The first drops of afternoon rain plipped off the metal railing of the balcony. Water was everywhere. Tori blew her nose, simultaneously bouncing up and down to get the water out of her right ear. She was waterlogged.

Ethan had become a pro surfer after two waves, but Tori had tumbled through the waves like a limp noodle in a washing machine. Firsts are not always easy, Zee had said. It was very possible that she wouldn’t need fluids for a week. She was that saturated.

Her declaration of affection for Zee had caused Ethan to have a perma-smile. It caused her to have a perma-smile. Could she have a real relationship with Zee? Up until this point she had never even thought that possible. She was hesitant, but hopeful.

“Mom, are you going on the zipline with me?” Ethan kicked his feet against the coffee table as he lounged back on the couch.

“Of course.”

Ethan crinkled his nose. “You sure you feel okay?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“You won’t get hurt again, right?”

“That’s so sweet of you, buddy.” Tori’s heart melted when her son talked to her in such a caring way, but she didn’t want him to worry. “Your mom’s tougher than she looks.”

“Oh, good.” He sighed, popping a piece of candy into his mouth.

Tori suddenly felt quite small and unsure of her own abilities. Going on a zipline didn’t take skill, right? They hook you to a line and whoosh, or so she’d heard. How hard could it be? And Zee would be with them. Her internal heat rose by ten degrees. Being next to him with his shirt off had caused the connections between her brain lobes to misfire. Perhaps she could blame her scatterbrained behavior on sleep deprivation. An afternoon siesta sounded fantastic. The fluffy magenta pillows on the bed screamed for attention, while beckoning the weary traveler to rest their head in comfort.

“Mom, I see you looking at your bed, but Zee’s on his way up to get us. Don’t. Even. Think about it.”

Tori shook off her exhaustion as she leaned over to tie her shoelace. “You’re right. And if anyone says to you, Is your mom okay? She seems kind of out of it. You say…”

“I say, Don’t worry about her, she’s just in love.”

“Ethan!” Tori squealed, grabbing him by his belt loops, and twisting him to the ground where she continued to tickle him into submission.

A light knock on the door prevented further torture. “I’ll allow you a moment to contemplate your allegiance, young man,” Tori said in a firm, yet playful, tone.

Tori opened the door to a bright smile and open arms. Annie was impossible not to hug.

“Ready to go?” Annie said, turning to Ethan and pulling him into a hug. “I need to get those photos for my book.”

“I forgot to ask,” Tori said. “What’s your book about?”

“Romance that blossoms in the lush cloud forests of Costa Rica.” Annie winked. “Tarzan meets Jane.”

“Are you writing a spin-off of the juvenile, jungle story?”

“Um, I guess…but with a modern-day hunk and an apprehensive Jane. Enough about that, our Tarzans are waiting for us in the jungle.”

“I can hardly call Zee my Tarzan.”

“But I can call him yours,” Annie said with a sly grin.

Ethan jumped off the couch. “I’m hungry.”

“We think alike.” Annie threw her arms around Ethan. “Let’s grab a bite on our way out.”

“Hey, Mom?” Ethan said, opening the door.

“Yes?”

“Can I call Zee Tarzan?”

* * *

Standing in the parking lot of the excursion center, Tori spun in a slow circle, examining her surroundings. The thick flora was a striking balance between low-lying vegetation, crawling out of the muddy earth, to sky-bending trees, covered in spongy moss. Thick, dangling vines hung from the top of the foggy canopy, as if suspended from the clouds themselves. She was in Tarzan country.

Tori’s head began humming. It was the tell-tale sign of a developing migraine. Her lack of sleep and high-stress day were most likely the catalysts for her headache. She scoured through her African purse to find her migraine medication.

Instead of her pills, she came across a bottle of bug spray. She’d forgotten to apply insect repellant on Ethan. There wasn’t much need for repellant in the mountains of Utah, they didn’t get near the same quantity of insects in the arid, cold climate.

“Tell me again why the guys wanted to meet us here,” Tori questioned Annie, pulling bug repellent from her purse and lathering it into Ethan’s legs, “and not at the hotel?”

“They wanted to verify the safety of the equipment.”

“Is it that dangerous?”

“Only if we fall,” Annie responded casually.

Tori grabbed Ethan by the arm. “Maybe sending you soaring above a forested canopy isn’t a good idea.”

“Chill, Mom. I got this.”

I got this, wasn’t reassuring. Tori’s back and neck muscles constricted. She didn’t want to be the overbearing mother who didn’t allow her child to do any activities due to her unreasonable fears. But was this an unreasonable fear? Every time Ethan fell on his bike, or wrecked on the ski hill, Tori’s muscles would twitch and burn, involuntarily echoing his pain.

