Chapter 3
“GOOD NIGHT, RORY,” Carolyn watched him disappear over the knoll. Cute guy, but like hell I’m staying away from the Druid’s Circle. Who does he think he is?
The point of this trip was not to make a new friend or start a new relationship—it was to prove to herself she could go it alone. One week wouldn’t kill her.
She rubbed her arms and stared into the forest. Shafts of moonlight streamed down through the bare trees, illuminating the ground in a bluish glow. Her passion for the beauty of the woods had suddenly shifted to a feeling of being penned in by the isolation and darkness. A chill snaked up her back.
Creaking branches, the incessant whir of insects and wind flapping her canvas tent kept her tossing and turning for hours.
She tried to ignore Mother Nature, but finally gave up and looked at the luminous dial on her watch and groaned. Two a.m. No way. She had to go to the bathroom and waiting until morning was not an option.
Irritated, she fumbled around the foot of her sleeping bag for her flashlight. She slid into a pair of jeans and tugged a sweatshirt over her tank top, then stepped into sneakers as she climbed out of the tent. Outside, without the confines of the thin canvas shelter, she felt exposed. The sounds of night creatures enlivened the forest. Insects and frogs permeated the darkness with their chatter. She thought about addressing her nature’s call behind her tent, but quickly quelled that idea. How many snakes hadn’t hibernated yet? She speed-walked to the latrine.
On her way back, she caught the scent of smoke and froze, thinking forest fire, but then realized it smelled like a woodstove or fireplace. Her heart did a tumble. Rory’s house?
She was up now, and insomnia might be cured with a walk—at least that was her excuse for indulging in her curiosity.
The charred scent of a burning woodstove or fireplace drew her attention. She walked in that direction and climbed over a small knoll. The same one Rory disappeared over earlier. Below in the moonlight was a log cabin with a couple of smaller buildings. Plumes of smoke swirled out of the chimney. Lights flickered in the windows. He couldn’t sleep either. As there were no other houses around that she knew of, she assumed it was Rory’s house.
If he looked out his window, he might see her flashlight on the hill. Feeling foolish, she scrambled back to her campsite.
Back inside her tent, she spent the rest of the night fantasizing about Rory sharing her sleeping bag, his rough hands stroking her heated skin. Exhaustion caught up with her and she eventually drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, the chatter of birds woke her before the sun lit up the green walls of her tent. She fixed breakfast, hiked to the rustic shower at the trailhead five minutes away and dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt.
She’d almost expected to hear Brian chopping wood or to turn and see him filling a pot with water for tea. He’d always gotten up before she did. She stiffened. Just because he couldn’t remain faithful to their marriage, didn’t mean she’d have to give up camping—something they’d done for the eight years they were together.
She’d stashed the stack of cards and photos inside her tent. Tonight she would burn them. At thirty years old, she had plenty of time to start over. By the end of this camping trip, she’d leave the pain and old ghosts behind.
She stuffed her backpack with a sandwich, granola bars, an orange and water, then tied a sweatshirt around her waist and headed for the Druid’s Circle, hoping she would run into Rory so she could disprove his doom and gloom stories.
She would also gently remind him that this was a state park and just because he lived around here didn’t mean he owned the forest.
Following memories from her last visit, she made a few turns off the path. The ancient site shouldn’t be too far from her campsite. She didn’t remember seeing Rory when she was there with Brian over a year ago. How long had he lived in the area?
She followed the path down a hill where it opened onto a small meadow. At the center of the field, several stone megaliths stood in a circle. At one end facing east, two upright stones were topped with a horizontal stone creating a trilithon.
Carolyn thought it looked like a gateway or arch. Ignoring Rory’s warnings, she walked through the entrance of the circle and strolled under the trilithon into the center.
She waited in anticipation for some peculiar event.
Ah ha. Nothing.
Only the chittering sounds of birds and the creaking branches as the winds blew through the trees disturbed the isolated meadow.
Still here. She laughed to herself. A local’s tale to keep hikers from tramping around the ruins. Did he really think people would believe such crazy stories? The image of the white buck pulling an arrow out of a doe flashed in her mind and created doubts, but she ignored them. Animal instinct, self-preservation, she guessed. Stranger things have happened.
