Page 28 of Ten Years Later
Keaton: I’ll be there all week if you want to stop by.
He hit “send” before realizing Zane would be there as well. Quickly, he sent another message.
Keaton: Actually, probably not. I need to ask the homeowners first.
Emily: Maybe I’ll sneak in anyway…
He’d love nothing more. Still, he couldn’t risk her meeting the real Zane.
He composed a text, reiterating not to come and was just about to send it when she texted him.
Emily: Gotta go. Miss Sharon’s a slave driver. Bye!
18 /TEN YEARS AGO
Dana pulledher brand-new silver SUV into a parking spot at the trail’s head. She’d read a lot about this tucked away Oregon hike. Emily would love the river and pebbled beach situated only a mile in. The app said children easily traversed it, making it perfect for their first camping adventure.
One other car occupied the dirt lot. Dana hoped they hadn’t taken the camping spot she already marked on the app.
In the back, four-year-old Emily hugged Bunny while flipping through a picture book. It was the same bunny Dana bought her two years ago on their horrible Disney trip. Dana kept trying to introduce her to a different toy, but Bunny held true—wash after wash after wash.
Dana turned off the engine.
Emily’s bottom lip poked out. “Where’s the beach?”
It had been two years since their spur of the moment beach day and Emily still talked about it. She wanted to go to the beach, live at the beach, and, oddly enough, bake chocolate chip cookies on the beach.
Dana made it a point to take Emily to several of Oregon’s offerings, but she didn’t seem as excited as the Floridaexperience. Dana tried to explain how far away Florida was, but the concept came and went through Emily’s ears.
Now Dana said, “We’re going camping in the woods. There’s a beach where we’re going, but it has pebbles, not sand.”
“Oh. Okay. I might like sand better though.” Emily put her book away. She unclipped herself from the child’s seat and opened the door.
Outside the vehicle, they geared up—Dana with a full pack for the two days and Emily with a tiny backpack full of books and toys for the two of them.
Dana showed her the map framed and mounted at the trail’s entrance. “See that red squiggly line? We’re going to follow that to the river.”
“Fun!”
“Your job is to look for red markings on the trees. That’s how we’ll know we’re going the correct way.”
Emily marched onto the trail. “I can do that.”
She talked nonstop as she walked ahead of Dana, pausing only to point out red swatches of paint on spruce trees.
Dana smiled and listened as her daughter went from topic to topic. Dana loved living in Oregon. She held no fascination with Florida beaches like Emily.
Eventually, they arrived at their spot, empty and ready for a camper.
Emily wiggled out of her backpack and ran across the pebbled beach to the icy mountain water. She ducked her hands in. “Freezing!”
Dana kept one eye on her as she unpacked and set up the easy pup tent. She padded it nicely with sleeping bags.
Emily came up behind her, hugging her. “I’m hungry. Can we eat?”
“We sure can.” Dana pointed to a well-used fire pit. “We’re going to build a fire there and roast hot dogs.”
“Yay!” Emily jumped.
