Change of Heart - By S.E. Edwards Page 0,68

But no longer. There won’t be any messy feelings involved. We’ll both go into it with a clear mind.” I nod. “That makes it the right decision.”

Rich looks at me for a long time without saying anything. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be, I beg in my head. Please, please, please.

“You’re right,” he says finally, defeated. “Of course, you’re right. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let anything happen to you. Getting away from me was always your best choice. If you were too stubborn to see if before, well, at least I’m glad that you do now. I care for you, Penny. That’s how I know you’re right. It hurts me to admit it, but… you’re right.”

“I know I am,” I mumble sadly. “I know I am.”

Chapter Thirteen

“Closed,” Rich grunts. “Just like the others. Is it too much to ask for a damn bank in this town?”

Soon after leaving the Blackbear’s parking lot, we discovered Rich had left all his cash in his truck. He had his credit cards, but didn’t want to use the ATMs for fear of being traced. A teller inside a bank would let him make a withdrawal without that worry. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a possibility at this hour.

“Any motels around here would want money upfront,” Rich grumbles as he climbs back onto the bike.

“So, where does that leave us?”

Rich gives me a knowing look. “You ever been camping?”

***

The good thing about being in such a remote location is that it’s not hard to get away from people. The bad thing is that it doesn’t take more than a single wrong turn to get lost.

I follow Rich through yet another muddy trail in the woods. This is a recreational camping area, so I’m not too worried about becoming hopelessly stranded. Of course, we did have to climb over a chain fence to get inside.

The forest opens to a serene, dark lake. It’s eerily quiet. The sky is clear. I can see the reflections of thousands of tiny stars on the water’s surface.

“Here we are,” Rich announces. “Our grand accommodations for the night. I’ll get a fire going.”

“A fire? Here?” I’m surprised. “How?”

“Oh that’s right, I forgot, you’re just a city girl, aren’t you?” Rich teases. “Unused to the rural ways. All the way from Jersey. Right?”

“California, actually,” I admit. I figure I owe it to him to tell him a little about myself at this point. “I grew up in L.A.”

“L.A.?” Rich asks. “That explains… absolutely nothing.” He laughs. “Aren’t you supposed to have bleach blonde hair and a spray tan, then?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be starting a fire?” I nudge him on with my shoulder. “Go on, show this city girl how it’s done.”

“Well,” Rich says, looking around, “first we’ll need a fire pit. Ah! Over there.” He points to a spot near the water. It’s too dark for me to make out. “We’ll need some twigs to use for kindling. Those shouldn’t be hard to find around here.” He gestures at the forest behind us. “But they need to be dry, or the flame will never catch.”

“Dry twigs,” I say. “Got it. How many do we need?”

“If you can get an armload it should be enough. I’ll show you what to look for.”

I follow him back into the trees. We act like nothing has happened.

***

Half an hour later, there are two armfuls of dry tinder by the fire pit. I sit on a nearby log and rub my hands together for warmth, watching Rich. He’s going through all the wood we’ve collected with meticulous care, examining each and every piece before either tossing it over his shoulder or carefully setting it down into the pit.

I’m fascinated by the process. I’d never seen anyone build a fire before. It’s dark, unfortunately, so the most I can see is Rich’s shadowed figure. Every once in a while, though, he goes still, and I can feel his eyes on me. Every time, the moment passes before I can say anything.

Abruptly, a tiny spark flashes. Moments later, a little flame flickers to life in the middle of the fort Rich had built. I gasp, delighted. The flame spreads, lighting up the area around the pit.

“That’s amazing,” I exclaim. “How did you do that?”

“The Zippo helped.” Rich flicks it on and off in his hands with a smile. “But the trick is to get the right type of wood. Not everything will kindle right away.” He waves a hand over