AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“At least this way, our relationship is believable,” I whisper.
“Thank God I was behind you. If my stepbrother saw me naked, I would’ve died.”
We step out of the tent and find Adam and his partner, each leaning against a tree.
“Why are you up in this area?” Mandi asks him. “How did you find us?”
“We followed the animal sounds,” his partner deadpans.
“You should be happy it’s me.” Adam takes the paperwork from my hand. “And I’m taking a few extra shifts because of the adoption.”
Mandi smiles. “Oh, when does it go through?”
Adam and his wife, Lucy, are adopting a baby girl who was born addicted to opioids. We had a big discussion about it at the barbeque after I met their adopted son, Trey.
“In a few weeks.” Adam hands the paperwork back to me. “I guess you guys are good to stay here then. Let’s keep this between us, okay?”
Mandi and I nod, and Adam and his partner leave.
Once they’re gone, I take out my camera, happy I didn’t fall asleep because the waterfall with the moon reflecting on it right now is perfect.
I put on my rain boots and walk into the stream, capturing the beauty nature made. I move forward, back to the right and to the left, to get a shot of every angle. I’m so lost in what I’m doing that when I finish, I realize Mandi has been sitting on the log, watching me.
“You can go back to bed,” I say, wading through the water to the shore.
“I like watching you work.” She hugs her legs. “It’s like you see something different through that lens.”
“I do. Sometimes when I look back at the pictures, I’m amazed at what I got.”
We sit on the log for a moment, neither of us saying anything.
“You’ve got something special,” she finally says.
“Thanks.”
“I’m serious, Noah.” She places her hand on my thigh. “If you ever stopped photographing the wilderness, the world would be missing out. You give people a peek into a place they’ll probably never go and you make it come to life. Don’t ever quit.”
I turn to her and brush her hair over her shoulder. “And don’t ever quit making people feel like they’re the most important person in the world.”
She laughs and lays her cheek in my palm. “Okay.”
“Should we go back to the tent? We have about five hours before the trail is open again.”
“And what do you suggest we do with those five hours?”
“Maybe you scream my name, I’ll scream yours?”
She laughs and stands, holding out her hand. I accept, and when we’re chest to chest, I take her in my arms.
“You know how they say people come into your life for a reason?” I say.
She nods.
“I must have a guardian angel who brought you into my life because you give me purpose. You reinvigorated me just when I thought my time as a freelance photographer for the outdoors might be over.”
She rests her chin on my chest and gives me a sad sort of smile. “I’m glad.”
“Me too.” Even if that truth hurts.
We stand there for a second, our gazes locked. I don’t even want to sleep with her for the next five hours. I just want to hold her and imagine a life where she really is mine until death do us part.
But I’m pretty sure her short speech was her goodbye message to me. Her way of telling me it’s okay for me to leave after the wedding.
After a minute, she steps back, strips off her shirt, waggles her eyebrows, and disappears into the tent.
And since I’m a man, of course I follow.
