Ty lay his head on the table next to his tinfoil dinner as he put a bite in his mouth. Then his hand fell to his side. Aiden’s head hung before he even got his fork to his mouth. The sun was getting closer to the tops of the mountains, but the evening was still bright. Beautiful shades of pinks, purples, and yellows colored the horizon. Jason rubbed his hand through Ty’s hair, but Ty remained motionless. “Should we put them to bed without eating?” he asked.

Lotty shrugged. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to get them to eat.”

Jason moved Ty’s food away and picked him up. He carried him into the tent while Lotty brought Aiden in. They set the boys on top of the sleeping bags. The sun had heated the tent all day and it was still too warm for blankets. Jason stared at the boys. They looked so peaceful when they were asleep.

He followed Lotty back out to the picnic table and dug in to his dinner. “Oh, that’s so good,” he said, grabbing a napkin. 

“Mm hmm,” Lotty agreed, wiping cheese off her lip. She jumped up and rotated the tinfoil packets on the grate over the fire. “I overestimated how much we’d eat.” She pointed to the four packets she’d moved. “The boys really didn’t pull their weight.”

“We can eat the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow.”

They finished eating and cleaned up. Lotty arranged a blanket in a grassy area a few yards from the tent, laid down on it, and stared at the sky. She looked so calm. Her dark hair was wavy from getting wet today and her face was sun kissed. Her blue eyes danced as they reflected the colors in the sunset.

“You were made for the outdoors,” Jason said, sitting next to her. “And apparently nature feels the same way about you. While the rest of us are covered in bug bites, your skin is clear. My face is sunburned while yours has never looked better. We’re all exhausted and you look ready to hike back up to the waterfall.” Jason leaned back on his elbows. “I mean, our son is snacking on bugs and you’re laughing it off. I haven’t seen you this at ease in a long time.”

“I haven’t felt this at ease in a long time.”

“Which you have to admit is a little odd considering the situation.”

She laughed.

They lay in silence as the sun dropped behind the mountain. There was so much to be said, yet he was nervous to say it. Last night had been good. She’d talked to him, though she was visibly upset part of the time. He was afraid asking about California now might push her away so he stayed silent, torn between asking or not. 

She flipped onto her side and faced him. When he turned his head toward her, he was only inches from her face, but she didn’t move. “You got to ask questions last night so I think tonight it’s my turn,” she said.

“Okay.”

“Why did you?” she hesitated and looked away, picking several blades of grass and rubbing them between her fingers. She opened her palm and let the breeze blow them away. “Why did you invite me to go to Phoenix with you and then leave without me?”

Leave without her? “How can you even say that?” He sat up. “I did what you told me to do.” Frustration burned the inside of his stomach. He couldn’t believe she was blaming him. He’d planned the whole trip for the two of them, trying to think of every possible way to make it special. He’d even booked an afternoon at a spa for her while he had to work. Then the night before they were to leave, she’d backed out.

“I didn’t tell you to leave without me.” Sadness flashed in her eyes. “I was packed and ready to go. I woke up and you were gone.”

“But the night before, you told me...” He trailed off as he thought back on the memory. She hadn’t told him. Doll had. Doll, who had since made it apparent she didn’t like her daughter being married to him. He shook his head and sighed. “You wanted to go?”

Lotty nodded. “Of course I wanted to go.”

“I would never have left without you if I hadn’t thought that’s what you wanted.” Jason leaned onto his side, facing her. “Your mom told me you weren’t going. She came to me after you were in bed.” Lotty’s eyes narrowed and Jason tried to remember exactly what Doll had said. “She said it was horrible of me to push you into going when you were still nursing, that it was stressing you out to leave Aiden.”

Lotty’s mouth was ajar. “What? Why didn’t you ask me?”

“You were asleep. She even told me you weren’t feeling well so you were staying in bed while she took care of the boys.” Jason could see Doll in his head, her face serious, pleading with him to leave Lotty and let her rest. The more he remembered, the angrier he got. 

When he looked back at Lotty, her eyes filled with tears. She shook her head. “She saw how hurt I was, how I couldn’t understand why you’d left me. She told me she’d talked to you and that you thought it was best to focus on your work while you were there. She let me think you’d ditched me.”

“Is that why you were gone when I got back? That’s why you went to California?”

Regret swept over her face as she nodded sheepishly. “One more thing Mom convinced me was best. I thought Mom and Dad could help me with the boys for a while and then you’d follow us out there.” She turned away. “I thought you’d see you missed me and come after us.”

“Then why wouldn’t you see me when I flew out there?”

“You didn’t give me a chance. It seemed like you only came to see the boys. The few minutes you stopped by, I was running an errand for Mom.”

“The few minutes?” Jason tried to keep his voice calm, but his mind was screaming. “I was there two days in a row for several hours, listening to your mom tell me how you were with some guy named Rob and you didn’t want to live in Montana anymore.”

“What? No. I never even saw Rob.”

“You told me to go home. I thought it was pretty clear you didn’t want to see me.”

Lotty’s face was a dark shade of red and her hands were balled into fists. She took a deep, shaky breath. “Obviously all of this was part of Mom’s twisted little game. I don’t get it. Did she think we’d never figure it out? That it would really convince me to move back to California and take over the business?” Lotty ran her fingers through her hair. “Did she tell you that I wanted you to go home?”

“No, your texts did.”

Lotty put her face in her hands. “Jason, I didn’t text you. I found out you’d been there to see the boys after I got home that morning, but that’s it. I never received or sent any texts from you while I was there.” Lotty sighed. “I wonder how she pulled that one off.”

“I’m guessing you didn’t get my letter either.”

“No, definitely no letter.” Lotty laughed ruefully as she sat up. “How could she watch me hurting so badly and not care? She hugged and comforted me, all the while stabbing me in the back.” She paused a moment before asking, “Did Dad know you were trying to see me?”

“I’m not sure.”

“He must have,” Lotty said. “I never dreamed they’d care so much when I moved to Montana.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked at Jason. “So, you wanted me to go to Phoenix?”

Jason laughed. He sat up. “Yes, I wanted you to go to Phoenix.”

“And you followed me to Santa Barbara?”

He moved closer and nodded. More tears spilled out of her eyes as she smiled. Jason cupped the side of her face in his hand. “I’ve missed you so much, Lotty. I’ve missed us.” She leaned her face into his palm and he moved forward until his lips brushed hers. Slowly, he kissed her. His other arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. Her hands slipped to the back of his neck and she kissed him more firmly. All thoughts about Doll’s lies left his mind. They could deal with that later.

She pulled away to get a deep breath. “I love you,” she whispered, setting her forehead against his.

Jason kissed her again. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear those words.” He leaned back on the blanket with her still in his arms and kissed her ear before whispering, “I love you.”

His insides danced. She loved him. They could have the life they’d started together, the life he’d given up on. As she kissed him again, the threats against his family flashed through his mind. He wasn’t going to get his wife back only to lose her again.