Page 13 of Hook, Line, and Summer

“I love you, my girl.”

She licked my cheek then leaned her head against my shoulder, returning the sentiment. I patted her back and stood, gesturing for her to continue, which she seemed more than happy to do.

I took in the blue sky and greenery surrounding me and just enjoyed being in the great outdoors. We started coming here so Thea could burn some energy, but I enjoy it as much as she does. Nanny Jules was a hippie at heart and always said that being in nature is better than any medication. The older I get, the more I understand that.

A creature of habit, Thea emerged from the brush at the side of the trail and walked along in front of me. She does the same thing everytime we reach this spot, knowing we’re near the clearing where we’ll take our break. It’s like she wants to guide me there. I chuckled at that thought then caught myself as I bumped into her.

“Why’d you stop?”

She stood still, ears up, sniffing the air, staring straight ahead. Before I could see what caught her attention, she took off running down the trail and around the bend until I couldn’t see her anymore. We’ve come here week after week, and she’s never ventured far from me, not even in the beginning.

“Thea! Come!”

I ran after her, yelling that command over and over, the heavy backpack pulling at my shoulders then banging against my back with every step. My heart pounded, more out of fear than exertion.

“She’s okay.”

Between the sound of my pounding heart, the backpack banging against me, and my feet thumping on the trail, I barely heard those two words. But thankfully I did, and the sense of relief that flowed through my body made me stagger. I caught myself and continued on the trail at a less manic pace.

When I rounded the bend, I blinked at the sight before me. Adam was sitting cross-legged on the ground with Thea sprawled on her back in front of him, her eyes closed in delight as he rubbed her belly.

As I stepped into the clearing of our favorite break spot, I shrugged off my backpack then settled onto a fallen log. I felt a little lightheaded, probably from the fading adrenaline rush. Then again, it could have been the sight of Adam in that spot that had me feeling off-kilter.

Memories of our time here together came crashing back at the sight of him. The feel of his hand in mine, the sound of our mingled laughter, and every special moment we’ve spent here. We had our first kiss not too far from where he’s sitting.

“Are you okay?”

His deep voice pulled me from my reflections.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “I’m just catching my breath. She scared the hell out of me. I can’t believe she ran off like that. She always stays close.”

“She must have known I was here.” He chuckled and wrinkled his nose. “I’ve been on a pretty intense run. She probably smelled me a mile away.”

Again, I don’t want to think about how he smells. Instead, I reached into my backpack and pulled out Thea’s water bottle and bowl. Her ears perked as she watched me pour, but she didn’t leave Adam’s side. Shaking my head, I stood and brought it over to her. She immediately began drinking.

“You might want to move out of the splash zone. She’s a pretty messy drinker.”

He stood and brushed grass off his butt, laughing as water arced out of the bowl and landed right where he’d been sitting.

“You weren’t kidding.”

I’d been so focused on his ass, it took me a few seconds to realize what he was talking about.

“Yeah, she’s like Cookie Monster. It goes all over the place.”

I pulled the blanket out of my bag and set it on the ground a few feet away from Thea.

“Do you two come here often?”

“Every Sunday,” I said as I unloaded Thea’s snack and placed it at the edge of the blanket. “Are you hungry? I have a huge sandwich, chips, and orange slices.”

“You’re willing to share?”

I shrugged.

“Sure.”

“Thanks. I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

---