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“I get that, but parents should love their children unconditionally and let them carve out their own paths. My mother doesn’t like the idea of her four sons leading adventure tours. She’s always afraid something will happen to us, but she respects that this is what lights us up and makes us happy.”
My heart melts at his words. He’s the first person who’s ever said anything like this to me. I don’t know why, but not a single person in my life has ever told me that it’s okay to be myself. To follow my own bliss. To be me instead of trying to be who everyone around me wants to be.
“Thanks, Falcon,” I tell him.
He gives me a smile that makes my heart do a double-take. “Of course. Now, we should get going if we want to make it to the camping spot before the sun sets.”
“Lead the way,” I tell him.
I would follow him anywhere.
Chapter Four
Falcon
Dark clouds gather in the distance, and an uneasy feeling creeps over me. A storm is brewing. With any luck, it’ll go further north and spare us, but if it doesn’t… I shake my head. Doom scenarios are not my thing. Taking everything one step at a time is, and right now, we have to cross the river at Bear’s Creek. It’s fairly wide but doable on a sunny day. Too bad that big droplets of rain are already starting to fall. The weather report didn’t mention anything about a storm, but I guess that’s life in the mountains. You have to take every hour as it comes.
Iris gives me an uncertain look as she steps on one of the rocks at the river's edge.
“Just follow my lead,” I tell her.
I take a few steps into the cold water to show her how, but my heart lodges in my throat when I realize the current is much stronger today than on other days.
“Wait,” I shout, a second too late.
Iris is already ankle-deep in the water, losing her balance. Without hesitating, I rush toward her, my survival instincts kicking into overdrive. I reach out and grab her hand, pulling her safely against my body. The water keeps swirling around us, but I stand my ground. I sure as hell won’t let anything happen to Iris.
“Are you okay?” I ask her over the roar of the river.
She nods, but her eyes are wide with fear. She trembles beneath my touch, and I tighten my grip so she knows I’m not letting go. I’ll keep her safe, no matter what.
“We need to keep moving,” I say, gaze flicking to the darkening sky above us. “A storm is brewing, and I’m afraid it’s coming straight for us.”
She swallows. “A storm?”
“I’m afraid so. I checked the weather this morning, and there was no mention of bad weather, but storms can be fickle, unpredictable things.”
“Nature’s a force to be reckoned with, right?” she says with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I will keep you safe, Iris,” I promise her.
For some inexplicable reason, I can’t stand the thought of losing her. I want her to be at my side. Not just today, but… forever. The thought makes my knees wobble while the powerful current of Bear Creek’s river tugs at us. Determined to stand my ground, I shut any thoughts of a future with Iris out of my mind and concentrate on the river crossing in front of us.
“Hold on to my hand,” I instruct her.
“Are you sure we’ll make it?”
“Yes. We will make it across. Together.”
“Okay.
I give her an encouraging smile, and her shoulders relax. She grips my hand extra tight, and we wade through the water and the slippery rocks. What was I thinking, scouting this trail with her? It’s all routine for me, but for her, this is nothing to sneeze at. I’ve already decided I won’t be offering this route as a beginner’s hike, but I would like to include it in our expert hikes.
I flick my gaze up again. The clouds look more ominous with every passing minute. Was taking Iris here a mistake? I easily could’ve brought her home with me instead of here. She would’ve been safer in a house than out here in the rugged mountains. And sure, she was afraid of being found, but what are the odds of that? It’s not like the cops would knock on every door to see if a runaway bride was hiding in there.
Right before we reach the other side of the river, the rumble of thunder echoes around us. Damn it. There’s no escaping this storm now. I should’ve known better than to put her safety at risk.
I pull Iris up the muddy riverbank. “Everything okay?”
