Her Desert Knight by Jennifer Lewis

love. I was stupid.”
    She turned and started walking again, batting branches away from her face, descending the trail so fast he worried she’d slip on the loose gravel.
    Quasar’s chest swelled with pity. Which annoyed him. She didn’t want pity. He hurried after her. “You had a job at Princeton. That’s the epitome of success.”
    “And I gave it up because it interfered with me being home to vacuum the carpets. Obviously I didn’t deserve it.”
    He grabbed her arm. “What kind of pity party is this? You need to turn your life around, not whine about it.”
    She’d stiffened at his grip, and now she tried to tug her arm away. Then a sob emerged from her throat, like the sound a wounded animal would make. “I know. I know! I hate myself.”
    Remorse clutched at his heart. Had he added to her sorrows by insulting her like the men who’d tried to crush her? “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m just upset to see an intelligent and capable—and very beautiful—woman selling herself so short. You have an amazing amount of potential and you should tap into it.”
    Her eyes were bright with tears. “I know I do. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
    “Nothing’s wrong with you.” He’d softened his grip on her arm, but didn’t let go. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d run away if he did. “You need to believe that. And a good start would be to look around at the incredible beauty surrounding us and let yourself appreciate it for a moment.”
    She blinked, and a small tear rolled quietly down her cheek. She looked up and he saw the sky reflected in her gaze. A dark shape darted across her pupil: the flickering outline of a bird high above. He turned and watched a kestrel circling over them. “Careful,” he whispered. “Don’t show any weakness or he might come eat us.”
    A smile tugged at her sad mouth. “We’d be awfully big bites.”
    “And I’ll protect you with my bare hands.” He lifted the one that wasn’t holding her upper arm.
    “You have very capable hands for a businessman.”
    “I play sports.”
    “Oh.” She glanced at his body. A flash of awareness jumped inside him. He hoped she felt it, too.
    “So I’m fit enough to protect you.”
    “I guess that’s reassuring.” The smile now reached to her eyes. “And you’re right. It is stunning here. I mustn’t let myself get wrapped up in fear again. I’m trying to get away from that.”
    “Good. Because before that happened I think you were enjoying our kiss.”
    She looked up at the bird again. “I was.” Her lip quivered slightly. “Too much. I enjoyed kissing my ex-husband at first, too.”
    “I’m not him.” He let go of her arm gently. She didn’t run off. That was a start.
    “I know you’re not.” She fixed her eyes on him. “It’s just that I was so in love. It started with attraction and quickly spiraled into me giving him my entire life. I don’t trust myself to be sensible.”
    “I don’t trust myself to be sensible, either, very often.” He was more inclined to plunge in headfirst and deal with the fallout later. “Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. Don’t lose the part of you that feels, or that cares. That’s what makes us human.” He couldn’t stand that she thought shutting herself off from experience was the best way to protect herself from pain.
    Even if she might have a point, especially where he was concerned. He didn’t exactly have the best track record when it came to long-term loving relationships. “Look at the view from here.” They’d reached a bend in the road and a gap in the trees revealed a clear view down to a river sparkling in a valley below them. “Isn’t it amazing to see a river running here so close to the vast barren desert?”
    “This whole mountain range seems to rise up out of nowhere. I guess it shows you that life can flourish in surprising places.”
    “And joy can flourish in unexpected places, too.”
    She turned sharply to look