ladies luncheon up at the pavilion, and she left her secretarial something or another at the house. I dropped it off for her, and on the way back down, I pulled into Whitman’s Overlook. I don’t know why, but I kept feeling as though I needed to. And what do I see when I look down? A trail of gold winding through the trees. I had to follow it, and the whole time I kept thinking about you.”
Geoffrey stepped closer to her and reached out for her hand. She met his hand halfway, yearning to feel his skin against hers, hoping it would calm her. His fingers and palm were sticky with sweat, but warm and alive. He’d been thinking about her? She stared down at their interlocking fingers and smiled.
“Did you cast a spell on me?” he asked.
When she looked up at him, she could tell he was only teasing her. “I don’t know those sorts of spells. Only the ones to turn you into a toad.”
“I know a few people you could cast that one on.”
“I bet you do,” she said.
He squeezed her hand. “I kept hoping I’d see you,” he said. “And here you are. What are you doing out this way?”
Kate motioned over her shoulder with her thumb. “I like to come here sometimes and think. I have a favorite spot that overlooks the valley.”
“Show me?”
Kate turned and tugged Geoffrey along beside her the few feet to where she’d been sitting. “It’s quiet here. Most people don’t hike through this section because there are no man-made trails. But it’s a nice hike down to the river. Evan and I used to come here all the time. Once you’re down by the river, you’re not likely to run into anyone. It’s like you’re alone in the world.”
“Which means if you were attacked by a bear, no one would know it,” he chuckled.
She shook her head. “You won’t likely see a lot of bears around here. They’re higher up in the mountains. There’s not enough food for them here.”
“Unless they want to eat hikers.”
“Stray hikers with leg braces.”
He pulled her closer to him as though it wasn’t an inappropriate thing to do, and she didn’t push away. Instead, she stared at the checkerboard pattern on his chest. Sapphire and ivory. Pale cerulean shadows were created when the two colors mixed. Instead of calming her, Geoffrey’s nearness intensified her emotions, spiraling out from her stomach, filling every space.
“I missed you,” he said.
She peered up at him. Her hope felt like fireflies in her chest. Sparking, pulsing, glowing. “You did?”
He laughed and slid his hand up her arm. “Of course. Who wouldn’t? I’m glad you left a trail for me.”
“I didn’t leave it for you,” she said, glancing away. Did I? In her rush to escape her thoughts of him, she had left a trail as bright as a comet’s tail, leading him straight to her.
“Of course you did,” he said. He lowered his head toward hers. “I want to kiss you again. I can’t stop thinking about it. Maybe that’s why you left the trail for me to follow. Maybe you wanted to be kissed again.”
“Maybe.”
“Can I?”
Would anyone ever say no to that? Kate nodded. Please.
As soon as she closed her eyes, he was already there, his lips against hers. The pent up energy inside her ricocheted around like a honeybee trapped in a jar. His arm slipped around her waist, and she pressed one hand onto his chest. His heart struck against her palm. Her breaths shortened, leaving her dizzy and faint. She clutched onto Geoffrey so he could anchor her to the earth, because otherwise the next gust of wind would lift her into the air like a kite. Who would ever want to escape this?
“G ET DOWN FROM there,” Kate demanded. “And be quiet. They can probably hear you in the next county. I’d rather people not know we’re up here.”
Geoffrey grinned down at her from his perch on the fat oak branch. His legs dangled, his ankle finally free of the brace, and he leaned his hands over, propping his elbows on his thighs. “Come up here and
Geoffrey stepped closer to her and reached out for her hand. She met his hand halfway, yearning to feel his skin against hers, hoping it would calm her. His fingers and palm were sticky with sweat, but warm and alive. He’d been thinking about her? She stared down at their interlocking fingers and smiled.
“Did you cast a spell on me?” he asked.
When she looked up at him, she could tell he was only teasing her. “I don’t know those sorts of spells. Only the ones to turn you into a toad.”
“I know a few people you could cast that one on.”
“I bet you do,” she said.
He squeezed her hand. “I kept hoping I’d see you,” he said. “And here you are. What are you doing out this way?”
Kate motioned over her shoulder with her thumb. “I like to come here sometimes and think. I have a favorite spot that overlooks the valley.”
“Show me?”
Kate turned and tugged Geoffrey along beside her the few feet to where she’d been sitting. “It’s quiet here. Most people don’t hike through this section because there are no man-made trails. But it’s a nice hike down to the river. Evan and I used to come here all the time. Once you’re down by the river, you’re not likely to run into anyone. It’s like you’re alone in the world.”
“Which means if you were attacked by a bear, no one would know it,” he chuckled.
She shook her head. “You won’t likely see a lot of bears around here. They’re higher up in the mountains. There’s not enough food for them here.”
“Unless they want to eat hikers.”
“Stray hikers with leg braces.”
He pulled her closer to him as though it wasn’t an inappropriate thing to do, and she didn’t push away. Instead, she stared at the checkerboard pattern on his chest. Sapphire and ivory. Pale cerulean shadows were created when the two colors mixed. Instead of calming her, Geoffrey’s nearness intensified her emotions, spiraling out from her stomach, filling every space.
“I missed you,” he said.
She peered up at him. Her hope felt like fireflies in her chest. Sparking, pulsing, glowing. “You did?”
He laughed and slid his hand up her arm. “Of course. Who wouldn’t? I’m glad you left a trail for me.”
“I didn’t leave it for you,” she said, glancing away. Did I? In her rush to escape her thoughts of him, she had left a trail as bright as a comet’s tail, leading him straight to her.
“Of course you did,” he said. He lowered his head toward hers. “I want to kiss you again. I can’t stop thinking about it. Maybe that’s why you left the trail for me to follow. Maybe you wanted to be kissed again.”
“Maybe.”
“Can I?”
Would anyone ever say no to that? Kate nodded. Please.
As soon as she closed her eyes, he was already there, his lips against hers. The pent up energy inside her ricocheted around like a honeybee trapped in a jar. His arm slipped around her waist, and she pressed one hand onto his chest. His heart struck against her palm. Her breaths shortened, leaving her dizzy and faint. She clutched onto Geoffrey so he could anchor her to the earth, because otherwise the next gust of wind would lift her into the air like a kite. Who would ever want to escape this?
“G ET DOWN FROM there,” Kate demanded. “And be quiet. They can probably hear you in the next county. I’d rather people not know we’re up here.”
Geoffrey grinned down at her from his perch on the fat oak branch. His legs dangled, his ankle finally free of the brace, and he leaned his hands over, propping his elbows on his thighs. “Come up here and
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