Now it seems like the most perfect way to spend the day.
Chapter 9. Liora
“Ready?” Kieron asks. I nod, following him toward an opening in the trees. Taking full advantage of my position behind him, I can’t help but secretly admire his strong frame and steady gait. And how nicely his jeans accentuate his backside.
He cocks his head to the side and smiles. “How’s it going back there? You doing okay?”
I quickly avert my eyes and feel the heat rush to my cheeks.
“Everything’s great. Perfect.” I steal one more quick glance. Yep. Absolutely perfect.
“It’s just a few minutes’ walk from here,” he says.
We weave through the trees and cut through low lying bushes and shrubs. When we finally reach the clearing, I gasp in awe.
Kieron stands beside me. “Not bad, eh?”
I have to re-grip the tackle box so as not to drop it. “Wow…just…wow. This place is… incredible.” I’m beyond stunned at the sheer beauty of this private sanctuary, one truly blessed with Mother Nature’s best.
It’s not just the abundance of brightly-colored wildflowers—unusual enough for this time of year—that makes this place feel so fresh and alive. Large rocks—some jagged and high, some low and flat—reflect the sun’s rays as if they were shiny diamonds tinged with flashes of silver and gold. A narrow river carves its way along the embankment, finally careening off the mountainside to the lake below. Even from up here I can see fish leaping out of the water.
“Come on, let’s go over there,” Kieron says.
We head to the river’s edge, near the cliffs where the view is nothing short of spectacular. We can see for what seems to be hundreds of miles.
It’s like we’re on our own planet…in our own miraculous Garden of Eden.
Kieron takes the poles and net from me and sets them on the ground. He opens his bag and shakes out a large blanket. Then he sits down on one side of it, stretches out his legs and angles his face to the sky.
I slowly stroll through the field, losing myself in the fragrant flowers and the hum of the waterfall. Up here, I feel far removed from all the craziness below. I can pretend that all my problems, stresses and worries don’t really exist. Right here, in this magical place with Kieron, everything can be perfect.
After a while, I again turn my gaze to his still form. Like a wondrous element of nature’s beauty, he stares peacefully at the river, looking as content as a lizard sunning itself on a warm rock.
I make my way back to him and take a seat on the blanket. “Now what?” I ask. He said he wanted to talk, but so far he isn’t saying much.
He turns to me, a smile on his face. “Now, we fish.”
******
My feelings for Kieron must have some magical hold over me, because even the disgusting act of hooking bait and the mundane act of sitting by water holding a pole is absolutely thrilling with him by my side.
Soon after dropping my line in the water I feel a gentle tug. Kieron shows me how to reel in my catch, and for a moment I’m proud of my accomplishment. But when the poor fish struggles to breathe, fighting for its life, I feel bad and throw it back in the river where it belongs. Kieron teases me for being a softie, as he reels in one of his own and sets it on the ground beside him.
“Do you know what these are named?” I ask him.
“Rainbow Trout.”
I raise an eyebrow and give him a knowing look. “Yes, but that’s just their common name. Their scientific name is Oncorhynchus mykiss.”
He leans his face to mine and flashes a mischievous smile. “I only understand the ‘my kiss’ part,” he says, raising his eyebrow flirtatiously.
I give a nervous laugh and look away, cursing my fair complexion that I’m positive is turning bright pink.
“This is fun,” I say, trying to change the subject. “I wish I could come up here more often.”
He leans back on one arm. “Who says you can’t?”
I sigh. “Well, because, you know…we’re supposed to be in school. And since I always have to be home before dark it wouldn’t really leave me much time...”
“Why do you always have to be home before dark?” He peeks at me from the corner of his eye; his voice smooth, sexy, and the slightest bit amused.
Here we go. I take a deep breath and recite my well-rehearsed lie. “Tatiana is completely blind. Since it’s just me and her I’m the only one who can take care of her. She doesn’t like to be alone at night.”
He nods, and a moment later asks, “But how would she know?”
“Huh?”
“If she’s blind…how would your grandmother know if it’s dark or not?” This time I’m positive I hear amusement in his voice.