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“We should make s’mores one night.”
I squeeze Sam’s fingers. “We definitely should. Maybe one of the shops in town has specialty marshmallows.”
Sam spins to face me, her face aglow from the fire and the idea of homemade flavored marshmallows. “You really do know my heart, Jensen Page.”
I lift her hand and bring her knuckles to my lips. “Thank you for letting me know your heart.”
Going into town in search of s’mores supplies is the perfect excuse to visit more shops. Although I know Sam better than I know myself, what I have planned needs to go off without hiccups. I need supplies. Items that can be bought under the guise of Ma needing them.
Over the next few days, the goal is to line everything up for the big day. A day none of us will forget.
We came to Cannon Beach to celebrate my birthday. When we leave, we will have something else to celebrate. I hope.
FOUR
SAMANTHA
Something is up with Jensen.Long as we have known each other, I know when things aren’t one hundred percent with him. And something is definitely off.
“You feeling alright?” I ask, stepping up behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. I rest my cheek between his shoulder blades and take a deep breath.
Jensen blankets my arms with his and tightens my hold on him. “Yeah. Of course. Why do you ask?” The words rush from his lips, which only solidifies my concern.
I loosen my grip on him and step around to his front. His smoky-topaz irises lock with my blues and, for a beat, we breathe each other in. Hints of purple highlight the skin beneath his veiny eyes. I lift my hands to cup his cheeks and swipe my thumbs over the evidence of his exhaustion. His eyes drift shut as his shoulders bow.
“What’s wrong?”
He leans more into my touch before turning to kiss my palm. “Nothing. Just haven’t slept well.” His eyes open and roam my face. “Probably the mattress or sleeping in an unfamiliar place.” Jensen twirls the end of my hair around his fingers and follows the movement with his eyes. “Promise I’m fine.”
Pushing up on my toes, I press my lips to his. The kiss is soft and sweet for one, two, three breaths. Jensen swipes his tongue along the seam of my lips then pushes inside and deepens the kiss. His strong arms band around my waist and lift me off the floor. I wrap my arms around him. Comb my fingers through his long locks. Melt into his frame as he holds me to him.
All too soon, he breaks the kiss. Plants me back on my feet. Cups my cheeks in his hands and holds my gaze.
I push out my bottom lip and he chuckles. “What if I wasn’t done kissing you?”
He drops a peck on my lips. “More kisses later. Promise.” Another kiss on the tip of my nose. “You get ready while I scope out the kitchen for hiking snacks.”
I narrow my eyes at him. Scan his eyes and lips for a tell—any tell—that will express what he isn’t saying. He says it’s the mattress or possibly being in a new place that has him not sleeping. But IknowJensen. Which means I know something else is eating away at him.
Jensen and I may not know the entire kitchen inventory, but we have a rough idea of what snacks are available. Heck, we tossed half the items in the cart. So why does he need to go check them? Not like the moms would eat all our excursion snacks.
Weird. He is acting super weird.
Exhaustion does strange things to people, but I have never seen Jensen so… antsy and drained.
“Maybe we should just stay in today. I’ll catch up on my book while you nap.”
“No,” he says with a shake of his head. “Swear, I’m all good.” He chuckles. “I’ll have Ma make me one of those super green smoothies that I hate but she swears by.”
Stepping into him once more, I cup his cheek. “Fine,” I huff out. “Just don’t want you passing out on the trail. At least tell the moms where we’ll be, in case reception sucks.”
Our hiking trip today… it is a big fat secret. Jensen refuses to spill the beans. To any of us. But if he is dead on his feet, someone needs to know where we will be. I don’t foresee us getting lost or getting in a showdown with a bear, but you never know.
He kisses the heart of my palm. “I’ll tell them while I’m in the kitchen. Now go.” He shoos me away. “Get ready. I’ll be back in a sec.”
As I head for the bathroom, Jensen exits the room. Under the warm spray of the shower, my mind runs rampant. Returns to the days of Lewis House and shortly thereafter. The stress and heartache and life-altering revelations that came about.
Please let exhaustion be the only thing weighing him down.
