Page 22 of Catching the Mistletoe

“Yeah,” I agreed, “it really was.”

“I loved every second of it.”

“Yeah.” I started the RV, and we gave a final wave to everyone as I eased out of the parking lot, with one final blast of Jingle Bells on the horn.

“You know what else I love?”

“What’s that?”

“That I have no fucking idea where we’re going next.”

I opened up the GPS. “Yosemite.”

“No way! Oh, my god!” Arabella clapped her hands, bouncing in the seat. “I’vealwayswanted to go there! Since I was a kid! In fact, we had a trip planned but had to cancel it because…”

She trailed off and I could guess why they had to cancel–When she got sick. It clearly upset her, so I didn’t push for her to finish the sentence. Instead, I steered the RV out of the lot and we were on our way.

The RV rolled along the winding roads, leaving behind the flat landscapes of Fresno. Gradually, the scenery started to change. The road twisted and turned, flanked by towering pine trees. Then rolling hills gave way to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Higher up, we got sequoias with the pines, and glimpses of rushing rivers.

“They look like confetti.”

“What do?”

“The flowers over there. In the meadow.”

“Nice.”

“Yeah.”

The horizon opened up, revealing breathtaking vistas. Snow-capped peaks loomed in the distance, a stark contrast against the deep blue sky.

Finally, the road entered a tunnel, and when we got to the other side, there was the Yosemite Valley. Framed like a perfect postcard, complete with El Capitan and Half Dome standing like sentinels over the iconic landscape.

“Holy fucking shit! This is so amazing. I might cry. Are we seriously staying here tonight?”

I checked the GPS again. “Looks like. Wawona campground is where we’re headed.”

“Wow.”

Arabella was quiet as we drove on, just taking it all in. The trees, the cliffs, the Merced River. She just loved it all.

Finally, the road led into Wawona campground and I could pull to a stop at our designated spot.

I’d barely turned the engine off before Arabella was out of the RV, looking around her with a sense of wonder that pulled at my heart. I hadn’t expected to get such a kick out of watching her experience this trip, but it sure made me glad I’d agreed to it.

CHAPTER11

Arabella

Icouldn’t believe it. Yosemite. Tick that off the bucket list. We practically had the campground to ourselves and man, did I love that? It was far colder than the beach stop just out of San Francisco, so definitely no night swims for me, no matter how enticing the crystal clear waters of the nearby river looked.

“You hungry?”

Mack’s voice, just near my shoulder, made me jump. I hadn’t heard him get out of the RV. “Yeah, a bit.”

“There’s makings for pasta.”

“Sounds good.”

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