His face turns serious. “You’ve changed my life around, too. Turned it upside down.” His thumbs rub circles over the tired muscles on the back of my legs, and his index finger traces the faint scars I got on my first day here. I’m looking forward to more of this in the future. My ankles are his territory now.
“Upside down, how?” I murmur, closing my eyes to more fully enjoy my mini massage.
“Well, I never thought I’d be a guy who picks fights on social media.”
I chuckle at that. “Thanks for sticking up for me.”
“When you left I thought it was over just like it was with—well, before.” I know he’s talking about when Lindsie left and my heart hurts for him all over again. “But I couldn’t stop watching everything you did while you were gone. It was pathetic. I was like a whipped puppy, staring out the window, hoping you’d come back. Then you came back, and now my heart isn’t mine anymore.” He grumbles. “I hate this. I want to get up and chop some wood or something to remind you I’m a manly man.”
“Manly men have feelings, but you can go ahead and prove your manliness to me. I’d love to watch you split a cord of wood. And The Hulk is probably due for an oil change.”
“Eh. I’ll let Mercer have that manly job. She changes the oil on my Bronco to make money on the side.”
I laugh, “She does not.”
“Oh, she does. A few years ago she was looking for a side hustle and talked me into letting her work on our fleet vehicles. She’s good at that stuff.” He shrugs.
The light goes dim around us as we talk for who knows how long, and by “talk” I mean, we make out with occasional words thrown in. It is surreal being here with Joe knowing nothing is waiting for me. There is no more hiding and no hurry. I can do whatever I want—for the time being, anyway. I’m not going to totally obliterate my savings. I’m not crazy. But for now, I’m leaning into this freedom, and I’m literally and figuratively leaning into Joe.
After our words run out and my lips and cheeks are sufficiently beard-burned, his voice is low in my ear, “We should probably go before it gets too dark, but I have one thing to show you.” He pulls me to my feet. My legs are tingly from sitting on the hard ground and I stumble into him.
“Easy there.” He chuckles and takes my hand, pulling me to the edge of the wide cave. He opens his phone and turns on the flashlight, lighting up the sandstone wall. He shines the light over thecarvings I remember seeing on our first hike together. The rock wall is covered in initials, words, and dates. “Remember the first time I brought you in here?”
“Of course. All I wanted to do was hang all over you, and instead you had us picking up trash.”
He chuckles and his hand tightens around mine. “Right. And ditto. You have aggravated me with your” — he grumbles, waving his big hand in my direction — “general sexiness since the minute I scooped you onto my tailgate to bandage your ankle. I can’t even think about that dress you had on in the video where you threw the powder on Miles. I hope you kept it. I need to see that one in person.”
“It’s in the van. I’ll be sure to wear it to Sunday dinner.”
He lets out a long rush of air. “Good. Anyway, you keep distracting me. Do you remember the first time we came here together?”
I nod. I’m paying attention, not getting distracted by how cute his Adam's apple is when he swallows.
“Okay. I’m kind of embarrassed by this. You can’t tell anyone.”
My eyes go wide.I am beyond excited.An embarrassing secret? Finally!“You’re going to tell me your middle name!”
“No.” He’s mildly exasperated now, pulling me closer to him by my shoulders. He spins me around so that my back presses against his warm chest. “Stop talking. Just look.”
He wraps one arm around my waist and uses his free hand to shine the flashlight over the wall of the enclosure. I scan dozens and dozens of carvings as the beam of his flashlight moves, some are decades old and some are new. The newest ones are a light coral color where the rock has been scratched away. The oldest carvings are starting to weather and fade. I spot the initials his parents left years ago. JP+SP. I smile thinking of the venerable Sarah Pratt fooling around in this cave with a Joe lookalike. Good for her.
Then I spot a fresh carving not far from his parents’. The sandstone is pale and dusty around a pair of initials: JP+IF.
I gasp and swing around to him. “Rule breaker! I’m calling the Crime Stoppers tip line! Does that still exist?” I’m joking, but I have to laugh or else I’ll cry from the sweetness. I turn back to the carved wall because I can’t take my eyes off of our initials next to each other. It feels so right.Solid ground under my feet? Check.
“I know. I can’t believe I did it, but when you left I went crazy. I couldn’t sit still. The other morning I couldn’t sleep so I came up here and committed a crime. I’m not proud of it.” His voice is sheepish. “Maybe I'm a little proud of it. I figured if I couldn’t have you I didn’t want anyone else. Those initials were like a memorial.”
“It’s my favorite thing in the entire world.” I can’t wait to come up here when the sun is out and get a good picture of it.
“When I saw what was happening with you, I started planning how I’d get you back. But you came back.” He pulls me so tight against his chest I can’t think straight. His lips find my cheek and he holds a soft kiss there like he’s claiming me. Every lingering doubt leaves my mind.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Joe Pratt,” I whisper.
“I’m way ahead of you, Fox.”
EPILOGUE
Six months later
