proclaimed.
I couldn't disagree. Gram was known for her delicious food. When I was
younger, my grandmother had taught me that mashing ripe berries with lemon
juice and brown sugar made the best jam. Each jar was an individual batch she
made with love. Even her homemade peanut butter was really unique. She added
a pinch of cinnamon and cayenne pepper that tasted amazing with the jam.
Adding these flavors with the sweet wheat bread that was made yesterday
morning, the sandwich would make it hard for anyone to not be happy.
Cole popped the last bite into his mouth. “Now, with my need for sustenance
out of the way, I should thank you properly for your kindness.”
In a swift movement, he grabbed my hand and swept me into his arms. His
firm grip felt warm and even a bit sticky from the sandwich. But not even that
could change the way my heart felt when I was with him. Everything seemed right. He kissed me tenderly and proceeded to nuzzle my neck.
Cole was strong, but not overly muscular. His hug seemed to soften the dark
feelings I felt, and the warmth of the affection drowned out the negative
emotions that were haunting me. I felt safe in his arms.
As quickly as he had begun, he let go of me. “Tempting to stay here all day,
Mara, but if you want to be trained in the way of a trout fisherman, we best get
going."
Sighing, I composed myself. I had asked for this adventure. I only hoped I wouldn't regret it.
Chapter
Two
Cole led us past the cottage behind his house, deep into a part of
Starten Forest I was not familiar with. The thickness of the trees
threw off my internal compass. The woodland began to thin as we
started down a path.
Ignoring my apprehensions, I pushed away my fears. Cole knew exactly
where we were going. However, my trust wavered the higher we climbed. We
were too far from my home.
"You didn't say we were going to climb any mountains today," I complained.
"Gram is going to kill you if you get me lost up here."
"She won't. See that path right there?” He motioned towards large stones and
overgrown brush. "We are going to follow it down to the river."
I had no doubt there would be snakes and spiders, waiting to attack. If there
was a trail to follow, I couldn't see it.
"The path over there looks smooth and safer. Why don't we look for trout up
there?" I suggested.
"Gram will kill me if we go up there. If we keep walking, we’ll be joining the Drygens for dinner." Cole clutched his heart in mock fright.
I wrinkled my nose at the thought. The wealthiest family in town was also known for being the cruelest. Gram had taught me from a young age that money
didn't have a heart and, sometimes, greed could turn a person cold. I looked from
