“Hey, tough guy,” she called out over her shoulder. “You think you can handle all the bugs out here?”
Carson didn’t respond. He just shook his head as Katie’s laughter echoed in his ears. He missed a lively give-and-take conversation, even in his current position of taker.
Katie glanced back at him. “You’re a good sport, Carson. Truce, I promise.”
“No worries.”
She led him further into the field. Since he didn’t have to forge the trail, he let his eyes drift over the myriad of growth. Each flower had only a tiny square of soil, but the right seeds had managed to thrive and become these beautiful plants. Life, he reflected, was a lot like a relationship. It needed only the smallest opportunity to take hold and blossom. They weren’t exactly an oak yet, but they had a stake in the ground.
They made it to the tree line, but Katie didn’t pause. The sweet aroma of flowers gave way to the more pungent spice of pine needles. The trail became less defined but there was more space between the trees, allowing Carson to catch up and walk side-by-side. The woods seemed to go on forever, the dark tree trunks and leaves disappearing into an inky blackness that belied the brightness of the midday sun. “Where the hell are we going?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “This looks like a good way to go.”
“Great.”
Carson didn’t entirely buy her professed ignorance about their destination. He certainly wasn’t worried but, almost unconsciously, every few minutes he looked up to check the angle of the sun and then down at his watch, but he kept turning his arm oddly. The third time he did it, he noticed Katie look his way.
“Got somewhere to be, admiral?”
For a second, he didn’t understand why she asked such a question, but then it dawned on him. “Oh, sorry. I’m just tracking our path using the sun, so I need to know the time as well.”
“Why do you need to know the time?”
“Well, the sun is in a different place at 11 a.m. than it is at 2 p.m., right? So, if I point the hour hand at the sun, then I draw a line halfway between there and the minute hand, that’s the north-south line.” His tone suggested this was obvious to all but the dumbest of people.
“That sounds like an Army thing, not a Navy thing,” she told him.
“Not at all. It works on land or water. Anywhere in the northern hemisphere.”
“I should have known. Now that I know, why are you doing that?”
“You said you didn’t know where we were going. I want to get home sometime today, so it’s on me to know where we are.”
“That was a joke. Why would I want to get lost in the woods?”
Carson turned his head and expanded his eyes as if he were telling a scary story. “You want to take advantage of me where no one can hear my screams.”
Katie giggled. “Well, yeah, but I have a better spot for that. You’ll like this place too. Come on.” She increased her pace, and only a moment or two later the darkness ahead showed a hint of sunlight, making it apparent they were approaching a break in the trees. She remained silent, waiting to see how comfortable Carson was with letting her keep hold of the reins. He leaned forward, peering through the trees as if he would learn something, and at one point he gave Katie a curious look, to which she merely arched her eyebrows.
Katie walked a couple steps beyond the last tree and stopped, as did Carson. He swept his eyes around the scene and gave a low whistle. The grassy clearing was an oval about 75 by 100 yards with a stream that could have come from a William Hagerman painting. A slow-flowing brook meandered through the middle of the opening, emitting gentle gurgles as the water flowed over small rocks and the irregular bottom. The stream was still full and lively as the last of the Spring rains flowed inexorably through the lowlands and out to the bay and ocean. After taking a moment to absorb the simple beauty of the location, he turned to Katie.
“You were right. I do like this place – a lot. You come here often?”
“I’ve been here before, yes. And I can’t think of a better place to sit and just enjoy some time – with you.” She smiled her most disarming smile as she withdrew the blanket from her bag and flicked her wrists to spread it over the ground. “Have a seat.”
“Yes, Miss Machiavelli,” he responded, sitting cross-legged.
“Maybe I was, but I think you’ll agree it’s for a good cause.”
“I support it,” Carson said as she sat down next to him before kissing her.
“I thought you might.” She laid back on the blanket, looking up at the cloud-dappled sky. Carson joined her. For a few moments they sat quietly and enjoyed the area with its melodious noises, delicious scents, and charming scenery.
“So,” Carson asked, “you haven’t lived here long. How did you find your little oasis?”
“I’m an outdoor kind of person. When I was younger, I was always going outside, even in the winter, and that’s saying something up in Stowe. If I’m indoors too long, I can get a little stifled, but when I’m sitting in nature, my head clears and I can figure things out.
“When my marriage ended and I left Vermont, I knew I needed somewhere like this to get myself together. Once I got down here, I did a little exploring, away from the beaches, and it only took me a few days to discover this place. I can’t explain it, but I was just drawn to this spot. It felt like I was back home. Without the mountains.”
“That’s nice,” Carson responded. “I wish I had a place like this for myself.”
Katie nudged him. “If you’re nice, I’ll let you use this one. We
