only that Isabel was older and a sex therapist. That part didn’t even seem to come into play. For one thing, he wasn’t convinced that Isabel did have more experience than he did. She knew all the right moves, but was somehow tentative. A bit like a fish out of water.
Tray was starting to believe that they were having great sex because there was something more than physical between them. He’d never felt so at ease with a woman. She made him feel like a giant, like he could do anything, and do no wrong. It was a marvelous feeling and he was starting to hope it was coming from sincerity, not from playing out a game. He could fall in love with a woman who believed in him lock, stock and barrel. Who wouldn’t?
Tray cleared the tree line and stopped in a small meadow. In seconds, Isabel was beside him. “What do you think?”
Isabel drank in the view of the valley laid out below her. They’d been on the trail only a couple of hours, but they seemed miles above the town below them. To the west stretched the rocky mountains, already snow-capped for winter. To the east, more mountains. Mountains three-sixty.
“I always forget how beautiful it is out here,” she smiled.
“This is where I really come alive.”
“To think it’s just over an hour away and I get here so rarely.”
“It’s a shame, really,” Tray threw the pack to the ground and rummaged for a blanket, spreading it over the ground. Isabel wandered closer to the edge to take photographs.
“Is this your idea of a good place to lie down?” she teased, coming back to where he was setting up.
“Actually I wasn’t sure we’d be lying down again after the way things ended in the work room.” He studied Isabel, hoping for a window into her thoughts. All his insecurities, that had turtled themselves away, seemed to be coming out of hiding. Apparently he still had it in him to peeve off a woman with little or no effort. He couldn’t even figure out what it was he had done that was wrong.
Isabel grinned sheepishly. “Oh. That. I just wasn’t in as much of a hurry to leave as you were.”
Tray decided to let it drop for now. He pulled out half a bottle of wine and placed it on his makeshift table. “I thought this would be a good spot to stop for lunch.”
“We’ve barely had breakfast,” Isabel protested.
“You’ll be able to eat. The fresh air always helps my appetite.”
“You’re probably right,” Isabel agreed, settling on the corner of the blanket and helping unwrap the packages Tray was setting out.
Isabel looked surprised as she unwrapped brie and cold cuts, a container of left over berries and a baguette. “When did you have time to pack all of this?”
“While you were in the shower,” he replied, pouring wine into plastic cups. “Here’s to familiar places and new friends.”
Isabel smiled back, and Tray was relieved that whatever tension had existed between them seemed to have passed for now.
“When were you last in the mountains, Isabel?”
“Hmm. I’m going to say, about eighteen months ago. A convention at the Banff Springs.”
“Fairmount Banff Springs?”
“It think it will always be the Banff Springs to me.”
“Nice hotel.”
“Landmark hotel, you mean. We had therapists from all over the world. Said this was one of the most beautiful places they’d ever been.”
“We’re lucky to live here. Do you get to many conventions?”
“Not really.” Isabel paused, rolling her glass between her palms. “Usually it’s so busy at work, and with the girls… it’s been hard to get away.”
Tray broke the baguette in half, opened it lengthwise and passed a piece to Isabel. She spread a layer of brie and laid a thin slice of proscuitto over the top. “This beats egg salad sandwiches.”
Tray laughed and prepared his own baguette, heaped with brie, several slices of proscuitto, salami, and a dash of capers.
Isabel rolled her eyes as he put the concoction to his lips. “I can’t believe you brought
Tray was starting to believe that they were having great sex because there was something more than physical between them. He’d never felt so at ease with a woman. She made him feel like a giant, like he could do anything, and do no wrong. It was a marvelous feeling and he was starting to hope it was coming from sincerity, not from playing out a game. He could fall in love with a woman who believed in him lock, stock and barrel. Who wouldn’t?
Tray cleared the tree line and stopped in a small meadow. In seconds, Isabel was beside him. “What do you think?”
Isabel drank in the view of the valley laid out below her. They’d been on the trail only a couple of hours, but they seemed miles above the town below them. To the west stretched the rocky mountains, already snow-capped for winter. To the east, more mountains. Mountains three-sixty.
“I always forget how beautiful it is out here,” she smiled.
“This is where I really come alive.”
“To think it’s just over an hour away and I get here so rarely.”
“It’s a shame, really,” Tray threw the pack to the ground and rummaged for a blanket, spreading it over the ground. Isabel wandered closer to the edge to take photographs.
“Is this your idea of a good place to lie down?” she teased, coming back to where he was setting up.
“Actually I wasn’t sure we’d be lying down again after the way things ended in the work room.” He studied Isabel, hoping for a window into her thoughts. All his insecurities, that had turtled themselves away, seemed to be coming out of hiding. Apparently he still had it in him to peeve off a woman with little or no effort. He couldn’t even figure out what it was he had done that was wrong.
Isabel grinned sheepishly. “Oh. That. I just wasn’t in as much of a hurry to leave as you were.”
Tray decided to let it drop for now. He pulled out half a bottle of wine and placed it on his makeshift table. “I thought this would be a good spot to stop for lunch.”
“We’ve barely had breakfast,” Isabel protested.
“You’ll be able to eat. The fresh air always helps my appetite.”
“You’re probably right,” Isabel agreed, settling on the corner of the blanket and helping unwrap the packages Tray was setting out.
Isabel looked surprised as she unwrapped brie and cold cuts, a container of left over berries and a baguette. “When did you have time to pack all of this?”
“While you were in the shower,” he replied, pouring wine into plastic cups. “Here’s to familiar places and new friends.”
Isabel smiled back, and Tray was relieved that whatever tension had existed between them seemed to have passed for now.
“When were you last in the mountains, Isabel?”
“Hmm. I’m going to say, about eighteen months ago. A convention at the Banff Springs.”
“Fairmount Banff Springs?”
“It think it will always be the Banff Springs to me.”
“Nice hotel.”
“Landmark hotel, you mean. We had therapists from all over the world. Said this was one of the most beautiful places they’d ever been.”
“We’re lucky to live here. Do you get to many conventions?”
“Not really.” Isabel paused, rolling her glass between her palms. “Usually it’s so busy at work, and with the girls… it’s been hard to get away.”
Tray broke the baguette in half, opened it lengthwise and passed a piece to Isabel. She spread a layer of brie and laid a thin slice of proscuitto over the top. “This beats egg salad sandwiches.”
Tray laughed and prepared his own baguette, heaped with brie, several slices of proscuitto, salami, and a dash of capers.
Isabel rolled her eyes as he put the concoction to his lips. “I can’t believe you brought
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