Free Feeling the Moment by P. J. Belden Page B

items for the sand castle. River carried all the shells, sticks, and other items I grabbed in my excitement. He smiled the whole time, never told me to hurry. The whole time I felt like a kid in the candy store.
    When we got back to the area he wanted to build in, River set all the items down and talked to me about the proper consistency of the sand in order to get the castle to stay put. When I argued back and forth with him about the technicality of castle making, we decide to each make one.
    As I continued to try and build my castle, it kept collapsing. I was starting to get frustrated, and then River started laughing. Flinging my sand pie at him, his laughter stopped. An evil grin crosses his face. Next thing I know, I’m being hit with sand in the chest. Screaming, I wiped the sand away.
    “That was mean,” I fake pouted.
    “Mean?” River laughed. “You started it.”
    “You’re right I did so I should be the one to finish it,” I said standing from the spot I was in.
    Looking at River’s nicely formed castle, I smiled sweetly at him. Leaning down as if to kiss him, I pushed him onto his castle, effectively flattening it. Laughing hard, I squealed as he made a grab for me. An all-out sand fight started. The whole thing had me laughing so hard that my sides hurt. Just as I stopped to catch my breath, River grabbed me around the waist.
    “You’re all dirty my sexy goddess. I think we need to get you cleaned up. What do you say?” River breathed in my ear.
    “Yes,” I breathed.

Chapter Seven
     
     
     
    One week later…
     
    This past week has been incredible. Only five days remain before we have to go back to reality. I was still unsure of where we’d be afterwards. One thing I did know was that I was in love with River. I don’t know how he managed to do it, but he made me feel again. He made me hope, long for something outside of myself. I’ll never be the same no matter what happens.
    Today we went fishing. For what, I don’t know. All I knew was that he’d given me some huge thick ass fishing pole, strapped it to my waist and wished me luck. Can you say panic? Because that is exactly what I did.
    “What the hell am I going to catch that I need to be strapped to my pole?” I shrieked.
    “We aren’t fishing for blue gill beautiful,” he smiled.
    “No shit! I’m not sure I want to catch whatever it is we’re fishing for,” I said nervously looking at the water.
    “You’ll be fine. I’m right here with you.”
    “Seriously River.” Panic shook my voice.
    “Don’t go peeing your panties, babe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
    “I’m probably about to do that… If I were wearing panties.”
    River growled and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing my neck. “Remember we promised no more today. We’d focus on another activity.”
    “Oh right! Facing my death by fishing doesn’t make me think of all the things I’d rather be doing right now at all!”
    “Calm down, I fish out here often. I’m still here, aren’t I?”
    “Another great example, River. I met you in the hospital, remember?”
    River laughed as he walked over to the back of the boat and started digging in some box. Panic hit me full force. Here I was standing in with this huge ass pole strapped around my waist next to the edge of a boat with my line in the water.
    “Ri- River. Do-don’t leave me over here… alone,” I squeaked out.
    “You’re fine,” he laughed.
    “Says the man before the girlfriend is eaten by Jaws,” I hissed sarcastically as I stared back out over the water.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his head snap up and stare at me. It was then my words came back and smacked me in the face. Deciding it was probably better that I not change what I said, I kept my head where it needed to be, staring at the death trap I was attached to.
    “So if you run this company, how are you managing two weeks away right now? It’s got to be hard to turn off your business brain.” I asked in