Chapter 33
33
[Judd]
I had not anticipated the morning going as it went, but I am not complaining about one second of exploring Genie’s body, both on the couch and in the shower. The shower was more of a torturous flirtation. Genie took her damn time with the soap on my dick and around my ass. Then she hummed like she does when she breaks while I simply washed her hair.
I swear I almost gave into my not yet rule but I have my reasons to wait.
And I have the rest of this day planned. I want Genie to enjoy it, and I also want a do-over of her birthday. Today will be all about her, even if it is a random Wednesday in the middle of May. The day has its own significance, and as I told Genie, I plan to celebrate some of the novelties of this day, making the time extra special for her.
I want every day with her.
The adventure for this date might be a risk. I don’t recall if Genie is much of a hiker but there are easy trails in the area.
As we pull into the parking lot of the local park, Genie turns in her seat. “We’re going to Sterling Falls?”
The scenic falls is our claim to fame and the namesake of this town. Several legends surround the mystical water. One such tale includes drinking the water with your lover to confirm if they are your true love. Other legends involve a taboo relationship more than a century ago, where star-crossed lovers died in the lower river. Rumor has it her family disapproved of him, and her older brother killed her lover. She killed herself in retaliation. Some people believe you can see those fated lovers in the falls when the light hits the cascading water just right. Others say the sterling sheen is simply a mirage as silver isn’t a metal found in West Virginia. Whatever you believe, the falls are beautiful and peaceful. They can be viewed by climbing to the top and looking down from a ridge, or seen from below, which is how I intend to view them with Genie.
“Yep. When was the last time you were here?”
Genie blinks. “Gosh, I don’t even remember. Sometime in high school, I guess.”
Whatever her forgotten memory is, I want to make a new one for her with me.
After I hop out of my truck, I retrieve a backpack filled with items for a picnic. Taking Genie’s hand, I admire her once more in a pair of calf-cut leggings and a racerback tank top.
“So, we’ve covered World Stationery Day,” I begin as we start toward the lower trail.
“Because one must celebrate lined paper with unicorns,” she teases.
“Exactly.” I nod, then continue. “And you received flowers this morning from somebody.”
“And that somebody is so sweet.” Genie leans into me and cups my bicep while holding my hand.
“And now, we’re here to enjoy a national park.”
“Is Sterling Falls in a national park?”
I shrug. Probably not . “Let’s pretend it is.” I wink.
Genie beams a smile at me, and I swear I feel like a god. She’s looking at me like I created this landform just for her. If it was within my power, I’d make her a waterfall.
We chat about nothing and everything as we take the easy trail around the falls toward the base. The water spray makes the surrounding boulders slick and the giant rocks in the lower river are dangerous to cross. Still, we find a place to sit and stare at the cascade for a few minutes.
“Sometimes I forget about the hidden gems around here,” Genie says.
“The falls are hardly hidden.” Reaching for my backpack, I start removing items, which includes food carefully prepared in compartmentalized containers for ease in a tight space. I wish my garden was in bloom, but we’ve only just passed the official planting date. Still, I have cheese and meats, grapes and apple slices, plus sweet tea and water.
Genie squints into the sunshine, watching the water drop from the higher elevation. “I think you’re a hidden gem, Judd.”
I quickly spin to look at her. “That was . . . nice of you to say.”
“You’re thoughtful and considerate. You’re patient and sweet. You’re a rarity.” She hesitates as if she has more to say but then thinks twice.
“I think you’re a rarity, too, firefly.”
We eat in silence as the falls can be loud while soothing. I like Genie doesn’t always feel the need to fill the quiet. As a man who has lived alone a long time, I’m used to silence, but I’ve enjoyed her breaking the sound barrier around me. Filling it with her noises. She’s like a favorite tune I want to hear on repeat.
“My parents got engaged at the base of the falls,” I eventually say.
Genie’s head turns sharply, and she blinks. An anxious giggle fills her throat when she says, “Judd, if you’re about to propose, might I remind you I’m already wearing your ring.”
“And I never officially asked you to marry me.” I hadn’t. I was holding out the ring, asking Genie what she thought, after I’d called her my fiancée. But I never asked will you marry me ?
“It would be important to me to get it right.” To ask her the actual question. To have her permission to ask because as far as I know Genie is still against the idea of marriage. “I want forever.” With her.
But when her eyes widen and her shoulders stiffen, I worry I’ve frightened her.
“I just sort of settled before.” I don’t reference she who shall not be named. “But now, I’m much clearer on what I want.” How is it a firefly in a dark room has given me such illumination? It’s simple. It’s Genie.
“Genie, I?—”
She covers my mouth with the hand wearing my mother’s ring. The fear in her eyes say everything. Don’t ask a question I don’t want to know the answer to . Or better yet, don’t ask a question she doesn’t want to answer.
I mumble against her palm, shifting gears. “I just want to thank you for giving me these ten days. Well, now twelve.” A dozen days do not make up for decades of absence. Or even that night I didn’t show up for her. Still, I’m grateful for this sliver of a second chance.
“You’re welcome.” She takes a deep breath and smiles. “I’m really glad I stayed as well.” She clears her throat. “But I don’t want to overstay my welcome. We agreed on ten days and now we’re at twelve.”
“You can stay as long as you like.” Stay forever , if you wish.
Genie rubs her hands down her thighs. “I was thinking maybe I want . . . I mean, would . . . stay a little longer.”
While I’d love a clear definition of what ‘longer’ means, I take it. “What’s mine is yours.” My home. My heart. Which hammers in my chest. Genie is staying and I heave a sigh of relief. A breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding since her birthday.
After a few more minutes of silence, Genie says, “Tell me how you got named Judd. After Stone and Clay, I don’t understand.”
I huff and stare out at the water. “My mom tried to name everyone after something related to landscape. Stone and Clay are obvious. Knox means hill. Ford is a take on fjord, a body of water, and Sebastian means earth. Valentine was shortened to Vale, like a valley.”
I narrow my eyes. “I’ve told you how I was supposed to be a girl, according to my father. I would have been named Judy after my mother’s mother. Not necessarily a landform, and then, surprise , it’s a boy,” I mock. “My mom didn’t like the name Jude, so she picked Judd.”
I blow out a breath, lifting my knees and wrapping my arms around my shins. “When I was really young, Stone and Clay would tease me, saying my parents meant to name me mud.” I snort dismissively. “I’ve just always been the outlier.”
“You’re not an outlier, Judd. You just march to your own beat, and I like the sound.”
Genie wraps both her hands around my bicep and rests her head on my shoulder. And I lean into her, enjoying the rhythm of our hearts.