14. David
DAVID
No bonfire or four-wheeling tonight.
I actually hesitate over the send button.
I look out over the bonfire site down by the river.
The bonfires have been happening in this same spot for years. Two generations of Sapphire Falls people have been cranking up the music, cracking open the jars of Booze and other drinks, and gathering around bonfires right here.
But not on nights after huge thunderstorms have pummeled the area for twelve hours straight.
The rain has stopped now, but the river is rushing only a few yards away, and the packed dirt area that was long ago cleared of grass, had an enormous fire pit dug into the center and then surrounded with cut logs, is basically a mud pit.
I knew it would be, but I drove out to confirm it before I disappointed Mia.
Yes, that’s why I’m hesitating to send the message cancelling the party tonight. Because Mia is going to be disappointed.
I sigh. I don’t worry about people’s emotions when it comes to telling them no, they can’t do something they think will be fun.
I ruin people’s plans all the time. I tell them they need permits to do things like hunt, fish, and boat.
I make them move their campsites to safer spots or off private land to public.
I cite them for drinking too much, or for making a mess, or for disturbing other people.
I make them put out fires, I take fireworks away, I confiscate alcohol from minors, I write tickets for all kinds of things.
I’m a total killjoy a lot of the time.
Of course, it’s all for their own good and for the good and safety of the people and environment around them.
I also spend a lot of time encouraging people to get out and enjoy nature and outdoor activities as well. And I educate them about how to do that safely and respectfully.
But yeah, often people hate to see me coming.
And I don’t care.
Except when it’s Mia.
I hit send and wait for her reply.
Two minutes later, the sad-faced emoji she sends me actually makes my heart squeeze.
I roll my eyes at myself and type in,
it’s a fucking mess out here. Maybe next weekend.
*crying emoji*
Dammit. I know she’s being dramatic on purpose. She probably had already guessed that the party would have to be postponed, but I don’t like the idea that she’s even a little sad.
Which is why I already have an alternate plan for tonight. For her.
Just her.
No one else is invited.
And I want it to be a surprise.
It’s not safe. You can’t light a fire in that muddy mess anyway. And the four-wheelers would get stuck.
But that’s GREAT.
I frown.
What?
There’s this hot game and parks guy who would have to come to my rescue and pull me out if I got stuck. *fire emoji*
I feel my smile even as I shake my head.
I do plan to come to her rescue by saving this night from being a total let-down. But I don’t want to pull her out of the mud.
Game and parks guys can be kind of hardasses about people doing unsafe things.
Right? That protectiveness is so hot. *sweaty face emoji*
I study the message even as I grin. I like flirty Mia. But does she mean that? A little? Does she like my protective side?
That could be a very good thing, considering how big that side is.
Plus, all that growliness is just covering up a soft side.
My brows arch. Is that what she thinks?
Well…she’s right. Where she’s concerned, anyway.
I don’t feel soft for most of the people I’m reprimanding about their conduct, but judging by the setup in my backyard at this very moment, Mia is an exception to that rule.
Maybe he’s being soft on you hoping that will make you more likely to listen to him and follow the rules.
I know that is not at all the case. For one thing, I did not intentionally set out to be soft on her. It just happened. Despite knowing that being soft on Mia and being involved with Mia, getting closer to Mia, liking Mia is complicated.
For another, I don’t think there’s any tricking or even convincing Mia Hansen to do anything.
She knows what she’s doing and why at any point.
I know that no matter what she’s doing, she’s fully researched everything about it and has resources for the various possible outcomes.
My protective instincts toward her have nothing to do with her or how capable she is and have everything to do with me .
Hmm…maybe that’s what it is. I have to admit that I do like listening to him. I hope to have lots more chances.
And that’s not flirty. That’s just sweet.
She’s getting to me.
How about tonight?
I start to type a second message, trying to hint that I want to see her but not give it all away.
Her response comes before I can even type in I was thinking…
Yes.
I smile.
I didn’t even tell you my idea.
Doesn’t matter.
Fuck. I’m done for.
You’re up for anything?
Yes.
That makes my thoughts automatically start down a path that is a lot dirtier and less romantic than what I’ve actually got planned.
Did I plan something romantic for Mia tonight?
