men were just built that way. Maybe it was because they spent so much time in the great outdoors, but all of them were huge and so muscular it was almost intimidating.
“New to town?” Arlo asked.
“Her parents just bought a cabin,” Kodhi answered for her. “I said she should come down here and check out the bar.”
“Best place in town,” Arlo smiled. “So what can I get you?”
She looked over at Kodhi and, suddenly, she didn’t feel the need to catch up anymore. He was calming and friendly, and he was obviously glad she was there.
“What do you recommend?” she asked tentatively.
“Oh you’ve gotta try the ale,” Kodhi laughed. “The boys brew it. It’s our own secret recipe.”
He winked and Alyssa smiled to show she was impressed.
“Well that sounds different and exciting,” she said as she tapped the counter top. “So, I will definitely try one of those.”
Arlo grinned and clapped his hands together.
“Maybe I should give you a job as a salesman Kode,” Arlo laughed.
Kodhi raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes with a smile.
“Yeah right,” Kodhi laughed.
Arlo opened the refrigerator and pulled out two big dark bottles with a bear on the front. The bear was big and snarling, and above it read Lost Creek Unbroken Bears in fancy lettering.
“Here you go, guys,” Arlo winked as he set them down on top of the counter in front of them. “On the house. Welcome to town, Alyssa.”
He moved away and Alyssa looked up at Kodhi who smiled down at her and shrugged.
“Jeez, everyone is so damned nice here!” she laughed. “Could this town get any more perfect?”
Kodhi smiled at her and took a sip of his drink before he motioned toward the back wall.
“Wanna sit down?” he asked and Alyssa nodded and followed him over to a table in the corner.
The TV’s were blaring and the men who were circling the screens were still whooping and cheering, but it didn’t matter. In a way, it was almost as if they were giving them more privacy by being so loud. Their back noise made things easier and Alyssa could tell the conversation would flow.
“So where are your friends?” she asked as she looked around trying to figure out who they may be.
“Around,” Kodhi smiled. “They’ll be in and out all night.”
“So you’re not meeting anyone?” she asked with confusion and also a glimmer of hope.
“Well, Arlo’s here,” he nodded in the direction of the bar. “He’s like a brother to me and so are a lot of the guys that come in here. We have our own group, you know?”
“But Arlo isn’t your real brother? The one you mentioned earlier?” She was getting more and more intrigued by the second, but she didn’t want to seem too interested.
Kodhi shook his head and laughed before he let his eyes find hers.
“No,” he said and then he took a swig of his ale. “I, actually, have a twin brother so you wouldn’t be able to miss him.”
“Shut up!” Alyssa jumped in her chair. “You have a twin? An identical twin?”
“I certainly do,” Kodhi laughed at her enthusiasm.
“That’s insane,” she said excitedly. “Do people ever mix the two of you up?”
Kodhi took another swig and nodded.
“They sure do,” he laughed. “In fact, it’s a funny story, but his girlfriend actually got us mixed up when they first met and it caused quite a bit of drama.”
“Ooh,” Alyssa said as she sat back in her seat. “That does not sound good.”
“It could have been worse,” Kodhi smirked. “At least she didn’t try it on with me thinking I was my brother. But she got a nasty surprise when I didn’t give her the attention she was used to getting from him, that’s for sure.”
Alyssa chuckled and lifted her own bottle to her lips.
“That’s hilarious,” she smiled. “You could both have some fun with that.”
“Oh, we have in the past,” he said with twinkling eyes. “But it gets old, you know?”
Alyssa nodded.
“Anyway, since he met his girl, he’s been pretty quiet. Gone to ground, as they say. I’m happy for him, but the family misses him. And hell, so do I. I mean, we’ve barely been apart so now to be seeing him less is kind of strange.”
“Does he live in town?” she asked.
“Yep,” he nodded. “And I still see him most days, but it’s a twin thing. I guess we will always have that bond.”
“Of course,” Alyssa agreed.
She couldn’t believe he had an identical twin brother, just when she thought he couldn’t get any more interesting than he already was.
“What’s the deal with the trees?” she asked suddenly when she was feeling brave.
Kodhi looked down at her with surprise, as if he didn’t think she would have noticed.
“Like I said earlier, gotta look after Mother Earth,” he winked. “Those trees out the back of my parents’ house are hundreds of years old.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yep,” he nodded. “We want to make sure they last. They’re the only ones left in town. A rare breed.”
“Wow,” Alyssa breathed. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Sure is,” Kodhi smiled warmly. “And what about you? What’s the deal with Alyssa?” he leaned forward and wiggled his eyebrows and she had to stifle a laugh.
“Nothing interesting, believe me,” she said.
“Well, how long are you here for?” he asked as he raised the bottle to his lips again and gave her a cheeky grin.
There was something about him she just couldn’t put her finger on. He was so unusual and different to anyone she had ever met before, and the more time she was spending with him the more of that side she was seeing. He was mystical and deep, and she could tell he had an old soul. But there was something even more than that running beneath his skin. It was almost like he wasn’t all human.
She felt goosebumps prickle her arms and she shivered.
“I’m staying a while,” she answered him finally. “I was living in the city but I’ve decided it’s not for me anymore. I’ve come out here to work and to start again.”
Kodhi smiled approvingly.
“I like that,” he said sincerely. “I like it when a person knows what they want and isn’t afraid to go out and live the way they want to.”
“I quit my job,” she continued. “I just walked out and left. My apartment is still there, but I’m going to give notice on it tomorrow and I’ll have to go back and get the rest of my things at the end of the month.”
“So, you are committing to Lost Creek for the foreseeable future then?” he asked, and she couldn’t help but think he looked incredibly pleased with this little piece of information.
“I am,” she smiled. “Now that I’ve arrived here, I honestly couldn’t imagine leaving. Isn’t that weird?”
Kodhi held her gaze and shook his head slowly.
“No, trust me, it isn’t,” he said.
“It’s special here, isn’t it?” she whispered.
Kodhi nodded his head, still not letting his eyes leave hers. There was something behind his, they seemed to change with each different angle she saw him from. At one moment, they looked green and bright and the next, they were deep and dark. She could feel a heat emanating from him, and she wanted to reach out and touch his hand. The urge for her to pull him to her was extreme, but she knew she couldn’t. She had only just met him, and she couldn’t even tell if he liked her that way or not.
She forced herself to break away from his gaze and looked down at the table. Her heart was racing out of nowhere and she felt hot all over. She took a deep breath before she looked back to him and he reached out and let his fingertips graze her forearm.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
The second he touched her it was as if she had been jolted with electricity, but not in a painful way, in a warm, penetrating, playful way that went right to her heart. His touch was so hot, it made her skin tingle. His touch meant something. It was powerful and overwhelming, and she looked up into his eyes with need in her own and he smiled down at her. She could tell he was feeling it too.
His fingertips were still on her arm, and as their skin touched, it was as if something strange was happening. It was as if they were being bonded together, both physically and mentally. Alyssa could barely catch her breath, and the world seemed to be flowing in slow motion. She stared into his deep eyes and saw a flash of something more. Something that had been lurking there since the moment they had met. It reminded her of her dream and she was on the cusp of pulling the memory back full force when Kodhi suddenly pulled his hand away and looked down at it, flexing his fingers.
“K- Kodhi?” she stammered as she reached out for him.
He quickly ran his hands through his hair and looked back at her with his mouth open slightly, as if he was as shocked as she was.
“I’m sorry,” he said with a shake of his head. “I better go.”
“What?” she asked with confusion as he quickly got to his feet and turned back to look at her with an expression of sorrow or shock, she couldn’t tell.
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