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CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE






As the bitter cold of February gave way to brilliant sunshine in March, Jake laced up her hiking boots, deciding to chance a midday walk without the snowshoes she'd used for most of the winter. And instead of the ski poles she'd been using, she grabbed her cane. Common sense told her she shouldn't risk it, the trail would still be slippery, but she nearly ached to put some normalcy back into her life.

" Ready? "

Cheyenne's ears perked up, and she bounded off the sofa, waiting impatiently at the door for Jake to slip a water bottle into her waist pack. As soon as she was outside, Cheyenne leapt off the deck and into the snow, chasing a squirrel that had ventured too close to the cabin. Jake smiled as the squirrel found the nearest branch to perch upon, fussing incessantly at the dog that sniffed along the base of the tree.

Jake glanced up once into the sun, then slipped on sunglasses before stepping gingerly off the deck. She rarely ventured outside without snowshoes, feeling that her balance was better in the snow with the extra large shoes. That and the ski poles she always used.

But today, in the forty-degree temperatures and bright sunshine, she'd attempt a normal hike, without the cumbersome poles. They hadn't had snow in the last week, and the path they normally took into the forest was well-worn and nearly snow-free. She let Cheyenne take the lead, as she always did, and followed behind slowly, not wanting to push herself too hard.

She'd finished her physical therapy in late January and had been diligently continuing the exercises she'd learned. Her leg felt better, not great, but better. She endured the throbbing pain after each hike, occasionally having to resort to the pain pills she still kept by her bed. As before, the pain pills helped her sleep, helped her keep her dreams at bay. But instead of a little boy visiting her dreams, this time it was the touch of a woman she couldn't seem to shake. Nicole's face, her voice--they were as fresh in Jake's memory as if she were right here with them. But in her mind, Nicole was as Jake loved her, in jeans and boots, and the baggy sweatshirt she'd worn that last morning. Not in one of her neat suits, dressed for the office and her powerful friends.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to chase Nicole from her mind. During the dark nights of winter, she'd literally ached for her. At the very least, she'd expected a phone call or two, just to check up on her. But Ricky and Steven were the only ones who called, never Nicole. Jake had finally stopped hoping to see her name come up on caller ID.

Jake opened her eyes again, pushing back the sadness and trying to find peace in the bright sunshine and clear blue sky. She listened, hearing the chatter of a mountain chickadee. She let her mind go blank, absorbing the sounds around her--the wind as it carried the hint of spring through the trees, the squirrel that barked at her from a low-hanging spruce branch, the screaming call of a Steller's jay farther along the trail.

Jake smiled as Cheyenne came back down the path, looking for her. Her intelligent eyes met Jake's, and she cocked her head sideways, waiting.

" I'm fine, " she told the dog. " Let's go."

 






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