Chapter 6
Caleb
Iwas hoping she wouldn’t ask me. I had sat here for almost an hour laughing, talking and just enjoying getting to know McKenna again.
I thought maybe I had gotten lucky. However, McKenna flat out asked why I was camping this weekend.
I paused too long. She tilted her head waiting.
Do I just casually explain that I am researching Sasquatch?
Do I lie? I wont lie. Am I ready to say goodbye to McKenna?
No but damn it. I don’t know what to do.
“I am here to gather information on the legend of Sasquatch.” Okay, blurting it out is the way I chose to go.
Mentally I am kicking the shit out of myself, slapping a hand over my own mouth.
Rewinding time to take it back. Too bad those aren’t all actual options.
Instead, I am watching her process what I just threw her way.
“Okay, what have you got so far?” My heart stops.
Did she just accept what I said? I notice Lucas and Annika have also gotten quiet and are looking over at us.
Lucas is watching McKenna. He is against others knowing our plans.
He wants to make sure that we keep a low profile until we can actually show proof.
“You believe?” The disbelief is clear in my tone.
“There are a lot of things that can’t be explained.
Annika and I have done tons of research about hiking in this area and trust me we have discussed in detail about the possibility of running into a sasquatch.
” She smiles at me and my heart trips over itself to fall in love with this gorgeous woman in front of me.
“Okay, wow. I don’t know what to say right now.” I mean I never thought she would believe me. Any woman actually but definitely not the girl I have been in half-love with since I was sixteen years old.
“I do. Sounds like we have more help now.” Lucas and Annika get up and come sit with us. I notice it’s getting cooler, I look at my watch and notice it’s close to one in the afternoon.
“Were we supposed to go further up today?” I ask Lucas.
He is the planner of the two of us. I am the data analyst, the one who puts all the science and experiences together.
I am so very thankful for him because he is the one who helped us get funding through the state to search for certain plant species.
“Yeah but I think it’s okay if we take some time to go over our strategy.
” He pulls out a map and opens it onto the picnic table.
I get up and sit next to McKenna and Annika sits down where I was, next to Lucas.
We get lost in talking about their goals as guides, our goals for the grants and then of course I tell them about my experience.
I tell them about the other people we have met that have had similar stories as mine.
Before we know it starts to get cold. We agree to head back down to camp and to grab some food. We will start the trail again tomorrow. Lucas and Annika walk ahead of us. I slow my steps to talk with McKenna.
“I know that you have to be thinking I am a little weird, McKenna.” She stops and places her finger over my mouth.
“No, stop right there. I love the way you light up when you talk about the possibility. You get so animated and the way you tell the story makes me feel like I was there when that beast walked towards the fire. I believe you. I believe in what you are doing.”
I can't stop myself. I swoop down and slam my mouth onto her, gripping her hips and pulling her up to me. She loops her arms around my shoulders, her hands slipping into my hair and tugs me even closer. It isn’t the sweet tentative kiss we shared by the fire in our youth before she disappeared on me.
No, this one is filled with heat and desire.
If we weren't in the middle of the path I am not sure what it would lead to but we are so I slowly pull away.
I lean my forehead against her to get my breathing under control.
“Let’s go to camp. Now that I found you I am not going to let you go.” She whispers and I peck her on the lips before slipping my hand in hers and start down the hill.
Neither of us notice that the birds are no longer chirping, that all the little animals have gone into hiding.
We don’t notice the large figure, no more than one hundred feet away from us, watching us intently.
Breath coming out in short angry puffs. If we did we would have known that we were closer to finding our proof than we could have imagined.