Page 59 of Timber Ridge
She stops and turns to look at me, her eyes searching mine. “Can you believe it? May is my grandmother. I woke up this morning thinking I was Timber Moore, orphan and alone, and now I’m not sure who I am.”
I pull her into my arms, feeling a rush of emotion. “I know exactly who you are. You’re a teacher, a friend, a wonderful person, and you’re mine.”
“Yes,” she whispers, as if testing the word. “I’m yours.”
Hearing her say it, a rush of emotion hits me hard. It's more than just a word. It's a future. I tighten my hold on her, not wanting to let go. “You have no idea how much that means to me,” I say, my voice rough with emotion.
I guide her inside and straight to my room. She stops at the door. “Oh no. I’m not sneaking out of your bed every morning before Hailey wakes.”
I can see how that might be a problem, so I take her hand, and walk her to her room, and close the door behind us. “Then I’ll sneak out of yours.”
In the quiet of her room, the weight of the day’s events seems to lift. I hold her close, and experience the rise and fall of her breath, grounding myself in the simple reality of having her here, now. “What are your future plans?” I ask, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
She sighs and looks away. “I can’t plan for forever until I process what happened today. There's so much to take in.”
I help her sit on the edge of the bed and start removing her shoes. I take one foot in my hands, touching the delicate bones and soft skin with my fingers. Slowly, I begin to massage her, my thumbs pressing into the arch of her foot, working in small circles to ease the tension.
She closes her eyes and lets out a soft moan, her body relaxing under my touch. As I continue, I move to her toes, gently pulling them, then back to her heel, kneading firmly but gently. Her head falls back, and she sinks into the mattress, a look of pure contentment on her face.
“I understand,” I say quietly. “I figured with May being your grandmother and all, you might stay.”
“I’d love to, but I can’t make that decision right now.”
“What’s holding you back?”
She opens her eyes and takes a deep breath. “There are so many reasons. My new job ... I made a commitment, and I can’t leave it now. And my mother’s house—there’s so much that needs to be done there.”
Hearing her uncertainty, a mix of emotions rushes through me. I understand her hesitations, but the thought of her leaving is a punch to the gut. I keep massaging her foot, trying to focus on the present moment. “I wish things were different.”
She looks at me. “I do too. But I have commitments I need to take care of.”
I want to ask her to stay, but inwardly, my thoughts swirl. If she’s not going to stay for her grandma, she definitely won’t stay for me. The realization hits hard, but I push it aside. For now.
I lift her feet, placing them gently on the bed and move beside her, bringing my face level with hers. Our eyes meet, and I lean in, kissing her. She responds, the tension between us shifting. It’s the start of something more intimate, more immediate. As we begin to undress, I close the door on the world outside, on all the worries and the future uncertainties.
In the dim light of her room, I focus on the present. She's here, in bed with me, and I'm not wasting a minute of time thinking about the future when what we have is now. The problems of the world, the weight of our decisions, can wait for another day. For now, the simple truth is that I have her in my arms, and that's enough.
Chapter Twenty-Six
TIMBER
The morning sun glints off the water as Hank's floatplane approaches the dock, its engine's hum growing louder as it nears. Hailey and I stand there, the crisp breeze tugging at our hair.
“Daddy, you be careful,” Hailey says. She hugs him tightly, her small frame dwarfed by his large body.
“Always am,” Kane says, ruffling Hailey's hair before turning to me.
I give him a side-eye because his “always am” doesn’t ring true.
“Okay, I usually am. But I’ll be double careful today.”
I step forward with a knot tightening in my stomach. “Don't forget to call when you get there,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, but this is the first time Kane will be on his new boat alone, and visions of when he got lost at sea are still fresh in my mind.
He looks at me. “I will.” He pulls me into an embrace that is far too short. As he moves away, I reach up to kiss him, a brief but intense kiss that says more than words ever could. “I’ll see you tonight,” I whisper.
He nods, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment before he turns and climbs into the plane. I stand there with Hailey, watching as the floatplane roars to life and lifts off the water, soaring into the clear blue sky. It disappears from sight, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake. I take a deep breath, turning to Hailey. “Ready to head to the community center?”
She nods, slipping her hand into mine. Together, we walk up the dock while Hailey chatters about the day's activities. My mind keeps drifting back to Kane. Each week folds into the next, a subtle countdown reminding me of how temporary this all is.