The quiet rolling hills and pristine countryside were a sight to behold. The crisp, fresh air invigorated her senses and stung her cheeks. But not even the terribly beautiful surroundings could stop her from thinking about Brandon. For so long, she’d blocked out all thoughts of him. She’d also pushed aside all memories of her time with him, sure that her behavior had been so wrong, it was wrong to even recall any of the good times she’d shared with her English friends. Her recent visit to Brandon had changed all that. His need to see her again, his obvious pleasure to renew their friendship encouraged Katie to recall many moments they’d spent together. It hadn’t been all bad, after all. In fact, when she’d looked into his eyes, she recalled the many good times she’d shared with Holly and Brandon. She remembered the many reasons they’d become friends. It hadn’t been all false on her part. On the contrary, most of what they’d shared had been real and genuine, indeed. It had been a mistake to push them away—to not even give Holly or Brandon a chance to make their own opinions about her lifestyle.