Yes. I’ll admit it. To myself only.
In fact, I’m planning for no one but Mia to know anything about it.
But yes, fuck, it’s romantic. I know that. The only other way to spin it would be to insist that it’s just about helping her salvage some of what she wanted from tonight.
She said she wanted to camp. I can make that happen despite the storm that tore through the area.
But the twinkle lights and movie screen I set up probably push it into ‘romantic’ territory.
And I’m not sorry.
What if there’s not enough room for anyone else?
Just you and me?
Yeah.
I’m completely fine with that.
My heart kicks. And I’m suddenly thinking about the non-kiss from last night.
I should have kissed her.
I should have kissed the hell out of her.
She’s afraid to ruin the kiss from the deer stand? That’s not going to happen. It’s only going to get better from there.
But our next kiss is going to ruin something.
Like my ability to keep telling myself that this is just casual.
Like my ability to want to kiss anyone else.
So I’m going to make sure it also does that for her .
And I couldn’t kiss her the way I really wanted to on my mother’s porch with my nieces right inside and potentially running out the door at any moment and with Sloan sitting in the car.
Our next kiss will be amazing. And it will need to be in private.
I focus on the texts instead of jumping ahead to later tonight. When we will be together, in private.
What will we tell people if they find out we spent time alone tonight?
I’m starting to care a lot less about that and that should be a huge red flag. But it’s part of this fun little flirtatious game we’re playing.
That you pulled me out of the mud.
I lift a brow.
So we’ll lie?
I didn’t say that.
It only takes me a second to catch on.
She is not going to go get stuck somewhere on purpose.
Mia, stay away from four-wheelers today.
Okay.
My eyes narrow. That answer came too quickly and it’s too simple.
I don’t feel reassured. I should have been more specific. Or maybe less specific. I should tell her not to get anything stuck in the mud. But I’m torn between wanting to keep her out of the mud and wanting to see what she comes up with to see me tonight.
My plans are for once I have her with me. Having this sweet, funny, smart librarian “trick me” into showing up is fun, and I’ve got to admit, good for my ego.
I just need to get the rest of my surprise for her set up so I can take her straight to my place after…well, whatever she comes up with.
I’m only two miles down the county road leading back to the highway when I realize that my plan is going to take even longer to implement, though.
With a sigh, I turn onto the access road into the pasture to the east and follow the three four-wheelers I glimpsed from the road.
Did I manifest them?
No. The storm brought them out.
More specifically, the storm brought the rain that made the mud that brought them out.
I know exactly what they’re doing. And it’s not cool.
I watch as they disappear over a rise and press the accelerator.
Yep. I know exactly what they’re doing.
Besides trespassing on Brett Elwin’s property.
I stop at the top of the small hill and throw my truck into park, getting out immediately. I’m glad I’m still in uniform. I opted for my tall boots today because of all the rain, and I’m glad I’ve got them on as I sink into the soft earth heading down the hill.
The kids on the four-wheelers are gunning their engines, then slamming on their brakes, spinning and sliding through the mud, throwing up water, chunks of grass, and mud everywhere.
Their four-wheelers sink into the mud further in some spots, and they press harder on the accelerators to climb out.
They fly up out of the stickier spots, then land hard, spraying more mud, coating themselves and the riders next to them.
They’re laughing and yelling over the sounds of their engines.
And I get it. It’s fun. Driving fast and getting dirty. What could be better?
My brothers and I went mudding a number of times.
But then a kid in the next town was thrown off his ATV when the front tires hit a hidden rock while he was going about twenty miles per hour. He landed on his head, broke his neck, and ended up in a wheelchair. For the rest of his life.
Our parents forbade any further four-wheeler use on land we didn’t know well and where we couldn’t see the path.
And then we were caught mudding again. By Scott Hansen.
I thought he was going to kill us. I really did. I’d never seen him so angry.
Three days after he hauled us home for our mom and dad to deal with—they called our grandma and grandpa too, which was even worse—Scott came to talk to me one-on-one.
He brought me out to the field we’d torn up with our four-wheelers and explained to me all the negative effects we’d had on the area.
He’d shown me how our tires had torn up the vegetation and left bare dirt that would wash into the river and impact the fish, birds, and animals that needed the river to be clean.