Caroline

Chapter 8

Caroline sat holding a mug of coffee with both hands, staring at nothing. She had been over the events of the night before so many times, she had given herself a headache. One moment, she was aghast at herself for going to a virtual stranger's house, uninvited, and just assuming they would share a meal together. The next moment, she was appalled at the manner in which she had left him standing there, probably suffering whiplash from the abruptness of the change in her demeanor. How could he possibly know what the direction of her thoughts had been? And then she remembered those thoughts, and how important it had been to put distance between herself and danger.

She had once given her trust, body, and heart to a man she had believed to be the love of her life. Derek was handsome, charming, and successful. Though she was worth more than he on paper, she had always been astounded that he had chosen to be with her. She was dazzled by him: the way he dressed, the people he knew, the places he'd been, and the things that he'd done. He could have had any woman he wanted. Of course, she realized now, he very likely had.

It was humiliating to know that she had been so naive, so stupid. A man like Derek Hollingsworth would never be satisfied with a wife as plain and simple as Caroline Davidson. No matter her net worth, she was still who she was. She had allowed herself to believe that Derek was the man she'd wanted him to be, because she'd needed to believe it.

Making friends had been easy for her at one time, making romantic connections had never been. She had always been more reserved than most girls her age. In high school, so many of them had been focused on the "right" clothes and makeup in order to catch the eye of whichever "hottie" was deemed to be top prize of the moment. Caroline could never wrap her mind around the concept of pretending to be something she wasn't to achieve something she didn't want. The boys she might have considered never considered her. College was better, as it was easier to find like-minded young women who cared more about studying and grades than where the best parties were being held. Not that she didn't attend her share of keggers, dances, and fraternal get-togethers, but they were almost always with a group of other girls. She'd gone on a few dates, but none of them had led to any sort of relationship; at least, not until Derek.

She had seen him walk into the party, as had every other girl in the room. With his height, physical beauty, and charisma, it was impossible not to notice him. Whispered words told her that he was an alum back in town for a few days. Though he had graduated only a couple of years earlier, he was already making a name for himself. Every one of her friends admired some part of him aloud, as she admired the whole of him quietly, inside herself. Admiring from afar had become something at which she was quite good, having had so much practice. So it was more than a surprise when one of her friends elbowed her and said, "He's looking at you."

"Who?"

"Who have we been talking about since he walked in?"

"He's looking at one of you, more like," Caroline had said.

"I think we're about to find out. He's coming over, and I swear he's looking right at you."

Her snort of derision was cut off when the man himself stepped in front of her.

"Hey there," he'd said, leaning down to speak closer into her ear, above the party noise. "I'm Derek. And you are...?"

"Caroline," She had barely been able to say it.

"Beautiful," he'd responded, and stunned her with that very first heart-stopping, panty dropping smile.

**********

Movement outside the window she was facing caught her attention. Hermit had walked into the clearing from the trail that led from his cabin. He paused his steps and looked in her direction. She didn't think he could see her, but just in case, she angled herself more in shadow. A few seconds later, he dropped his head and walked on to the trail leading away. She watched him until he was no longer visible through the trees.

Was it fair for her to paint every other person with Derek's brush? Couldn't she just relax and be friends with someone who had the ability to make her laugh? She needed that laughter. And he apparently appreciated her ability to provide him with a home-cooked meal. What was wrong with that? They would be able to share some very pleasant times together if she could open herself just a little bit. She would guard her heart against any and all intruders, but she could still be a friend to someone. Her new neighbor would provide her with an excellent place to begin.

With this burgeoning hope settled inside her, she rose from her chair and set about the rest of her day. She had company coming that evening.