opposite direction, camera in hand. Her boots scratched across the parched ground. In the distance, dust swirled and skittered as the wind kicked up.
She took a few random landscape shots as she simply reveled in the joy of being home. The sun warmed her to her bones, and she enjoyed the heat scraping across her cheeks.
She climbed up a slight rise and gazed down at the winding creek bank that carved through the layers of rock and soil. Two hawks circled high overhead, dipping then soaring higher.
There was a wildness to the land that called to her. Untamed, sometimes harsh, but always beautiful. It was rough and unyielding, and yet it teemed with life.
She could still remember the first time she’d seen it. Really seen it. At sixteen, she’d viewed the vast acreage as the ultimate freedom. Here she could come and for miles be the only person around. She’d spent many an hour perched on a rock, knees drawn to her chest, merely experiencing the peace she so desperately needed.
And now she was home. A year away had only made home that much sweeter. She wouldn’t leave again. Not when everything she loved was right here, nestled in the beauty of Southwest Texas.
She continued snapping pictures as she topped another hill. It wasn’t until she heard Seth’s shout that she realized she’d wandered so far. She turned in the direction of his voice and saw him waving in the distance.
Tucking her camera under her arm, she started back. Seth leaned against the side of the truck watching her approach. She saw no sign of Brad. He must have left already.
“Get some good shots?” Seth asked as she got to the truck.
She smiled and nodded.
“Ready to head back or do you want to stay awhile?”
She looked at her watch. “I suppose we should head back. Carmen will be upset if we miss lunch.”
They climbed in and Jasmine put her camera away.
“I liked the pictures you emailed from Paris,” Seth said as they drove back toward the house. “I could tell you enjoyed yourself.”
“Paris is fantastic. But it’s not home.”
He glanced sideways at her. “You missed it here.”
“I missed you and Zane,” she said pointedly.
He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and looked away. He seemed uncomfortable with her statement. But that was fine. She hadn’t imagined it would be easy to overcome the image he’d formed of her. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but it would happen if she had her way.
“Jasmine…”
Her gaze found his and she cocked her head in question.
“This morning. What happened?”
Chapter Seven
Seth knew full well what had taken place after talking to Zane earlier, but for some inexplicable reason, he wanted Jasmine to trust him enough to open up to him. Like she’d opened up to Zane.
And though he’d already heard the story from Zane, as Jasmine retold it, it had a much more profound effect. He felt every twinge of fear in her voice. Felt her shame. Lived through her terror with her.
At some point, he reached across the seat and curled his fingers tightly around hers. There was a quiet, unemotional quality to her voice as she finished. It was as if the telling had numbed her.
She glanced at him from underneath her lashes, a small look filled with nervousness. It was in that moment he knew she’d feared telling him, feared his reaction. Had his avoidance of her past led her to believe he was somehow ashamed of her?
That moment in the Houston bar six years ago had always been a source of awkwardness. Neither was comfortable broaching the subject, and he’d let it lie because he hadn’t wanted to bring up painful memories.
He braked and stopped in the middle of the road. He sat there a moment, Jasmine’s hand still enfolded in his. Then he turned in his seat to face her.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“It’s not something I was very proud of,” she said in a low voice. “The way we met was bad enough. I didn’t have any desire for you to know what
She took a few random landscape shots as she simply reveled in the joy of being home. The sun warmed her to her bones, and she enjoyed the heat scraping across her cheeks.
She climbed up a slight rise and gazed down at the winding creek bank that carved through the layers of rock and soil. Two hawks circled high overhead, dipping then soaring higher.
There was a wildness to the land that called to her. Untamed, sometimes harsh, but always beautiful. It was rough and unyielding, and yet it teemed with life.
She could still remember the first time she’d seen it. Really seen it. At sixteen, she’d viewed the vast acreage as the ultimate freedom. Here she could come and for miles be the only person around. She’d spent many an hour perched on a rock, knees drawn to her chest, merely experiencing the peace she so desperately needed.
And now she was home. A year away had only made home that much sweeter. She wouldn’t leave again. Not when everything she loved was right here, nestled in the beauty of Southwest Texas.
She continued snapping pictures as she topped another hill. It wasn’t until she heard Seth’s shout that she realized she’d wandered so far. She turned in the direction of his voice and saw him waving in the distance.
Tucking her camera under her arm, she started back. Seth leaned against the side of the truck watching her approach. She saw no sign of Brad. He must have left already.
“Get some good shots?” Seth asked as she got to the truck.
She smiled and nodded.
“Ready to head back or do you want to stay awhile?”
She looked at her watch. “I suppose we should head back. Carmen will be upset if we miss lunch.”
They climbed in and Jasmine put her camera away.
“I liked the pictures you emailed from Paris,” Seth said as they drove back toward the house. “I could tell you enjoyed yourself.”
“Paris is fantastic. But it’s not home.”
He glanced sideways at her. “You missed it here.”
“I missed you and Zane,” she said pointedly.
He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter and looked away. He seemed uncomfortable with her statement. But that was fine. She hadn’t imagined it would be easy to overcome the image he’d formed of her. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but it would happen if she had her way.
“Jasmine…”
Her gaze found his and she cocked her head in question.
“This morning. What happened?”
Chapter Seven
Seth knew full well what had taken place after talking to Zane earlier, but for some inexplicable reason, he wanted Jasmine to trust him enough to open up to him. Like she’d opened up to Zane.
And though he’d already heard the story from Zane, as Jasmine retold it, it had a much more profound effect. He felt every twinge of fear in her voice. Felt her shame. Lived through her terror with her.
At some point, he reached across the seat and curled his fingers tightly around hers. There was a quiet, unemotional quality to her voice as she finished. It was as if the telling had numbed her.
She glanced at him from underneath her lashes, a small look filled with nervousness. It was in that moment he knew she’d feared telling him, feared his reaction. Had his avoidance of her past led her to believe he was somehow ashamed of her?
That moment in the Houston bar six years ago had always been a source of awkwardness. Neither was comfortable broaching the subject, and he’d let it lie because he hadn’t wanted to bring up painful memories.
He braked and stopped in the middle of the road. He sat there a moment, Jasmine’s hand still enfolded in his. Then he turned in his seat to face her.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“It’s not something I was very proud of,” she said in a low voice. “The way we met was bad enough. I didn’t have any desire for you to know what
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