Page 5 of Bliss
Callie
It had taken Callie all afternoon the day before to figure out what she was going to wear for her kayaking/picnic date with Alex. Deciding to wear a bikini under her clothes instead of a bra and panties was a no-brainer. She wanted to be prepared, just in case she caused the kayak to tip over and they landed in the water, but she also wanted to have the option to go swimming in the pond to cool off. Deciding what to wear over her swimwear was the problem. She worried that if she wore a tank top, her shoulders would get sunburned, but if she wore a tee shirt, she’d end up with a farmer’s tan, and she’d sweat to death if she wore long sleeves. After trying on a couple dozen different outfits, she finally opted for khaki shorts and a tank top under an unbuttoned lightweight short-sleeved sky-blue and white plaid shirt she could take off after a couple of hours.
When she arrived at Alex’s house, and saw a dark gray Jeep Wrangler in the driveway with an orange and yellow sit-on-top tandem kayak strapped to the top, Callie’s stomach did a little flip of excitement. She slowly pulled in next to the Jeep , in the same spot she’d parked in on Friday night. Just as she was getting out of her car, and slinging a backpack over her shoulder, Alex walked out of the two-car garage, smiling and looking incredibly sexy in a pair of army green running shorts and a tan muscle tank.
Damn , Callie mentally moaned, as she eyed Alex’s finely sculpted shoulders, arms, and legs.
“Good morning,” Alex greeted, as she leaned in, giving Callie a loose hug and a light kiss on the cheek.
“Good morning.” Callie blushed, hearing how deep her voice had become. When she returned Alex’s hug, and felt her strong shoulders under her hands, she nearly moaned aloud. When she pulled away, she asked, “Need help with anything?”
“Nope. The Jeep is loaded and ready to go. I just need to grab my phone and wallet.” She jerked her thumb towards the house. “Do you want to say hello to Daphne before we go?”
Smiling, Callie nodded and got in step next to her. When they walked into the garage, Callie’s eyes wandered. There was a tool bench in one corner with a well-organized assortment of hand tools hanging on a peg board above it and some crates underneath. The sedan she’d driven to their date Friday night was parked on the other side. There was a one-person kayak and three bicycles hanging from thick hooks on the back wall with two empty hooks that Callie suspected once held the tandem kayak, and there were two wire shelves full of cardboard boxes and crates, most of which she couldn’t make out the contents of, but she did spy a basketball, volleyball, and a few bicycle helmets.
When Alex opened the through-access door to the house, and motioned for Callie to enter ahead of her, Callie shivered from the appreciative once over Alex gave her. “You look really nice.”
“Thank you.” Callie scanned Alex again, and swallowed hard when their gazes locked and Callie saw her desire mirrored in those warm, whiskey brown eyes. “I think you need to sit in the back of the kayak.” Alex quirked a brow, and Callie’s face heated, as she explained, “Between being a rusty paddler, and being distracted by your arms, we’ll probably tip over in under five minutes.”
Alex chuckled as she placed her hand on the small of Callie’s back, encouraging her to step inside, and closed the door behind them. “Yes, I’ll be in the back of the kayak so I can steer us. But it’s nice to know you like my arms.”
Callie liked more than her arms, and more than liked them, but she kept that to herself.
When they walked out the French doors into the sunroom, Daphne jumped down from her perch on her cat condo, which was quite the structure. The base had a large scratching board next to what looked like a modern doll house with two small windows and one larger opening for her to get in and out. Two tree-like poles rose up from the back with three platforms on each at varying heights. The cat condo was positioned against the wall and was framed with several more platforms bolted to the wall, expanding the climbing space for Daphne.
“I’ve never seen such a detailed cat condo before. Normally, they’re just carpet-covered cubes and platforms.”
Alex nodded, while they watched Daphne circle their legs, waiting for her to sit on her haunches and give her double-chirp greeting. “She’s had more than a few of those over the years. When a friend of mine decided to go into business for herself, and started making custom furniture and wood-art pieces, I wanted to support her endeavor and had her build this. And Daphne fell in love with it the instant we brought it home.”
“Your friend is very talented.”
“She is,” Alex agreed, then they squatted and took turns holding their hand out for Daphne to lean into and they gave her pets and scratches.
When she’d had her fill of physical contact, she trotted back to her condo and leapt a few times, then spun and curled into a loaf on the highest platform, looking out the window at the back yard, not paying them any attention anymore.
“I feel like I’ve just been dismissed,” Callie said, with a smile, and Alex chuckled.
