Everlasting

by L. K. Kuhl

  I held the phone to my ear, feeling groggy and stale. “Hello?” My voice croaked out—a deep trombone effect.

  “He’s here,” a voice exclaimed into the phone. “He’s here, and he’s beautiful!”

  I pulled the phone away from my ear and looked at it, like I would actually be able to see the person on the other end. What is this crazy lady talking about? My tiredness kept me confused, and I shook my head. “Wait…Mom…? Is that you?” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and yawned. “What’re you talking about? What time is it?”

  “It’s six in the morning, and Kristy had Meyer James about an hour ago. He weighs seven pounds, two ounces, and is nineteen inches long. Momma and baby are doing fine.”

  I flipped my hair behind my ears and rubbed my eyes again, a small smile forming on my lips when it started to register. “The baby…” I gasped. “Josh and Kristy had their baby?”

  Josh is my big brother. He couldn’t have kids of his own, so Kristy, his wife, used a sperm donor. Even she has always had a hard time getting pregnant. I imagined they were ecstatic.

  “I wanted to call you as soon as he was born, but I knew five was a little early, so I gave you an hour.”

  “They’re all okay?”

  “They’re all doing fine, and Josh is beaming from ear to ear. The doctor did tell Kristy that due to the condition of her ovaries and female organs, she won’t be able to have any more children, unless she would get on an organ donor list.”

  “Hum, that’s too bad. I’m sure that they wanted more children.”

  “Yes, I’m sure they do…maybe someday…. You just have to see him, though. He’s adorable. Thick black hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen on a baby. Nice set of lungs on him, too. How’s everything going at Mandy’s? Having fun?”

  “I’m loving it here. I hate to break it to you, Mom, but I don’t know if I’m coming back home in August.” I chuckled teasingly, although it felt closer to the truth than Mom realized.

  Her tongue clicked sourly but she did manage to cover it with a pert laugh. I guess she didn’t see the humor in it; wasn’t sure whether I was joking or not. “Now, Sophia, we can’t have that. What would your dad and I do without you…? But why? Have you met someone?” Mom’s sly innuendo slid gracefully through the phone—the fear and hope both creeping in at the same time. She didn’t want me turning into an old maid, and her biggest dream for me was that I find a boyfriend.

  Can she read me that easily? Over the phone, even? I didn’t know how to answer. Tate and I would be done and over with when August came, anyway. He would be here, and I would be in Montana. Long-distance relationships never lasted.

  I stammered. “Er…not really. Mandy introduced me to one of her friends…but it’s nothing.” Tate was beeping in, so I cut our conversation short. “Gotta go now, Mom. Mandy has a big day planned for us. Send me pictures of baby Meyer.”

  “Alright, what’s the address, dear?”

  “I think its seven-twenty-one Mermaid Mile, Charleston, South Carolina. I’ll ask Mandy for sure, and if it’s wrong, I’ll call you back. Give my love to Josh, Kristy, and Dad. Oh, and give the baby a kiss for me.”

  “Have fun, Sophia, and be careful.”

  “I will. Love you, Mom. Bye.”

  Tate’s call ended, so I quickly called him back. “Tate, it’s me, Sophia. Sorry I never answered, but my mom called. My brother and his wife had their baby. Mom’s sending pictures.”

  “I thought maybe you were still sleeping.” His voice drawled smoky, sleepy—its allure burning through the phone.

  “No, Mom had me up at six.”

  “I hope baby and momma are doing okay.”

  “Everyone’s great. He’s a cute little boy, I guess.”

  “I’m sure he is if he looks anything like his aunt.”

  I giggled. “You better believe it.” I didn’t tell him that, technically, the baby wasn’t even related to me by blood.

  “Bring along hiking shoes and a jacket, a swimsuit, and also overnight clothes.” His voice—rich and sensual—made me tingle inside. “I’ll pick you up in half an hour.”

  The mention of overnight clothes left me wondering what he had planned for our weekend. I jumped out of bed, threw my hair up in a ponytail, and dabbed some makeup on my face and eyes. Then, I went back to my bedroom and shimmied my swimsuit on under a pair of yellow shorts; a new T-shirt to match. I slid my pink flip-flops on and grabbed my running shoes for hiking, then raced downstairs.

