Ashlyn hasn't spoken a word since the age of eight, and her heart's never felt more protected. But, when the confident and ever so charming Derek stumbles into her quiet little world, her emotions-and forbidden desires-have never been so loud.
...
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They'd been driving for almost an hour, and still, Ashlyn didn't know where it was that they were going. She'd tried asking after they'd passed the familiar highways in turn for forests and bumpy roads, but Derek had refused to say much, instead just offering a cheeky grin as his answer.
It required more effort than she'd thought to relinquish control of the situation and trust that he knew where he was going. That would have been easier if she hadn't watched twice as he looked at the road signs with confusion.
For all she knew, he'd taken a wrong turn, and they were about to become lost in the forests of Maine with the bears and the moose, and whatever other nasty critters lurked in the woodlands. Fortunately, she'd been smart enough to retrieve her phone from the cafe before they'd left. Not that it would have been much use, she realized when she checked it, the red battery light glaring at her.
She placed it back on the console and took a deep breath, reminding herself that she could trust him. He'd been a boy scout, after all. A terrible one, her conscience reminded her, the memory of their first meeting flashing before her.
She snorted, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Derek chuckled beside her, making a right turn.
"What's so funny?" he asked, glancing at her with a spark of humor in his gaze.
Ashlyn shook her head that it was nothing. Though her grin when she met his eyes said otherwise.
Ashlyn nearly deflated with relief when the next right turn saw them trading the brooding forest-lined roads for a quaint little town, the Welcome to Meadowbank sign assuring her that Derek knew exactly what he was doing.
Meadowbank boasted of character and charm, all the shop fronts and homes that they passed adhering to the heritage pieces of the buildings. It brought her joy to see the history so beautifully captured and honored many years later.
When Derek pulled into a busy playground parking lot, Ashlyn turned to him with a look of puzzlement. She couldn't spy a toilet block from where they sat, and she was sure they hadn't traveled all this way just to visit a playground. Glassmont had two excellent playgrounds of its own.
"Trust me," he winked, stepping out of the car and coming around to open her door. That was the third time he'd told her to trust him, and though she knew that she did, it was a struggle not to listen to the niggles of doubt.
But if that day had taught her anything so far, it was that she needed to trust her heart a little more, and her mind a little less. So, she put on her best smile, took his hand, and believed in how he made her feel, regardless of any variables or unknowns.
With his hand hovering over the small of her back, he guided her towards the baby pines that opened onto the playing field. She could hear the distant squeals and peals of laughter that broke through the trees. With each step that led her closer, she felt a racing in her heart, anticipating what waited on the other side.
