“Okay.”
We trek for a few more miles until we reach a bushy area.
“Check this out,” I say, pushing through lush greenery.
Carina comes and stands near me. “Oh, my God.”
Water overflows onto rocks below and then flows into a pool that looks as white as a cloud. The current is pretty strong today.
“Look.” I point. “The whitewater rafters over there.”
“That’s something I’d never have the guts to do.”
“It’s an amazing rush,” I say.
“You’re not selling me on that one, Rhett Sullivan.”
“I wasn’t planning to.” I chuckle. “Come on, let’s go somewhere a little quieter for our afternoon date.”
“I like the sound of that.”
We packed blankets, towels, a bathing suit for her, swim trunks for me, SPF—she insisted—food, and drinks so we can enjoy this sunny day.
“Aren’t there any wild animals around here like bears?”
I shake my head. “Not in Texas. Maybe in Montana or Colorado. There are more chances of us coming across coyotes, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, and armadillos. There are snakes?—”
“Oh, God. We’re going to die?—”
“Quit being so dramatic, woman.” She’s still very much a big city girl. “I’m packing.”
“You are?”
“Of course.”
“Oh.”
It’s unlikely I’ll ever use my gun, but wildlife can be unpredictable.
A few more steps and we arrive at our destination.
“The river is so much calmer here,” Carina says.
“It is and it’s pretty shallow too.”
“How do you know about this place?”
“Jenkins and I have been up here many times to fish. In the middle of the week like this, it’s deserted.”
“So, this is where you’re taking me for our date?”
My eyebrows knit together. “You don’t like it?”
“It’s the perfect spot after the past few frenzied months.”
My lips break into a wide smile.
“I’m glad you like it.” I remove the backpack and place it on one of the larger rocks and sit down. “Come join me and rest your aching feet and back, you poor thing.”