  Mandy lay curled up on the sofa in the sitting room, reading a book by the large, open windows.

  “Morning, Mand, hope I didn’t startle you.”

  She stretched and yawned, laying the book in her lap. “No, you’re fine. I couldn’t sleep, that’s all. How come you’re up so early?”

  Her paler-than-normal skin startled me. Maybe the stress of the upcoming wedding was wearing her down.

  “Tate and I have a date. He’s got a big day planned, and I don’t know what, exactly, we’re doing yet. It’ll be fun, I’m sure.” I stopped, hesitated. “Mandy, how are you and Matt getting along?” Her moods had been better, so I figured they hadn’t had any knock-down-drag-outs lately, but with her gauntness, I just didn’t know.

  “It’s none of your business.” Her voice dipped low, and she shot me a scathing look. “But, to be nice…like the wonderful you…I’ll tell you. We’re getting along just fine.”

  The doorbell rang, and I exhaled a jagged, rough breath, tension sizzling at a high level. “I bet that’s Tate.” I crept toward the door.

  Chapter 11

  My heavy heart fluttered when I opened the door to see Tate standing there, but he still recognized my sagging posture. The numbness in my body extracted a sour taste from deep within, depositing it on my tongue.

  “Hi, beautiful Ladybug, are you ready to go?” He leaned down to kiss me, lifting my chin. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to go with me?” His face became solemn as he caressed my cheek.

  “No, it’s not you…it’s nothing.” My voice cracked with shyness, and I shook my head, hoping to rearrange my glum expression. Not wanting to bring him down, too, I perked, trying hard to attach a happy smile to my sullen face. His burning eyes pervaded me, making me feel like I should have done more to make myself prettier. I brushed my fingers through my hair, trying to straighten it.

  He opened the car door for me, and we took off, rolling the windows down to let summer in.

  Just having him near me lightened my mood, and it didn’t take long to forget Mandy’s intrusive remarks. “So…where’re we going?” I scooted over as much as the bucket seats would allow to get closer to him.

  “Can’t tell you…well, I could, but then I’d have to kill you.” He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and gave me a mischievous grin.

  We drove for over two hours, and soon the etching of mountains came into view. “Oh…Tate, they’re beautiful.”

  We wound through pine trees and boulders. “These are the Blue Ridge Mountains. I spent a lot of summers up here hiking and sightseeing.”

  The cool air filtered in through the window as we drove up into a secluded area to where a log cabin sat. I rolled up the window and shivered when we got out of the car, brushing my hands over my arms to warm up. Tate pulled out a key and unlocked the cabin door.

  “Is this yours?”

  We stepped inside. “It’s my dad’s, but he lets me use it.” He flipped up the light switch behind the door.

  The log cabin was small but quaint. A stone fireplace sat in the corner, deer and antelope mounts hanging above it. An overstuffed, velvet floral sofa and matching love seat were situated along the wall in the small living room, and off to the left, a tiny kitchen. To the right of the living room was a small bedroom.

  “Cute cabin. I love it.”

  He shrugged. “Nothin’ much.” Then, he pointed to the bedroom. “You can put your bags in there.”

  I took my overnight bag and purse to the bedroom. Ta
te was banging around in the kitchen when I came back out. “I’m going to cook you supper tonight, but first, we’re going to go hiking.”

  My eyes widened. “Hiking…like as in, hiking up those big mountains?” I didn’t know if I wanted to be exerting all that energy into walking up mountains when I could see them fine and dandy from down here. They were much prettier just to look at, in my opinion. Plus, whenever I tried new things, they didn’t pan out.

  Tate laughed. “We’re going to drive over to a place called Lake Hartwell. They have some excellent hiking trails, and they’re not as steep as going up a mountain.”

  After we got settled, putting the groceries and our personal things away, we drove over to Lake Hartwell. The view was breathtaking, and I inhaled sharply. I had my hiking shoes and jacket on, but peeled the jacket off not too long into the hike, warming up fast as we struggled up the trails.

  We stopped by a bubbling stream, and I dipped my hands in the clear water. The cold jolted me, and I pulled them out quickly. These mountain waters stayed frigid even in summer.

