He wanted to pull her down and wrap her in his arms until that tremor disappeared. But somehow he didn’t think she’d appreciate him making a big deal out of this. She’d take it as him fixating on a weakness.
Which he wasn’t. This was him fixating on nearly watching the woman he loved plunge to her death before his eyes. And if there was anything in the world that could have solidified his feelings for her, that was it.
Safety ropes failed. Guarantees failed. Cancer snuck up and robbed you of happily ever after. It changed things. Sped up his timeline for how long he’d planned to give Sabrina to get comfortable with the fact that he wanted a life with her.
They climbed until the sun started its descent toward the horizon, painting the red rock in deeper shades of crimson and gold. Noah had packed food along with his gear so they didn’t have to wait to eat.
“One more pitch?” Sabrina’s eyes held that particular gleam that meant she was plotting something. “Before we lose the light?”
He made a show of checking the angle of the sun. “Normally I’d say yes, but I have a better idea.”
Her eyebrow lifted in that way that did dangerous things to his equilibrium. “Better than climbing?”
“There’s this spot I know.” He focused on racking gear, definitely not thinking about how he couldn’t wait to get to a place where he could put his hands on her. “Perfect for watching the sunset. I packed dinner.”
“I like the sound of that.” She wet her lips, the gesture drawing his attention like a magnet.
He forced his gaze back to her eyes. At least until they weren’t in a precarious place. “Ready for phase two of this adventure?”
“Lead the way, hotshot.”
This was what he’d missed most about journalism—not the bylines or the accolades but that feeling of being exactly where you were meant to be. Of everything clicking into place like tumblers in a lock. Sabrina gave him that same feeling times about a thousand.
The spot Noah had chosen sat high enough to catch the last rays of sun but protected them from the wind that picked up as evening approached, thanks to the rock face against their backs. He spread out a blanket while Sabrina dug through his pack, making appreciative noises at his food choices.
“Real silverware?” She held up the fork with a grin. “You did plan this.”
“You’re worth it.” He settled beside her, close enough that their shoulders brushed. “I kind of thought something was going on with you. I’m glad I was wrong.”
Sabrina set down the fork carefully, her gaze trained on it as if it held the secrets of the universe. “What? Why in the world would you think that?”
“You know, because of the ridiculous new boots excuse?” They could laugh about it now. And talk about it so he understood why she hadn’t wanted to go to lunch with his family.
“Oh, ha-ha, yeah.” She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “The whole thing just caught me off guard. I’m not used to people inviting me to go places just to be nice. Next time I’ll figure out a better exit strategy so you’re not embarrassed by my inadequacies.”
Ah. She’d come up with an off-the-cuff excuse because she’d mistakenly thought the invitation hadn’t been genuine. That made him feel so much better.
“Embarrassed is the last thing I was,” he said mildly. “And Sassy wasn’t asking because she’s nice. More like so she could grill you for information to tease me about mercilessly later.”
“So it’s a good thing I bowed out. Noted,” she said, and the weird vibe vanished. “Maybe next time I’ll go. I’m sure your family would like to hear how you squealed like a little girl when that squirrel ran across your foot.”
“Hey,” he protested, throwing his hands up to ward off the memory. “That thing looked rabid and, man, was he fast. He could have crawled into my pants and taken up residence in no time flat.”
“Oh, poor baby,” she crooned, laughing as he tried to grab her for some punishment he’d yet to define in his head. “Eat first. Mess around later.”
Or now. He’d never wanted to eat less in his life, but he pushed back the urge to yank her into his arms so he could kiss her senseless. Glancing at his watch, he lifted his brows. “So, in like four or five minutes?”
She pushed him playfully. They ate in comfortable silence as the sun sank toward the horizon, painting the sky in impossible colors. Stars winked into existence overhead, impossibly bright against the darkening canvas of twilight.
“If this is you trying to impress me, you might have succeeded.” Sabrina’s voice held a touch of wonder as she stared at the canopy of light appearing above them.
“What?” He scoffed to cover the hitch in his throat at her admission, as if he’d done something meaningful. “You’ve seen the sky at night before.”
She scooted closer, nudging his arm until he lifted it to snuggle her close. “Not like this. It makes you feel the power of the infinite.”
“Like anything is possible.” Noah nuzzled her neck where it most smelled like Sabrina in the wild and then murmured in her ear. “Is it later? I feel like it’s later.”
Slowly, languorously, she let her head fall back against his shoulder as she stared at him, the starlight reflected in her gaze. “It’s later.”
