It was warm for a spring day, and it didn't take very long for Emersyn to roll her sleeves up as well as they followed the trail into a woodsy area not too far from the beach. Her breaths were coming out ragged as they walked the uneven pathway, but even though she was terribly out of shape, she found herself enjoying being outside. She loved being out in the elements. It was one of the few things that truly relaxed her other than painting.

"So," she said between pants as her lungs desperately sucked in air. "What brought you to Coupeville anyway? If you don't mind me asking."

He was about six feet ahead of her, but he slowed down when he heard her voice asking him a question. "Well," he answered as she caught up. "My mom used to tell me stories about this place. Spent a little time here when she was younger, and she had so many stories. So a part of me always wanted to come here. To see it for myself."

"Where are you from?" she asked, wishing she'd thought to bring some water along. Her mouth was so parched, she was surprised she was able to talk at all.

He hopped over a rather large log on the ground, and she admired his agility. When she got to it, she had to climb up over it slowly, too afraid she'd trip if she tried the move he'd just pulled. He reached over and grabbed hold of her hand, helping her stay steady as she made her way over the old log. She tried not to think about how calming it was to have her hand in his like that. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this feeling. Almost like she was resting on the beach as the sound of the waves echoed all around her. Soothing. She felt at peace when he touched her, and she wanted terribly for him to keep holding her hand. But he let go as soon as her feet hit solid ground again, and she tried to hold in her disappointment.

"Oklahoma," he replied, moving on up the path. "Tulsa, to be exact. Born and raised there. Hardly ever went to another state before deciding to make this trip."

She nodded her head. "So what made you decide to leave your hometown?" she asked, stopping for a moment to rest her hands on her knees. He turned and looked at her, an amused smile playing across his lips. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I guess I'm a little out of shape. And I forgot to bring water, so I'm dying."

His eyebrows shot up. "Oh, here," he said as he dug in his big man pockets, and she felt her body come alive when he pulled out an unopened bottle of water. "I brought two, just in case."

She gave him an appreciative smile. "You, sir, are a lifesaver." He handed her the bottle, and she took it, cracked it open, and took a giant gulp. The water was heaven on her tongue, and it was all she could do not to roll her eyes in pleasure as it quenched her thirst. She swallowed the water, looked at him, and said, "Thank you."

He waved his hand at her. "No problem. And to answer your question, I came here for family. Or, you know... to connect with family, I guess? I don't know. My dad was from this area. He died before I was born, but I figured he probably had loved ones here, right? If I could find them... well, maybe I could meet them. Get to know the type of person my dad was. You know, that kind of thing."

She nodded her head. "I actually kind of understand that," she said, and he quirked an eyebrow up, as if asking her to continue. But she hesitated. Talking about her dad to a guy she'd just met seemed off to her. She was open about a lot of things, but her dad was a touchy subject for her. Especially since she'd read her mom's old journal. She just couldn't help but wonder if her dad knew that her mom was having an affair. And if he did, did he forgive her? Or did he die believing his wife to be loving and loyal their entire relationship? That thought caused her heart to ache. "I just am happy to be back here with my family, that's all," she said, feeling a little guilty that he was being so honest with her while she was lying to him. But it wasn't like the lie was hurting him in any way. She was just protecting herself.

But the truth was, she did come back to the island because of her dad. It had been his home, and hers, and she wanted to see if it could still be. And she desperately wanted to find the part of her dad that lived inside of her. How much was she actually like him? Sure, she had his ginger hair and sun-kissed, freckled face. But how much of her soul was the same as his? Her grandma had always told her that she reminded her so much of her dad. But she'd never had the courage to ask anyone else. And now she wanted to figure it out for herself.

"You're lucky to have such a caring family, Em," he said, and she couldn't help but notice the use of her nickname. He'd never said it before, having always called her Emersyn. But by calling her Em, he lifted the formal veil, allowing her to step into the realm of informality. They really were friends now, and it delighted her. Her stomach flipped again, and she took another sip of water, hoping to cover the blush in her cheeks. "Seriously. It was only me and my mom growing up, you know? And she was great. Did her best. But it did get a little lonely sometimes."

"No grandparents?" she asked, curious. He shook his head, and she was stunned. She couldn't imagine a life without her grandparents. "Wow. My grandparents raised me. Took care of me from the time I was three years old to the day my grandma couldn't do it anymore. She got sick with Dementia, and I was too young to be on my own. Even though being on my own probably would've been better than being with my mom."

