By the time I park the car and step out, he’s rushing me, wrapping himself around me so tightly that I lose the ability to breathe.
It’s then that I realize this was inevitable.
I missed him terribly.
“You okay?” I ask, brushing my hand up his back and feeling him tremble.
“Yeah, I just…just wanted to touch you.”
I don’t let him go when I utter, “You can touch me all you want.”
He inhales me, the two of us wrapped around each other for a few long minutes before Caleb finally pulls away.
It’s then that he takes in the scenery. We’re in the middle of the desert. Large Joshua trees litter the horizon, and small, round tents surround us.
“What is this place?” he asks, and I offer him a small smile.
“They’re called yurts. Come on. Let me show you.”
We go to the small office and check in with a woman whose scent is a little too strong, even for someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. Caleb tries not to react to it, holding his breath until we make our way back outside. It’s only then that he lets out a long exhale.
I say nothing about it, just grab onto Caleb’s hand and lead him to the yurt we’ve been assigned. It’s tucked at the back of the campsite, the one with the blue door. I push it open, and we step inside, the space opening up around us.
He gasps as he takes it all in. There’s a queen bed in the middle of the room, a thick comforter on top. He drops onto it and sprawls out, his gaze lifting to the skylight overhead.
“It’s for stargazing,” I explain as he stands up and makes another full circle, his eyes taking in the overstuffed chair on the other end of the space and a small ‘kitchen’, which is basically a table with a coffee maker on it.
“Do you like it?” I ask, feeling suddenly nervous that this may not be something he’s into. He does like four-wheeling, but this isn’t like camping. More like glamping.
His eyes flash to mine. “Thought I’d be staying in a Motel 6 tonight, so this is an improvement.”
I set our bags on the chair and move toward him.
“We can just stay in bed the whole time,” I suggest, and Caleb bites his bottom lip.
“Presumptuous much?”
My cheeks flame, but he just pulls me into him.
“Just kidding. You know me. I’m down for being naked with you all the time. Where are the bathrooms?”
“Just outside. They’re outhouses.”
His eyebrows rise, and he lets out a laugh.
I can’t help but join in. “I know. It’s not really my thing, but I knew you’d love it. When my family traveled to Morocco, I stayed in one of these, and I loved it. I’ve wanted to come out here for a while now, and I thought tonight was a great time.”
“You made a good assumption. I love it. Never stayed in a yurt before. Didn’t even know what a yurt was until now.”
I stare at him, my heart fluttering in my chest.
“So, what now?” he finally asks.
I gesture toward the door. “How about we just sit outside for a bit? See the stars we can’t see in the city?”
He follows me outside, the sun already setting. It’s cold in the desert in the fall, and I shiver as the temperature drops.
“I don’t think I expected the cold,” Caleb says, and I huff a small laugh. Of course he didn’t. If I let him leave the first time, he’d have come here with no jacket and extra socks. He’d have frozen to death.
