Haley smiles up at me, an unguarded, happy smile.
“This is so fun,” she says. “I love being in nature.”
We’ve reached a particularly popular lookout that’s filled with other hikers, and I pull Haley aside and hug her.
“Thanks for coming with me on this road trip.”
She looks up at me. “I invited myself. I should thank you for your generosity. Maybe I flew to New Orleans to take this trip with you, not to meet my birth mother.”
“God definitely works in mysterious ways.” I bend down and kiss her.
Her lips are soft, and she hangs on for a longer kiss.
“Liam Storm!”
When I hear my name, I don’t move.
I’m kissing Haley Laine.
Nothing feels more important than that at the moment.
“Mr. Storm! Can I get an autograph? You’re my son’s favorite player in the league.”
I turn to see a man and little boy about ten approaching us. How he recognized me with a cap on and my face half-hidden by Haley’s hair, I’ll never know. But fans are amazing with their ability to pick people out of a crowd.
“Sure, of course.” I sign the kid’s hat and take a photo with him.
We shake hands, and Haley and I continue our hike.
Much later that day, Haley and I check into a Dude Ranch in Wyoming for the night.
We don’t discuss the fact that we’ll arrive at Wild Ranch tomorrow night and don’t need a Dude Ranch experience. We also don’t talk about the fact that tonight is our last night on the road and that, after this, we won’t be able to enjoy endless hours of naked time. The twinge of pain in my gut reminds me that this road trip isn’t real life and that the ease I’ve felt for the first time since my father died is temporary.
I feel such unconditional love for Lulu, and she makes me incredibly happy. So to say I haven’t been happy until now would be a lie. But raising Lulu comes with great responsibility, and ease isn’t something I’ve felt as a father. Especially since the divorce.
Being with Haley reminds me that life is supposed to be fun. Somewhere along the way, when I became the man of the house, I stopped thinking I deserved to enjoy myself. Everything became schedules and responsibilities, and then those turned into burdens.
I put my arm around Haley’s shoulders as we finish up a walk by moonlight on the Wyoming ranch. We head toward our cabin, and I’ve just unlocked the door when my phone buzzes.
When I see it’s Hunter, I grab it as Haley and I step inside the cabin. “Is Lulu okay?”
“She’s fast asleep and happy as a clam,” he says. “But you and Haley are back in the media.”
“How?”
“I’m texting you the link now.”
I click on what he sends.
It’s a blurry video of Haley and me kissing on our hike in Colorado.
“One of the bystanders must have taken this,” I say.
“Sorry your private life is getting press,” Hunter says with frustration. “It was one thing with Haley’s video because you knew you were being filmed in a sense, but this is an invasion of privacy, Liam. You could try to have it taken down.”
Yeah, I could call my agent and try to go that route.
I turn to Haley, who’s sitting on the couch in the living area. “Do you care if video of us kissing at the lookout spot in Boulder goes viral?”
