“You’re goin’ to love it, I promise,” he tells me.
“OK.” What he doesn’t know is that I already knew I’d love whatever it is because I’d be doin’ it with him.
This time it’s Red who’s taken aback. ”OK? Just like that?”
“Yep. Now, back to this coffee?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m on it.”
That's when I grin at him. “Good. Chop, chop. You think I’m cute now, youdon’twant to see me without caffeine.”
Red smiles now, his eyes crinkling with it. “Darlin’, you think I don’t already know that? You’re hell on wheels without your mornin’ fix. Now get movin’, you’ve only got eighteen minutes now.”
A little growl escapes me before I quickly shut the bathroom door and rest my back on it. But I do it smiling at the sound of his laughter as he walks away.
Twentyfiveminutes later, we’re in the truck and I’m still stuck on him calling me cute and how much I like him thinking that.Who am I? Has this Call made me soft and gooey?
“I like you soft and gooey,” Red says from the driver’s seat.
“What?”
"You muttered somethin' about bein’ soft and gooey. I'm sayin' that I like it. You don't have to be anythin' other than yourself with me, you know that," he adds. There’s a twinkle in his eyes that makes my heart somersault.
Feeling my cheeks heat, I turn to look out the window, pretending to be interested in the scenery passing by. The truth is, I've never felt so seen and accepted by someone before. It's like Red can read me like a book, even the parts I keep hidden from everyone else. If it was anyone else, I’d feel uncomfortable. But with him, I like it…a lot.
There’s not another man on earth that knows me like he does or has ever made me feel this way. Then there’s the way I’ve felt on this trip with him–the buzzing under my skin, the tingles when we touch, the constant blushing and giddy feeling deep inside, and the way my heart seems to go haywire whenever I’m near him. It’s taken the mountain spirit and the universe to make me see that what andwhoI want is right in front of me.
And dammit, life is too short to waste a second–or in my case, fourth–chance at love. They say third time’s the charm, well maybe I’m ready to prove that there’s no limit.
The sun sits high in the sky over the mountains as we drive further into the rugged countryside. I crack the window open, the crisp clean air carrying the scent of pine and earth into the cab of the truck. I keep looking for signs to tell me where he’staking me but eventually I can’t stop myself from asking him again.
"Do I finally get to know where we're goin’ now?"
He chuckles. “Yeah, darlin’. I think you’ve waited long enough.”
Flicking the indicator, he turns into a road with a big white sign that says 'Glacier Park Access.'
I gasp, my eyes jumping wide as I turn to him and bounce in my seat like a kid at Christmas. “We’re goin’ to see aglacier?”
Glaciers are something I’ve only ever seen in pictures or on the TV. I’ve always wanted to see one up close but I never told anyone…except Anna. There’s no way Red could’ve known that though.
“Yep, we’re goin’ to see a real-life glacier. Thought you might like it,” he replies with a grin.
I can’t contain my excitement. “This is amazin’, Red. Seriously. You’ve outdone yourself.”
“It’s a good surprise then?”
“The best! Thank you.”
“I wanted to do somethin’ special together,” he says. “This trip is passin’ by so quickly and I know we’re doin’ the rodeo for me, but I think it’s important we do stuff for us too. Like when you took me on that hike after Wy left. This is me repayin’ the favor.”
As we get closer to the park entrance, the scenery transforms into a snow-covered landscape with towering mountains all around us and a crystal-clear stream trailing next to the road.
When we arrive at the designated parking area, Red hops out of the truck and comes around to my door, opening it for me. I step out onto the snow-covered ground, the cold seeping through my boots but I’m too excited to care.Now I know why he told me to bring a jacket.
"You ready to go on an adventure with me?" Red asks, extending his hand toward me.
I take it without hesitation, our fingers intertwining naturally as we make our way to the big white building where the tour office is housed.