“Yes, Princess Daphne could give a real princess a major complex.” Alex shallowly bowed to Daphne, said, “Have a wonderful day overlooking your kingdom, Your Highness,” and Daphne slowly turned her head in her direction, gave a single meow of acknowledgement, then turned back to look out at the back yard.
Laughing, they walked back inside, and Alex locked the door. After grabbing her cellphone and wallet off the kitchen island, Alex led Callie back outside through the garage. While the garage door closed behind them, Alex opened the Jeep’s front passenger door for Callie and held out her left hand.
“Do you want me to put your bag in the back so it’s not under your feet?”
“Yes, please.”
Callie gave her the bag, then climbed up into the Jeep . A few moments later, Alex hopped up into the driver’s seat and started the engine and flipped on the AC.
“You can control the radio.” Alex pointed to the options on the in-dash touchscreen, explaining, “AM/FM, Satellite, Bluetooth, and CD. There’s a book of CDs under your seat if you can’t find something you want to listen to on the radio.”
Curious of the kind of music Alex liked to listen to, she bent forward and reached under the seat and pulled out a thick, zippered binder of CDs with four slots on each side of the plastic sleeves.
While she flipped through the sleeves, her smile and interest in Alex grew. They had similar taste in music. Callie knew and loved many of the bands and artists in Alex’s collection.
A few minutes later, Callie made her selection and pressed the CD button and the touchscreen slowly flipped forward, revealing the slot for the disc. She gently eased it into the slot and the internal mechanism grabbed and sucked the disc out of sight. A few moments later, the speakers came alive, as did Alex’s face.
With a broad smile, and bobbing her head in beat with the drummer, she said, “ Hey Monday . You know them?”
“Yeah, it’s a shame they only produced two albums, but I love Cassadee Pope’s solo work too. Both are good for picking me up, like if I’m feeling down or need energy and motivation to clean or something.”
Alex hummed hmm while she nodded and checked her mirrors and looked over her shoulder so she could change lanes, before she responded, “I can see that. More than a few of their songs have made it into playlists for working out or when I go on long bike rides in the woods.”
They spent the drive to the state park talking about the artists they liked, and the concerts they’d been to.
“I can’t believe we were both at the Summer Jam Fest three years ago. I wonder if we bumped into each other.” Callie tilted her head to study Alex, trying to pick her out of the crowd of five-thousand-plus people that had been at the three-day music festival.
“It’s possible. That place was so crowded, I don’t think I went more than one minute at a time without being bumped by someone.”
Callie winced and nodded. “It was pretty insane. If I hadn’t been drinking, I wouldn’t have been able to handle the crowd and closeness.”
“Same. Crowds like that make me anxious. I usually avoid standing-only events like that. I mean, I know the potential dangers in a big crowd are the same even if you have an assigned seat that’s usually packed so close together you might as well be standing shoulder to shoulder. But chairs offer the perception of a carved-out space that’s just yours and someone can’t cross into. It’s dumb, I know, but…”
“No, it’s not. I… I have a similar fear of big crowds. A therapist told me years ago that it’s called enochlophobia. I’ve never been able to go shopping in-store on Black Friday, and I try not to go to the movie theater if it’s opening weekend for a new movie — even if that’s not the movie I plan to see — and it takes a ton of mental work to agree to go to any concert or sporting event, even if I’ll have my own seat. I get anxious and edgy in big crowds, so much so I can’t relax or enjoy myself at all.”
Alex reached over and took Callie’s left hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I understand how you feel.” Her brow furrowed, as she looked over, and asked, “Were you dealing with that at the bar on Friday night? It was pretty crowded.”
“A little bit.” Callie nodded and exhaled hard. “It wasn’t so bad once I made it to the counter though.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll keep that in mind for future dates.”
“Thank you.”
Callie’s chest tightened and her eyes teared up as hope and relief rose within her. Britton never had patience for Callie’s phobia of large crowds and it caused many arguments between them. The Summer Jam Fest was the one and only time Callie allowed her ex’s berating to overrule her fears, and Callie hated herself and resented Britton for it. Callie had to stay on the edge of being shit-faced drunk through the entire festival just to get through it without having a debilitating panic attack; which, in hindsight, had made her even more vulnerable to potential predators lurking in the crowds. She barely remembered the performances because she was so hyper focused on watching the people pressed in around them.
