“What do you think?” I asked.
His gaze flicked up to me. “I think if you can do all this with just your phone, you’d be the best photographer this town has ever seen.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear. “They’re okay. I may touch them up a bit more later.”
I shut my laptop and set it aside. Brooks took that chance to shuffle over to lay his head in my lap.
“It looks like neither of us can take a compliment.”
I ran my hands through his hair instinctually. “I guess not.”
His touch drifted over my thighs as he lay there. “I have a surprise for you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What is it?”
“It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you, would it?”
I huffed. “I guess not.”
He then suddenly stood, holding his hand out. “Ready?”
I took it easily. He led us to the truck, and when I hopped up onto my side, Brooks was already in the driver’s seat, holding a blindfold in his hand. He gestured for me to turn, and I did, letting him secure it behind my head.
“If you wanted to take me to the woods to murder me, you could have done it weeks ago,” I teased as I felt the truck ease into movement.
“No murdering tonight. I promise.”
I laughed as he took my phone and played some music. The song was my favorite, and I was surprised he’d managed to pick it out.
It took a while before the truck came to a stop. “I’m going to get things ready, and I’ll be right back to get you.”
“Still sounds like murder, but fine.”
He scared me briefly when he kissed my cheek, then disappeared outside.
I sat with the blindfold on, trying to gauge any little sound that might tell me where we were, but there was almost nothing. I felt the truck rock a few times, but nothing other than that.
I couldn’t tell how much time had passed when my side door opened and Brooks stepped onto the side bar. He bent inward, and I could feel how close his face was.
“Put your arms around my neck.”
I did as instructed and gasped as he placed his arms the rest of the way around me and lifted me bridal-style from the car before he shut the door.
I let my body rest against him, listening to the hard beating of his heart. It was a rhythm I felt like I’d come to know over the past few weeks, and one I’d come to cherish.
I was set on the edge of his truck bed, resting my hands on the thick textured plastic.
“Take off the blindfold."
I did, and gasped at what I saw. We were parked in a field, not unlike the flower field we’d been before, but this one was all tall grass as far as the eye could see. The sun was just beginning to set, bathing the world in oranges and golds. Far, far out in the distance, you could see the backdrop of the mountains, the sun bouncing off the snow still gracing the caps. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything as beautiful before.
“This is…”
“I know,” he said, sitting next to me. “And I thought we could have a small snack while we watched.” I turned, and the back of his truck had been turned into a cozy fort, with blankets covering the bottom, pillows laid all the way around, and a charcuterie board sitting in the middle, piled high with fruit, cured meats, and cheeses.
I was stunned into silence. This was all just so… perfect in a way I could have never imagined.
“I love it,” I said softly.