  The sun infused the air with warmth, and birds sang while we trudged along. Wind blew through the tall pines, their scent weaving into my nose, reminding me of Christmas. We got to the end of the trail and looked below. I grabbed Tate’s arm, feeling my body sway—the heights dizzying. It didn’t seem like we had climbed that high until we stopped and looked back at how far we’d come.

  After we stopped and enjoyed the view, we hiked back down. Evening wasn’t far off, and my stomach growled.

  My breath caught at the movement of one of the hooded, black-cloaked men. His movements were swift as he advanced deeper into the trees, the trident shimmering in the setting sun. Determined to ignore it, I wrestled with my mind. It wouldn’t fool me again.

  My feet ached, lead bricks by the time we made our way to the car. Weak, my legs like gelatin, I couldn’t wait to kick back and relax. I hoped Tate would build us a fire later on.

  I leaned my head back against the seat. “Ah, I had fun today, but I’m tired. There’ll be no problem sleeping tonight.”

  “Yeah, it’s an awesome area.” He rested his eyes on me, and rubbed my thigh, bringing a singeing heat that tingled inside of me. Then he started the car. “Tomorrow, I have another big day planned for us.”

  Darkness crowded its way in when we pulled up to the front door of the cabin and went inside. “Sit down, Ladybug, I’ll make us dinner.” He pulled raw steak, peppers, onions, and mushrooms from the fridge and carried them to the counter. Utensils clanged together as he dug in the drawer, rummaging for a knife.

  “Ah-ha, knew it was here somewhere.” He held the knife up, inspecting it, then began cutting the food.

  I sat on the sofa, crossed my legs, and admired the cabin. But I soon jumped up, joining him. “Let me help. You make me feel bad when you do all the work, and I just sit here.”

  I found another knife and started chopping the vegetables, while he cut up the steak.

  “Naw, you’re not supposed to do any work.” He cut fast, the knife moving at warp speed. I watched, barely seeing where or what he was cutting.

  The knife went right over his left pointer finger, cutting it.

  “Are you okay?”

  Alarmed and shaken, my eyes darted, searching for the blood that should be dripping on the counter by now. “Didn’t you cut your finger?”

  He held up his hand, inspecting it. “I’m okay, it didn’t get me. You worry too much.” He laughed.

  I grabbed his hand and held it up close, looking for any markings or cuts. “Na-uh, I could have sworn it got you.”

  “Nope, it’s all good, Ladybug.”

  Tate made us a delicious dinner, and afterward we snuggled on the sofa in front of a fire. The heat soothed my tired body and took the chill out of the thin air.

  Around midnight, he got up from the sofa and stirred the last embers of the fire. “I can sleep on the sofa tonight if you want to have the bed to yourself.” His voice lagged, hitching a bit on his words, but they came out soft and polite. His eyes searched for my response.

  I raised one shoulder and looked away, hoping to hide my disappointment. Not wanting to seem like I was eager to be with him, I grinned shyly. “Sure, whatever you say.”

  He came to the couch and held his hands out to me, helping me up. One last dying ember crackled and popped in the fireplace as he pulled me up close to it, taking me in his arms. “Good night, Sophia, sleep tight.” I stood up on my tippy-toes and he kissed me on the forehead. “We’ll have another fun day tomorrow.” He leaned into me and gave me a long, warm kiss on the mouth. The heat charged through my body—pulsating.

  Struggling to keep my shoulders from sagging, I plodded to the bedroom and climbed under the warm comforter, unsure if I would be able to sleep knowing Tate slept right in the next room. I tossed and turned for a good two hours before I dozed off.

  Around three, my eyes flew open. The feel of someone watching me intruded with a biting force. I couldn’t figure out why it was so strong, but it consumed me. My ears rang and my eyes roamed—the rest of my body stiff. It took a bit for my eyes to adjust to the dark, but when I looked up, Tate stood beside the bed, staring down at me.

  I jumped, heart skittering up to my throat. “Tate?”

  “Oops, sorry, hope I didn’t scare you.” He whispered this in an aching, sensual, gravelly voice. It calmed me. “I need you. There’s no way I can even begin to sleep knowing you’re here in my bed, and I’m clear out there, away from you. It just doesn’t work for me.”

