Page 181 of The Ampersand Effect
She moaned; Tobin was soaked and throbbing, and when she casually spread her legs wider, Grier didn’t hesitate to slide her fingers around her clit before slipping inside. She was greeted by tight, spasming muscles and a moan that spurred her on.
Hours later, hand in hand, they traipsed through the charred tree line and into the open clearing where Grier had nearly died in the wildfire. This wasn’t the first time they’d returned— something about the area called to them both, despite how much it had nearly cost them. Besides, Grier wanted to curtail any PTSD she might have suffered by not facing her demons head-on.
They had registered with the Aetheridge Forestry Department to aid in the recovery and regrowth efforts. The town had come together after the wildfires and voted to promote reforestation as much as possible. Grier and Tobin had readily volunteered to help sow seeds for local vegetation around the forest. Eddie—in her unfathomable intelligence—had designed a software program using her existing SAR system to evaluateand distribute vegetation according to previous growth patterns. Aetheridge was the beta site for its success.
Eddie already had multiple corporate offers to purchase the system once it was proven, but Grier knew Eddie wouldn’t sell it. She had listened to Tobin and Eddie talking about the program endlessly during dinners and game nights and knew that Eddie planned to work directly with forestry departments to keep the software affordable and accurate.
Today, Grier had led Tobin out here under the guise of seed distribution at the clearing—a location they both hoped would regrow to its full glory in their lifetime. She had also reminded Tobin that it was morel season, and the first spring after a wildfire was known to produce substantial burn morels if the ground hadn’t been sterilized.
What she hadn’t told Tobin was that today was the anniversary of their first official date. Right here, in this clearing, they had gone morel hunting and cliff diving until the rain—and, most importantly, their healing hearts—chased them home and under the covers.
They had come full circle in a year. They had overcome their individual pasts, their fears, and their hesitations. They had fallen and risen, lifting each other up along the way. Tobin’s recent fertility labs showed improved levels, thanks to Grier’s determination and dedication to regular adjustments, acupuncture, and supportive supplements. They were talking about a baby—and everything that led to one. So today, after circling the sun in a full rotation with Tobin by her side, Grier planned to place a permanent circle on Tobin’s hand, to solidify their love, their resilience, and their permanence. And what better place than here, where it seems all their big life events take place.
“These spreader pouches aren’t exactly fashionable,” Tobin mused as she positioned her pouch on her shoulders, “butthey’re certainly more effective than hauling wheeled ones this high into the cliffs.” She handed Grier her own pouch, and Grier slung it over her shoulder, waiting as Tobin poured in the mixture of native prairie grass seeds they’d be spreading while hunting for morels.
Grier discreetly slid a hand to her left hip pocket, pressing gently to confirm the ring was still securely inside. Feeling its silhouette against her palm simultaneously calmed her nerves and released a bouquet of butterflies in her stomach. She wasn’t nervous about Tobin’s answer—she knew in her soul Tobin would say yes—but the thrill of the moment, executing her plan, was almost overwhelming. Her other hand flew to the pendant around her neck, silently wishing for Nora and her unfaltering support. She smiled, imagining how much Nora would have adored Tobin.
“What’s got you smiling over there?” Tobin called from a dozen yards away. Pulled from her thoughts, Grier looked across the blackened earth and let her smile widen.
“I was just thinking about Nora.”
“I thought you might be. You’ve got that wistful look about you.”
“Wistful?” Grier mused. She knew the look Tobin meant, but it didn’t stop her from playing. She hoped their spirited banter never changed.
Tobin’s responsive smile radiated an affection that Grier could feel as warmly as the sun on her skin. “Yeah, wistful. It’s the look you get when you think about Nora and some inside joke only the two of you would get.”
Grier rolled her eyes, playfully. “Hmm,” she pondered, buying herself a moment while slipping both hands into the seed pouch in front of her. She withdrew them and released one handful of seeds in an arc around her head, twirling on her toes and giggling. When she completed the circle, she tossed theother handful toward Tobin so they fell like rain around her. Her body moved of its own volition, following the seeds in their trajectory, and gently tackled Tobin—keeping them upright to avoid rolling around in the charred remnants of the wildfire.
“Oof!” Tobin huffed at the contact.
“I’ll show you wistful,” Grier whispered, drawing Tobin’s lips to hers and tangling her fingers in Tobin’s thick hair. She felt Tobin smile into the kiss and added hers to the mix.
“What would you show me if I told you that you had a seductive look about you,” Tobin jested.
Grier stepped back from their embrace and turned toward her portion of the clearing. Glancing over her shoulder with a wink, she said, “Flirt around and find out.”
Shereallyhoped they never stopped their bantering.
Once back at her side of the clearing, Grier began nudging crisp debris and burnt branches with her toe, trying to unearth some burn morels. She had planned to call Tobin over once she found a decent cluster, setting the ring atop one of the hoods for Tobin to discover. So far, her plan had been fruitless, and they were already more than halfway through the seed spreading. If she didn’t find a group of morels soon, she’d have to resort to Plan B.
She didn’t have a Plan B…
The butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach turned leaden with each passing minute and every turn of the crank that released the seed from her pouch. She fought panic, desperately scanning the ground around her feet and kicking at any cover where a morel might be hiding. Her emotions felt untethered, her heart racing with the ache of a botched plan, and the sting in her eyes reminded her just how anxious she’d been about the proposal—more than she’d realized.
I should have scouted the area first, she chastised herself.
Frustrated, she huffed and stomped her foot against the earth in a petulant fit—just as a pair of familiar arms wrapped around her.
“You okay, Cinderella?” Tobin’s soft breath ruffled her hair, and Grier felt her heart rate quicken as Tobin’s soft lips found the pulse point on her neck. It was gentle and comforting—not the seductive kiss from earlier. Tobin rested her chin on Grier’s shoulder and squeezed them together. They swayed slowly, dancing to their own rhythm.
“You look like a playground bully stole your candy,” Tobin observed gently. “What’s up?”
Grier felt her body melt into Tobin’s. Her plan had been foiled by Mother Nature—it seemed this was becoming a pattern. She should’ve expected nothing less.
“It’s nothing,” she sighed, allowing a moment of defeat to wash over her before promising herself she’d adapt and create a new plan. She was allowed to be disappointed—for just a moment.
Because, in all reality, their love had proven resilient. Her plans may be changed, but their love was steadfast. She’d find a new way to ask. Tobin would say yes. And they’d spend their lives adapting and loving and thriving. She inhaled deeply as this understanding flooded through her.