THADDEUS
I wasn’t at allsure that I believed Ryder’s angelic promises, but I nonetheless grabbed my jandals and followed him through the gardens toward the chicken shed, his flashlight beam bouncing back and forth to show the way. A cool breeze licked at my skin. Refreshing without being unpleasant, it swept gently through the gardens, the foliage taking on a silvery hue as it danced under the weak grey light of the moon above.
Ryder remained quiet as he led the way, and I followed his example. When we passed through the water garden without taking the path down to the river where I’d sat the week before, I frowned but remained quiet. When we passed the chicken shed and entered the forest along the same path I’d used when I’d stumbled onto Ryder’s property that first night, I still said nothing.
As the bush crowded around us, the shadows thickened into a warm, dark blanket, blocking out the moon, leaving only the flashlight’s narrow beam to guide our feet. The forest looked so different from the night I’d found my way along this same trail, wind and rain lashing at my bruised body. Now, it was calmand quiet, even welcoming, although I was glad to have Ryder in the lead. He walked the ground like it was his second home, anticipating every turn, his feet confident on the damp earth. When Ryder turned to shoot me a sunny smile, I couldn’t help but return it. His obvious joy was contagious. He was in his element, and I felt privileged to be sharing the moment with him.
Every now and then, he stopped and studied the forest, his hand held up to keep me quiet as he listened for who knew what. He was in that same mental space I’d seen so many times before when I’d caught him staring into his garden. A kind of zen-like blankness. Present, but to something beyond just me. Next thing, we’d be off again, and the moment was broken until the next time he stopped.
“Shhh.” Ryder stopped so quickly that I almost collided with his back and had to grab him around the waist to stop from falling. His hand instantly covered mine to steady me and he turned. “You okay?” he whispered, and if I’d leaned forward just a few centimetres, I could’ve kissed him. His gaze flicked down to my mouth, then back up to my eyes. “You look pretty in this light.”
Heat burst over my cheeks, but by the time I’d digested that precious little gem, Ryder had turned away and killed the flashlight.
“Up there.” He pointed halfway up a tree we’d stopped beside. “Stay still and listen.”
I couldn’t resist whispering, “What are we looking for?”
He put his finger to my lips, and all listening went out the window. The only thing on my mind was the burning sensation of his touch.
“There.”
The sudden hiss in my ear broke the spell, and I caught a distinctive two-part call. Startled, I asked, “I heard that on your deck that night. What is it?”
Ryder removed his finger and grinned down at me. “A ruru or morepork. It’s a New Zealand owl. Their call sounds almost like their name.”
I listened again, and Ryder was right. With a little imagination, the call did sound eerily similar.
Ryder elbowed me gently. “Maori think of ruru as watchful guardians, so you should be safe swimming tonight.”
I scoffed, and Ryder laughed. Then he looked back up at the tree. “He’s pretty hard to see. The plumage is mostly a variation on light and dark brown, but if you look next to that broken branch about two-thirds of the way up, you can just make him out, right next to the trunk.”
I peered up but couldn’t see anything. “I don’t?—”
The owl called again and I tracked the sound. “Got him!” I pointed, and a huge smile broke over my face. “That’s amazing.” I turned to find Ryder studying me intently, something more than affection in his eyes.
He tucked a lock of hair over my ear and whispered, “I can’t believe you’ve never seen one before.”
I shrugged, acutely aware of how close we were standing. “City boy, remember?” Then, surprising myself, I went up on my toes and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for pointing him out. That was cool.”
His eyes softened, and he leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead. “You’re very welcome, little trespasser.” Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the forest. A few minutes later, he once again pulled me to a stop, released my hand, and doused the flashlight.
“What?”
“Wait,” he admonished, and when our eyes adjusted to the dark, he pointed through the trees to a soft yellow glow in the distance, just bright enough to guide us along the trail. “Come on.”
He retook my hand, and as we closed in on the light, the sound of running water broke the stillness. A few seconds later, we stepped out of the forest onto a small stony beach situated at a lazy bend in the river. The beach led into a deep pool of water, topped and tailed by shallow chugging rapids, its surface shimmering with silver-tipped ripples. Beneath the surface ran black depths that didn’t look quite so inviting.
The pool had been carved by the powerful current as it made a wide sweep from east to south. On the far side, a tall rocky wall, laden with moss and ferns, formed an effective barrier, leaving the only access on Ryder’s side. The wall stood about five metres high with a narrow shelf protruding just under the surface. No one could see into the pool from the other side and not a breath of wind stirred.
It was indeed the perfect swimming hole.
“Wow.” I took my time looking around, drinking in the unique wonder of this place. I saw that the golden glow we’d followed was actually the result of a host of solar lights mounted on spikes. “Ryder,” I breathed his name. “This is beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he murmured from his position face down and bum up in the bushes a few metres away. “But wait, there’s more.”
At the snap of a switch, I inhaled sharply as a million fairy lights burst into life, turning the silvery pool into a magical paradise. Threaded through the bushes, wrapped around tree trunks, and even strung across the pool, they glimmered like a star-spangled fairyland, the pool sparkling with their reflection.
“Jesus, Ryder.” I moved to his side and took his hand, staring around in utter astonishment. “I feel like Alice in fucking Wonderland. Did you do all this?”