Her therapist had tried over the years to find an anti-anxiety medication that Callie could take when she needed it, but they always made her feel numb, drowsy, and spaced out, more so than drinking alcohol did. Not being able to focus or feel fully present made her even more vulnerable, which increased her anxiety, especially after the medication left her system and her memories were fuzzy or blank. Callie knew the medications helped millions of people, but they just weren’t for her. It was better and easier to just avoid situations that would trigger her anxiety. Life had plenty to offer; she didn’t need to be in places with big, rowdy crowds to have enjoyable experiences.
When Alex parked near the boat ramp at Crescent Pond, Callie startled, not remembering the last few minutes of their drive, or going through the check-point at the park’s entrance. But when she looked around, peace and relief washed over her. There were four other vehicles in the parking lot, but not another soul was within sight. Despite knowing they weren’t, it seemed as if they were completely alone, surrounded only by Mother Nature and all of her glorious beauty.
“It’s gorgeous,” Callie quietly mused, and Alex gently squeezed her hand.
“It is. It will take me a few minutes to unload the kayak and strap down our picnic and supplies, so you can sit here and just enjoy it, if you’d like.”
Callie shook her head, as she eased her hand from Alex’s and unbuckled her seat belt. “No, I want to help. And I need you to refresh my memory on how to paddle.”
“Okay.”
Alex cut the engine and pulled her key from the ignition, but as she was about to open her door, Callie said, “Wait,” and grabbed her arm.
As she turned to face her, Callie darted forward, planting a kiss on Alex’s lips. They sighed in unison, as they pressed in closer and their mouths parted. Their warm, minty tongues flicked and lashed each other’s, they gently sucked each other’s top and bottom lips, and their hands softly caressed each other’s cheeks, jaws, and the sides of their necks.
When Callie broke from the kiss, pressing her forehead against Alex’s, she sighed, “I really like you, Alex,” and Alex smiled and gently kissed her panting lips.
“The feeling is mutual.” She caressed Callie’s cheeks, and asked, “How do you feel about swimming with the fishes? In a non-threatening way, of course. The only mafia thugs I’ll invite into our relationship are in books and movies.”
Callie’s head fell back with a hard laugh, and when she met Alex’s delicious whiskey eyes and teasing smile, she laughed again, and answered, “I can handle swimming with the kind of fish we have around here. But if we ever vacation in South America, I’m not swimming anywhere with piranhas.”
Alex’s eyes widened as she stretched her lips in a frown and vigorously shook her head. “Yeah, no way I’m letting a carnivorous fish take a chunk out of your cute little ass.”
Blushing and laughing, Callie lightly slapped Alex’s muscular shoulder. “Come on, let’s go get the kayak ready before someone else shows up and takes over the ramp.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Alex answered with a salute, then hopped out of the Jeep and rushed around to Callie’s side to open her door for her. “Milady,” she crooned, while holding out her hand with a shallow bow.
Callie accepted her help, then kissed her forehead, and told her, “You’re a goof, and I love it,” which made Alex’s smile spread ear to ear.
Callie bashfully giggled and motioned to the kayak strapped to the roof of the Jeep. “How do we get this thing down?”
“We just need to release the ratchet straps, then I can pull the kayak down. How about I unload the kayak and you pull our gear out from the backend? We need the cooler and my backpack. Did you pack more than a change of clothes?”
“Just a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock.”
“Okay, grab what you want, and I’ll add it to my bag.”
They separated to fulfill their individual tasks, and after Alex secured their cellphones and wallets in a drybag, she strapped the cooler and backpack to the back of the kayak.
“Did you put any sunblock on?”
“No, not yet,” Callie answered, and took off her short-sleeved top.
Alex handed her bottle over, then bent to pull out her own sunblock. While they rubbed tropical-scented lotion over their faces, necks, arms, and legs, they caught each other watching more than a few times.
Callie really wanted to replace Alex’s hands with her own and cruise those taut muscles and honey-smooth skin. And she knew she’d become a quivering mess if Alex’s strong hands were to ride up and down her legs.
We’ll never make it into the kayak.
Once they’d completed the task of rubbing in their skin protectant, Alex picked up the double-blade paddles, offering one to Callie, and gave her a quick tutorial on how to effectively paddle without having to work too hard and how to avoid drenching herself with water by not raising one end too high when dipping the other. She also explained how paddling stronger on either side will steer them in the opposite direction, how to slow and stop the kayak, and how to shift her weight to avoid tipping the watercraft.
“How do you feel? Ready to get on the water?”
“Yeah, I think I’m ready.”
“Great. One more thing.” Alex jogged to the back of the Jeep and returned with two black life jackets with triangular panels on the front and back. “We have to wear these when we’re on the water.”
