Free Sun Kissed (Camp Boyfriend) by Joanne Rock Page B

couple minutes behind us.” Seth looked over my shoulder. “So it looks like the coast is still clear.” He pulled me close and pressed his lips to my forehead. I flushed warm at the contact and swayed on my feet, wishing we could be alone.
    “Gross,” groaned Alex. “We’re eating lunch at the Black Balsam Knob clearing so hurry if you want any brownies.”
    “I’ve got all the sweets I need,” Seth said and waited until Alex huffed away to join my laughter. “I think she thought I was serious.”
    “Weren’t you?” I batted his arm and jumped to another rock. “Maybe I’m too sweet for you to handle.” I leapt further up the trail to another boulder. “Or too fast.”
    I made it only two jumps farther before he caught me around the waist and swung me, my giggles so loud Gollum hollered from below, “You two had better not be up to any tomfoolery.”
    Tomfoolery? I clamped a hand over my mouth at the crazy word but Seth’s laugh set me off. We sprinted to Black Balsam Knob and burst into the bright clearing. The sudden light stung my eyes and we halted at the edge of the tree line, waiting for my glasses to tint.
    Seth pulled on a pair of black-framed shades. The wind ruffled his hair, the color high in his cheeks and his left dimple popping in a broad grin.
    “Listen.” Seth lowered his sunglasses and peered over the top. “There’s this brook a little ways in the woods called Kammach Springs. I promised my cabin I’d hike back down with them, but I really want to show it to you. Can you get away from the girls and meet me? There’s a marker, and it’s not far off the trail. I want to tell you something and it’s the perfect spot.”
    His expression was tender, his voice so intense that it struck a chord that vibrated to my fingertips. Whatever he had to say was important to him … I definitely wouldn’t miss it. I nodded, loving the way his face relaxed at my response. Had he imagined, even for a second, that I’d say no?
    We ambled across the stony field peppered with feather-topped grasses that tickled our calves. A colorful array of blankets, backpacks, and campers were strewn across the treeless spot, the Smoky Mountain range a dramatic backdrop behind them. Bam-Bam had told us on a previous hike that fires had swept through the Pisgah National Forest years ago and places like this had never recovered. It was a sad story, but I appreciated the panoramic view the bald spot provided.
    Shining Rock loomed straight ahead in multiple shades of green, and to its left was Cold Mountain, as dark and formidable-looking as its name. Birds of prey looped in lazy circles high above the swaying conifers, their colorful plumage a bright contrast against the azure sky. Seth’s hand wrapped around mine for a second and my chest expanded with more than air. I’d made this climb before, but the sight was even more beautiful now that I shared it with Seth.
    My heart had never felt so full—not even on nights spent identifying stars with my father or charting comet paths. This moment was magic. And that magic was Seth.
    “It’s beautiful,” I breathed.
    “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Seth murmured. The strange note in his voice made me glance his way and I met his steady gaze. His amber eyes looked darker, the expression in them so vulnerable I nearly melted on the spot. I’d seen lots of expressions on his face over the years, but this was the first time I’d ever seen him look hopeful. And I was the one who’d given him a reason to feel that way. To believe in someone again. To trust his heart.
    It felt good, but … scary. It made me think relationships were more than hearts and roses but also … responsibility. Trust. When someone gave you their heart it came with a “Handle with Care” warning. And I’d promised that I’d never cause Seth pain. His mother had hurt him enough.
    “You two lovebirds want some brownies?” Jackie waved a couple of wrapped chocolate squares