A date might’ve been pushing it, so Elias would be more careful with what he said.
As they continued strolling down Main Street, Higgins sniffed everything he could find, and Tasha’s uncertainty seemed to disappear based on her smile.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I can’t believe I never thought to come to town at night.”
“Now you know.”
“And I’ll be back.” She glanced up at the sky. “Especially on nights like this.”
“Clear skies make for colder weather.”
“I’m an ice skater. I’m used to it.” She released a contented-sounding sigh. “But Berry Lake…”
The way she practically sighed the words pleased him. “You like it.”
“I don’t like it.” Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the lights. “I love it.”
He knew she would away. The fact she’d remained in Wishing Bay after retiring suggested she was a small-town girl at heart. “Me too.”
“Yet, you’d move?” Her tone was curious, but not in a stick-her-nose-in-his-business way, more like she was trying to understand.
“If I had to for my job.” He’d been thinking about the possibility, but he’d never spoken the words aloud to anyone. “But moving doesn’t mean I’ll never return again.”
“That’s true.” Tasha drew out the words as if thinking about them.
She seemed to have forgotten something. He would remind her. “You’re considering the same thing.”
Her lips parted, but she didn’t say anything. She wet her lips. “Yes, I am,” she said finally. “But other than my parents—and I bet they move closer to Alek and keep their house in Wishing Bay for weekends or vacations—nothing is holding me there other than sentimental memories.” Her matter-of-fact voice told him she’d come to terms with leaving there. “It’s beautiful on the coast, but this place…” She spun around with a whimsical smile. “It’s magical. Have they filmed any movies here?”
“No movies, but there have been a couple Bigfoot TV shows.” He pointed to the Sasquatch Adventure Tours. “The owner, Buddy Riggs, took film crews on overnight excursions to see if they could find Bigfoot.”
“I saw nothing in the news. I assume the trips were a bust.”
“Yep. They haven’t found Bigfoot yet.” Berry Lake would be known for more than theBigfoot Seekers Gatheringand Huckleberry Festival that occurred each summer if that ever happened. “Buddy has all kinds of tour packages. You can go out with guides for a few hours, the entire day, or overnight for however many days guests want. The packages range from roughing it to glamping.”
She peered into the florist shop’s window. “To find Bigfoot?”
“That’s the goal.”
The sweet melody of Tasha’s laughter wrapped around and squeezed Elias’s lonely heart. He wanted to hear her laugh again and again and again.
She rubbed her eyes. “That proves what my dad always says. People will spend their money on anything.”
Forget money. Spending time with her was better than getting a full night’s worth of sleep. She made him forget about everything except her.
“Have you gone out Bigfoot spotting?” Tasha asked.
Elias nodded. “It’s a rite of passage in Berry Lake. There’s even a program with the school district, but all I ended up with was an irritating case of poison oak.”
“That must have been a bummer.”
Funny, but she sounded almost disappointed. “I expected that, but on some nights, if you listen closely, you can hear Bigfoot call.”
“For what?”
“A friend, family, pizza delivery.”