Whoa, she did not mean to say that. But now it was out, and it was too late to take it back. He turned to look at her, and she expected to see sadness in his eyes. Pity for her. But she didn't. They were just filled with empathy. Like he understood exactly how she was feeling. "I'm sorry your relationship with her is so rocky. Have you talked to her anymore since... well, since the last time?"

She shook her head, stepping over a root as she continued up the trail. "No. We aren't... well, it's just complicated. And I'm not ready to talk to her right now." Her mind returned to the journal, and she frowned. "I don't know if I ever will be."

"That's too bad," he said, and she silently agreed. There was a time when she'd really wanted her mom to be part of her life. One of her earliest memories was watching her mom through the window in the living room as she walked down the path away from the old house. Away from her. She was only three at the time, but she remembered it so clearly. Her tiny little hand pressed against the glass, smudging it with her skin oils as tears streaked down her cherubic cheeks. And her whole childhood she'd stared out that window, waiting for her mom to come back. Her hand moving further and further away from the glass. Until one day, she stopped looking out it at all. And then everything changed.

The reunion hadn't been what she'd wanted at all. No warm welcome back into her life. No tears as her mom hugged her long lost daughter. Nothing. Her mom hadn't even hugged her. To her knowledge, she never had. Not when she moved into her apartment. Not when she left for college. Not when her grandma died. Never. The thought tore her apart inside, because even though she never spoke the words aloud, she always wondered what was so wrong with her that her mom felt like she had to leave her behind? And she'd never come back. Not even when she had to. Emersyn had gone to her. But this time, she wasn't budging. If her mom wanted to make it work, then she had to take the first step. And Emersyn knew she probably never would.

Emersyn was just about to say something more when Zeke froze in place. She startled, afraid he'd seen a dangerous animal like a cougar or a bobcat. Her heart began racing even faster than it already was, and she opened her mouth to ask Zeke what was going on when he turned toward her and smiled. "Do you hear that?" he asked, and she tried to listen to any sounds of potential danger. But all she heard was a croaking sound. Zeke dropped down on his knees, and his smile was so bright that it could light up an empty room. "Look."

She squatted down beside him to see what he was looking at, and sure enough, she could see a bumpy green blob on the ground camouflaged with the leaves and dirt around it. "Aww, how cute," she whispered, matching his smile as she pressed her hand down in support so that she could lean closer to it to get a better look. "A little toad."

But Zeke shook his head. "This isn't just any toad," he said, and she loved how excited he seemed. "This is a Western Toad. Seen so rarely in the wild due to things like disease and destruction of habitat, that they're actually a candidate for the endangered species list. Wow. I never thought I'd see one up close like this."

This amazed her. She'd lived on the island most of her life, and she never knew they were hosting an almost endangered toad. "How did you know that?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"I love animals," he replied, his eyes still staring at the toad as it remained nearly motionless on the ground. "Steve Irwin was my jam growing up. And my first crush was on his daughter Bindi. I grew up watching any animal show I could find. Honestly, I could probably tell you a million little facts about all sorts of different animals all over the world. Before I... came to the island," he hesitated for a fraction of a second, like he was about to reveal something, but stopped himself just in time. It made her wonder if maybe she wasn't the only one holding back. He shook his head. "Sorry. Distracted. Before I came to the island, I wanted to be a zoologist. I was actually working toward my degree in zoology back in Stillwater, Oklahoma. I'm close to getting my bachelor's in science degree. Just a few credits short."

"What stopped you?" she asked, watching him as he stared down at the toad on the ground in awe. "Did you drop out too?"

He shook his head, and she noticed the smile on his lips dimming just a tad. "Just a temporary setback," he answered, and she wanted to ask him more, but she sensed he didn't want to get into it. He stared at the toad for a few more moments, and she couldn't help but notice that he seemed a little sad. Then he grinned softly at the lumpy creature and said, "Okay, little buddy. We're gonna keep on moving. Stay safe, okay?" Then he got back to his full height, turned to look at her, and said, "You ready to get back to it?"

She was ready. But she also kind of wished she could stay in that moment. There was something so special and magical about the way he looked at that toad, his light blue eyes aglow with joy as he experienced what seemed to be a potential once in a lifetime moment. And she wondered, briefly, what she would feel like if he looked at her with those same eyes. But she shook the thought away immediately and rushed to catch up with Zeke as he continued on up the trail.

It's only a crush, Emersyn, she told herself as she followed him along the trail, allowing him to help her now and then as they came across obstacles in the path. His skin was so warm and callused, and every time he touched her she wished he wouldn't let go. It's just a crush. Settle down.

Chapter Eleven

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