Page 34 of Lee

It was a beautiful part of the park, and often the site of wedding photos. Because of the multi-levels, he couldn’t see all of the area by just standing in one place.

Lee stepped out of the way of a couple who had approached the entrance where he stood. After they’d chosen the path they wanted to take, Lee went down one of the others.

He didn’t linger along the way. His focus wasn’t on the beauty of his surroundings as he searched for Rori. He’d just about given up when he rounded a corner into an alcove area and spotted Rori bent over her camera, her attention on the display screen.

For a moment, Lee just stood and took in the sight of her. She wore a pair of cuffed denim capris and a short-sleeved light green T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, leaving her profile clear. The practical style he’d seen her wear at work appeared to be what she preferred outside of the clinic too.

As he watched, she shifted around to straddle the bench, then leaned forward to brace her elbows on the seat as she lifted her camera. She aimed the lens at a swath of colorful flowers on the far side of the bench.

Lee waited until she’d straightened back up before approaching, not even attempting to keep his steps quiet. Immediately, she looked over her shoulder, her eyes going wide when she spotted him.

She turned, lowering the camera to her lap. “Lee?”

“Hey.” He gave her a smile as he joined her on the bench. “Taking lots of pictures?”

Her gaze lowered briefly to her camera before looking up at him again. “Yes. The flowers here are beautiful.”

“Are you almost done?”

Her brow furrowed. “I don’t really have a set goal in mind. I figured I’d just take pictures until I didn’t see anything else I wanted to shoot.”

“Charli said she invited you to the picnic we’re having,” he said.

Rori bit her lip as her gaze dropped to her camera for a moment. “Uh… yes. She did.”

“She’d still really like to have you join us,” he told her. “That’s why she sent me to find you. She thought maybe you’d say yes to me since we know each other better.”

“I didn’t want to intrude on a family outing.”

“Oh, it’s far from just family there. There are friends of the family too.”

“I’m not that either,” she said, her voice soft.

“Sure you are,” Lee assured her, his heart hurting just a bit that she didn’t think they considered her a friend.

“But none of you know me that well.”

“Friendships have to start somewhere. Right?”

“Yes. I suppose that’s true,” she agreed with a nod of her head.

“So come to the picnic.” He gave her another smile. “And turn this beginner friendship into something more.”

Rori stared straight ahead, her lower lip caught between her teeth once again. Lee wished he could read her mind, because he really wanted to know what she was thinking.

“If you really don’t want to come, I’m not going to force you,” Lee said. “But just know that Charli will probably continue to invite you.”

“So you think I should just bite the bullet and join you?”

“Only if you actually want to. Just say the word, and I’ll tell Charli to back off.”

Lee really didn’t want Rori to feel forced into something. But if she was open to friendships, she could do a whole lot worse than Charli.

“Have you had lunch already?” Lee asked.

Rori patted the small backpack that sat on the ground beside her camera bag. “I brought something.”

“We have plenty of food, if you want more,” Lee said. “A Halverson gathering will always include lots to eat. It may not be fancy, but it will always be plentiful.”

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