“Zee!” Ethan yelled, pulling away from his mother’s insect repellant application, causing her to become unbalanced and stumble to the ground.

She’d never been accused of being graceful. She had held her own on the runway, but that took concentration. After Ethan was born, her equilibrium was shot, even disciplined concentration couldn’t get that back.

Zee shot Tori a smile that sent a hot bolt shooting up her back.

“We’re all set,” Zee said, extending his fist to give Ethan bones. “You guys ready to rumble?”

“Do we need our vision?” Tori questioned. “Because I have a sudden headache, turning migraine, that may prevent me from seeing clearly.”

“I understand that those can be brutal. My mom gets those sometimes,” Zee said, leading Tori from the parking lot to a bench under a vine-covered pergola.

Tori sat next to other waiting victims soon to be released onto the high-wire. Guides, dressed in official yellow, filtered out of the excursion building and onto the outdoor patio that resembled an abandoned helipad. The guides began suiting their victims up in harnesses and leading them to a tall platform.

Zee bent down and spoke softly into Tori’s ear. “Can I give you a quick neck rub to release the tension?”

“Migraine medication is the only thing that’s worked in the past, but I’m not averse to trying.” Tori took a seat on the bench next to a soaked, balding man with a sour look on his face. Apparently, he was in the rain during the most recent torrential downpour. “Thank you, Zee.”

Zee placed his warm hands on Tori’s neck and pressed firmly along her shoulders, continuing down her back. “The tension appears to be lodged near the base of your head, on either side of your spine.”

Tori winced at the profound pain shooting through her neck as Zee bore his thumbs into her tight muscles.

“Mom,” Ethan said, plopping himself at Tori’s feet, “you have to try this strawberry shake! It’s so good.”

As he held a straw up to Tori’s lips, Zee’s hands released from her neck.

“Oh!” Zee yelled. “What was that?”

Tori lifted her head, turning to face Zee. Pink foam ran down the back of his white shirt.

“I’m sorry, Zee. I can be so clumsy.” Annie held her hands to her mouth. “I have an extra shirt for Paxton in the car. Let me go and grab it for you, after we get this sticky thing off,” she said, lifting up the tail of Zee’s shirt. “I’ll take care of this.”

Tori held her breath as Zee wiggled out of his shirt and handed it over to Annie.

“I’m so sorry to have interrupted your therapeutic massage.” Annie continued her apologies. “Ethan, could you help me grab the shirt? I may need a little body to climb in the trunk and find it.”

“Sure.” Ethan jumped up and followed behind Annie like her new little puppy.

Tori hadn’t even thought about Rambo’s sweet little black eyes and rough tongue until that moment. She missed her little guy. Gussie graciously offered to dog-sit him for the weekend.

“I’m surprised that Annie and Paxton didn’t bring their dogs for the wedding,” Tori wheezed as Zee’s hands found her tense muscles.

“Pax’s dog doesn’t travel well. He’s getting older.”

“I miss my little Rambo.”

“I’m sorry.” Zee kissed Tori lightly on her shoulder, sending shivers down her arm. “Next time we’ll bring him.”

The aroma of strawberries and cream masked Zee’s normal peppery scent. “You smell like strawberries.”

He laughed. “That’s batido, a fresh fruit shake with milk.”

“Smells yummy.”

“I’ve always wanted to smell yummy. I’m usually accused of having a musky, peppery scent.”

“I’d take either,” Tori said, noticing her vision had improved dramatically. “You’re amazing! My vision is clearing, and the tension’s releasing.”

“Yummy and amazing?” Zee stepped in front of her.

She was again faced with his perfect, shirtless form. She swallowed back the drool as he pulled her to her feet.

“I hope you’re in this for the long haul.” He brushed the side of her face with his strong fingers. “Because I refuse to give up on a kind, intelligent, beautiful woman, who’s beguiled enough to believe me to be yummy and amazing.”

Tori now understood the level of loyalty she could expect from Zee. His devotion to her was endearing. She wanted to be honest with him. She wanted to express her desire to be with him, but stopped herself. Could she be as devoted to him as he was to her? Her devotion lingered in the air, as if clinging to no one.

She threaded her fingers through his. “These first adventures with you have been nothing short of wondrous.”

“I was thinking the same…” he leaned in slowly, “exact…” he brushed her lips with his, “…thing.”

All stimuli, external to her and Zee, disappeared. Tori’s five senses were happily occupied by one person, one very beguiling person.