Callie allowed Alex to help her put on the life jacket, which was the least restricting and bulky of any others she’d ever worn before.
“Go ahead and get in. I’ll guide the kayak into the water, so you don’t have to get your feet wet.”
While Alex held the kayak steady, Callie carefully stepped into the shallow footwell and sat down on the front seat. She held onto the edges as Alex pushed the craft into the water, and a few moments later, Alex was seated behind her and they were gliding away from the concrete boat ramp.
“It’s really beautiful here,” Callie sighed, as she looked around at the vibrant trees reflecting in the blue-green placid water. “Do you come here often?”
“I try to get here a few times a month, depending on my schedule and the weather,” Alex answered, as she leisurely paddled, driving them further away from the boat ramp. “Sometimes, I kayak. Sometimes, I hike or bike the trails. Sometimes, I just sit near the water and read. I love my job, but I need regular breaks from people and the noise of people. Nature helps me relax and recharge.”
As Callie looked around them, the water seemed clearer, the trees greener, and the sporadic flowers bursting from the grasses and shrubs along the bank more vibrant. Her chest swelled with gratitude, and she carefully turned to look over her shoulder at Alex without tipping the kayak.
“Thank you for sharing your special place with me, Alex. I can see why you love it so much. And I share your need to escape people sometimes. Maybe next weekend we can take another adventure and I’ll show you one of my favorite places to disappear to for an afternoon.”
“I’d like that.”
They held each other’s smiling gaze for a few moments, and after glancing at Alex’s mouth, wanting more than anything to kiss her, Callie turned around and started helping paddle the kayak. As the sun continued to rise, warming Callie’s skin and filling the pond’s surface with golden disks and slivers of sunlight, they paddled in companionable silence for a while, just enjoying the peaceful scenery. When a long, sleek crane gracefully glided from one side of the pond to the other, only flapping its long wings a few times, they stilled their paddles and just watched in reverence.
“Beautiful,” Callie whispered, then startled and laughed as a fish leapt from the water only a couple feet away, lightly splashing them when it flopped back into the water.
Alex chuckled as she started paddling again, and teased, “Someone was jealous of your adoration for the crane.”
“Wait until he sees my adoration for my date when we get back on solid ground.” Callie laughed and pressed her feet down to balance herself as the kayak suddenly took a sharp turn with the nose of the watercraft pointing at the nearest bank. “Alex…” Still laughing, she put her paddle in the water, counter stroking Alex’s intent, and argued, “That is a terrible spot to try to get out at. I’ll end up falling and eating mud if I try to climb up that embankment.”
Alex laughed as she turned them around, and dramatically groaned, “Oh, fine, I’ll hold out until we reach our picnic destination.”
Callie looked back at Alex, her smile growing from the playfulness mingling with the desire sparkling in Alex’s eyes. “How much farther do we have to go?”
Pointing ahead, Alex answered, “See where that wide and tall fallen tree is hanging a few feet over the water on the left side? Just beyond there is my favorite spot to just sit. There’s a little break in the trees with a gentle slope that’s easy to pull the kayak up on and a couple of big boulders to sit on or rest against. If no one else has claimed the spot, that’s where we’re going. At this pace, we’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”
The fallen tree wasn’t very far, but they were barely paddling, in no hurry to get anywhere, and despite wanting very much to kiss Alex, Callie was enjoying the leisure trip across the pond. They found the secluded picnic location in just under Alex’s estimated thirty minutes, and they had no trouble landing the kayak on the compacted dirt and boulders.
After they climbed out, Alex used a length of rope to secure the kayak to a tree, then pulled a blanket from her backpack, as well as two small, cinched bags. Callie held the little rolls for her, curiously turning them over in her hands, while Alex laid the picnic blanket over the dirt.
“What are these?”
“Inflating seat cushions.” Alex showed her how to pull the cushions out of the nylon storage bags and how to inflate them with a tiny device that was barely bigger than a lipstick. Once inflated, the cushion was about two inches thick and eighteen inches on all sides, plenty big enough to soften the hard ground beneath them without adding much bulk or weight to the backpack.
“These are nifty.”
“And very convenient. Are you hungry or thirsty?”
“I’m not hungry yet, but I’d love some water.”
After digging a couple of reusable water bottles out of the cooler, they sat down next to each other on the cushions, facing the water.
