They remained submerged in the soothing waters, their eyes drawn to the majestic sight of an eagle gliding gracefully across the sky above. For a few moments, they were silent, lost in the beauty of nature’s spectacle. Then, as the eagle disappeared from view behind the tops of pine trees in the distance, they slowly returned their attention to each other.
“Any significant others in your past?” Kellen asked, pulling Reva’s attention from its reverie.
Reva, taken aback by the directness, couldn’t help but remark, “Wow, you certainly don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
He offered a nonchalant shrug, his honesty shining through. “I prefer being straightforward. Dancing around topics—” he paused, locking eyes with her. “It only leads to misunderstandings and wasted time. Life’s too short for that. I’d rather we know where we stand, understand each other’s journeys and the paths that led us here.” He gave her a half-smile. “I’m interested in pursuing a future with you, Reva.”
Her eyes lingered on his bare chest for a moment, finding it difficult to breathe.
Reva appreciated his candor and realized the depth of his question was not just being nosy about her past but was his attempt to unlock the potential for what could unfold between the two of them. Nodding, she shared a smile, feeling a newfound respect for Kellen’s approach to life.
“In that case,” she began, a hint of vulnerability in her voice, “I was in love once. His name was Merritt…”
26
“Iwas madly in love with Merritt Hardwick—had been since high school,” Reva told Kellen.
Kellen’s eyebrows lifted. “The political guy who just got busted for financial crimes?”
She nodded. “Yes, that one.”
“Wow.” He shook his head, the look on his face punctuating his astonishment.
Reva inhaled deeply, her voice now tinged with nostalgia. “Merritt set off for Harvard right after graduation, while I made my way to Tulane. Yet, our connection remained. We talked every day by phone. I never dated anyone else. To my knowledge, neither did he. Our summers were spent reunited in Wyoming, where we were virtually inseparable, only parting when the inevitability of fall sent us back to our respective paths.”
Her gaze drifted to the horizon. “Our story took a slight turn when Merritt embarked on his journey to law school. That’s when he plunged into the political realm, securing an internship with our state senator. Politics consumed him, his ambitions soaring to the heights of envisioning us as the nation’s first couple, nestled in the White House.” A faint smile graced her lips at the thought.
“I take it that was not your dream,” Kellen prompted.
Reva shook her head. “No. I can’t imagine anything worse than residing in our nation’s capital city among those who make politics their world.”
“But you chose to stay here in Thunder Mountain, eventually stepping into the role of mayor?”
“Exactly.Washington, D.C. never called to me. This…” she gestured to the vast landscape enveloping them, “These mountains are where my heart belongs—my home. I could never find fulfillment anywhere else.”
They sat in silence for several seconds before Kellen turned to her. “Life is a series of choices.”
Reva nodded. “Yes, and Merritt left me.”
“Well, the decision was mutual. Right?”
She frowned. “I’m not following.”
Kellen gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “You left him as well. You chose to remain in Wyoming instead of going with him.”
The comment ruffled. “I’m not sure that’s true. I was madly in love with him,” she argued. “And had been for as long as I could remember. We had a deep and lengthy history. It was Merritt who first kissed me. Merritt who snuck in my window at night to study, even though my parents were sticklers about us never being alone in the house without supervision. He was the one who held my hand at my dad’s funeral. And it was Merritt who urged me to open my law practice—and later, to step into the role of mayor.”
She heard her voice tremble as she added, “I was in a dark place after Merritt left. I numbed my pain with alcohol, a habit I now have under control, but losing him…well, I lost a part of myself.”
“Then why didn’t you go with him?” Kellen asked gently.
“Are you suggesting I made a mistake?”
“Not at all. I’m merely highlighting that we all make choices—good, bad, and indifferent. Those choices pave the path to our future. You weren’t a victim of the relationship if both of you opted to move on without each other.”
Reva’s gaze lingered on the blue sky before settling back on Kellen. “You really don’t mince words, do you?” She exhaled deeply. “There's truth in what you say. The unfortunate reality is, at times, you’re presented with decisions where all options lead to loss.”
Kellen looked at her with those dark chocolate eyes as if he could see into her soul. The scrutiny made her uncomfortable.
