Inventing Herself by Sommer Marsden Read Free Book Online Page B

would do.’
    She’d text Temperance, let her know she was working from home today. The luxury of being a magazine writer. You often got to traipse all over the place in the name of work. Today she’d do exactly what she’d been assigned. She’d find part of herself. Even some small part would work for her.
    Simon pulled her to a ledge of rocks. Giant boulders laid out and staggered before a small waterfall. During the day, with the sun beating down on the varied shades of brown and grey, this area looked like some giant sleeping serpent’s back. It was richer and slicker in the dark. Like black mountains in the gloom. She walked faster, trying to keep up with Simon, who snuffled along happily.
    Finally, she sat. She pulled his lead so that he obeyed and sat too, then she unclipped him. As the sky began to lighten to pink, she put her chin in her hand and watched the show. Just as the sun started to penetrate the gloom, just as bits of orange and yellow could be spotted, she groaned aloud, ‘What am I going to do?’
    A voice answered. ‘For starters, sit back and watch this gorgeous sunrise.’

Chapter Six
    Sophie let out a strangled cry, but Simon just thumped his tail and sat beside her. No growl. No menace. No hackles up and certainly no aggression. She let herself relax just a bit.
    ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t even see you sitting there. I just –’
    ‘Shh,’ the man said. ‘Here it comes. The snow clouds have passed. They passed around four this morning.’
    Another early bird like me, she thought, only mildly annoyed that he’d shushed her. He was just a darker shadow in the purpling gloom. Soon she’d see who it was telling her when to speak and when to hush.
    The thought bled away with the lightening of the sky. Even Simon was transfixed. Or it might have been the birds who hadn’t fled the cold for warmer climes keeping him alert. The forest sounds increased as the sun rose.
    When she finally broke her eyes from the ice cream-coloured hues of morning, she found herself looking at a stunning specimen of man. His face lit orange and pink and lemon yellow. His hair was dark. She couldn’t tell if it was black or brown but it was slightly wavy, falling just a bit over his brow. His face was handsome without being pretty, chiselled without looking artificial. Yes, he was just the perfect amount of handsome, she decided, and then chuckled at the judgmental thought.
    ‘What’s so funny?’ He smiled, full lips curving up into a nice smile. The kind of smile that a person open to the world and comfortable in their skin owned.
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘Oh, come on. We’re sunrise buddies. Surely you can tell me.’ He cocked his head and picked at a spot on his jeans.
    Like her, he wore jeans and boots. A big parka and gloves. That was all she could tell for certain in the spotlight the sun had created.
    Sophie swallowed hard. ‘I just thought, looking at you, that you were –’ She shook her head and looked away. Patted Simon to give her hands something to do.
    ‘What? I was what? Dangerous? Deranged? A serial killer?’
    ‘No. But are you?’ she asked, only half teasing.
    He sighed. ‘Nope. Nothing nearly that interesting. So tell me, morning buddy, what it was.’
    She figured what the hell, right? ‘I thought that you were just the right amount of handsome.’
    He cocked his head again and then grinned. The grin made her stomach feel warm and syrupy. The rest of her was quickly following suit. Not what she’d anticipated when she’d set out this morning into the frigid blackness of an early winter morning.
    ‘Well, thanks!’
    ‘I’m sorry.’ She looked away, studied a birch tree that seemed to be bowing down to kiss the earth. She loved birches. Maybe she should just go investigate …
    ‘For thinking I’m handsome? God, I’m not. If more women thought that I’d probably date more.’ He laughed. Then he made a welcoming click with his tongue and, to her surprise, Simon got up and left