I was not prepared for the extreme beauty that hit me the moment we drove into the Downtown area. Excitedly, I got out of the car and spun around in a circle. The scenery stole my breath as I soaked in the grandeur of the mountains. It was as if the downtown area were set inside of a basin, hidden smack dab in the center of the Earth. People roamed in and out of the shops, wearing bright colors that stood out against the snowy backdrop of the towering mountains in the distance.
“Now I get it,” I whispered as I continued to stare wide-eyed at the glory surrounding us.
“You get what?” Wes asked, grabbing my gloved hand. Still, through layers of leather and wool, I was able to feel his warmth seep into my palm.
“Why this place is so desirable. It’s astonishing. I’ve been to Lake Tahoe and seen snow-covered mountains before, skied them too, but nothing compares to this.” I let out a slow breath, trying to take it all in, knowing I wouldn’t be able to. There was far too much to appreciate. Hopefully, over the next two weeks or so, the majesty of it would wane, but I doubted it.
Wes glanced at the enormous mountains. “No, I see where you’re coming from. Though I’ve been here so many times, it will be nice seeing it through new eyes from your perspective.”
I smiled and squeezed his hand.
“Where to first?” I asked, hoping he’d lead the way.
He tugged me to his side where he looped an arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get a hot beverage here”—he pointed at Caribou coffee—“and then we’ll walk a bit. Sound good?”
I leaned into his side. “Anything with you sounds good. Thanks for coming, by the way,” I said and rubbed my chin into his neck.
Wes smiled so wide I was sure the sunlight glinted off his pearly whites, making them seem brighter. Delight reached his green eyes and melted me on the spot. Seeing him at ease, comfortable in his own skin, filled with a sense of peace would be enough to make me happy for a century.
There was just something about Wes that called to me. Spoke directly to the core essence of my being. In equal parts, it made me blissfully happy and scared me senseless. The joy, however, far outweighed the fear, and I suspected that this would always be the case with us as we got closer to taking our vows to one another.
It was hard to believe that in just over three short weeks I’d be Mrs. Weston Channing. Still couldn’t wrap my brain around it.
As we walked, Weston pointed out different hot spots for nighttime dining and prospective locations to imbibe a few cocktails and spirits if the mood arose. We made it all the way to Main Street where I spied this quaint pink building that sat right on the corner. It was simply named Main Street Bakery & Café.
I pointed it out to Wes. “Have you eaten at that cute place over there?” I asked.
As he was responding, a woman around my height exited. She was lean, wrapped in a wicked cool leather jacket that came down to her knees and tied with a belt at the waist. A hot pink scarf slashed across her body, bringing immediate attention to her neck. Her very familiar pitch black hair hung in loose curls around her shoulders. I squinted, trying desperately to see more of the woman’s face, but she was looking down into her bag.
“And they have the best eggs benedict…” I heard Wes’s words filter in and out of my mind, but my focus was solely on the woman across the street. A tingling sensation sprang up along my nerves, confusing me.
The woman’s shape, hair, the bone structure I could see reminded me so much of someone I knew. A strong sensation of familiarity niggled at the deepest recess of my brain as I took a few steps closer to the curb, catty-corner to the bakery. The woman pulled out a pair of sunglasses, and right before she put them on, her eyes met mine. I gasped and jumped back, slamming into Wes with the burden of weight that simple look hit me with.
“It can’t be…” I choked out, my mouth not able to form any more words with the jumble of emotions swirling around me.
Anger.
Frustration.
Desperation.
Helplessness.
Abandonment and everything in between shot through my body like a freight train steamrolling through the countryside.
“What, Mia? What’s the matter? Sweetheart, you’re white as a ghost.”
I blinked a few times and looked at Wes standing in front of me, arms to my biceps, holding me firmly. “I…I…it can’t be her.” I shook my head and glanced around him, but the woman was gone. Disappeared as if she’d never been there at all.
“B-B-But she was right there!” I glanced at the other businesses and down the sidewalks. Nothing. Gone.
“Who? Who did you think you saw?” Wes asked, concern tinging his tone.