“Great. Let’s go.”
Fredand I showed Isla our favorite trail behind my cabin, the one we often walked most days. Sometimes I’d change it up and walk down the street and back up, but there was something about being in the woods that I loved. It was peaceful and quiet, only you and Mother Nature. Plus, the views were stunning, and the late afternoon was a perfect time to catch a glowing sunset.
The snow stopped, leaving behind a dusting, the clouds parting just in time to catch the sunset. As it descended in the sky, the glowing ball of fire turned it into cotton candy swirls of clouds and colors, blue and yellow, mixing in with orange, pink, and purple. When we came upon the clearing, the spot where the views were the best, Isla stopped dead in her tracks. “Wow.”
Fred and I came up beside her. “Isn’t it breathtaking?”
“Yes, it really is. So many pretty colors. You’ve got an amazing view.”
“I’d say the view from over here is pretty damn amazing, too.” I stared at her from where I stood, her side profile as beautiful as her front and back.
When she turned to look at me, with her pink nose and cheeks from the cold, and that sparkle in her eye I loved so much, she smiled, a sort of shy smile I wasn’t used to seeing from her. But I liked it. A lot.
I closed the distance between us, giving Fred a longer lead so he could explore around us, as I leaned in to kiss her again. “You make me feel alive in ways I haven’t for years.”
She gasped. “I do?”
I nodded before kissing her again, this one longer, slower, and more tantalizing, our tongues swirling together.
“Come on, let’s head back. I’m starving.” I said as I held out my arm to her once more, and she took it.
“Are you a good cook?” Isla asked as we walked back toward the cabin.
“Kind of,” I said with absolutely no confidence. “Let’s just say I get by.”
She smiled. “I love to cook. I can cook for us if you’d like.”
“We’d have to run to the market in town then. It’s slim pickings in my fridge right now. We could also go out to dinner. Or better yet, order in. You must be tired from traveling.”
“You know what? That sounds really nice.”
“I have a bar in the finished basement. I’ll make us a drink, and we can soak in the hot tub.”
“Stop it,” Isla screeched.
“What?” I asked, concerned.
“You have a hot tub?”
I laughed. “Yep. I love a good soak.”
“What’s the catch?” Isla looked around. “There’s a catch somewhere. Where is it?”
“I know! I don’t have a dishwasher.”
We both laughed.
Once we reached my backyard, I let Fred loose, giving him freedom to run around before coming inside. “He loves thesnow, the outdoors, anything that has to do with being outside. He’s used to being active and having his mind stimulated, so it’s good for him to run around. I also have the puzzle bowl for him, so he has to work hard for his kibble.”
“Did you adopt Fred when he was a puppy?”
“Actually, no. But I’ve known him since he was a puppy. He was part of my squad when I was in the military.”
“You served? That’s awesome, Arden.”
“Thank you. Best part was getting Fred out of it.”
“That is a good reward,” Isla said as Fred ran over to her, his slimy, half-chewed ball in his mouth. He dropped it at her feet, looked up at her, and barked.
