Page 40 of Loving Decker

“And prom.” She grinned. “It’s not like prom wasn’t special.”

“Well, true.’ He thought for a minute. “There isn’t an important high school memory without you in it, honestly. You’re a part of them all.”

She kicked at a rock. “Too true. No wonder everyone thought we were dating.”

“They did, or they sort of knew we eventually would, I guess.” He didn’t like that for some reason. “Does that make you kind of irritated, like it does me?”

She laughed. “A bit. But no sense in rebelling against something that makes us happy.”

He joyed in her response. “The thought of us together makes you happy?”

She turned, studied him, and then nodded. “Yes, it does.”

The trail moved further into the trees, and he welcomed the shade. Bushy cedar trees rose up all around them.

“So, what’s your favorite high school memory?”

He had hoped she would ask. “That pep rally we emceed.”

“What?” She laughed. “The one where you had to get a pie in your face?”

“Well, that part was fine. But the whole thing, it was awesome. We joked together and made everyone laugh. You were amazing out there. Magic. Everyone was eating up your jokes.” He had been as amazed with her then as everyone else.

“What about you? They thought you were awesome too.”

“Sort of. But really, you made me look good. Thinking about it now, it’s so obvious how I’m fine on my own, but you really make me better.”

She waved his compliment away. “Oh, I don’t know. I think you’d be great no matter what you did.”

He wasn’t so sure, but he let it go. They crested the final ridge and then followed the path down and around to a water hole fed by a waterfall. “And we’re here!” They entered the clearing.

“This is gorgeous! I don’t remember the water being this blue.”

“It’s always been a bit of a mud hole.”

“Must be the extra rain or something.” The waterfall pounded down into the water, casting a gentle spray over them. Faith knelt down to touch the water. “We going in? It’s chilly.”

“I will if you will.” He pointed up the hill a little bit to a huge tree that draped over everything around it. A live oak that majestically reigned and supported a rope swing. “That rope looks like it’s itching to be used.”

“That’s true.” She nodded and slipped off her shoes. “Last one in.” Then she took off running up the hill to the tree.

“She always does that,” he muttered, but it was yet another thing he loved about this woman. “We go together!” he called out to her.

But she was halfway up the tree already.

When he finally arrived at her side, she turned to him. “How exactly would we do this together?”

He held the rope just above one of the knots. “I hold here. And you, hold up higher, here.” He grabbed another knot above. “Then we both jump out off this branch and fly out over the water.”

She nodded. “Suddenly I’m nervous.”

He laughed. “What! The same Faith who climbs railroad trestles and jumps off bridges is afraid of a little rope swing.”

“Alright already. Not afraid, just nervous. I’m not eighteen anymore.”

“No, you’re not. Mm.” He let his eyes travel over her in a flirty way. “You are all woman now, and plenty beautiful to go along with it.”

“Oh stop. You’re just trying to get me to jump.”

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