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Olivia really wanted to work for that show. If that’s what she wants, she should go for it. But where does that leave us? Do I even have a right to ask?
I can’t figure out what to say to her now.
I’m lost in a sea of thoughts.
Seems like she’s distracted, too.
We both fall silent. The air currents have changed, and I have to focus to navigate back toward Two Forks and past it. Since I don’t want to run the fuel tank too low, I take a direct route from Desolation Valley to Moab, where I’m supposed to return the helicopter.
When the clustered buildings and paved roads of Moab come into view, I radio into the fire station where I picked this rig up. My contact there gets his crew out onto the helipad to guide us down. I have to put aside my personal worries as I land the machine, and then for a while, I’m busy talking to the firefighters and paramedics, and Olivia’s busy walking Blue, who thankfully didn’t do any business in the back of the rig.
We’re in the peak of afternoon heat as I cross the stretch of pavement toward my truck. Olivia has loaded Blue up into the back seat, and she’s standing, waiting for me. Her look’s laden with meaning.
She knows we have to sort out where we stand, too.
“This was some tour, Cole. What a treat. Thank you.”
“No big deal.”
“No way. That was really special. You saved Blueandtook me on a fantastic tour. What a week it’s been…”
“You can say that again.”
Now it’s right there between us, unspoken.
Everything changed for me and Olivia this week.
She searches my eyes. “It wasn’t all bad, was it?”
“Not bad at all,” I say, my voice a deep rumble. The kisses we’ve shared flood through my mind.
“Maybe not exactly what we planned, though…” she adds.
“There have been surprises,” I agree gruffly. Can’t help it. I’m still watching that mind movie of her in the light of the fire, her hair spilled out over the blanket, her lips parted…
“Good surprises?” she whispers.
Yes.
So good.
Connecting with Olivia like this has been the best thing to happen to me in years.
“Yeah. Good. Really good, I think.”
A subtle smile dances on her lips. “I think so, too. It’s weird how we barely talked before. I like knowing more about you. And I hope I haven’t been too awful to deal with. I know I’m a lot to handle sometimes… and I almost made you hard of hearing that first night, when I shrieked in your ear.”
“What, when you saw the spider?”
She nods. “They really do freak me out.”
I rub my ear.
“I survived. Maybe the damage was temporary…” She pushes my arm gently. “Come on. It wasn’tthatbad.”
I hook my hand behind my ear. “What?”
She shakes her head, still smiling. “You. I thought I was bad with the sarcasm and the teasing. You’re worse.”
