Page 31 of A Vine Mess
“My mind is…quiet.”
“You seem a lot more settled since we got here,” he mused. “Like maybe things aren’t bothering you as much?”
I nodded in agreement.
I’d felt that way too, and I loved that he’d noticed. It was impossible to focus on the bad shit that often swirled in my brain when confronted with so much natural beauty. It was hard to remain sullen and withdrawn when reminded that there was so much goodness in the world and in this life. I simply had to look for it and accept it.
Liam had no idea what allowing me to come on this trip withhim meant to me—andforme—but I vowed to give him my gratitude at every possible opportunity.
By the time we returned to shore, my arm muscles were deliciously sore, and my mind was blissfully calm. I never expected something as simple as rowing a paddle through the water to be so difficult, but it ended up being a killer workout. With the sun on my face, Liam nearby, and Dori giving us all sorts of fun facts and history about the area, I hadn’t been so content in a long time.
But now, I was starving, and before I could say anything to Liam, my stomach made him aware of it.
He laughed and patted my tummy. “Don’t worry, Wildflower. We’ll get you filled up.”
The touch was so unexpected that I didn’t move, didn’t dare breathe for a few moments. Liam went about his business, helping Dori unload stuff from the boat and carry it up the hill toward headquarters, completely unaware of my minor internal freak out.
By the time he finished helping Dori and Marshall, I’d managed to unglue my feet from the docks and trek toward the building, meeting Liam at the door.
“So what’re you thinking for dinner?” he asked. “We could go to a sit-down restaurant, have some drinks and eat, or…”
He trailed off, eyes fixed on something over my shoulder, and I turned to find a white food truck fifty or so yards away, the words FRESH FISH emblazonedin blue on the side.
“Or…we could have fresh fish,” I said excitedly.
“My kinda girl,” he grinned, then gestured for me to lead the way.
There was a short line, and while we waited, I took the opportunity to just soak the day in. The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky a dusky pink and painting all the buildings golden.
When it was our turn to order, we went for a ten piece basket with fries, coleslaw, and beans. Before Liam could even reach for his, I’d already inserted my card into the reader, sticking my tongue out when he frowned at me.
“For today,” I said when I removed it.
“I don’t like it when you don’t let me pay,” he grumbled.
“That makes two of us,” I quipped as we stepped to the side to let the next people in line order.
Our fish was ready in minutes, and I pretty much drooled all over the to-go containers on the short trip between there and our campsite.
Actually,campsitewas a misnomer.
We were spending the night inyurts.
Truly, I didn’t think people actually did that, but Liam informed me that, up here, there were a number of places that offered yurt accommodations, and I was wildly pleased.
So far, everything about this trip had been unlike anything I’d ever experienced before, and we were less than twelve hours into it. I couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the journey would bring.
Liam checked us in while I waited in the van, nibbling on a piece of fish and groaning loudly at its deliciousness. Crispy breading that gave way to tender, perfectly seasoned meatbeneath. The coleslaw added a nice fresh, acidic burst of flavor to the heavier textures of the fish.
I was in heaven.
In fact, when Liam returned to the van, just as he slid behind the wheel to direct us into a parking space closer to our accommodations, I let out a low, long moan around a particular bite that had his head whipping toward me.
“Ella,” he warned.
“Yeah?” I asked, not bothering to look at him as I licked crumbs from my fingers.
“You can’t make sounds like that.”
