Page 25 of Carson

“Is that it?” I ask, standing with her.

“You heard it, didn’t you? The last bird? It means all the daytime birds are tucked in for the night.”

Okay. I don’t get it, but I do know from now on, I’ll be listening with her. “I guess I missed it.”

Her giggle leads the way back to the fire.

“So is this a nighttime ritual?” I ask, needing to know if I should be out here tomorrow evening.

“Yeah, I guess, my mom always took me outside, rain or shine, to listen for the last bird.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“Probably because we were the only two humans to ever do it.” She hands me a stick with a marshmallow on it. “Besides traveling, my mom loved nature.”

“And the apple didn’t fall far from the tree?”

My statement makes her smile. “I guess not.”

“So, are you going to share your secret of how you found so many cool stones down at the stream?”

She hands me her stick while she goes over to retrieve the bucket she was carrying earlier.

“I’m going to take a stab in the dark, but I bet you like your marshmallows like you like your hot dogs.”

Her laugh answers my question.

She holds up the bucket so I can see the clear plastic that is in the bottom. “This is my secret weapon.”

“Ah, I see how it works. It’s so simple yet clever.”

“I can’t take the credit. It’s something I learned on TikTok.”

“Still, you had to create it.”

She takes her stick from me and drops her head shyly. “I, um, I could help you make one. I mean, if you think it’s something you’d use.”

“Yes,” I say before she even finishes her sentence.

Her brows pull together. “You collect rocks?”

“Sure,” I answer a little too quickly for her liking.

I watch doubt creep into her expression. “I don’t believe you,” she admits, giving me a side-eye.

“I can show you if you’d like, but we’d have to take a walk over to my parents’ house. That’s where they are.”

“Let me think about it.” She nibbles on her s’more as she stares into the flames.

God, maybe I do need Cole here. I’m so fucking awkward sometimes. I’m going too fast, but I can’t help it. I want to know everything about her, and I need her to know everything about me.

“Okay, I want to see them,” she says out of the blue.

A confused chuckle escapes me. “I was starting to worry I might be scaring you off.”

“What? I’m not scared of you. Quite the opposite, I’m afraid.”

“Well, that’s good to know.”