“A promise ring?” Gina wrinkled her nose. “Why?”
“His promise that they’d get married. And I guess, well, Brynna must’ve really loved him, because she told me it was her last letter, and she asked me not to write anymore.”
“And you didn’t?” Gina looked truly disappointed.
“Of course I didn’t. What would be the point of writing after that?”
“But it’s so tragic. Were you brokenhearted?”
He rolled his eyes at her, but only for dramatic effect. Because he had been brokenhearted. “I didn’t really have time to dwell on it much,” he continued quietly. “My dad got sick not too long after that. I had to quit school and come home. My hands were full.”
“Oh, Dad.” Gina threw her arms around him. “I’m so sorry. First this girl breaks your heart and then your dad gets sick and dies. And you were only my age. Man, it really was tragic, wasn’t it?”
He barely nodded. “Yeah, it was a tough era.”
“But then you found Mom.” Her expression seemed uncertain. “And you had all of us girls and life got way better, right?”
“Absolutely.” Nodding, he attempted a smile. “And now I’mgoing to burn all these silly photos and letters and forget the whole silly thing.”
Gina stood, reverently handing the envelope back to him. “And I am going to give you your privacy.” She set down the throw and picked up her electronic devices. “And since you approve, I think I’ll go launch our new website.”
“You really did a great job on it, honey. I’m proud of you.” His smile was sincere now. “Keep up the good work.”
She hugged him again. “Thanks, Dad. That means a lot.”
As she ran back upstairs, he opened the folder, ready to chuck the contents into the flames piece by piece ... but somehow, he just couldn’t. Suddenly he felt more tired than ever, and for some reason, his chest was aching. He couldn’t be having a heart attack, could he?
Brynna stared into the flickering campfire flames as Motorcycle Mike rambled on about his plans to take a road trip clear up to Alaska—all by himself.
“On your bike?” Jan asked with wide eyes.
“What else?”
“Camping in a tent?” Brynna frowned at him. “Aren’t you worried about wild animals? I thought Alaska had grizzly bears and wolves and things.”
He chuckled as he threw another piece of wood on the fire. “Well, it’s crossed my mind, but that’s just part of the adventure. Anyway, it’s on my bucket list. It’s not like I’m going next week.”
“Maybe you should wait until you’re eighty or ninety,” Brynna teased. “Then if the bears get you, at least you’ve enjoyed a few extra decades of life.”
“Good point.” Mike laughed. “How about you, ladies? What’s next on your traveling agenda?”
Jan explained about their reservation to camp in the Redwoods and her desire to see some of Sonoma. “After that, it’s Yosemite.”
“I’m headed to California too,” he told them. “Maybe our paths will keep crossing.”
“Sonoma,” Brynna said the word out loud. “You know, now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure that’s where Leroy was from.”
“Leroy?” Mike turned to her. “Who’s Leroy?”
“Her old true love,” Jan said lightly.
“Well, not really. I mean, he was sort of a boyfriend,” Brynna admitted. “But only for a short time. A very short time.”
“They actually met right here,” Jan told Mike.
“Right here?” Mike looked confused, so Brynna told him a quick version of her story, trying not to show how deeply the memories had stirred her today.
“That’s crazy wild,” Mike said. “What’re the chances that Jan picked this camp and it’s the same place where you fell in love? Like kismet or something.”
