Ellie laughed. "Well, let's just say that this snowman won't win any awards." She walked out to where she could see more of the mountain. "It is absolutely beautiful here. I don't think I've ever seen anything this pure."
"This is one of my favorite spots. No matter the season, it's always gorgeous right here."
Ellie looked up at him. "I'll bet it's amazing in the fall. All the different colors."
He smiled down at her. "Maybe you'll have to come back and find out."
They headed back toward the cabin. "Everything good with the horses?"
"Yep. I just wanted to let them out to walk around for a bit. They're happy staying warm in the barn."
Once back inside, Ellie had to choose what she wanted to do. Colton gave her options. "We can go hiking around some more. You can go take pictures and I'll stay here. It's up to you."
Despite their remote location, Ellie hated the idea of being out there all by herself. But she really didn't feel like hiking at all. "How about we find that Monopoly board?"
Colton grabbed it off the shelf. "Done. Found it yesterday."
Half an hour later, Ellie was taking Colton to school and teaching him all about real estate.
Chapter Thirteen: First Signs of Danger
Colton Hale
Their game lasted the entire afternoon, and Colton lost dearly. "You know, for being a movie star, you're very shrewd when it comes to property management."
Ellie laughed. "I have to keep my money somehow. If I don't understand how to take care of it, someone else will just take it."
He nodded. "You do have a point there."
After a dinner of tinned stew and bread, Ellie headed for the bedroom. "I'll leave the door open a little so the heat can get in."
"I'll throw an extra log on."
Which was exactly how the previous night's activities had started. Ellie disappeared into the room and left Colton alone with his thoughts. He would have much preferred to join her in the bed, but he didn't want to push. He knew he was going to have trouble getting her out of his mind already; getting in deeper would only be more painful when she left to go back to her fancy life.
There was something that she was hiding. He could feel it, just as he could sense the deep-rooted fear that she carried around. He was pretty sure that it had something to do with the paparazzi, although he couldn't see a movie star having social anxiety like that. Still, the huge crowd could be daunting, so he stayed open to the idea.
She was impressing him with her ability to rough it, and she seemed worldly and sophisticated. But when she had been building the snowman, he saw a vulnerable side. The side of someone who just wanted to enjoy the simple things in life and make the most of it. But what he didn't know was which one of them was the real her. The person that he really wanted to know.
He heard her moving around and had to force himself to stay on the couch. He gave himself a mental shake.What the hell is wrong with you? You're acting like a teenager in love.The thought scared him. He had spent a long portion of his life not getting attached after watching his mother almost destroyed when his father had been killed and they had been banished from their home. Colton never wanted to be that in love with someone that could crush his soul if he lost it. Vinia had taken years before she found any peace in her heart, and she had never loved again. That was not for Colton.
He drifted off to sleep even as he wondered if his dreams would be as amazing as they had been the night before. The soft crackle of the fire and the howl of the wind as it blew outside set the stage for what was usually the most peaceful sleep he ever got. But he knew that it wasn't what he wanted.
The sound of the latch on the front door startled him awake. He was surprised to see that it was daylight, and Ellie stared at him as she eased the door open. "Sorry. I have to... use the facilities."
The outhouse was halfway between the cabin and the barn, set back in the woods a little bit. While it wasn't the most convenient room in the house, it was functional. He grinned at her as she closed the door behind her. He didn't have the heart to tell her that it was a lot easier for guys to just find a tree.
She was gone a minute when she suddenly ran back in. "The barn is open. I didn't see it when I went out but coming back I realized that the doors are wide open."
He leapt off the couch and grabbed his shirt. "Are the horses still in there?"
"I don't know. I just saw the door open and came back to get you."
He cussed as he pulled on his boots. "I know damned well I latched the door after we let them out yesterday."
"I know, I watched you do it while I was building the snowman, before you came to help me."
"Stay here." He pushed past her to go outside. "I'll be right back."
