But the surprise was a pleasant reminder that Darci was her own person, that she had always had her own way of doing things that rarely matched what the world expected of her. Her marrying him on such short notice was a prime example.

The condo’s adobe-style buildings glowed in the night light, blending perfectly with the distant Rocky Mountains as their backdrop. Water ran peacefully in the shadows, and the night was alive with subtle sounds. Cole bad the strange sensation he’d found a haven to rest, to heal, to learn to live again.

He grabbed his suitcase to follow Darci, tripping on an unobserved curb when he turned. A low curse slipped from his mouth, and he struggled to hide the pain shooting through his still-healing hip. Sweat broke out on his skin with the effort, but the pain faded into a dull ache at Darci’s touch.

“Are you all right?”

The concern in her voice soothed him, offered him fresh hope. “I guess I’m getting a little tired. I wasn’t watching where I was going and wrenched my leg.”

She didn’t gush, didn’t fuss, simply took his hand and led the way to her section of the building. He followed almost eagerly, wanting to see more, to learn all he could about this woman.

His new wife was like a many-faceted crystal. Each time he looked at her, he found a new sparkle, a new perspective, a fresh delight. And he wanted to keep looking until he knew everything there was to know about her. Then he’d have the memories to savor later when he was alone, when he was wondering how to proceed with a life that seemed to have little direction beyond the deadline of their short-term marriage and his concern over Mandy.

A small fountain splashed in the entryway of her condo, explaining the water sounds he found so soothing. She released his hand to fit the key in the lock and he fought against the sensation of missing her warmth.

“It’s so quiet here.” He didn’t want to go inside yet, didn’t want to begin the awkwardness he knew was inevitable while they learned how to live together. Even roommates took time to adjust to each other, and the two of them had so many more issues to deal with. The attraction humming between them became harder to ignore with each passing second.

She hesitated, then took a step back to join him. “It’s very isolated. One of the reasons I bought a place here was the assurance of open space all around us. Wildlife from the foothills wanders through here, and there’s space to walk, to dream.”