AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Mind you, that was the third pole I’d lost that summer.”
Cue more girly laughter. I swear if I get any more butterflies, I’ll have to build the damn things a conservatory.
“Grandad was cussing and spitting mad, trying not to lose his brand-new pole. Water and mud were flying up around him, and I jumped in too.”
Eager to know how the story ends, I ask, “Well, did you catch it?”
“Nope.” He runs a hand over his hair, huffing a laugh. “It got away.”
We stop abruptly, and I dig my toes a little deeper into the soft white sand.
“Was he angry with you?”
“Never,” he says thoughtfully. “All his life, he never even raised his voice at me.” Damon shifts his feet. “He wasn’t exactly Mr. Personality, but I didn’t fear him. I respected him. I… loved him.”
My throat tightens, making it difficult to form words. “I’m glad you have those memories.”
I was always a little envious of the girls at school who would go on summer road trips with their grandparents. The closest thing I ever had to a grandparent was Henry’s aunt Martha, and she wasn’t one for adventure—or anything that involved dirt or messes.
Damon’s hand slides around my wrist, tugging me close. “Me too.”
I ready myself for another one of his kisses, but he takes a bandana out of his back pocket instead. Gently, he removes my ball cap, rolls the bill, and stuffs it in the same pocket.
“I want you to be surprised,” he says, placing the cloth around my eyes and tying it behind my head. “Do you trust me?”
Heart thundering, I nod. “Yes.”
He guides me several paces to the left, then forward. The earth changes from sand to grass beneath my feet before we eventually come to a stop.
“Let me see your shoes,” he says, taking them from my hand and carefully sliding them on.
“Should I be afraid?” I tease.
The tender swipe of his hands over my sand-covered feet makes my limbs all tingly.
“You’ll see.”
I stumble over broken twigs and leaves before he grabs my shoulders from behind and stops me once more. It takes my eyes a moment to readjust once he removes the blindfold, but when they do…
I gasp.
“What do you think?” I can hear the smile in his voice just a breath away from my ear.
Suspended in the trees by a massive metal hook is a bell-shaped canvas covering. It flows downward, where the bottom is staked into the ground, creating a tent-like structure around a hard platform.
White fairy lights twinkle in a sloppy square around the private area, and a small chandelier hangs over a floor table in the center of the tent.
“Damon… You’ve outdone yourself,” I whisper.
Beyond our setup, other tents are scattered about, affording a generous amount of privacy. And just on the edge of the forest that our tent faces, the tree line breaks, offering a view of the beach and the waves crashing against the shore.
It’s magical, utterly dreamlike. As if we’ve tucked ourselves into a different world for the time being.
A generator hums lightly, meshing with soft, delicate music playing from somewhere within the campgrounds.
“Would you like to see inside?” Damon asks, pulling the side of the canvas open further.
Spread across the table is an assortment of meats, cheeses, and fruits. A glass decanter of dark red wine sits prettily in the center, while a circle of plush sitting pillows lies below.
