“I don’t know what happened last night,” he said. “At least not entirely.” His voice was gruff, angry, emotional. “All I know is that I’ve never felt closer to anyone than I did to you—and I’ve never felt more helpless. But we’ve got something special, Carol, and I refuse to let you throw it away. Understand?”
She bit her lower lip, sniffled, then slowly nodded.
The tension eased from Alex, and he reached for her, gently taking her in his arms. She went without question, hiding her face against his neck.
Long, lazy moments passed before he spoke. “I want you to tell me about your marriage.”
“No!” she cried and frantically shook her head.
He was silent again, and she could feel him withdrawing from her—or maybe she was the one withdrawing. She wanted to ask him to be patient with her, to give her breathing room, time to analyze what was happening between them.
Just when she was ready to speak, she felt him relax. He chuckled softly, his warm breath mussing her hair. “All right, I’ll strike a bargain with you. If you go camping with me this weekend, I’ll drop the subject—not forever, mind you, but until you’re comfortable enough to talk about it.”
Carol raised her head, her eyes meeting his. “You’ve got a black heart, Alex Preston.”
He chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. “When it comes to courting you, I’ve learned I need one.”
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Carol muttered as she headed up the steep trail into the trees. The surf pounded the Washington beach far below. But directly in front of her was a narrow path that led straight into the rain forest.
“We don’t have to wait for you guys, do we?” James whined. He and Peter were obviously eager to do some exploring on their own.
Carol was about to launch into a long list of cautions when Alex spoke. “Feel free,” he told the two boys. “Carol and I will be back at camp in time for dinner. We’ll expect you to be there then.”
“Great!”
“All right.”
Within minutes both boys were out of sight, and Carol resumed the increasingly difficult climb. A mountain goat would’ve had trouble maneuvering this path, she told herself.
“You’re doing fine,” Alex said behind her. Breathless from the physical exertion required by the steep incline, Carol paused and took a couple of minutes to breathe deeply.
“I love it when you get all hot and sweaty for me.”
“Will you stop,” she cried, embarrassed and yet amused by his words.
“Never.”
To complicate things, Alex moved with grace and skill, even while carrying a backpack. So far, he hadn’t even worked up a sweat. Carol, on the other hand, was panting. She hadn’t realized how out of shape she was until now.
“The view had better be worth all this effort,” she said with a moan five minutes later. The muscles in her calves were beginning to protest, and her heart was pounding so hard it echoed in her ears.
To make matters worse, she’d worn the worst possible combination of clothes. Not knowing what to expect weather-wise, she’d donned heavy boots, jeans and a thick sweatshirt, plus a jacket. Her head was covered with a bright pink cap her mother had knitted for her last Christmas. Should they happen upon a snowstorm, Carol was prepared.
“It’s worth the climb,” Alex promised. “Do you want me to lead?”
“No way,” she said, dismissing his offer. “I’d never be able to keep up with you.”
A little while later, Carol staggered into a clearing. She stopped abruptly, astonished by the beauty that surrounded her. The forest she’d just left was dense with a variety of evergreens. Huge limbs were draped with mossy green blankets that hung down so far they touched the spongy ground. Moss-coated stumps dotted the area, some sprouting large white mushroom caps. Wildflowers carpeted the earth and a gentle breeze drifted through the meadow and, catching her breath, Carol removed her hat in a form of worship.
“You’re right,” she murmured. “This is wonderful…I feel like I’m standing in a cathedral…this makes me want to pray.”
“This isn’t what I wanted you to see,” Alex said, resting his hand on the curve of her shoulder.
“It isn’t?” she whispered in disbelief. “You mean there’s something better than this?”
“Follow me.”
Carol pulled off her jacket, stuffed her hat into one of the pockets and tied the sleeves around her waist. Eagerly she trailed Alex along the winding narrow pathway.
“There’s a freshwater cove about a mile from here,” he explained, turning back to look at her. “Are you up to the trek?”
“I think so.” She felt invigorated. More than that, she felt elated. Alive.
“You’re being a good sport about all this,” Alex said, smiling at her.
“I knew I was going to be okay when I saw that you’d pitched the tents close to the public restrooms. I’m not comfortable unless I’m near something that goes flush in the night.”
Alex laughed. They hiked for another twenty minutes and eventually came to the edge of a cliff that fell sharply into the water. The view of bright green waves, contrasted by brilliant blue skies, was beautiful enough to bring tears to Carol’s eyes. The park department had set up a chain-link fence along the edge, as well as a rough-hewn bench that had been carved out of an old tree trunk.
Alex gestured for her to sit down. Spreading her coat on the bench, Carol sat down and gazed out at the vista before her.
“You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I thought you would be.” He slipped off his pack and set it in front of them. Then he unfastened the zipper and removed a folded plastic bag that resembled the ones Carol used to line her garbage cans.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“A garbage bag.”
“Oh.” Well, that was what it looked like.
Next, he took out a whistle, which he held up for her inspection. “A whistle,” he announced unnecessarily. Finally he found what he was searching for and placed a thick chocolate bar and two apples on the bench.