She walked up and examined each of the dozen, ten-to-twelve-foot-high megaliths of various shapes arranged in a circle. Gliding her hand over the rough gray surfaces, she didn’t feel any cut angles or markings to show they had been carved—just big rectangular-shaped rocks.
She wondered if the original structure had been designed for astronomy or religious functions or both. The grouping of upright stones did give off a strange aura or feeling. Chills raced along her back and neck. She slipped the sweatshirt on and zipped it.
What would motivate people to build something like this and how would they move stones that had to weigh tons a piece? If the site was several hundred years old, it held a lot of mystery even without Rory’s silly stories.
Satisfied that he was pulling her leg, Carolyn left the stone ruins and continued her hike along the marked Appalachian Trail for the rest of the day.
On her way back to camp, she hiked along the ridge where she had seen Rory’s cabin. She peered into the valley, but couldn’t see his house. When she reached her tent, and knew she had the right hill, she back-tracked and walked over the hill and stared down into an empty valley.
A sickening feeling settled in her stomach. She knew she’d seen the cabin last night.
With an hour left of light, she decided to hike into the clearing toward the area where she thought she’d seen the house. In the center of a grassy field, few partially buried stones formed a square. Probably the remains of an old foundation. She rubbed her face. She had smelled smoke last night, and she had seen a cabin, hadn’t she? Or maybe she’d walked over a different hill. That was the last time she wandered around in the middle of the night except for a bathroom trip.
Later that evening, she decided to celebrate a new beginning. Popcorn popped over her fire while she opened a bottle of red wine. Brilliant stars glittered in the cloudless sky and the moon cast crisscross shadows along the ground. The night didn’t seem as ominous as the previous one. And her campfire brought a sense of security and warmth.
The collection of cards and photos wrapped in a bow sat on the log next to her. The old memories would soon be a thing of the past. While she’d been away at college and during their marriage, Brian had sent her Valentine’s Day and birthday cards, sometimes just “thinking of you” cards. Once they’d meant more to her than all the texts and emails; now they only represented betrayal and pain.
Grasping the mementos in her hand, she stepped to the fire and held them over the flames. Now was the time to burn them. They were meaningless kindling. She kicked a hearth stone, frustrated with her hesitation.
She was over him. Even though she hadn’t dated anyone since their divorce she was ready to meet someone new. She’d read the worn cards dozens of times, and wouldn’t read them again. The campfire heated her hand as she continued to hold the stack above the flickering flames. She swallowed hard against the tightening in her throat. Tears welled in her eyes.
“Am I disturbing you, now?” Rory asked from behind her.
She cried out and spun around on the log, sloshing the wine in her plastic cup. “Oh, I didn’t hear you.”
“You’ll not be wanting company tonight?”
“No, company is fine. Would you like some wine? I only have plastic cups, I’m afraid.” Her mind suggested she should asked him to leave, but her body welcomed his presence. She placed the cards on the log.
“Wine would be grand. Plastic cups are fine.” He strolled over and tended her fire and brought it blazing with only a few touches of a stick and an additional log or two.
“Those look important.” He sat next to the stack of papers.
“Not anymore. I’m burning them tonight.” She handed him a cup of wine.
“There be a story you want to tell me about those?” His soft voice and intense eyes tugged at her insides. He smelled of wood smoke and pine.
Large hands grasped the cup of wine. Strong hands that could also be gentle, she imagined.
“Putting the past behind me,” she mumbled, forcing a smile.
“You need to be alone now?” he asked with such tenderness it tugged at her heart.
“I’m okay having company. But let me finish this chore.” She stood and picked up the stack again, hesitated for a moment and then tossed them into the fire. Sighing, she blinked back a few tears, but felt a wave of relief.
She wouldn’t cry one more tear for that man. That part of her life was over, and she could move on now. The papers and photos browned, curled and charred, then burst into flames.
Carolyn stabbed them with a stick, stirring them into the smoldering ashes. She filled her cup with the wine and brought the bottle to Rory. “More wine?”
He shook his head, raising his full glass and studied her. “You all right, lass?”