  “I can’t sleep, either.” His pillow and blanket were stuffed under his arm. He tossed them to the floor and curled up beside my bed. It wasn’t long before a soothing sleep closed my eyes.

  * * *

  I squinted at the bright sunlight streaming in through the windows and glanced down to the floor. My disappointment surged when the wrinkled pillow and crumpled blanket showed no signs of Tate hidden there.

  I stumbled out of bed and wrapped a blanket around me, heading for the kitchen to find him. A huge breakfast consumed the table, complete with a colorful bouquet of flowers sitting in the center.

  “About time you got up, sleepyhead. What? Were you gonna sleep all day?” He sent me a tantalizing grin and set a plate of sizzling bacon down in the empty spot at the table.

  I covered my mouth, hiding a yawn. “How’d you get up so early? I’m wiped from yesterday.”

  “Just eager to get the day started.” He winked, brushing his hands off on a dish towel. “Got some fun things planned for us.”

  “Uh…what’s up today?” I eyed him suspiciously, taking a drink of fresh-squeezed orange juice. With Tate, I never quite knew what to expect next.

  “Today, we’re going whitewater rafting. Be prepared to get wet. I’ve got some raincoats for us to wear because the water is usually freezing.”

  I nodded, unsure. “O…kay…that sounds like fun…maybe?” My eyebrows surged to my hairline, and I chewed on my thumbnail.

  “Let me guess, you’ve never whitewater rafted before, either.” He chuckled, sitting down at the table with me, feeding me a slice of bacon with his strong fingers.

  “No, not exactly. Like I said, my friends and I never do much in my hometown, except drive around.”

  “Well, I’m glad I get to be the first person you get to experience it with.” He leaned over and gave me a slow kiss.

  “Oh, believe me, you are.” I laughed, my insides tingling. “No one else is crazy enough to do some of the things that you’ve showed me.”

  * * *

  After breakfast, we loaded up the car and took off for a place that Tate said resided deep inside the mountains—a place with fast running rivers and breathtaking waterfalls. My nerves bounced, insides itching, but I figured if I could survive snorkeling with Mandy, I could survive whitewater rafting.

  When we arrived, we climbed into an army-green canoe, donning bright orange life vests, complete with raincoats and other
warm clothes. Feeling smug, I thrust out my chest and sat down, knowing there was no way I would feel the water even if it were cold. But my attitude switched immediately, taking a sharp nosedive when the water splashed over the boat and soaked every inch of me, leaving me gasping and wanting to leap over the side to escape. And they call this fun?

  By the time we got done and unloaded out of the canoe, I could barely move. Tate held me up as I staggered by the hut to replace our life vests. Cold water dripped from everywhere. My feet and ankles were dead weights, dangling from a stone-cold corpse of a person. Extremely numb was an understatement.

  My teeth chattered, and my body shivered. Tate put his arms around me, hoping to warm me up. His actions were nice gestures, but they were futile; I would need to be baked in a hot, brick oven to get through these frozen bones. We lumbered back to the car. Me—stiff and limping.

  “You gonna be alright?” He grimaced and threw a timid, slanted glance my way. “Maybe rafting wasn’t such a good idea.”

  “I’ll be fine.” I grinned and rubbed my ankles, teeth still chattering. “Just promise me we won’t have to do that again, and that you’ll get the fire started when we get back to your cabin.”

  He laughed and ran his hand over my leg. “You won’t have to worry about that. That’s the first thing I’ll do.”

  “I didn’t have any idea the water would be that cold. Didn’t it affect you at all?” Before he could answer, I said, “Let me guess…no. Mosquitoes or ice water don’t affect you at all, do they? I don’t get it, Tate, what does affect you?”

  His scorching eyes burned into me. “You affect me, Sophia…that’s really about the only thing that does.” Steam rolled off of his words as his eyes caught and held me. “Are you still too cold to see the waterfall, or would you rather go back to the cabin to warm up?”

  I gulped. “I think you’ve warmed me up enough, let’s go see the waterfall.” We drove on.

  * * *

  My breath caught when we parked by the waterfall. The loud music of the water danced in my ears when we got out of the car. We both stood there, taking in the view.