As she stepped closer, Willow’s eyes were full of confusion. “Why did you need a reason to come home?”
His hands began to shake, so he curled them into fists, hoping she didn’t see what was happening to him. “I haven’t been home for a long time. I didn’t know if I could fit into a normal life again.”
“I guess it depends on your definition of normal.”
Zac looked away, but all he could see was Willow’s deep brown eyes, searching his face for answers he couldn’t give her.
Her footsteps crunched against the dry leaves and branches littering the forest floor. She stopped beside him, silently staring across Flathead Lake.
He looked out of the corner of his eyes at the blue baseball cap holding back her hair, the bright orange jacket, and her faded blue jeans. Even at seven o’clock in the morning she was the most attractive woman he’d ever met. And the fact that she hadn’t left his side made him think that maybe, despite his obvious issues, she liked him, too.
She pointed to the far end of Sapphire Bay. “Do you see the spire of the church?”
Zac nodded.
“Levi and Pastor John run a support group for people with PTSD. We have quite a few veterans who visit Sapphire Bay in the summer. Since The Welcome Center opened, a lot of those men and women stay for longer. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that you’re not alone. We’re a small community. We know better than most what it means to live with something that can take over your life.”
“I’ve been to counseling. It didn’t help.”
Willow smiled. “That’s because you weren’t in Sapphire Bay.”
He doubted that had anything to do with his mental health, but he appreciated her optimism. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“It depends on whether I want to give you an answer.”
Talking to Willow was like stepping through an emotional minefield. She made him remember what it was like to be human, to be a man who liked the company of a beautiful, intelligent, frustrating, woman.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“In Sapphire Bay or standing beside you?”
He almost rolled his eyes. “Standing beside me. To hike this far up the mountain, you would have had to leave Sapphire Bay at the crack of dawn.”
Willow’s eyes widened. “Oops. I forgot to tell you we’re neighbors.”
Zac frowned. “I don’t have neighbors.”
“Have you seen Eleanor Davidson’s home?”
“No one has lived there for years. There was a problem with her estate and…you bought it?”
Willow nodded. “As soon as I saw it, I knew it was perfect. I’ve spent two years remodeling the cottage. It turned out even better than I thought it would.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you’re my neighbor when I saw you yesterday?”
“You were wearing boxers and a T-shirt. It didn’t seem the right time.”
“I’ve worn less and still managed to have an intelligent conversation with a person.”
Willow’s eyebrows rose. “Am I supposed to be impressed?”
Zac’s mouth almost tilted into a smile.
“It doesn’t hurt, you know.”
“What doesn’t?”
“Smiling. You don’t do it very often.”
