One Day (A Valentine Short Story) Read Free Page A

“Physically? By yourself?”
    Liam grinned. “No, it’s a little more complicated than that.”
    Knowing he’d been in Scotland so long seemed to make me more aware of his accent, and I realized that he ended some of his words with a Scottish burr. That was hot, too.
    “How?” I was actually interested to know.
    “I survey the timber harvesting area. That means drawing maps of the topographical features of the land using a computer program, planning and directing construction of roads and rail networks that we need to transport the logs from the harvest area to a safe storage and loading area. I ensure the safe and efficient removal of the logs by planning and overseeing the construction of campsites, loading docks, bridges, equipment shelters and water systems. And I select the methods and equipment we’ll use for handling the logs.”
    There wasn’t anything about that that wasn’t interesting or appealing to me, and I couldn’t explain why.
    Okay, maybe it was the lumberjack fantasy.
    “Forest engineer.” I nodded. “Good job.”
    He laughed. “Glad you think so. What do you do, Hazel?”
    As good as my name sounded on his lips, it wasn’t good enough to dig a real answer out of me. I did not want to tell this big handsome forest engineer that my job sucked. “I’m a journalist,” I evaded.
    “What kind of journalist?”
    “The kind of journalist that takes a break from her life by borrowing her brother’s camper van.”
    The kind of journalist that didn’t want to talk about it.
    I threw back the rest of my tea.
    Liam seemed to get what I wasn’t saying and followed my lead by finishing his drink. He handed it to me, something like disappointment in his eyes. “I guess I better get out of your hair then.”
    Feeling rude and guilty since he’d offered answers to my inquisitiveness, I took his mug without meeting his gaze. “Yeah, I should get moving.”
    “Okay.” He slid toward the back of the van and I opened the doors for him, watching as he climbed out.
    He looked back at me as he turned his torch on. “It was nice meeting you, Hazel.”
    I wished he’d stop saying my name like that!
    Ignoring the sudden urge to ask him not to go away, I gave him a tremulous smile. “Thanks for not murdering me, Liam.”
    His eyes seemed to flash at my words in a way that gave me the tingles again. With one last crooked smile thrown my way, Liam Brody disappeared into the dark woods by Loch Alvie, leaving me with this strange ache in my chest.
    He was gone for good.
    “It’s for the best,” I whispered to myself, closing the van doors. “Fucking Valentine’s Day.”
    ***
    A while later I had a quick, cold wash over my sink, brushed my teeth, put a little make up on, changed into clean clothes (as fast as possible), and got into the driver’s seat of the van.
    According to my brother, Johnny, who’d done this highland trip a few times in his camper van, there was a great place for breakfast near Newtonmore. It was kind of a middle of nowhere diner where lorry drivers stopped to eat.
    Apparently the breakfast was good.
    Following my brother’s directions, I made my way there in what was turning out to be a beautiful sunny but crisply cold morning. It had been raining for the past few days, but of course the sun would come out on Valentine’s Day.
    I thought of Liam in his tent by himself, wondering what he was planning on eating for breakfast. I also wondered about his method of travel. There wasn’t another car in the layby… was the idiot walking everywhere?
    Well that was a sure way to get killed by a passing vehicle.
    But that wasn’t any of my business. I frowned.
    Maybe I should turn back and get him.
    Or maybe not!
    Ignoring my concern for a complete stranger, I found the diner and parked up beside an artic lorry.
    It wasn’t the most attractive place inside. Everything was grimy beige in color. The floors had rubber marks all over it, and the leather on the booths had seen better