Finn
Icouldn’t fight the grin I was sporting as Adele sat beside me in my truck and made guesses about where we were going. It had taken some planning, and I’d had to pull a few strings, but I’d planned the perfect date weekend.
My head was a strange, chaotic place at the moment. Between seeing my father, playing mediator while my brothers went rounds over what to do with the business, and stressing over the hints Dad had dropped about the safety of our family, I’d barely slept, and I was more on edge than ever.
And there was only one person who could soothe me.
My girl. Though I figured I’d better stick with my woman. If she knew I’d referred to her as a girl, even in my mind, she’d kick my ass into next week. And as much as I’d enjoy that, I couldn’t risk ruining my romantic weekend.
“Tell me, Finn.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, She-Ra. Sit back and enjoy the ride.”
I’d thrown the trip together at the last minute, but every aspect was coming together perfectly.
We cruised south down I-95, enjoying the glorious August sunshine and listening to The Naturalist, a Theodore Roosevelt biography I downloaded for the trip.
Adele looked beautiful. She wore red sunglasses and had her hair pulled up in a ponytail that listed to one side as she reclined in the seat and listened raptly to an anecdote about the formation of the National Parks Service.
She was wearing a sundress. It was the last item of clothing I expected her to even own, but holy shit, was it the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
It was blue and plaid, and it had thin straps that showed off her collarbones and shoulders.
It flared out at the waist and fell to her knees.
The moment she stepped out onto her porch wearing it, I wanted to crawl under that skirt and live there.
I had this goddess of a woman all to myself for the next forty-eight hours. If I was really lucky, we’d have a great time and also have a real conversation about what was going on between us and how we should proceed going forward.
Because despite declaring herself to be mine, we still hadn’t defined the parameters of our relationship. And that made my chest ache. I would proudly wear any label she’d give me. But this was not a situationship. It was not casual. And it sure as hell was not friends with benefits.
But Adele was not the kind of person to be forced into a conversation. So I was taking her away to a place where we didn’t have to hide a damn thing from anyone. And where, hopefully, we could figure out what our future would look like.
When we finally picked up Route 1, which hugged the entire Maine coast up to New Brunswick, she sat up a bit straighter.
“Are we going where I think we’re going?” She slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and raised one eyebrow at me.
I nodded. “It’s not Glacier. Not yet. But I figured we should start visiting together. A new tradition.”
We crossed the bridge onto Mt. Desert Island, admiring the swells of the ocean on either side of us and the vast mountains ahead.
Acadia National Park was the first national park established east of the Mississippi River and one of my all-time favorite places.
My mom had brought us here one summer when I was in grade school, and it was where my love affair with national parks began.
Adele practically bounced in her seat as we got closer. “I love it here so much. Can we get popovers at the Jordan Pond House?”
“Of course.”
“And see the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain?”
“Definitely.”
“Where are we staying?”
I gave her a wink. “Another surprise. Stay put. We’re almost there.”
We cruised through the picturesque town of Bar Harbor, past the park entrance, and toward the southwest tip to a tiny village called Seal Harbor.
There, I turned onto a dirt road and drove up a large wooded hill into a clearing.
“Are you shitting me?” Adele squealed as a shiny vintage Airstream came into view.
The deck built into its side was strung with lights and housed two bright pink Adirondack chairs.
The surrounding area was filled with colorful wildflowers that flanked the path to the forest. “This is insane.” Adele threw the door open before I had the transmission shifted into park.
Then she was spinning, taking in every inch of the space.
While I wrestled the keys out of the lockbox, she snapped photos of the clearing and the Airstream and the trees surrounding us.
Once inside, she was downright giddy. “Finn,” she gushed, as she took in every detail. From the white wooden cabinets to the apron sink to the blue velvet couch and gingham curtains on the windows.
While she gleefully inspected every detail, I grabbed our bags from the truck and hauled them in.
I had barely gotten them through the tiny door before she was launching herself at me, throwing her arms around my neck, and kissing me senseless.
“Thank you.”
I wrapped my arms around her once I’d rid myself of our luggage, loving the way she melted into me.
Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply and soaked up this moment.
So often, I focused on what was missing from my life.
In a perfect world, I could take this woman to far nicer places than an old Airstream, but this was the best I could do right now.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind one bit.
She pulled back. “It’s perfect. Wait. Can you even stand up straight in here?”
I shrugged.
“Oh no,” she cried, spinning one way, then the other. “You’re all hunched over. You can barely fit your shoulders through the door.”
