Even though the crepes looked wonderfully delicious and I appreciated the fact that Cole had gone through the trouble of making them, knowing that the others might not make it had me feeling a little queasy. “I want to be out there, too,” I said. “I want to help with the search.”
“Eat something first. We might be out there a while.”
***
We were supposed to be looking for the others but it felt much more like Cole was giving me some grand tour of the mountain, pointing out all the sights and sounds I might have missed without him. All of it was breathtaking. The colors were bright – brighter than I ever remember the colors being. The water that ran through the rivers was crystal clear and the fish that made their way upstream had scales like rainbows. It felt like I was on some alien planet. Everything was so foreign to a city girl like me. How had I managed to live my life without ever once stepping into mother nature’s backyard? I had definitely been missing out.
“Careful here,” said Cole as we approach a brook. “We’re going to cross to the other side but the rocks tend to be a little slippery.Ff you mind your footwork, you should be just fine.”
It was a little intimidating to follow in Cole’s wake because he made everything look so easy, but with a little bit of encouragement, I made it without incident – well, almost. Towards the end, I got a little too ambitious and mistimed my jump. I was certain I was about to get myself covered in mud but at the last second, Cole grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me upright. Our bodies nearly collided with the momentum of his pull but I managed to dig my heels into the ground, stopping just short of kissing him. At that moment, it was like time had come to a standstill. I looked into his eyes and he looked into mine, neither one of us saying a word. My heart was screaming at me to make a move, but my brain had me paralyzed.
All I needed to do was raise myself onto my tippy toes and my lips would meet his. It would be that easy to get myself a taste of what I had to imagine was one of the sweetest men in existence because he was a double threat – killer looks and a personality worth falling for.
To my disappointment, however, he took a step back before continuing on the path. He only looked back once to make sure that I was following. Nature was beautiful and all but I wasn’t about to willingly strand myself in its midst.
“So, have you ever tasted wild berries?” he asked after some time had passed.
“Do organic berries count?”
“Not even close.” Cole knelt by a nearby shrub and began picking the ripest berries he could find, gathering them in the palm of his hand. He offered them to me. They were delicious – juicy and impossibly sweet.
Our journey through the mountain was filled with these small moments. Cole seemed to enjoy showing me everything nature had to offer and I enjoyed being there to learn. There was this kind of serenity washing over me and it became further rooted within my soul the deeper we ventured into the mountainside. Part of me was starting to think that it wouldn’t be so bad if I left the city behind and led a more peaceful life as Cole had opted to do.
My thoughts were interrupted as Cole suddenly grabbed me by the hips, hoisting me onto the top of a giant log. It had once belonged to an enormous tree that seemed big enough to block out the entire sun.
He jumped down to the other side and offered his hand, ever the gentleman. With every minute I spent with this man, the more obvious it became that he was nothing like the men I had the pleasure of experiencing back home. He might as well be a different species than those assholes because while they were selfish, narcissistic, and downright rude Cole was genuine, caring, and humble. Because of him, this hike through the mountain was becoming of the best days – if not the best day – I’ve ever had. As time went by, all I could think about was the fact that I didn’t want it to end. There was no need for cities and the assholes who lived there if there was this beautiful world filled with trees, babbling brooks, and most importantly, a park ranger who had proven to me that not all men are the same.
Caught in this fantasy of staying on the mountain, I failed to notice that the terrain had become slick with moss. I felt myself start to fall. A small scream escaped my lips, but I never got the mouthful of dirt I expected because there was Cole, once again catching me in his arms. “Maybe you should hold onto my hand. It’ll be safer that way,” he said as he laced our fingers together, pressing his palm against mine. And just like that, it was like we were on some date. My heart fluttered, beating hard enough to break right out of my ribcage.
About a mile out, Cole stopped, asking if I needed a minute to rest. Our hands were still clasped together even though there was no threat of me slipping, which made me believe that he wanted to hold my hand. And if he wanted to hold my hand, then maybe he’d want to do other things, too. Banking on this thought and calling on my courage, I grabbed his other hand.
“Skylar?” he asked. “What are you –”
But I didn’t give him the chance to finish the question before I had him pinned to the nearby tree. I didn’t know what had come over me. I wasn’t usually this gutsy, but the attraction I felt was one I simply couldn’t ignore any longer.
My lips found his and as cliché as it sounds, the moment of collision was a moment where every firework went off, filling my head with an explosion of color. With that color came a sweetness that had me addicted and searching for more. My body seemed to have a mind of its own, pressing against his as the kiss intensified. Heat rolled through my skin, leaving it hot to the touch but I didn’t care if I managed to burn myself to a crisp, not if it meant keeping Cole’s honeyed lips against my own. The taste of those lips fueled my passion.
I would have taken things a step further if it hadn’t been for the clap of thunder that sounded way too close for comfort. I was startled by the sound and jumped back, nearly tripping on my own two feet if it hadn’t been for Cole’s hands gripping my hips, keeping my steady. “The storm,” he said. “It’s coming.”
Chapter 7 (Cole)
I was to blame for this. I had known there was a storm in the forecast and yet, I had let it slip my mind. I had allowed myself to become distracted by all the lovely curves and the way her hips swung side to side. And then there had been this buzz in the air all day and had made it hard to think. So, of course, the storm became the furthest thing from my mind and now we were paying the price for my negligence.
“It was sunny a second ago!” screamed Skylar. Already, she was soaked down to the bone. Every article of clothing clung to her body like a second skin, accentuating her form to the point that I nearly forgot how to run, let alone talk.
The rain came down in buckets. Deep puddles were already forming. Lightning struck down at the Earth while thunder roar. It was one hell of a storm and we were caught in it.
“Where do we go?” Skylar shouted over the howling wind as she tried to keep the wind from her face. “I can’t see anything!” Behind us, the mountain groaned as trees fell one into the other like a line of dominos.
“Get on my back,” I said.
“What?” Skylar looked at me like I had suddenly grown a second head. “Are you kidding? I’m too heavy –”
“Either you get on my back willingly or I hoist you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It's your call.”