Page 33 of Cloudless
SECRET PLACE
KAM
I hold my breath as I fold the cargo cover back to reveal a mound of mismatched blankets and pillows that definitely took a tumble during our drive.
My eyes scan her face as her eyes widen before flicking to me. The disbelief in her voice and the grin on her face pulls a reluctant smile from me. “Did you take the comforters off everyone’s beds?”
I rub the back of my neck as my eyes scan over the mess I’ve made in the back of Wyatt’s truck. “Maybe?”
Her eyebrows raise in question as she tries and fails to hide the humor from her eyes. “Was that a question?”
I shrug as I force my already pushed up shirt sleeves even farther up my arms. “Would you believe me if I said we didn’t have any other blankets in the house?
I didn’t have time to go buy any before I came and picked you up.
” My voice lowers to a whisper. “A problem that will be dealt with soon, I assure you.”
Her laughter is so beautiful, it competes with the sunset behind us. “You’re really sweet. Did you know that?”
“It, uh, it’s nothing really. I just didn’t want to take you on a normal date. You deserve more than that.” What I won’t admit is it’s become a personal goal of mine to give her the best first date she’s ever been on.
I stand as still as a statue as she goes up on her tiptoes to plant a quick kiss on my cheek before she turns back to the truck.
“It’s perfect, Trouble.” I fight my natural instincts to rub the spot that’s still warm from her kiss.
She rubs her hands together and gets a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “So, where do we start?”
We take a few minutes to sort through the tangled mess of blankets. Before I know it, we’re all spread out in the back of the truck. There are so many layers of blankets and pillows under us that I can’t even feel the unforgiving, hard surface of the truck bed.
We bask in the purple light from the first sign of twilight as we laugh at our efforts to smooth the blankets under us. My fingers snag in a loose thread on Dax’s comforter before I finally give up. “I think that’s just going to have to be good enough.”
My heart nearly skips a beat as she chooses the blanket from my bed to settle under. “A few lumps and bumps never hurt anyone.”
As the sun disappears behind the distant hills, so does the warmth it normally brings. Leaves in the nearby trees sway in the light breeze that now carries a biting chill.
A wave of pride washes through me as she burrows further under my blanket. “Now you see why I wanted you to dress warm.”
Her eyes light up with her smile as tendrils of hair around her face blow in the wind. “Good call, Trouble.” Her eyes roam over the distant landscape that’s now shrouded in shadows. “How did you find this place, anyway?”
My eyes trace her profile as I settle into a more comfortable position. “Well, Mace’s dad is a park ranger. I’ve heard him talk about this place a few times. I called him last night to make sure I knew where it was. The road is easy to miss if you don’t know what to look for.”
She lets out a deep breath that takes some of the tension in her shoulders with it. “Well, it’s stunning. You’ll have to thank him for giving away his secret place.”
“I will. He was excited we were coming up here. He said we might get lucky and get a visitor or two.”
A smile pulls at my lips as her eyes flash with equal parts excitement and confusion. “I don’t know if I should be worried or excited about that.”
I shrug as my smile turns into a grin. “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.” She searches my face as she opens her mouth to ask another question I know she’s dying to know the answer to. I ask a question of my own before she gets the chance. “Are you ready for dinner?”
She sits up as straight as the lumpy blankets and pillows will allow. “There’s dinner?”
My feet get caught in various blankets thanks to my sneakers as I try to exit the truck bed with a laugh. “You didn’t think I’d let you starve, did you?”
She quirks a brow. “I’m not making any assumptions.”
Relief flows through me when I land on solid ground. Thankful isn’t a good enough word for what I’m feeling, knowing I didn’t just face plant in the dirt on our first date. “Well, always assume this. I will always take care of you. That includes making sure you’re warm and fed.”
She gives me a mock solute on my way to the backseat of the truck. “Sir, yes, sir.”
My chuckle follows me into the back of the car as I secure the still-warm cooler under my arm. The truck sways as I slam the door to the backseat. “Maybe I should be the one calling you ‘Trouble’?”
The cooler lands with a heavy thunk in the truck bed before I climb up to settle back in my place. This time, I leave my sneakers on the ground so I don’t have another near-embarrassment experience next time I try to get out.
The sound of the zipper of the cooler opening accompanies the crickets, who now sing their nightly song from the tall grass on the side of the dirt road.
Her voice is full of amazement as she takes in the full cooler in front of her. “What’s all this?”
I strain my neck to look into the cooler to make sure the Tupperware containers haven't spilled during our drive. A relieved breath flows through me as I realize not only are the lids still on, but the silverware I packed is still neatly wrapped in their paper towels. “I, uh, I made you spaghetti.”
Her eyebrows fly up and her eyes grow impossibly wide as her gaze shoots toward me. “You made all this?”
I run my fingers through my hair. “Well, I used pasta from a box. Mace wanted me to make homemade pasta, but I wanted us to actually be able to eat the meal once we got here. And I didn’t make the cheese, obviously.
Dax was in charge of that, so it’s hard telling what he got. But the sauce, yeah. I made the sauce.”
Her arms wrap tightly around my neck before I realize what’s happening. The smell of mangos washes over me. Her voice is quiet and watery as she squeezes me in a death grip. “Thank you, Kam.” She pulls back to reveal the tears rimming her eyes. “This is perfect.”
I catch a stray tear with my thumb as it trails down her cheek. “Why are you crying?”
She laughs as my arms finally catch up with my brain and wind around her waist. “Because you’re perfect, and that scares the hell out of me.”
My fingers glide through the silky strands of hair around her face as my voice falls to a whisper. “I’m not perfect.”
She makes a disbelieving noise as the cool night air fills the space between us.
“You seem pretty perfect to me. Why would you want me , Kam? This isn’t a way for me to get you to say I’m perfect, too.
I’m not. Look at my life. I’m practically a single mom to two seven-year-olds.
What college hockey star in his right mind would want to dive headfirst into that? ”
A smile pulls at my lips despite a piece of my heart breaking every time a fresh tear rolls down her face.
My arms tighten around her so our chests are nearly touching.
The need to dispel the space she’s put between us grows with every breath I take.
“I guess I’m not in my right mind, then.
I want it all, Sunshine. Every messy, beautiful piece. ”
She shakes her head like that’s the stupidest thing she’s ever heard. Her voice holds a sadness that tears me up inside. “Why? How could you possibly want that?”
“Because I want you.” Determination shines brightly in my eyes and through my voice. “And I want those two seven-year-olds, too. I’ve decided I want you in my life. No, I need you in my life. And I will do that in any way I can.” I search her eyes as I pull her closer. “Will you let me do that?”
Her eyes shutter closed before they open once again. Fresh tears stream down her face that I don’t bother wiping away. I need them to fall to my chest and brand me like I’ve been needing her to do for all these weeks.
Her eyes flicker back and forth between mine before a calmness takes control of her. She sags against my chest and lets out a deep breath. “Okay. But only if you’re sure.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” I push a few stray strands of hair out of her face. “Now that we’ve got that settled. Are you ready to eat?”
She wipes a few lingering tears from her cheeks as a smile breaks through her darkness. “I was born ready.”