I grasped her upper arms to still her. “Stop stressing. I don’t care if I have to sleep outside on the ground. It would be worth it just to see that look on your face.”
She kissed me again and rested her head on my chest. “You knew I’d love it, then?”
I held her tight and rested my chin on the top of her head. “Yup. You love all the vintage girlie stuff. Yeah, you’re a badass lady mechanic, but you have a softer side too, and you haven’t done a very good job hiding it from me.”
She pulled back. “Oh really? So you think you know everything I like now, huh?”
“I most certainly do. Aside from my dick, you like pretty, charming things. Like this fancy floral wallpaper and the walnut countertops.” I waved a hand toward the kitchen space. “Those copper pots hanging from the ceiling too. And the wildflowers surrounding the property.”
She giggled.
“This is one of your Pinterest boards come to life.” I tugged on her arm and pulled her back outside.
“You’ve got me there,” she said, following me down the steps of the deck. “How’d you find it?”
“One of my Navy buddies. He’s from this area. His family bought some property, and they have been restoring Airstreams to rent to tourists. They’re eco-friendly, and they’re perfect for people who want to experience the outdoors in a more authentic way.”
“I love it.” She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed me again. Here, far away from Lovewell and all the responsibilities and expectations, she was happier, lighter.
And I was going to soak up as many of her rare smiles as I could before we headed back to reality.
Reaching into the bed of my truck, I pulled out the small cooler and the backpack I had prepared. “You good to walk for a bit in those shoes?” I asked, looking at her blue Chuck Taylors.
She nodded.
“Okay. We’ve gotta leave now if we wanna make it on time.” I started up the path that wound behind the Airstream and headed for the tree line and shot a glance over my shoulder.
She wore a puzzled frown, and she hadn’t moved from her spot beside my truck.
“Come on, She-Ra. Adventure awaits.”
The walk to the secret beach was a mile, and the view was spectacular the entire way. Since returning to Lovewell, I’d had my fill of pine forests. The crisp, salty ocean air was just what I needed.
“Is this real?” she asked, looping her arm through mine.
At the edge of the clearing, we were situated on the top of a rock face with the Atlantic Ocean spread out before us. Up ahead, there was a large wooden staircase. It led down to the small beach area framed by massive boulders that kept the ocean at bay.
Adele flashed me a big smile and skipped down the steps. I stopped at the top to admire the excitement radiating from her and to pinch myself. Because she was really here with me.
A few people were scattered along the beach, but it was far from crowded. It was one of the many advantages of the hidden beach on the far side of the island—very few tourists knew of its existence. I owed Sam for telling me about this place.
Near the tree line, I spread out the blanket I’d brought and went to work setting up.
“Did you pack a picnic?” she asked, looming above me.
“Yup.” I reached into the cooler. “And champagne.”
“Cheesy, but I like it.” She waggled her brows.
I popped the cork and poured champagne into my stainless-steel camping mug. “I told you. You’re my woman now, and I’m treating you like a queen.”
With wide eyes and a smile, she dropped to the blanket beside me and snuggled close.
“To National Parks,” she said, taking the mug from me and bringing it to her lips.
“To the first of many adventures together,” I replied when she passed the champagne to me.
We nibbled on fancy cheese and strawberries and watched as the sun began to set. The scene was peaceful, and it was made all the more beautiful by Adele’s presence beside me.
Not far down the beach, an older couple was snapping photos. With my heart thumping in my chest, I pulled Adele to her feet and dragged her along the sand, hoping she wouldn’t balk at my idea.
“Excuse me?” I asked, holding my phone out as we approached. “Would you mind taking a photo of us?”
The woman smiled broadly and shuffled closer to accept the device. “Oh, we’d love to.”
I pulled Adele against me, positioning us so that the sunset and the ocean were directly behind us.
It felt so easy and so natural. So I let instincts take over as the woman took several photos. I picked Adele up and spun her around, then lowered her until her feet hit the sand and pulled her in for a kiss. For that second, no one else existed, only me, my girl, and the sunset.
We were wrapped up in each other, panting and grinning, when the woman approached.
“I took about a dozen.” She shot me a wink.
“Thanks,” I said, feeling breathless. When I finally dragged my focus from Adele’s face, I noticed a handful of people nearby watching us. Not in a horrified way, but in an aw, they’re so cute sort of way.
Here, on this secluded mountain beach, we could be us. We could live out loud. Together. There was no baggage, no history, no trauma or tragedy.
We were two people in love.