“Perfect,” I said as the mom walked toward us and took her phone back.
She thumbed through these.“Wow, these are perfect.Thank you so much,” the woman said, relieved.“Now let me return the favor please.Let’s get one of you two.”
“Oh, that’s not—” I started, but Tristan had already handed her his phone and was standing at my side, arm sliding around my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He whispered under his breath.“Thirty seconds, remember?”With his megawatt smile giving off its own glow, he nodded to the lady.“Perfect idea.Thank you.We’ve been unable to capture this moment.”
“You’re slick, mister,” I said as a smile as natural as the scenery slid onto my face.
I gazed up at Tristan, staring into the depths of his eyes while they held mine, feeling a strange mixture of intimacy and exposure with each passing blink.The sunlight caught in the stubble along his jaw, glinting off a streak of silver near his temple that hadn’t been there ten years ago.A slight crinkle formed in the corners of his eyes moments before he burst into laughter.
In a heartbeat, the seeming awkwardness had passed and a lighthearted moment rolled in to take its place.I couldn’t help myself, and my own giggle burst free.
The mom snapped a variety of photos, apologizing for the sunlight sneaking out from behind the clouds and how she felt she hadn’t captured the perfect picture.
“I’m sure you did wonderfully.If you got us in there and some of the background, you did perfectly.Thank you.”
“Enjoy your visit,” she said and walked over to her family.
Tristan peeked at the screen, before slowly angling it toward me.
The photo caught us mid-laugh, his head tipped close to mine, the lake blazing blue behind us.It looked...easy.Natural.Like we belonged together.
My heart kicked hard enough to make me want to laugh it off, but the image burned anyway, proof of something I shouldn’t want.
“Not too shabby, eh?”He gave me a nudge.
“It’s easy when you’re blessed with rock star good looks.”The words slipped out way too easily.
“Iwasgoing to say the same about you.”He sent a knee-weakening wink my way.
Coffees in hand, we drifted to a bench near the water, letting the serenity of the place wrap around us.The lake rippled faintly, clouds skimming shadows across its surface.I hugged my paper cup of golden coffee, while warming my hands.
“Hard to believe we used to think the Athabasca River was impressive,” Tristan murmured.
I smiled faintly.“Hey, don’t knock the Athabasca.That was the backdrop to my entire teenage existence.”
“Yeah,” he said.“Same.”His voice softened, almost wistful.
I stared at the water.“You know, I thought my life would look different by now.I was so sure I’d end up a doctor.But then...”I trailed off, shrugging.“Life reroutes you sometimes.Safe choices kept the kids fed, the bills paid.Safe was survival.”
“Anna.”His tone was gentle.“You’re an ER nurse.You save lives for a living.That’s...not exactly a consolation prize.”
My throat tightened.For a moment, his knee brushed mine, and I didn’t move away.The air between us shifted, charged and fragile.
A child’s panicked shout broke it.
“Mom, my bear!”A little girl on the platform pointed helplessly as a pink bear bobbed on the cool waters.
Before I could blink, Tristan was already moving and snagging a long branch from the ground like this was some kind of Olympic event.
“Tristan!Wait!”My voice came out sharper than intended, adrenaline firing before my brain caught up.
He balanced on the slick rocks, leaning dangerously far, the branch dipping toward the toy.His boot slipped and my stomach dropped as if it were me teetering over the edge.
“Don’t you dare fall.”My voice cut through the chatter around us, edged with every ounce of ER authority I usually saved for drunken college kids trying to leave against medical advice.“I don’t have the supplies to patch you up.”
He flashed that maddening grin, like risking hypothermia for a stuffed animal was no big deal.With a flick of his wrist, the bear’s pink scarf hooked over the stick.Triumph.
