“What are you thinking?”
“Just glad I’m here.”
He gives me a side-eye. “I’m calling bullshit.”
“I haven’t…dated in a while.” I’m not sure it’s the right word to use.
He glances over at me. “And?”
“And it’s been a while, that’s all.”
“What happened with the last one?”
“You first,” I say as he steps over a fallen tree limb and easily lifts me to clear it.
“My last girl was Bianca. She was manipulative, so it didn’t last long.”
“Manipulative how?”
“She wanted to control me. I don’t do well with that. She wanted to manipulate my now, but I found myself trying to escape her more than I wanted to tolerate her. I ended it. Your turn.”
“He cheated on me in a club bathroom, on my eighteenth birthday.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, he was an asshole. To be fair, I was warned about him. My best friend Christy hated him, but I didn’t listen,” I give him a pointed look. “And I was warned about you too.”
He rolls his eyes. “I knew I should have gotten you earbuds.”
“Melinda sure does like to talk.”
“She only knows what she thinks she knows.”
A few more steps in and I pause at the sound filtering through the trees. “What is that?”
“Come on,” he guides me through another clearing of thick brush and around a corner. My jaw drops and my eyes widen when I see a waterfall looming a story above us, behind it sits a hollow cave, if it can be called that. The interior of it is completely visible behind the water, making it more of a nook.
“Oh my God, I’ve never seen one of these.”
“Pretty cool, huh?”
In minutes we’re standing behind it, the water flowing into a shallow pool at the bottom. I turn to see Sean setting down his pack, laying out a thick blanket.
“We’re picnicking behind a waterfall?”
“Cool, isn’t it?”
“So awesome.” I step back as he unpacks, refusing my help and eyeing the spread as he pulls out different containers. Cheese and crackers, granola bars, fruit. It’s simplistic, but the gesture alone sets my heart aflutter. He pulls out a few water bottles before stretching out a hand to me. It’s a dream, a living dream, this gorgeous man with sun-drenched skin and luminous eyes, reaching for me, along with the scene surrounding us. Resisting the urge to tackle him, I join him on the blanket a few rocks digging into my butt as I settle in at his side, drinking in the view.
“This is incredible.”
“Glad you like it. There are other falls around, but this one is private.”
“It’s private because we’re trespassing in a state park,” I point out with a grin. “In case you missed the ‘No one past this point’ sign.”
He shrugs. “Just more imaginary lines.”
“Like time, huh?”
“Yeah, like time.” He pushes the sweaty hair away from my forehead. His voice coated in warmth when he speaks. “Happy Birthday, Cecelia.”
“Thank you. It’s cool you remembered.”
“You said you had one coming up, and I checked with HR on what the date was.”
“This is so much better than what I had planned,” I say, breathing in the cool mist drifting from the waterfall. A small cloud of a rainbow shines below on the rocks and I take a mental picture. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
“What did you have planned?”
“Reading.” I glance around. “But you sure make that seem like a sad plan.” I gaze over at him and free the question I want answered most. “Are you for real?”
He frowns, pulling open a container and popping some cheese into his mouth. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…are you really this nice? Are you going to turn into some raging dick in a couple of weeks and ruin all of this?”
He seems completely unfazed by my question. “Is that what you’re used to?”
I don’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“Then, I guess it depends.”
“On what?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Yeah,” I lean in, my fingers itching to return the gesture and brush the sweaty blond hair from his forehead.
“Good.”
“That’s it?”
“Yep.”
“You’re talking in riddles again. Are we the secret?”