Page 74 of Smoke Signals

There is a pause on the other end.

“A walk,” he repeats.

“Yeah. Centennial Park.”

He laughs softly. “That sounds suspicious.”

“Just come walk with me.”

“Okay,” he says finally. “Give me ten minutes.”

I end the call before I can talk myself out of this and grab my jacket off the back of the chair. My keys scrape across the metal table when I scoop them up and head for my truck.

The drive to Centennial Park takes ten minutes. I know the route without thinking about it. Traffic moves steadily, and the radio hums quietly while my brain runs the same loop it has been running for days.

You should have told him already.

You should have told him before you started looking.

I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and force a slow breath out of my lungs.

He’s going to think you’re leaving.

The thought sits heavy in my chest while I pull into the parking lot and shut off the engine. For a minute I stay in the truck, staring through the windshield at the lake beyond the trees.

I’m a firefighter. I run into burning buildings for a living. Somehow telling my boyfriend I’m house hunting feels harder.

I finally get out and start walking.

Afternoon sunlight stretches long across the grass and the lake reflects the sky in a dull sheet of gray blue. A kid rides a bike in circles while a tired looking dad watches from a bench and scrolls his phone.

I shove my hands into my jacket pockets and pace once along the path while I wait.

Hartley shows up a few minutes later.

I spot him before he sees me. He steps onto the path from the parking lot, shoulders broad under his dark jacket, dark hair pushed back like he ran his fingers through it on the way here. The wind lifts the collar slightly, and he tugs it down without thinking.

He walks toward me with that quiet confidence he carries everywhere. My heart starts to beat faster when I see him.

His hands stay buried in his pockets and there’s a crease between his brows like he’s trying to decide if this is a casual walk or something heavier.

He stops in front of me.

“You’re acting weird,” he says immediately.

I start walking before he can stare at me any longer. He falls into step beside me without hesitation.

“Am I?” I ask.

“Yes,” he says. “You called me to go on a walk like we’re about to discuss a life altering decision.”

I laugh quietly. “Relax.”

We move along the path slowly and Hartley bumps my shoulder lightly.

“Alright,” he says. “What’s going on?”

I keep my eyes on the water for a second.