Page 17

Max

T he hike to the waterfalls wasn’t long, but the trail had just enough twists and roots to keep it interesting. The late morning sun filtered through the trees, dappling the ground in golden patches, and birds chirped somewhere above us like we were walking straight into a postcard.

Tessa walked ahead with her dad, pointing out little things along the trail—the crooked tree she liked to sit under when she needed to think, the patch of wildflowers that only bloomed after rain.

Jake stuck beside me, mostly quiet, occasionally glancing my way like he wasn’t quite sure whether to trust me or shake my hand again just for something to do.

But he was here. And that meant something.

“She’s doing good,” Jake finally said, kicking a rock down the trail.

“Yeah,” I said, watching her laugh with her dad just up ahead. “She really is.”

“You got anything to do with that?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. She’s got everything to do with why I’m doing better.”

He didn’t answer, but after a few seconds, he nodded.

We reached the clearing just before the falls, the sound of rushing water growing louder with each step. When we finally broke through the trees, Tessa let out a quiet, breathless “Wow,” like she hadn’t already been here a dozen times before.

The waterfall poured over smooth rock into a deep blue pool below, mist curling into the air like something from a dream.

Her dad pulled out his phone and started snapping pictures. “Well, damn. No one said this place looked like this. ”

Tessa beamed. “I told you.”

Jake grinned too, already kicking off his boots to dip his feet in the water.

I hung back for a moment, letting it all soak in—Tessa laughing as her dad tried to skip rocks and failed miserably, Jake letting himself relax for the first time since he arrived.

And me?

I wasn’t just watching.

I was part of it.

A quiet warmth settled in my chest. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed this, family. Not just the one you’re born with, but the kind that finds you when you least expect it.

Tessa walked over to me, her cheeks flushed from the hike, hair wind-tousled and perfect. “You okay?”

I nodded. “Just taking it all in.”

She looked around and smiled. “It’s kind of beautiful, huh?”

“You’re kind of beautiful,” I said before I could stop myself.

She rolled her eyes but leaned into my side, her head resting against my arm.

“Hey,” her dad called from behind us. “I think I want to buy something up here. Nothing big—just a little place to stay when we visit. You think there’s anything for sale around here?”

Tessa’s jaw dropped. “Wait, seriously?”

“Dead serious. I can’t believe you live in a place like this. I’d come up every month if I could.”

I glanced down at her and saw it—the shimmer of tears she was trying to blink away.

And in that moment, I knew it wasn’t just about the mountain.

It was about them seeing her— really seeing her.

Happy.

Whole.

Home.

And I got to be part of that.

Not by rescuing her. Not by fixing anything.

But by just being here.

For once in my life, I wasn’t trying to outrun anything or fix the past.

I was just living the kind of moment that makes you stop and say, Yeah. This is it.

Tessa’s dad and brother wandered back up the trail after lunch by the falls, saying something about checking out town and grabbing ice cream. Tessa stayed behind, her bare feet dipping in the edge of the water, fingers trailing across the surface like she was drawing something only she could see.

I sat beside her, close enough that our legs brushed but not so close that I broke the spell.

She looked peaceful.

And I didn’t want to break that either.

“You ever get tired of it?” she asked, not looking at me.

“The view?”

“The quiet.”

I shook my head. “Not once.”

She smiled, still watching the water. “It used to scare me. Too much stillness meant too much time to think.”

“And now?”

She glanced over at me. “Now I don’t mind thinking. As long as I’m not doing it alone.”

That did it.

I reached over and tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger on her cheek.

“Come here,” I whispered.

She slid into my lap without hesitation, arms curling around my shoulders, like we’d done this a hundred times before. I kissed her, slow and deep, her hands threading through my hair, her breath catching when I ran mine down her back.

Everything else—the falls, the breeze, the world—faded.

It was just us.

Her lips. My heartbeat. The way her laugh felt like sunlight when I whispered something stupid against her mouth.

I could’ve stayed like that forever.

“Tessa…”

“Hmm?”

“I have to leave in two days.”

She turned her head toward me, frowning slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Frasier got a call. High-profile client. An actress is headed to Italy, and she needs guards. She’s been getting threats, and someone requested us personally.”

“ Us as in… you?”

I nodded. “He wants me to go with him.”

She sat up slowly, hugging her knees to her chest. “How long?”

“A few weeks. Maybe more, depending on how things shake out.”

She didn’t say anything. Just stared out at the water again, her jaw tight.

“I didn’t want to tell you that I would have to leave,” I admitted. “This is part of our job, we rescue and guard people.”

“How often do you do this kind of work,” she said softly.of the country at least every other month. I promise I’ll be back in no time.”

She looked at me then, her eyes searching mine like she wasn’t sure what she thought about these jobs.

“I hope you’re careful,” she said.

“I don’t need promises, Max,” she said. “I know you will be back.”

“I love you,” I said, cupping her face. I’m doing my job. And when it’s done, I’m coming home to you.”

She pressed her forehead to mine. “You better.”