“Without appearing completely stupid,” Carol said, biting into her apple, “may I ask why you hauled a garbage bag all the way up here?”
“In case we get lost.”
“What?” she cried in alarm. She’d assumed Alex knew his way back to their campsite. He’d certainly implied as much.
“Even the best of hikers have been known to get lost. This is just a precaution.”
“When…I mean, I thought you were experienced.”
He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I am.”
“Alex, this is no time to joke.”
“I’m not joking. The garbage bag, the whistle and the chocolate are all part of the hug-a-tree program.”
“Hug-a-tree?”
“It’s a way of preparing children, or anyone else for that matter, in case they get lost in the woods. The idea is to stay in one place—to literally hug a tree. The garbage bag is for warmth. If you slip inside it, feet first, and crouch down, gathering the opening around your neck, you can keep warm in near-freezing temperatures. It weighs practically nothing. The whistle aids rescuers in locating whoever’s lost, and the reason for the candy is obvious.”
“Do you mean to tell me we’re chowing down on our limited food rations?” Carol bit into her apple again before Alex could change his mind and take it away from her.
“Indeed we are, but then we’re practically within sight of the campground, so I don’t think we’re in any danger of getting lost.”
“Good.” Too ravenous to care, Carol peeled the paper from the chocolate bar and took a generous bite.
“I was waiting for that,” Alex murmured, setting aside his apple.
Carol paused, the candy bar in front of her mouth. “Why?”
“So I could kiss you and taste the chocolate on your lips.” He reached for her, and his mouth found hers with such need, such hunger, that Carol groaned.
Alex hadn’t touched her in days, patiently giving her time to determine the boundaries of their relationship. Now she was starving for him, eager for his kiss, his touch.
His kiss was slow, so slow and deliberate. When he lifted his head Carol moaned and sagged against him.
“You taste sweet,” he whispered, tugging at her lower lip with his teeth. “Even sweeter than I expected. Even sweeter than chocolate.”
Nine
Her sleeping bag and air mattress didn’t look as comfortable as a bed at the Hilton, but they appeared adequate, Carol decided later that night. At least Alex had enough equipment for the four of them. All Carol and Peter owned was one GI Joe sleeping bag, decorated with little green army men, and Carol wasn’t particularly excited about having to sleep in that.
They’d hiked and explored most of the afternoon. By the time everything was cleared away after dinner, dusk had settled over Salt Creek Park. Carol was out of energy, but Peter and James insisted they couldn’t officially call it camping unless everyone sat around the campfire, toasted marshmallows and sang silly songs. And so a lengthy songfest had ensued.
Carol was yawning when she crawled inside the small tent she was sharing with Peter. Alex and James’s larger tent was pitched next to theirs. By the dim light of the lantern hanging from the middle of the tent, Carol undressed, cleaned her face and then slipped into the sleeping bag.
“Is it safe yet?” Peter yelled impatiently from outside the tent.
“Safe and sound,” Carol returned. She’d just finished zipping up the bag when Peter pulled back the flap and stuck his head in.
Smiling, he withdrew, and she heard him whisper something to James about how unreasonable women could be. Carol didn’t know what she’d done that could be considered unreasonable, and she was too drained to ask.
“Good night, everyone,” Carol called out when Peter dimmed the lantern.
There was a mixed chorus of “good nights.” Content, she rolled onto her stomach and closed her eyes.
Within minutes Carol was fast asleep.
“Carol.”
She woke sometime later as her name was whispered close to her ear. Jerking her head up, she saw Alex kneeling just inside the tent, fully dressed. A shaft of moonlight showed her that he’d pressed his finger to his lips, indicating she should be quiet.
“What is it?”
“I want to show you something.”
“Now?”
He grinned at her lack of enthusiasm and nodded.
“It can’t wait until morning?” she said, yawning.
“It’ll be gone by morning,” he whispered. “Get dressed and meet me in five minutes.”
She couldn’t understand what was so important that she couldn’t see it by the light of day.
“If you’re not out here in five minutes,” he warned in a husky voice from outside her tent, “I’m coming in after you.”
Carol grumbled as she scurried around looking for her clothes. It was difficult to pull on her jeans in the cramped space, but with a few acrobatic moves, she managed. Before she crawled out, she tapped Peter’s shoulder and told him she’d be back in a few minutes.
Peter didn’t seem to care one way or the other.
Alex was waiting for her. His lazy smile wrapped its way around her heart and squeezed tight. For all her moaning and complaining about this camping trip, Carol was having a wonderful time.
“This had better be good,” she warned and ingloriously yawned.
“It is,” he promised. He held a flashlight and a blanket in one hand and reached for hers with the other. Then he led her toward the beach. Although she was wearing her jacket, the wind made her shiver. Alex must have noticed, because he slid his arm around her shoulder and drew her closer.
“Where are we going?” She found herself whispering, not sure why.
“To a rock.”
“A rock,” she repeated, incredulous. “You woke me from a sound sleep so I could see a rock?”
“Not see, sit on one.”
“I couldn’t do this at noon in the warm sun?” she muttered, laughing at him.
