“Can't believe you're really here.”
The man I adore has stepped back in time with me.
“Where else would I be?”
He cups my face in his hands.
But I’m still on edge.
I need to settle my nerves by keeping busy.
“We should set up camp before we lose the light. The tent can go here.”
I draw a line in the dirt with my shoe, ticking off a checklist in my head.
“Maybe a couple of chairs right… here.”
“I recognise that voice,” he teases. “Marco Adams, delegating to his crew.”
“You love it.”
“Just add flannel and an akubra.”
“You will never ever catch me wearing flannel,” I scoff. “An akubra, maybe.”
We angle the ute so it faces away from the track, extending our line of privacy.
I kneel in the dust, knotting ropes and sorting poles.
Half hitch. Pull. Loop.
Amos holds the corners steady while I tighten each line into the ground.
The tent begins to take shape, a peak rising between us, just the inner mesh for now.
“We can add the cover later if it rains, but I doubt it will.”
I study the cloud patterns for a moment.
“Just a thin sliver of moon too, perfect for our Milky Way.”
Amos leaves the zipper open.
Such an urban lad.
“As romantic as sleeping outdoors sounds, we're not the only living creatures out here.”
I nod toward the entrance.
“So zip this baby up. Because I want you all to myself.”
“Keep the wild out, huh?”
Amos slips a hand inside my pants.
“That’s gonna get you in trouble,” I warn. “Help me make the bed.”
Mattress inflated and pillows fluffed, we tuck the sheets neatly on all sides.
