Page 59 of The Lost Book of First Loves

“Give it a minute,” Ali said.

Sure enough, when they turned around the next bend, the road evened out substantially. It was still a mountain road, not a paved highway, but it wasn’t as rough.

“See? Not so bad.”

“Says the person who’s not driving,” June muttered. She kept both hands on the wheel as the Jeep climbed a hill then dipped down another one.

“Where does it lead? How far do you want me to go?”

“There’s a waterfall about a mile in. We can go that far, if you want. It’s really pretty in the evening.”

June looked doubtful, but she kept pressing forward. Ali leaned back in the seat, closed her eyes and simply inhaled the familiar, beloved smell of pine and sage and mountain.

“This is great,” June said, “but I’m afraid I’ll end up lost somewhere in the mountains if I ever headed off on my own.”

“I’ll go with you anytime you want. We have a couple of off-road maps for the area at home. I’ll find one for you and you can look through it and plan your next adventure.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

They drove on and were nearly to the waterfall when Ali caught movement through the trees in the early-evening light.

“There’s a moose,” she said as her gaze sharpened.

“Where?” June hit the brakes as if afraid she was about to hit it.

“Right there, to your left. See that big pine? Look to the left in the river bottom. Oh, it’s Morty. He’s a big bull who always hangs out here.”

“Morty? Why do you call him Morty?”

“Dad named him one year and it stuck. We’ve always called him that.” She smiled at the memory of their delight whenever they would cross paths with him. Her dad had written an essay about him once, she remembered. She would have to look for it.

“How do you know it’s the same one you call Morty? I would think all moose look the same.”

“He’s the biggest guy around. Hard to mistake him for anyone else.”

They sat in the Jeep, watching the big creature, who didn’t seem to be paying any attention to them. Eventually, he ambled into the willows along the river where they could no longer see him, and June put the Jeep in gear again.

They turned another corner and there was the waterfall. It was more of a cascading series of small falls as the river moved downhill to follow the terrain, but Alison had always loved coming here. The river rock was all covered in moss, and trees hung over the water, creating an idyllic spot that was as lovely as it was restful.

“You can pull off here,” Alison said, pointing to a place where the road widened. It wasn’t really necessary, since she doubted anybody else would be driving on this remote track, but driver etiquette dictated it was best to get out of the way in case someone else came along.

June turned off the engine and the two of them walked to the water’s edge. The water glinted silver in the afternoon light, and Ali thought she could see a few fish darting between the rocks.

She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with sweet, clear mountain air.

June’s shoulders seemed to relax and she closed her eyes, lifting her face to the dying sun.

“You were right. It’s beautiful. I’m amazed this is so close to the main road.”

“There are all kinds of magical places that are only a short drive into the mountains. Now you have the Jeep, you can come here whenever you want.”

“If I’m willing to jostle through those first rough few minutes.”

Ali suddenly frowned. “I should have thought about your heart. Are you okay?”

June momentarily looked annoyed. “I’m fine. My broken rib is a little tender, but not bad. I’m glad you brought me here. It’s lovely.”

Ali nodded, guilty she hadn’t been more protective of her sister.

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