“Wow.” Callie stared in awe of how perfect the little spot was. The distance between them and the bank directly across from them was probably double what they’d paddled, and the trees towered above the reflective surface of the pond, gently swaying in the perfectly blue sky. And if she looked left and right, she could see the pond through the trees on either side of them and see how the pond curved around them. The large boulders just behind them offered privacy from anyone who may be hiking in the woods. “I could spend hours just sitting here.”
Alex nodded with a smile and patted the cushion she was sitting on. “Hence the cushions. When I first found this place, I’d sat here for so long my ass was bruised afterwards.” They laughed together, then just admired the scenery for a moment longer before opening their bottles to take a drink of the cold water.
“Thank you for bringing me here.”
“I had a feeling you’d appreciate it.”
“I do.” Callie inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of earth, pine, honeysuckles, algae from the water, and the warm musk of Alex’s cologne. If it wasn’t for one thought, the moment would be absolutely perfect. And she wanted it to be perfect, so she tentatively asked, “Have you ever brought anyone else here?”
“What, like a partner?” Callie nodded, and Alex shook her head. “No. I brought Joselynn once, but that was at her insistence.” Callie tilted her head, waiting for her to take a drink and explain. “I found this spot shortly after my ex broke things off two years ago. I had left my house early, like 7 a.m., and it was after sundown when I got home. I hadn’t taken my phone with me, just needing an escape from everything, and Joselynn had freaked out. After a few hours of trying to reach me, she had come over and saw my Jeep and single kayak and some other gear was gone. It’s rare that I spend the entire day out in the woods, and when I do, I always give her a heads up because cell reception can be iffy along certain trails. I forgot to tell her I was going out, and because of how long I’d been gone, she feared I’d had an accident or someone had done something terrible to me. After that, I agreed to three rules. I had to always tell her when I was heading out to the woods and which park and trail, I had to take my phone, and I had to have basic gear to survive a few days, just in case I got hurt and couldn’t walk out on my own and had to wait for help.”
Callie studied the dark blue backpack sitting on the corner of the blanket. It wasn’t very big, no bigger than the typical high schooler’s backpack, and it appeared to have room to spare. “There’s enough gear in there to keep us alive for a few days if disaster befell us?”
“Yup.” Alex took another gulp of water. “I’ve got everything from shelter, food and a mess kit, water purification tablets and a filter, fire starters, a first aid kit, a basic hygiene kit, signaling devices, a small battery-powered crank radio, a two-way radio with a thirty-plus-mile range that Joselynn has the match for just in case I can’t get cell reception, and a multi-tool. Oh, and two pairs of warm socks.”
“Wow, that’s…” She looked between Alex and the bag, smiled, and told her, “Thank you. I know Joselynn makes you do it, and we aren’t that far from civilization, but that makes me feel really safe.”
“I had always packed a bag with gear that I felt was appropriate for the type of excursion I was taking, which was usually limited to first aid, signaling devices, extra water and food, and repair items for my bike if a chain broke or a tire was punctured. But after seeing one too many movies and news reports of day hikers turning up missing and dead, she told me I had to be prepared for the worst. She was right, of course.”
“Have you ever had to use the extra gear?”
“Once. I took my mountain bike out for a twenty-mile ride through Mount Olive State Park, and five miles in, the sky ripped apart with an unexpected torrential downpour and wicked thunder and lightning. I quickly put on my poncho — oh, there’s a couple of those in the bag too — and I turned around. The trail quickly became a muddy stream, and I kept slipping and sliding everywhere. I couldn’t safely ride the bike anymore and had to walk it back. I think I retraced about a mile when I heard this terrifying, splintering crack. I looked up just in time to react. A very tall and wide oak tree and half the hillside was falling towards me. I had to drop my bike and haul ass back down the trail. Thankfully, the landslide was isolated to that section, just where the root system for that massive tree had been, because I slipped and fell and my left leg took an impact from a baseball-sized rock before I could get back up and keep moving.”
Callie gasped, “Oh, my God. That sounds terrifying. Did the rock break your leg?”
“No, but it hurt like a son of a bitch. I had a bruise this big.” Alex traced a space on the side of her leg that was bigger than her hand. “Anway, with the trail covered, and the hillside unstable, I couldn’t go back the way I’d come. I had to go the long way back. My water supply had been strapped to my bike, so I had to use my canteen cup to collect rainwater to drink through my LifeStraw , and I ended up eating every protein bar and pack of trail mix I’d packed. It took me over five hours of fighting against the strong wind and rain and slogging through mud to make it back to my Jeep , and by that point, I was a freezing, shivering, muddy mess. I was very grateful to be able to take my soaked and muddy shoes and socks off and put on a pair of those clean wool socks. And the blanket felt like heaven. I got lucky that day that there wasn’t another landslide that stranded me out there, but I felt confident that I could have at least made it through the night, if I had to.”
