She smiled at him. He appeared sincere. “Well, you would’ve had to also see me in braces with huge frizzy hair.”
He chuckled at that.
“Let’s do this tour thing,” she cheered.
“All right. But I must insist you eat first, ma’am. You need to keep your strength up.” He gestured to yogurt, granola, cottage cheese, berries, croissants, and cheeses spread out on the counter.
She didn’t think Chase was patronizing her because of her condition or because she’d been tired last night. He seemed to genuinely want to take care of her.
She clapped her hands together as she perused the food on the counter. “How delightful.”
Being here was delightful. Chase was delightful too, but she wasn’t about to tell him that.
In the past, she’d fallen for her boyfriends too fast, her impetuous nature taking over and her heart leaving her brain behind. The results had varied from hurtful to disastrous. No matter how incredible Chase seemed, she needed to be cautious and keep her eyes wide open. She’d known him all of a day and she couldn’t let the romantic location or his kindness make her rush ahead.
Assembling a parfait, she also put a white cheese square, a chocolate croissant, and some of the scrambled eggs on her plate, grabbing a bottle of orange juice from the fridge.
They ate and talked about the wonders they might see today.
Before she knew it, she and Chase were loaded in one of the Mercedes-Benz SUVs with two of the security guards, Peter and Tony, trailing them in the other. Would it be odd having guards trailing them all day? They’d been great on their walk yesterday evening.
Lizzy gaped at the scenery, the lush greenery of the hills and mountains and the deep-blue lake had a low-lying mist swirling over them this morning. It was other-worldly and magical. It was like a dream being in this ethereal spot. She gushed over everything as they drove through a tunnel and straight into the town of Hallstatt.
“Oh, it’s so quaint. Oh, it’s so charming. Oh, it’s so beautiful.” She couldn’t get over this story-book town and could hardly wait to learn the history, see it all up close and personal, and … “Is there truly gelato in most towns in Europe like I’ve seen on social media, or is that only in Italy? If it really is a thing in other spots, can we get some today? Please, please, please.”
Chase chuckled. “I’ve heard the gelato throughout Europe is incredible. We’ll find some for sure.”
“Ah … I love you!” she gushed out. Then she froze, turning to him and seeing his eyes were as wide as hers. She wrung her hands. “I mean that in the most innocent and not weird and notromantic way. I honestly say those words far too often. Don’t let it freak you out.”
“No stress.” He held up one hand and chuckled easily, but still looked a little uncertain. “Good to know gelato makes you so happy.”
She laughed too, clasping her hands tightly and trying to calm down. The words ‘I love you’ came out far too easily with the adorable babies and children and her volunteers, but she couldn’t be saying them to a grown man as appealing as Chase. Forehead palm slap.
Chase pulled into a parking lot, using Google translate on his phone to figure out how to pay for his car and for the SUV with the guards in it behind them. It was all automatic, so he simply had to put in their license plate number.
That was thoughtful of him. They circled once and found a spot. Their protectors were still circling as Lizzy grabbed her things and Chase climbed out of his door.
“The timing is perfect,” he said as he opened her door and took her hand. “Our tour starts in half an hour. Are you ready to ride the gondola up?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” She squeezed his hand. Were they on a holding hand basis? Wasn’t that for couples who said I love you? She felt an instant spike of fear and uncertainty. How was she supposed to slow down when Chase seemed incredible? Was she rushing ahead like she always did? “Should I bring my jacket or anything?”
“I would. I think the salt mine might be cold.”
Lizzy tugged her hand free and grabbed her jacket, slipping it on but not zipping it and slinging her purse across her chest. It was smart not to hold hands, especially because she’d liked the sensation.
Peter and Tony slid into a spot a dozen spaces away from theirs and hurried to jump out. They were dressed casually in T-shirts and joggers. Lizzy was glad they weren’t wearing suits like bodyguards. Much less conspicuous.
She and Chase walked slowly through the beautiful town that bordered the lake. He promised they’d tour the churches, the town square, and the waterfront, as well as find lunch and gelato, after the salt mine tour and the sky bridges.
Waiting in line for a few minutes, they climbed into what she would call a cable car. Chase had called it a gondola, but the locals called it a funicular. They stared out the windows as they rose up the mountainside above the lake and the town. They ascended quietly with a small crowd. Lizzy pressed against the glass for a better view of the church spires and many centuries-old buildings displayed next to the lake below them. Chase stood behind her and peered over her head to give window space to shorter tourists. When his chest brushed against her back, she sucked in a loud breath. She hadn’t been lying that she was obsessed with that chest of his, but she had a mixed reaction to being so close.
They walked up a mountain path, pine trees acting as sentries and infusing the air with their sharp scent, and entered the mine’s gift shop and lobby. Their tour guides had their group of twenty put on huge white jumpsuits over their clothes, struggling to find one big enough for Tony. Lizzy and Chase laughed and took pictures of how silly they looked.
She was grateful for the warmth of her jacket and the jumpsuit within minutes. They walked down damp tunnels as the guide started telling them the history of the mines. Their guide was adorable, with a beautiful Austrian accent. They laughed a lot at the silly jokes she probably had to repeat multiple times a day. They progressed through tunnels of various heights and widths. Chase had to duck in spots, and Lizzy doubted Tony stood upright the entire tour. The walls and ceilings were made of rough concrete or wood. It would’vescraped Chase’s head if he hadn’t ducked. Tony was at the back of the group and Peter at the front. She kept checking, but Tony was doing good, keeping his head down as well.
The tour of the salt mine was fascinating—the history, the tunnels, caves, rooms piled high with salt, and systems of trains and deep wells that they hauled salt up and down from.
To think the cavemen had found these mines because they’d tasted salt in the streams and dug into the mountain for the source. They’d been seasoning and preserving food and exporting that salt for many years.
