Page 79 of Senseless
There wasn’t much room to lay out anywhere with all the shrubs and rocks surrounding us, but Mari didn’t take up much space. Still, she kept shoving rocks and debris out of the way next to the bike to make a bigger sleeping area.
“Are you sure you need that much space?” I teased her, feeding our fire a healthy amount of kindling.
“No, but you do.” Finally satisfied, she unfolded my sleeping mat and laid the sleeping bag on top of it.
“Mari.” I watched her cautiously. “I’m not sleeping.”
“Don’t be silly, of course you are.” She sat down on top of the sleeping bag and unrolled a blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders. “Come over here and keep me warm.”
“Mari, there’s no service center around for miles. I can sleep far away, but—“
“And freeze to death? Absolutely not.” She stuck a hand out from under the blanket. “Come here.”
“You know that’s not what I’m worried about.” Still, I rose from the fire, now roaring with a healthy blaze as I walked around it to sit next to her.
Mari lifted my arm to snuggle into my side. “How long’s it been now?”
“Almost a month, I think?” I let my arm drape over her shoulders as I glanced up, like the glittering night sky would give me answers. “Yeah, about four weeks since I sleepwalked.”
The flames danced in Mari’s eyes as she looked at me. “And you’d rather risk freezing to death than tryonenight snuggled up with me.”
“Yes,” I answered quickly. “Because you have much better odds of surviving the night if you sleep alone.”
She let out a weary sigh, leaning heavily against my shoulder. “How long, really, until you’ll let it happen?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, rubbing her arm. Before Doc’s therapy, spending a night with her, or any woman, was something I’d never risk again. Now it felt like the final barrier between us, one I was desperate to break through, but not at the risk of her safety. “I think I’ll feel better if Doc’s colleague tells me the sleepwalking isn’t likely to come back.”
Mari leaned up, planting a small kiss on my neck. “What’s one of your favorite memories from staying at the service center?”
The question wasn’t completely out of left-field, but I still gave her a bemused look. She was trying to drum up positive associations to the forefront of my mind, right before sleeping no less. I wondered if this was our new game, instead of saying good morning to each other.
“About a week before you got there, Doc was going to scrap this old Indian motorcycle for parts,” I said. “I convinced him not to and was able to get it running.”
“You did?”
I nodded. “It was a beautiful little bike by the time I was done restoring it. We were able to trade it for a new chest freezer for the kitchen.”
“Look at you.” Mari beamed at me with genuine pride. “Jandro will be so happy to hear that.”
“Nah. If I tell him details, he’ll work himself up over everything I did wrong.”
“Oh, whatever.” She stretched her legs across my lap and draped the blanket over both of us. “How did it feel to turn that engine and hear it come to life?”
“Amazing.” A smile burst onto my face at the memory. I recalled the pulse of elation in my chest when I turned the key and heard the sputter and then the roar, rather than the lifeless clicking sound. “It felt like I brought something back from the dead.”
Mari stroked a gentle finger along my jaw, turning my head to bring my mouth to hers. Her lips were cold from the night air and I kissed her deeply, bringing my hand to her cheek to stave off more of the cold.
“How long until we’re on the road again?” she asked when one long kiss ended and right before another began.
“Not long.” I took another lingering pull from her lips. “It’s just a few hours ‘til dawn.”
Her arms slid under my jacket, pulling her chest flush to mine. “I don’t want to sleep alone,” she whispered, forehead nudging mine. “We’ll be warmer this way too. Do you think you can try tonight? Please?”
“Mari…” I started to shake my head and pull away, but my woman held onto me tightly.
“You trust me?” Her lips skimmed over mine as she spoke.
“You know I do.”
