We sit in silence for a while, just listening to the sounds of the forest around us, the waves below, and the fire crackling as it dies down.
“I’ve always wanted to camp,” I whisper. “To just be in the quiet. In the stillness.”
“Why didn’t you go?” he asks.
“Life gets busy.” I shrug and bite my lip. “Anthony said a hotel without room service was camping, and he’d be damned if he’d do it. So, we didn’t. But it’s okay, because even if he had done it just to humor me, it would have sucked. This issomuch better. I’m glad I got to go with you.”
“I think we should make this a yearly thing.” He kisses my temple. “Once a year, we take a week to unplug like this.”
“Hey, I’m always down. Where did you rent the van? I haven’t seen anything like it anywhere near Huckleberry Bay.”
“Portland has a few places that rent them out,” he replies. “I called around until I found the one I wanted, and they delivered it to the house.”
“Wow, theydeliveredit? Fancy.”
He smirks and pokes at the fire, sending sparks in the air and the logs to glowing.
“I didn’t want to waste time driving up to Portland to get it. We only have a week.”
“I mean, a week is plenty of time, even if we had to go fetch the van.”
He turns his eyes to mine. “I have a feeling that by the time the week is up, it won’t feel like enough time at all.”
“You’re probably right.” The night air cools quickly, and I feel a chill run through me, making me shiver. “I haven’t thought about the diner even once all day. I think that’s a record for me.”
“There’s no need to,” he says. “I see you brought some paint supplies with you.”
“Oh, yeah. And I’m especially glad that I did, now that I know what our view is. I already have a couple of projects in mind. What will you do for a whole week with nothing on your agenda? Won’t you be bored?”
“No.” He leans back again and draws me close. “I won’t be bored. I plan to do some hiking, reading, cooking… And I’m going to make love to you pretty much all the time.”
“Wow, that’s quite a list of fun activities.”
He laughs, and then his hand drifts down my arm and over to cover my breast.
“I think you’re going to enjoy them.”
“Do I have to hike with you?”
“Absolutely not.” He shakes his head. “We can do some things alone. I think that’s part of the fun of camping.”
“Me, too.” I sigh happily. “Yeah, this is definitely a new tradition.”
A bird squawks overhead,startling me, and I accidentally push my brush over the canvas, ruining the work I just spent an hour doing.
“Well, shit,” I mutter, staring at the long green streak. “Hmm, maybe I could turn it into a fallen tree. Or a meadow, instead of the water view.”
I narrow my eyes, giving it thought, and decide to go with the meadow. I didn’t bring a lot of materials with me, so to waste this canvas isn’t really an option for me.
“Maybe Luna could use it in the inn,” I mutter as I switch gears and reach for different paint colors. “It’ll find a home.”
“Hello, neighbor!”
I frown and look around. There haven’t been any other campers near us in two days, and it’s been so nice to be alone.
Hell, we had sex with the doors open on the van last night. Now, that was hot.
I walk around the van and see a very pregnant woman making her way to me. She’s in jeans and an oversized blue top that covers her belly. She looks to be in her early twenties, barely out of college.