“It’s not him.” Her palms pressed into her eyes to keep from crying. “He’s great as usual. He’s planning the whole trip and won’t let me do more than bring s’more supplies.” Her voice broke. “I love s’mores.”
“Then what’s the—”
“I’ve been accepted into a program. And it’s in Texas.” The time for ignoring maps and calendars had reached its conclusion. She’d become a doctoral candidate.
Natalie’s mouth formed into anOshape before her own face fell into a frown. “Does this mean you’re leaving? Are you giving me your two weeks’ notice?”
“Yes. No. I mean, I don’t have to be there right away. The program doesn’t start until the end of August but I’ll probably leave sometime this summer, so I can find a place to live and get settled in. But I really haven’t decided on a firm date yet.”
“Does the jewelry man know yet?”
“No,” she whined. Not even her dad knew. Mia had kept her video interviews with faculty committees quiet. To be honest, she was surprised to be accepted when all her answers were practiced and her smiles forced. She accepted the first offer just to get the whole thing over with. “It doesn’t make any sense. I was so eager to leave when I first got here, and now I just want to cry. I know not telling Ross is selfish, but I just want us to be in our bubble a little longer before reality bashes its way through.”
Natalie sniffed. “Who cares about jewelry men and camping and true love? What about me?”
Mia stifled a laugh between tears. “Right? I’m going to miss working with you so much. You’ve really been the best. We’ll still be friends, right? I’ve never been great at keeping in touch with people, but I want to be better. And I’m sure I’ll be back for visits.”
Natalie pulled her into a big hug. “Oh my god, you better, M. You’re like my best adult friend that I’m not related to. Can I say congratulations at least, even if you know I completely resent it?”
Mia nodded again, but the congratulations felt empty in her heart. She didn’t feel like celebrating.
*
With the truckunloaded and the tent set up at Camino Cove campsite, Mia moved toward the shore’s edge. This part of El Dorado National Forest was more woodsy and peaceful than Placerville. The air was crisp and sharp while light breezes teased her hair during the warm May day. The waters of Camino Cove were a flat mirror of moss-colored glass. She took a deep breath, her nostrils filled with the spicy scent of pine needles and nature.
She rotated her view to the campsite. Ross, with Hermes at his side, was busy setting up the propane stove. Here was a man who wasn’t able to let tasks go undone. As long as there was something to be taken care of, he was doing it.
Mia lifted her camera, and took pictures of the surrounding wilderness. A few colorful tents dotted the landscape. Even with neighbors, they were as secluded as they could be. She returned to the campsite, the dry sand and pebbles crunching beneath her shoes.
“It finally happened. Now I’m worried about bears and wishing I brought some bear spray. If one comes by, he’s probably going to come straight for the person who brought the s’more supplies.” Mia pointed to herself to make the statement more obvious.
His gaze shifted to her. “So getting through to you isn’t a lost cause? Good to know.”
She narrowed her eyes, peering into the dark forest thicket for any large, suspicious bear-like shadows. “For someone who worries about bears, you don’t seem particularly nervous.”
“We’ve got Hermes. He’ll protect us.”
She eyed the dog, all three legs of him. “If you tell me he lost his leg saving you from a bear attack on a past camping trip, I’ll probably believe you. All I care about is being assured I’m not going to end up as bear shit this weekend.”
Ross concentrated on re-doing the circle of rocks around a makeshift campfire pit and filling it with fresh logs. “I don’t know how fast a bear’s digestive system is, but I don’t think it’s that fast. I would probably guess maybe mid-week would be more realistic. He’d probably still be hungry from hibernation.”
“Smartass.”
Ross’s eyes remained averted from hers, but a smile slid across his face at her response. He did have a beautiful one. She decided it was worth the risk of bears to see it, and she wasreallygoing to miss it. Mia wondered if an uglier smile would make things easier. Probably not. He could have only a single tooth in his whole mouth, and she’d miss ol’ toothy and his one-eyed dog.
There was a long log nearby with Ross’s backpack leaning against one end. It was the perfect place for her to relax while watching him, and Mia took a seat at the opposite end of the blue backpack. When her weight settled on it, there was a brief moment of confusion as her view of the world became skewed. Her final resting spot was sprawled in the dirt. The logs of the world seemed to be in a conspiracy to make Mia appear as klutzy as possible.
“Ugh, I’m beginning to think my mom had the right idea,” she complained as she righted herself and patted the dirt from her clothes.
“Oh, yeah. I was going to warn you that the log wasn’t completely level.”
“Thanks, I think I figured that out.” Her palms pressed on the log to make it steadier before trying it again. It wobbled but being more prepared, she didn’t fall.
Ross approached the log with Hermes at his heels and sat at the other end near his backpack. This made her sitting position more precarious as her end tilted beneath his weight. “Ross!” Mia yelled, clamping on to the sides as if it were about to transform from tree into bucking bronco.
“You know who Archimedes is?” he asked.
“I’m going to guess some ancient Greek so-and-so. Philosopher?”
