Pathways (9780307822208) by Lisa T. Bergren Page B

mean?”
    “Your
oh
. You always say that word when you want to say more but are holding back.”
    “I do?”
    “Yes.”
    “Oh.” He caught himself and they both smiled.
    “You asked where my dad was this year, Eli.”
    “I know.”
    “You do?”
    “Yeah. My dad got a postcard from your father. From Peru.”
    Bryn sighed. “Did Ben know?”
    “No.” He seemed curious about her question. “So, what did you and Ben talk about?” he prompted.
    “My dad, for one.” Just saying that much out loud left her feeling vulnerable.
    “I’m sorry, Bryn. It’s gotta hurt, to have your folks break up.”
    “Yes.” She rose, lifted the lid on the pan and fiddled with the fish, suddenly wanting something to do. “Maybe it’s the plight of only children, huh? It becomes all the more important that your family stick together, however miserable they might be.”
    Eli shook his head a little. “Can’t speak to that. My parents, thankfully, have always gotten along.”
    Bryn nodded. Ben would probably tell her it had to do with their faith.
    “You missing him?” Eli asked softly.
    “Yes,” she said, pushing against the sudden ache in her throat. She tried to stop the tears, but it was too much. The day, the week, being here … She couldn’t fight the tears anymore and broke down, hating being weak and blubbering in front of Eli.
    She could hear him moving toward her. “You shouldn’t—,” she said.
    “Shh.” He gathered her in his arms. He smelled of wood smoke and leather and something faintly spicy. She cried then, relaxing into his embrace, making his shirt wet from her tears. It felt good to be held, to be cared for, and his chest was solid, his arms around her so strong. She felt safe and warm.
    “Bryn,” he said.
    “Wh-what?” She looked up at him, suddenly longing for him to kiss her, to make her forget her inner pain.
    He leaned back, his arms pulling away. “The fish. I think they’re burning.”
    “Oh!” She grabbed the pan from the burner and raised the lid. “They were going to be so perfect!” He didn’t respond but instead moved to her side, his eyes upon her. More cautious now at exposing herself, she couldn’t bear to look back at him, to offer her lips to him again and have him pull away as he had before.
    “They’ll be fine,” he said soothingly. He wiped a remaining tear from her cheek and tenderly tucked her hair behind her ear. “They’ll be just fine, Bryn.”
    Bryn helped Eli move to his own cabin the next day, and from there he radioed his office to tell his assistant it would be a few more days before he could leave Summit. Bryn carefully avoided his eyes as he talked over the CB, probably so he wouldn’t see her look of confusion or hurt or sorrow at the mention of his departure, Eli guessed. Quietly he asked his assistant, Jamie, to call Sara Cussler and tell her he’d be phoning within the week. Then he signed
    “She won’t like it, your being here,” Bryn said, folding back the blanket on his bed.
    “Why not?” He knew. He wanted to see if she would verbalize it.
    She finally met his eyes, and her lost-little-girl look threatened to take him to his knees, make him apologize, and hold and kiss her until those brown eyes sparkled with the knowledge of joy and peace. Bryn Skye Bailey moved him as no other woman had in his entire life. Why oh why did she have to be so lost? She had to find herself before they would ever have a chance. And coming across her again, when he’d finally stopped dreaming about her at night, when he’d finally met a nice, sweet girl like Sara, was a cruel coincidence.
    There is no such thing as coincidence
, Ben always told him.
Only divine appointment
. But Eli was having a hard time believing that this was a God thing. His Lord was loving and full of grace and peace and joy. What Eli felt for Bryn was torturous, like a bed of nails.
    “You
know
why she won’t like it, Eli,” she said, fluffing a pillow.
    “Quit. Quit with the