ERIC

Now that the tears have stopped, I’m devising a way to keep them gone, of a way to keep her mind off that jerk. “You want to hear a story?”

Staring at the path she nods.

“When we were kids we spent a lot of time out here and at the old mill in Roswell. A lot of time with our cousins. Ben, who you met. And Hannah was almost as old as Emma, my sister, so they were very close. Hannah has a couple of twin brothers, they’re a little younger than me.”

“And how much older is your sister than you are?”

“Almost five years. Hannah’s seven, almost eight years older than Gabriel and Elijah.”

“Gabriel, the singer, right?”

“That’s the one. You a fan of just football or do you like music, too?”

She smiles like I’m scratching the surface of a great love of hers. “I like music.”

“Yeah?”

“I was in a band for a heartbeat.” She quietly says, then jumps and grabs my arm. “Sorry, the rustling there in the leaves. It was just a squirrel. We saw a snake earlier. Got me spooked.” Her fingers release but I still feel where they were even in their absence.

“It’s okay. If we see one I’ll stomp on it.” That gets a smile out of her. “You were in a band? Playing what?”

Inhaling like she’s not sure about this subject, she pauses, “Singing mostly. And writing. I play guitar but not well enough for stage.”

Impressed and wishing this was a day she’d be up for allowing me to hear those pipes, I settle for merely asking, “What do you like to sing?”

“Alternative music, folky stuff. You’d probably find it boring.”

There’s that insecurity popping up again. “You think I like Metal?” I tease her, bumping our arms together.

She glances up, a shy smile sending light into her eyes. “No, probably classic rock.”

Laughing outright I admit, “You’re not wrong!”

“See!” she grins. “I knew it.”

“Sure, I like the classics, but I’m a sucker for a woman’s voice.”

Her smile fades, eyelashes dropping back toward the ground. “Tell me more about your family.”

Wondering why the subject closed her up, I’m happy to talk about something else. Anything that could inspire those little crinkles around her eyes to come back. “Oh right, I didn’t finish my story. So, we’d come here with our cousins, but sometimes it’d be just our immediate family. Emma, Ethan and I would race each other while Mom and Dad would stay back, strolling hand in hand. Back then I thought they were so cool to let us run off like that, all that freedom! But now that I’m older I figured it out that they wanted to be able to kiss in private.”

Wren glances to me, “Your parents used to kiss like that?”

“Used to?” I laugh.

Her eyes widen. “They still do?”

“All the time! Are you kidding? They’re crazy about each other. Been that way since day one. And holy shit, the fights? They’re just as passionate. Usually my dad getting all loud, pounding on his chest like a gorilla while my mom’s over there with her sweet Southern drawl and acerbic wit cutting him down to size. Then he swoops in and carries her away to make up. My parents are so in love with each other it’s wrong. Dad just built a bigger porch to house a hot tub and it’s not for relaxing.”

Wren whispers, “Wow,” thinking about it. “My parents divorced when I was ten. Never saw them kissing. I honestly can’t remember one time they ever did.”

“That sucks, I’m sorry.”

“Tell me more.”

Jogging up a short distance ahead to a fallen, dead tree trunk blocking our path, I offer my hand to help her over. “Gladly—I love talking about my family.” Her fingers slide onto my palm and I firmly clasp them, locking eyes with her. Wren offers my encouraging grin a fragile smile with gratitude behind it. I’m aware she’s curious why I’m here, what’s my angle. I don’t have one, but I can’t tell her that. I figure the best way for her to know is for me to show her.

“You wore the right shoes for this. I didn’t. You should be helping me.”

“Yeah, right,” she teases me as we walk onward.

“I could fall down at any minute in these dress shoes!”

“Puhlease.”

“Look, whoa! See? Almost fell!”

“I stand corrected.”

“At least you’re standing.” I drop to the ground. “Shit! How the hell did I end up down here?”

Welcome laughter bubbles up. “You’re ridiculous.”

Wrapping my arms around my knees I smile up at her and offer a lame joke, nothing better coming to mind since all I want to do is hold her hand. “Guess you’re going to have to carry me.”

“That’s a funny image.”

“How am I going to navigate this treacherous terrain without your help?”

She extends her hand and the simple gesture has a stilling effect on my heart. Her nails are bitten short, and there’s a scar on one finger from a slice that must have healed many years ago. I reach out and stare at our hands for the second time today feeling a powerful connection in her touch.

Standing up, our bodies are closer than they should be, and I find myself gazing into her eyes, searching them. She’s staring back with the same confused look I have.

“Wren…”

She shakes her head, “Eric…”

“You just got bad news, the timing is shit, but do you want to spend some time together as friends? I’d like to get to know you better. I won’t try anything.”

Surprise flickers, and she nibbles her bottom lip. Of course my gaze slips down to watch, because I’m a man and I can’t help wishing I was those teeth. Forcing myself to meet her anxious eyes again, I wait for her answer. Feels like years pass by. “Okay, Eric. But if you change your mind, that’s okay.”

Frowning at her insecurity and knowing he put it there, I tell her without reservation, “Pretty soon you’re going to remember who you are, and you’re going to be amazed.”

Her gaze drops to my lips and flits back up, and I know from that involuntary slip that she wants to kiss me, too. We won’t, and shouldn’t, today. Yet still, it’s like someone shot adrenaline right into my groin. The man in me loves how soft and feminine she is. I want to protect. Hold her. Make sure nobody makes her cry again.

She doesn’t let go of my hand. So I gently tighten my fingers and she keeps gazing at me like it’s okay. Blinking away from her before I go in for a kiss despite my better judgment, I lead her further into nature, our hands clasped, with birds singing in the distance.

No cars,

traffic,

voices,

…nothing.

Just a Wren and a Falcon flying together in peace.