Educational Experience

Part II--Chapter Three

Into the woods. And the "heart of the matter." This section of the book is about letting Wyatt blossom before our eyes--and Colt's, of course. Here, she's trying to open up, but...there are nagging doubts...

I wanted time to just stop. Just, to freeze the frame and let me stay right where I was forever.

Which probably means I knew somewhere deep down that there was a storm headed our way, but at that moment...Well, let me just take you there.

Wyatt had kicked off her boots and tiptoed along a path of stones in this little stream near Tuff’s big old cabin.  Giggling and squealing like a little girl whenever a bare toe touched the ice cold water.

And then she stopped and just stood there on a big flat rock, haloed in moonlight, like there was a follow spot shining down and making her skin and hair glow. I mean, it was this perfect picture, with the tall trees, mountain shadows and shimmering water in the background.

I always thought she was beautiful. I told you that the minute I introduced her to you. But it was like the moon was shining down that way just to make sure I saw it. Also, to show me this wasn’t the flashy, flaunty sort of beauty I was used to. As if to say, “Okay, this you don’t put on a web site. Keep it sacred, stupid.”

I was almost afraid to breathe because she might move and the magic would be gone. So I just hunkered down beside the stream there, watching. I wasn’t the least bit impatient to get settled anymore. Or even to get her into bed. The flames mellowed out into a warm buzz that wouldn’t have to be stoked by sex all the time.

Seriously. I could even imagine us not being together and me still having that little buzz inside me somewhere. How I’d just glow sometimes, just thinking of her. And whoever I was with at the time would get all pissed because I never glowed for her, probably.

But I wasn’t even thinking that deep that night. I just hung there in a trance, soaking up every second. In fact, I actually startled when she looked over at me and said, “God, I can’t believe this.”

“You should see it from my angle,” I told her.

And she tilted her head a little and said, “My angle is rather nice, too.”

I stood up to be right there for her when she rock hopped back to shore. And as soon as she got close enough, I caught her and kissed her in a way that I hoped would help her feel as special as she’d looked out there. And since her eyes got all soulful and soft, I guess it worked.

“How did he find this?” she said. “It’s impossibly beautiful.”

“Gets better, too. In the morning, you’ll be able to see the little canyon, too,” I told her. “You’ll hear it breathing all night, though.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s awesome. The wind gusts up like it’s breathing. Or sighing, sort of.”

She said, “How lovely,” and I laughed a little bit.

“Only you could say that word without sounding all Masterpiece Theater,” I told her.

“Only you could say something like that at a time like this.”

“Yeah, what an insensitive bastard, right?”

She caressed my hair and sighed a little herself.

“Just the opposite, actually. You consistently amaze me.”