Nic was touched. Just as he had been when she’d asked him, before they’d set out for the Array, to charge the SUV hire against her room. He’d waved it away, said he’d fix it, and left it at that. She hadn’t pressed and he was glad.
‘Deal,’ he answered, and they busied themselves making their reservations before getting on the road.
* * *
It was an unforgettable experience when they got there, reducing them both to awed silence. They stood at the canyon’s edge, in the heat and the silence, looking across to the far North Rim, seemingly so close, but actually ten miles away across the great chasm in the earth, the dramatic formations of rocks and cliffs, the narrow ribbon of river far, far below, the great arching sky above.
They did not speak, only found each other’s hands and stood, fingers meshed, together, side by side. Then another group of tourists came up behind them and Fran stepped aside, slipped her hand from Nic’s to let them by.
Nic found himself glancing down at his hand. It felt empty without Fran’s in it.
He shook his head to clear it. It was the effect of this place, that was all.
They headed back to eat lunch under an airy awning before their flight down into the canyon, then a boat trip, gliding sedately along the Colorado river, deceptively calm in this stretch, gazing up at the towering cliffs above slowly passing them by.
‘Fancy white water rafting next?’ Nic asked wickedly.
‘No, thank you!’ Fran said primly. ‘This is quite fast enough for me.’
He laughed, relaxing with her. Resting his arm around her shoulder in a gesture that seemed to come naturally to them as she leaned into him companionably.
Back up on the rim again, they made their way to their SUV, which was looking decidedly dusty by now. It had come a long way.
And so have I, she thought.
Her mind skittered away, not wanting to ponder or analyse. She just wanted to enjoy this adventure and wherever it took her.
‘OK,’ she said as they strapped themselves in, turning on the air-con with relief, ‘where to now?’
‘Shall we aim for the North Rim?’ Nic said. ‘It’s a long drive, but we could give it a go.’
‘Let’s do it!’ she said, settling back happily.
The sense of exhilaration that she was getting used to filled her again. Crazy this might be, but she wanted it! She was not thinking beyond it—just going along for the ride. With Nic at her side.
* * *
In the end they didn’t head straight for the North Rim. Instead they diverted to meander into the vast Canyonlands of Utah, making their way along the well-trodden tourist trail, taking in the Grand Staircase, Zion and Bryce, stopping over at lodges, hotels and motels along the way.
They were taking it easy, each day a new adventure, for now putting aside their own lives, their existence beyond this road trip romance.
They did some short, easy-access hiking trails, nothing strenuous, buying the kit they needed as they went, and they did a lot of driving through the awe-inspiring, breathtaking scenery all around, stopping as and when they felt like it. Unpressured, leisurely...
Days slipped by, each one bringing its own delights. And each night was as burningly passionate as the first had been. As if by silent mutual consent neither of them counted the days, wanting nothing more than to reach the next awe-inspiring destination. Never looking further ahead than the next day. Never thinking about what would happen when, finally, they ran out of road. Ran out of time.
It was at a small, cabin-style café, where they’d stopped for leisurely coffee and donuts one mid-morning, as they were finally heading back south towards the North Rim, where both the road and their time together finally ended.
Fran had been deliberately keeping her phone off except to look ahead to their next impromptu destination, which she was doing now, to see what accommodation they might book before finishing their drive to the National Park north of the Grand Canyon the next day.
Usually there were no messages, but today, as she switched on the phone, a flurry of texts, missed calls and voicemails greeted her. She would have ignored them but she could see the identity of the sender. It was her brother, Tonio.
She frowned, starting to read his texts with growing anxiety. Not noticing that Nic, like her, was checking his phone as well, and his expression was changing too.
The message on his screen demanded his attention. But it was bad timing. Bad timing to get a heads-up from his business development manager that a potential prime site was likely to become available in Manhattan. He would need to check it out personally and move fast. Immediately.
But protest reared in him. He didn’t want to call time on being with Fran.
I don’t want this to end! Not yet.