“God.” Callie shivered and folded her arms around herself. “That sounds so scary.” She motioned around them. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful right now that it’s easy to forget that nature can turn brutal and dangerous in an instant. One wrong step, or an unexpected change in the weather…”
“Or not recognizing a poisonous plant or venomous critter for what it is.” Alex nodded. “Nature is my happy place and helps me recharge, but it demands respect in exchange.”
“I like the way you said that.” Callie sighed as she looked around at the countless towering trees that could fall and crush them. Despite the possible risks, she still felt safe and at peace, especially with Alex by her side. “Were you able to get your bike back?”
“Yeah, about two months after the incident. I called the park ranger’s office before I even left the park to let them know about the landslide so they could block off the trail, and they took my name and number and told me they’d call when they dug it out. It wasn’t salvageable though. It looked like that landslide had chewed it up and tried to digest it.”
Callie laughed, then quickly covered her mouth, and apologized, “I’m sorry, that’s not funny. It was a really dangerous situation. And I’m so glad you got out of there mostly unharmed. It was just the image of the hillside coming to life and eating your bike. It reminded me of that animated movie Monster House . Oh, and that Troll movie on Netflix .”
Smiling, Alex nodded. “Both great movies.”
“I liked that movie we started together the other night.” Callie tilted her head with a quizzical lift of her brows. “You didn’t finish it without me, did you?”
Looking aghast, Alex gasped, “What kind of monster do you take me for? Of course, I didn’t.” Grinning, she teased, “Besides, how else am I going to ploy you into coming back over? I can’t keep using Daphne to get you through the door.”
Callie’s head fell back with a loud laugh, and she gently slapped Alex’s shoulder. “You know damn well I didn’t agree to come over on Friday night just to meet Daphne.”
The sun suddenly glinted in Alex’s whiskey irises, sending a tingling sensation rushing throughout her body that settled between her thighs. She swallowed hard and licked her lips, glancing between Alex’s smile and steady gaze.
She wasn’t conscious of moving. It was as if the forest was closing in on them, pressing them closer together. Before she realized they’d moved, their lips brushed together with the gentlest kiss, sending another delicious sensation throughout her body. Her eyes closed, and this time, she consciously pressed in closer, feeling the fullness of Alex’s mouth on hers and savoring the slightly cool, saltiness of her.
As Alex turned to her, cupping her cheek with her warm hand, Callie felt the touch on every inch of her body. When Alex sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, the earth seemed to shift beneath them, and she quickly reached out, grabbing Alex’s hard bicep, the sculpted muscle sending another jolt of pleasure racing through her nerves.
When something hit the ground nearby, and the branches above them noisily rustled, Callie quickly pulled away and looked up in a panic.
“Squirrel,” Alex explained, and pointed to the bushy-tailed creature walking across a thick branch, then leapt and swung onto a thinner branch of a nearby tree.
“I think your landslide story was too fresh in my mind.”
Callie chuckled and shook her head. When she met Alex’s glossy eyes, her insides lurched forward, wanting more than anything to pick up where they’d left off, but Callie was worried she wouldn’t be able to stop. And as beautiful and peaceful as it was to sit here, it would not be romantic or comfortable to make love on the compacted dirt and unyielding boulders. And it definitely wouldn’t be romantic if someone drifted by in another watercraft or stumbled upon them while hiking. But she really, really wanted to keep kissing Alex.
As if sensing her battle, Alex asked, “Hungry?”
“A little bit,” she answered truthfully, and Alex nodded and stood up to grab the cooler.
Sitting side by side on the cushions, Alex unpacked containers of fruit salad, grilled chicken breast cut into bite-sized cubes, dipping sauces, and toasted baguette slices and sliced brie cheese.
Pointing at each of the sauces, Alex explained, “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I packed honey mustard, barbeque, and ranch.”
“I like all three. Thank you for going through so much trouble. It looks delicious.”
Smiling, Alex answered, “It was no trouble,” and offered her a fork and napkin.
While they ate, they watched a team of mallard ducks glide across the water, occasionally one would dive, sticking its tail up in the air, but they mostly appeared to just be out enjoying the beauty of the pond, just like Alex and Callie.
Callie had never been to this particular state park, but she knew she’d be back, whether on her own or with someone, and she hoped that someone would be Alex.