Unguarded Hearts

MOUNT MAGAZINE

words and images courtesy Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

At the peak of the state park experience is Mount Magazine, Arkansas’s highest point at 2,753 feet. People come for the sweeping views alone, but there is much to see and do from this unique spot. Mount Magazine State Park is a place of relaxation, exploration, and nature study. It is a destination for outdoor sports and extreme adventures with mountain biking, horseback riding, back-packing, and ATV riding. Mount Magazine is the state park system’s most dramatic location for technical rock climbing, and it’s one of only two parks to offer hang gliding launch areas. Scenic overlooks, hiking trails, picnic area, pavilion, and visitor center with gift shop add to the amenities. A wide variety of programs led by park interpreters highlights the mountain’s natural diversity.

The Lodge at Mount Magazine features sixty guest rooms, Skycrest Restaurant, a conference center, business center, heated indoor swimming pool, fitness center, and game room. From its setting on the mountain’s south bluff, the lodge offers breathtaking views of the Petit Jean River Valley and Blue Mountain Lake in the distance. The beautiful setting and firstclass facilities make the lodge a top choice for romantic getaways, weddings, conferences, and corporate retreats. The conference space can be divided into three meeting rooms or opened up for banquet-style seating for up to 192 people. Skycrest Restaurant seats up to 125. Thirteen cabins share the same view as the lodge. Choose from one, two, and three-bedroom options with fully equipped kitchens, fireplaces, and covered decks with outdoor hot tubs. There are also eighteen campsites on the mountain (two Class AAA and sixteen Class AA with tent-only options).

For more information about Mount Magazine State Park and the other fifty-one state parks, visit arkansasstateparks.com.

Unguarded Hearts

words Liesel Schmidt image 5secondstudio/Shutterstock

It was all there in front of her, all the reasons to quit while she was still ahead, get out, and cut her losses. But there were also all the other reasons to stay—the biggest one being she couldn’t imagine life without him in it.

“Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?”

Charlie wondered if he could see her brain short-circuiting at the question. It certainly felt like anyone looking at her could see it. She blinked and tried to formulate a coherent response before he gave up and walked away. “Yes!” she exclaimed, finally finding her voice. “Yes,” she said again, more quietly this time. “I would. Like that. Very much.”

“Great,” he said, brown eyes twinkling with amusement. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

And with that, he walked away, leaving Charlie feeling breathless and somewhat shell-shocked. He’d asked her out. He’d finally asked her out.

At twenty, Charlie didn’t have much experience with dating. So, when Will had asked her out, it had been a complete surprise—especially since he’d been dating someone for as long as she had known him. Somewhere along the way, she’d given in to the reality that he was never going to be a possibility in her life. But now…

She swiped on some mascara and gave her reflection one last assessment before deciding she was as good as she was going to get. Will apparently thought she was pretty enough that he’d asked her out, so… She narrowed her eyes at the young woman staring back at her. She’d never been truly satisfied with herself. She was shorter than she would have liked, and her face a little too round. It was her eyes that got the most attention, though, a sparkling green-blue that changed depending on what she wore. That was what people noticed first about her, what they said was her best feature.

Charlie heard a knock on the door and hurried to get her purse. She smoothed her skirt and ran a finger over her teeth in case there was any lip gloss on them. She opened the door and felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of him.

“Hey,” Will said, breaking the silence and smiling at her obvious nervousness. He stepped forward before she could react and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. “You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.

Charlie could feel the heat of his breath on her neck as he spoke, and it sent a tingle up her spine.

Feeling the flush rise in her cheeks, she smiled as steadily as she could. “Thank you,” Charlie said. “You look good, too.”

“Shall we?”

Charlie nodded and followed Will out to the car, locking the door behind her. She was aware of everything as she moved—the stillness of the night, the sound of the neighbors’ dog digging his way out of the yard for the millionth time, the blanket of stars that made the crisp January night feel almost pure.

Will opened the passenger door of his truck for her, shooting her a grin that somehow let her know he didn’t make a practice of this, but he was making an exception for her. As they drove, Charlie fiddled with the zipper on her bag. Now that they were alone, she wasn’t sure what to say.

“Can I ask you something, Will?” she said quietly.

Will looked at her quizzically. “Sure, anything.”

Charlie took a deep breath and steeled herself. “Why did you ask me out?”

Will laughed. “That’s what you want to know?” He shook his head. “Why do you think?”

Charlie shrugged.

“I like talking to you, Charlie, that’s why,” Will replied, smiling as though it was an odd question. “And it doesn’t hurt that you’re pretty.”

Charlie felt her face flush again. It was something she cursed about herself, the fact that it took nothing to make her blush—noticeably. “I’m glad you think so,” she said quietly.

“You don’t agree?” Will asked, looking at her in the passing streetlights and studying her.

Charlie shook her head. “Not really.”

Unexpectedly, Will reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “You are, Charlie. You’re beautiful.”

Charlie looked down at their two hands, entwined in her lap. Will had long, slender fingers and hands that made hers seem tiny in comparison. Her hand tingled with the contact, as though every nerve ending was electrified. She raised her eyes and looked over at Will, his profile illuminated and then darkened as they drove. He had a good face, a strong jawline that gave him a chiseled look, even at the young age of twenty-two. Long eyelashes fringed warm brown eyes that