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After I left her with my proclamation—about happily ever afters and me wanting to give her one—and a few minutes of space she joined me and we did most of the hike side by side but in silence. Until it started getting steep. At first she was keeping up with me just fine, but the tougher it got the filthier that sweet little mouth of hers got. Every few steps I would hear. “This is bullshit,” or “I can’t believe I am spending my fucking vacation getting up at the God damned butt crack of dawn so I could come sweat my ass off!” Or my favorite, “Fuck this hill. No seriously, Jonathan, this hill can fuck right off!”
She. Is. Fucking. Adorable.
“Hey you did it though and now you get the reward of this amazing view and . . . wait for it . . . another bottle of water!” I say as I pull out said bottle of water from my bag like I’ve just performed some amazing magic trick. I am such a dork.
I toss her the bottle and she catches it and says, “You’re right. I did make it and lucky for you. If I had died on this trail you would have Cami after your ass and I don’t wish that on anybody,” she says with a giggle.
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you,” I say as I lift my hand to my heart, then in my best southern drawl say, “I must say ma’am, I am a bit hurt and offended that you would insinuate that I could play a part in your demise after my heroic efforts to save you from that deadly snake early this morning.”
“Nice try, Georgia, but that funny little accent of yours isn’t going to work on me. I will admit that the view from behind is pretty nice and did help keep me going. The view up here isn’t too bad either,” she says as she turns away to admire the view of San Clemente. I know it’s so she can hide the familiar blush that’s now creeping up her neck and to that gorgeous face of hers.
I walk up behind her, bend down so that my chin is resting on her shoulder and my arms go around her waist to pull her back closer to my front. Her hand not holding her water bottle instantly comes up to mine and she rests it there as I whisper into her ear. “Sorry for the work out, but if this is what it took for you to admit you think I have a nice ass . . . then it was worth it.”
I feel her giggle and then she says, “Don’t press your luck, Georgia.”
We stand there for a few minutes in silence and I take the time to enjoy every piece of her that is pressed against me. I can’t get enough of that smell of hers that fills my head, and my heart for that matter. She is contently swaying to her own music as we stand there together and she draws circles with her finger on my forearm. I don’t ever want to let her go. The moment is perfect and I feel like we’re making progress. She may not date, but there is no denying she feels something. It’s been there since the first moment I saw her at Ole’s and I know she feels it too.
Our moment is over with the sound of a whining child approaching behind us. Still holding tight to me, Emily looks around me for the child making the offending noise that is quickly ruining our tranquility. When she spots her she lets go of me and I release her even though it’s the last thing I want to do.
“Hey there, did you just walk up that hill?” Emily says to the annoying, whining, little girl.
“Yes, and now I’s hot and firsty!” the little girl whines.
“You are one tough cookie then, because I barely made it up that hill. Give me some knuckles,” and the little girl does just that and without coaching from Emily they both blow it up after bumping their knuckles together. The girl chuckles and just like that snaps out of her funk.
Watching her talk to this little girl, who must only be three or four, and then go over and talk to the mom who has an infant attached to her chest, is a sight. She’s not afraid to talk to anybody and is always so concerned with making everybody else feel comfortable. She’s now fussing over the baby and the mother couldn’t be happier to show off her little bundle of joy.
After the little toddler climbs into her stroller—that looks like it’s made for hiking—with juice box in hand, the mom and her two little one’s head back down the trail and out of sight. That mom is a stud to have hiked these hills with a baby strapped to her front while pushing that stroller.
Emily comes back my way and says, “Hi.”
“Hi back,” I say.
“Sorry about that, I get distracted sometimes. It’s a bad habit I have.”
“What’s that? Helping strangers and making everybody you talk to feel special? Not sure that’s a bad habit or something to be sorry for. If anything it just draws me to you more,” I notice a piece of renegade hair that’s fallen from her bun and push it behind her ear. Leaving my hand on the back of her nape and stroking the side of her neck with my thumb, I continue putting it all out there, because this girl has me hook, line and sinker. I haven’t even kissed her yet but she is totally reeling me in. “Every minute I spend with you pulls me closer to your flame, Emily. I feel like a moth being drawn in to you. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s the only way I can describe to you how I feel. I know it’s dangerous for my heart, because you don’t do relationships, but I can’t stay away. You have a light in you that makes everybody feel special, including me. You are an amazing, adorable, foul mouthed, breathtakingly beautiful woman. Thank you for giving up time from your vacation to spend it with a stupid jarhead like me.”
“Thank you, Jonathan, but if you knew what was going on in my world right now, you wouldn’t be saying these things—in fact you would be running back down that hill and as far away from me as you could get.”
“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on in your world and let me decide if I want to run or not?”
I can feel her shaking as she steps away from me and turns toward the view. I can tell she needs a moment and if that’s what I have to give her to think this through and realize we actually have something here, then so be it. She turns back around and exhales a deep breath before she says, “I don’t want to tell you, Jonathan. I just want to enjoy this week before we both leave and not worry about the reality that lies ahead for either one of us. Do you think we can do that? With no expectations?”
“If this week is all that I get of you, Emily, then yes, I can do that. Let’s enjoy every moment we can. It’s Monday. When do you guys leave?”
“We head back on Memorial Day, so a week from today.”
“That’s perfect because we report back on Tuesday morning. Let’s just have our own little adventure. You and me . . . one week . . . no expectations. What do you say?”
“Sounds good,” she says meekly.
Trying to lighten the mood I take a note from Emily’s book and put my hand up and say, “Don’t leave me hanging, Em.”
With a roll of her eyes she plays along and gives me the high five I’m waiting for. As her hand hits mine I grab it and pull her to me and into a hug where I smell her hair again. I know I’m lame, but I only get a week and I am taking advantage of every second.
As she looks over my shoulder she asks, “Uh, Jonathan, why is there a random mailbox up here?”
Releasing her I walk over to the mailbox that sits up here with the flagpole and open it.
