Page 124 of Love, Second Chances and Other Nonsense
“Yeah, well, I never claimed to be an expert at putting up tents in the dark. I’m more of a daylight tent assembly specialist.” I finally find two pieces that slide together with a satisfying click.
“You should put that on a business card. Adam Kelley: Craftsman and Daylight Tent Assembly Specialist.”
We work in companionable silence for a few minutes, getting the basic frame assembled. As I start to thread a pole through the tent sleeve, I somehow entangle myself in the guy lines. Taking a step to free myself, I trip, stumbling forward and nearly face-planting into the partially erected tent.
“Graceful,” Caitlin comments, not bothering to hide her laughter. “Very outdoorsy.”
“I meant to do that,” I say with as much dignity as possible from my current position on the ground. “It’s a special tent-raising technique.”
“Oh, is that what we’re calling it?” She moves to help me, but steps on the edge of the tent fabric, causing the pole I just inserted to pop free with a twanging sound. It narrowly misses my head before clattering to the ground.
“Come here, you.” I reach for her, still half-tangled in cord, and pull her down beside me. She lands with a soft “oof” against my chest, her hair tickling my chin. “You’re enjoying this way too much,” I tell her, breathing in the scent of her shampoo.
“I am,” she admits, making no move to get up. “Watching you battle inanimate objects is the entertainment I didn’t know I needed.”
“Just wait until you see me try to start the campfire,” I warn her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
She groans dramatically. “We’re going to freeze to death, aren’t we?”
“I’ll keep you warm,” I promise, pulling her tighter against me and pressing my lips to hers.
“Let’s go,” she finally says, pushing herself upright, leaving me breathing hard and aching with desire. “If we don’t move, we’re never going to get this thing set up.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I haul myself to my feet and brush off my jeans.
With renewed focus, we get the poles properly inserted and the tent standing, more or less. It lists slightly to one side, but it’s definitely tent-shaped, which I count as a win.
“Not bad,” Caitlin says, stepping back to admire our handiwork. “It’s only a little lopsided.” She wraps her arms around my waist and rests her cheek against my chest.
I kiss her nose, which is cold in the chill night air. “Ready to go to bed in our only slightly lopsided architectural masterpiece?”
“Not yet,” she says, pulling away to rummage in our bags. “First, fire. Then, food. Then, bed.”
“So demanding,” I tease, but I’m already gathering kindling for the fire pit, eager to see her face illuminated by firelight, to hold her close under the stars.
The fire crackles to life, orange flames licking at the wood I’ve carefully arranged. It only took three attempts and some choice words muttered under my breath. Caitlin settles on the blanket we’ve spread, her face glowing in the firelight as she extends her hands toward the warmth. I sit behind her, legs stretched out on either side, and pull her back against my chest. She comes willingly, melting into me with a contented sigh that sends warmth spreading through me that has nothing to do with the fire.
“See?” I murmur against her hair. “I told you I could get our campsite set up in the dark.”
“I’m super impressed,” she teases, tipping her head back to look up at me, her eyes reflecting the dancing flames.
“As you should be.” I wrap my arms more securely around her middle, holding her close against the evening chill. “It’s not every day you witness such mastery of the elements.”
She laughs, the sound vibrating against my chest, and I press my lips to the top of her head. Above us, stars pierce the darkness, countless pinpricks of light against the black canvas of the sky. The campground is quiet except for the crackling of the fire and the chirping of countless insects. I reach behind us to grab the extra blanket from our supplies and drape it over her legs, tucking it around both of us.
We sit in comfortable silence for a while, watching the flames dance. Caitlin’s breathing slows, her body relaxing further against mine as the fire’s warmth envelops us. My fingers trace idle patterns on her arm beneath the blanket, and I think about how far we’ve come in the last few months.
“What are you thinking about?” Caitlin asks, breaking into my thoughts. “You’ve gone all quiet on me.”
“Just thinking about us,” I reply honestly. “About how lucky I am.”
She turns slightly in my arms to see my face better. “Oh yeah? How lucky are you, exactly?”
“Astronomically lucky.” I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger against her cheek. “Universe-bendingly lucky. The kind of lucky that makes me wonder what I did in a past life to deserve this one.”
Her expression softens, the teasing light in her eyes giving way to something deeper. “I think I’m the lucky one,” she says quietly.
I shake my head. “Nope, it’s definitely me.”
