“Thank you, thank you very much.” I dropped into a deep baritone and chuckled. “I’ll be performing again next Friday.”
“Where can I get a ticket?” Ivy giggled, taking another bend.
I grinned at her.
“Let’s grab breakfast at the café when we get there.” She flicked a glance my way as I nodded enthusiastically. “I love it here. Did you know this place was part of a volcano twenty-three million years ago? Not much action since then.” She smirked. “So we’re safe today.”
“I hope you’re right. And no, I did not know that. But I do know I’ve got a pretty awesome guide.”
“I’ll try not to disappoint.” She smiled, her emerald eyes flicking between the road and me.
“It can change in a heartbeat up here. Bright and sunny one minute, so cold and misty the next, you might never find your way out.” A look of quiet wonder crossed her face. “That’s part of its beauty. Always changing. It’s different every time.”
“It looks insane already,” I said, taking it in through the open window. “I’ve never hiked in a rainforest before.”
“You’ll love it. Just a heads-up, it’s a steep walk, but totally worth it.” She adjusted her grip on the wheel. “And if we’re lucky, we’ll see the fireflies if they’re out tonight. They only come out for a short time after sunset.”
“I wonder what makes them glow like that,” I murmured.
“It’s a chemical reaction inside their bodies. They glow when they fly. Helps them attract a mate.” A spark lit her expression in a way that had nothing to do with fireflies.
Her gaze smoldered as she caught mine for a lingering beat before turning back to the road again. “It’s kind of like a mating dance.”
Heat cascaded through my veins. That look she gave me completely undid me.
I turned toward the window, zeroing in on the endless green canopy beyond. We passed towering old-growth trees and an understory of tree ferns glistening with dewdrops.
As my pulse settled, we pulled into the parking bay in front of the café overlooking the lush expanse below.
I stepped out after Ivy and drew in a breath of cool mountain air. If I was going to spend the day exploring the rainforest Ivy loved so much, I needed fuel.
We settled at a bench on the veranda.
I couldn’t believe I’d overlooked places like this in Australia. Between ski trips, time at Dyson’s estate, and summers sailing the Mediterranean, I’d somehow missed it completely.
Ivy ordered an oat milk latte and a raspberry smoothie bowl, which looked incredible.
The waitress brought my stack of pancakes. I thanked her, drenched them in maple syrup, and devoured them, along with the side of hash browns, before refilling our glasses from the table water.
Ivy pushed away her empty bowl, still streaked pink from the raspberries. “Wow, that was so good.” She dabbed at her lips with a napkin.
“So good we should come back here.” I leaned back slightly. “I’ll grab a couple of bottles of water for the hike.” I stood and stretched, stealing one last glance in her direction before heading inside.
***
Not long later, we were winding our way down the steep rainforest track.
My grip tightened around Ivy’s warm hand as we navigated the steep, slippery track over the next couple of hours. When we eventually reached the bottom of the waterfall, we could only stand back in awe. I closed my eyes and let the cool mist settle over my face. When I opened them again, I found her watching me.
She wandered over to an ancient tree, and I followed. We sat together in the shade, catching our breath as birds fluttered through the canopy above.
“Look!” she whispered as a tiny blue bird darted in front of us, “It’s a fairy wren.”
“Hey, I know that one. I did a project on it in junior school. Their scientific name isMarcus cayenne,” I said confidently.
“Close!” She doubled over laughing. “But it’scyaneus.Notcayenne.It’s a bird, not a Porsche, City Boy.”
She nudged me, we both grinned as a plump bird that looked like a pigeon waddled past.