She couldn’t look at him. Instead she stared into the flames and nodded.
“Here.” Putting his cup down he stood and took her into his arms, stroking her hair. He was a good five inches taller than she. “Ah, that was difficult. I see it all in your eyes.”
She nodded into his chest, breathing in his wood smoke, musty scent as the tears streamed down her cheeks. Lifting her hand, she tried wiping them away without him seeing, but he pulled back and took her face in his hands.
“You be weeping, Carolyn.” Crystal blue eyes shone with such intensity, she caught her breath.
“I’m fine, really.”
His lips pressed together as if he didn’t believe her. With his thumbs he brushed tears from her cheeks. His gaze searched her face and seemed to settle on her mouth.
Carolyn’s hands rested on his upper arms, her fingers trailing over hard biceps. She swallowed, licked her lips. The pulse of her heart beating so wildly awakened a hunger inside her. Here she was in the middle of the woods in a stranger’s arms. If she let him he’d probably make love to her. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was getting as turned on as she. If she rocked her hips forward would she feel his erection through his trousers?
A little self-control? she reminded herself.
“Better?” His gaze held hers and she could barely take a breath.
“Yes, much better. Kind of letting go of the past,” she whispered. His mouth, oh, his mouth. She wanted to taste his lips if nothing else.
He nodded. “The past is not easy to let go of.” He moved away from her. “You want to sit?”
“No, I’m okay.” She was somewhat relieved that he hadn’t proved to be a sex maniac and attacked her, but also a little disappointed he hadn’t at least tried to kiss her. “I have a lot to look forward to.” Her words weren’t as confident as she’d hoped.
“There be a strong woman. And what do you want, Carolyn?” He smiled that half smile that pulled at the center of her stomach.
She resisted the urge to step closer, although she longed to run her hands over his broad chest and waist. “Many things. I plan to take a trip to Europe in the spring.”
“Alone?” His hands gripped her shoulders.
“Yes,” she said proudly.
“Hmmm. A long trip to take alone. You be brave and adventurous.”
She smiled.
“I like that,” he whispered. His fingers twirled in her hair, his thumb stroked her cheek by her lips.
Carolyn’s knees buckled slightly. When her hand reached out to him, Rory pulled her closer. His gaze searched her face, then his lips parted and came down onto her mouth.
Slow and hot and wet. A moan escaped his lips and he pressed harder. She gasped when she felt the hard ridge of his erection pressing against her mound. Tongues mingled, explored between quick breaths as one hand tangled in her hair.
“Damn, lass. I love your mouth,” he said as his lips trailed to her neck and ear. “I’d say you be ready to move on.”
“Oh yes.” Her hands slid up and down his hips and thighs. No, she wouldn’t reach for the bulge in his pants though she was tempted. Could she sleep with a man and not get serious? She didn’t have to get serious with him.
She stiffened. One-night stands weren’t her thing even with all the precautions. And she didn’t need to get swept away with this guy just to have him help her forget Brian. But his kisses were so good, so hot. And it’d been so long since a man had kissed her like that. She’d stop in a minute or two.
His mouth moved from her mouth and his tongue teased the base of her throat. Her breath came in short gasps, but her mind still had doubts. In one more minute she’d move his hand to her breast.
Abruptly, he stopped kissing her and stood back. “A little fast, I’m afraid. Sorry, lass. You okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” All heated up and not ready to stop yet.
He studied her a moment then looked at the sky and his eyes went wide. He jumped back. “I need to go.”
“Something wrong?” She looked up. Wispy clouds drifted toward the moon and blotted out most of the stars. “It’s getting cloudy. We’ll probably get rain tonight.”
“I need to go, Carolyn.”
The panic in his voice chilled her. Something really bothered him. Did he suddenly have second thoughts about what they were doing? Maybe he had a girlfriend, or worse, a wife? “You’re right, I think we were moving a bit fast.”
His face softened. “Oh, lass. I didn’t want to rush you. I’m sorry. I really need to go.” He ran into the forest and in seconds he was gone. A blanket of clouds covered the moon, plunging the forest into pitch darkness. She wondered how he would make it back to his house without breaking his neck.