Free So Totally by Gwen Hayes Page A

one.
    “Wow. Always prepared. I bet you were a cute Boy Scout.”
    He shone the light under his chin, lighting up his face eerily. “Baby, I was never a Boy Scout.” And then he waggled his eyebrows.
    I slapped his arm. “Well, now we know where Kevin learned that stupid eyebrow move.”
    He grabbed my hand and led me into the woods. And yes, I am perfectly aware that every horror movie ever made has a scene similar to this in it. And yes, I was a little worried about crazy psycho killers with butcher knives and hockey masks. Not a lot worried, but it did cross my mind.
    The path to the waterfall was well-worn. The frogs and crickets sang, the dewy tall grass on either side of the trail brushed against my pants, and the moon shone on us like maybe we had ordered it special. His hand felt big and warm and I wanted to stop time and just capture this moment for a while. Pretty ironic, huh?
    We passed the woods and crossed the clearing, turning off our flashlights as the moon was doing a splendid job of illuminating the Falls. Even at night, I had to admit they were breathtaking. We sat cross-legged on the big rock.
    “Are you cold?” he asked.
    I shook my head, but he took off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders anyway. The scent of him surrounded me, the strength in his hand permeated itself into my marrow (which if taken literally would be very very gross), and I felt myself unwinding on the inside. Rubbing my back, Nate broke the silence. “What’s your favorite food in the twenty-first century?”
    “Pizza, thin-crust. You?”
    “Deep-dish,” he answered.
    “God, we’re doomed.”
    We chuckled a little at that.
    “What is your second favorite?”
    “McDonald’s french fries. You?”
    “Ice cream. What is your favorite movie?”
    “Nate, what if you’ve never heard of my favorite movie?”
    “I’m sure I’ll see it someday. What is it?”
    I sighed. “ Grease .”
    “I’ve seen that, you dork. It’s from the seventies. Mine is Star Wars .”
    Color me not surprised. “In about thirteen years, they’ll release the second trilogy. Episodes I, II, and III. People like you and your brethren will camp out in front of theaters for days, wearing costumes, waiting for ticket sales and embarrassing their relatives.”
    His spine straightened and he was on full alert. “Tell me you aren’t playing a sick game with my head.”
    “The Force is no laughing matter. I’m one hundred percent on the level.”
    “What is it about? Wait, no. I want to be surprised.”
    He was itching for details, I could tell. But he was right—spoiler-free was the way to go these days. I still couldn’t be sure what negative reaction my actions would trigger. The best possible course for my temporary stay would be to treat the ‘80s like a campsite: take nothing out, leave nothing behind, and make sure it’s left better than the way I found it.
    That probably included keeping a tight rein on my heart, though something told me it was a little late for that. I’d have to leave it behind when I left.
    “What are you thinking about?” He cupped his hand under my cheek so that I looked at him. “You okay?”
    “I think I should leave town.”
    “What? Why?”
    “We still don’t know the ramifications of me spending so much time with my mother. Or anyone, for that matter. I could accidentally give up some national security secrets to the wrong person and risk the entire twenty-first century.”
    “And then there’s this ,” he added, knowing that this was really what I was talking about.
    “Tempting fate is a bad idea. Fate could stomp all over us and leave me a pile of emotional roadkill.”
    “We don’t know that we weren’t supposed to meet. I did have that dream, after all.”
    “Nate—”
    He shushed me with his lips. They were firm and dry, not like some other less than stellar kissers I’d encountered in the past. He pulled back a little and looked into my eyes to make sure I was totally on