“Not if you’re going to look at the stars.”
Carol’s step faltered. “Do you mean to tell me you rousted me from a warm, cozy sleeping bag in the middle of the night to show me a few stars? The very same stars I could see from my own bedroom window?”
Alex chuckled. “Are you always this testy when you just wake up?”
“Always,” she told him. Yawning again, she covered her mouth with one hand.
Although the campsite was only a few feet away, it was completely hidden behind a clump of trees. Carol could hear the ocean—presumably at the bottom of some nearby cliff—but she couldn’t see it.
“I suppose I should choose a tree now. Which one looks the friendliest to you?” Carol asked.
“A tree? Whatever for?”
“To hug. Didn’t you tell me this afternoon that if I ever get lost in the woods a tree is my friend? If we get separated, there’s no way I’d ever find my way back to camp.”
Alex dropped a kiss on her head. “I won’t let you out of my sight for a minute, I promise.”
“The last time I trusted a guy, I was eighteen and I was pregnant three weeks later.” She meant it as a joke, but once the words were out they seemed to hang in the air between them.
“You were only eighteen when you got married?”
Carol nodded, pulled her hand free from his and shoved it in the pocket of her jacket. She could feel herself withdrawing from him. She drew inside herself a little more.
They walked in silence for several minutes.
Suddenly Alex aimed the flashlight at the ground and paused. “This way.”
“Over there?” Carol asked. She squinted but couldn’t see any rock.
“Just follow me,” Alex said. “And no more wisecracks about what happened the last time you listened to a guy. I’m not your first husband, and it would serve us both well if you remembered that.” His words were light, teasing, but they sent Carol reeling.
He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. She could almost hear the litany of questions in Alex’s mind. He wanted her to tell him about Bruce. But no one fully knew what a nightmare her marriage had been. Not even her mother. And Carol wasn’t about to drag out all the pain for Alex to examine.
Within a couple of minutes, Alex had located “his” rock. At first Carol thought it looked like all the other rocks, silhouetted against the beach.
He climbed up the side, obviously familiar with its shape and size, then offered Carol his hand. Once they were perched on top, he spread out the blanket and motioned for her to sit down.
Carol did and pulled her knees under her chin.
Alex settled down beside her. “Now,” he said, pointing toward the heavens, “can you see that outside your bedroom window?”
Having forgotten the purpose of this outing, Carol cast her gaze toward the dark sky, then straightened in wonder and surprise. The sky was so heavy with stars—hundreds, no, thousands of them—that it seemed to sag down and touch the earth. “Oh, Alex,” she breathed.
“Worth waking up for?” he asked.
“Well worth it,” she said, thanking him with a smile.
“I thought you’d think so.” His returning smile flew straight into her heart.
She’d been struck by so much extraordinary beauty in such a short while that she felt almost overwhelmed. Turning her head slightly, she smiled again at this man who had opened her eyes to life, to beauty, to love and whispered fervently, “Thank you, Alex.”
“For what?”
“For the hike in the rain forest, for the view of the cove, for ignoring my complaints and showing me the stars, for…everything.” For coming into her life. For leading her by the hand. For being so patient with her.
“You’re welcome.”
Lost in the magic, Carol closed her eyes and inhaled the fragrant scent of the wind, the ocean and the night. Ra
rely had she experienced this kind of contentment and uncomplicated happiness.
When the breeze came, the trees whispered, and the sound combined with the crashing of the surf below. The scents of pine and sea drifted over her. Throwing back her head, Carol tried to take it all in.
“I don’t think I appreciated how truly beautiful you are until now,” Alex murmured. His face was carved in severe but sensual lines, and his eyes had darkened with emotion.
Carol turned, and when she did, he brushed back the curls from her cheek. His hand lingered on her face, and Carol covered it with her own, closing her eyes at all the sensations that accompanied his touch.
He brought his free hand to her hair, which he threaded through his fingers as though the texture was pure silk. He traced her lower lip with his finger. Unable to resist, Carol circled it with the tip of her tongue….
Time seemed to stand still as Alex’s eyes sought and held hers.
He kissed her, and it was excruciatingly slow. Exquisitely slow.
He pressed warm kisses in the hollow of her neck and slipped his hands inside her jacket, circling her waist and bringing her closer. “The things you do to me,” he said in a low voice.
“The things I do to you?” She rested her forehead against his own. “They can’t compare to what you do—have always done—to me.”
His lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile, and Carol leaned forward just enough to kiss him again.
Under her jacket Alex slid his hands up her back. He stopped abruptly, went still and tore his mouth from hers.
“What’s wrong?” Carol asked, lifting her head. Her hands were on his shoulders.
“You’re not wearing a bra, are you?”
“No. You said I had only five minutes to dress, so I hurried.”
His eyes burned into hers, then moved lower to the snap of her jeans. “Did you…take any other shortcuts?”
“Wanna find out?”
He shook his head wildly. “I…I promised myself when you agreed to go camping that I’d do everything I could to keep my hands off you.” Although she was still in his arms, Carol had to strain to hear him.