by Liv Brywood
“Where have you two been?” he asked.
“She came out to help me collect huckleberries,” Greg said.
“Is that right?” he asked in a tone that said he didn’t believe them.
“It’s true, sir,” Daisy said.
“Well then, where are all the huckleberries?” his dad asked.
Shit.
“Never mind.” His dad waved a hand through the air. “Today’s going to be a historic day. I came out here to invite you, River, and Meadow to watch the moon landing. Can you believe that? Men are going to walk on the moon and they’re going to broadcast it on the news, live.”
“Really?” she said with excitement.
“They’re supposed to be broadcasting it live on CBS,” his dad said.
Greg hadn’t heard him this enthusiastic about anything in years. Good, at least he wouldn’t chew them out for obviously not gathering berries.
“What time should we come in?” Daisy asked.
“Eight p.m. It’s going to happen sometime after that but I don’t want you to miss it,” his dad said.
“Thank you, sir,” she said. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“All right then, I’ll see you tonight.” His dad turned and strolled toward the house. He gazed up in the sky as if looking for the moon.
“I’ve never seen him so…giddy before,” she said.
“He only gets like that when he’s really happy.”
“It is pretty amazing that we’re putting a man on the moon today.”
“Anything’s possible,” he said wistfully.
If they could send a man hundreds of thousands of miles away from Earth, then maybe he could find a way to make Daisy want to be with him again. He’d stop at nothing to make it happen. If he could find a way to make her accept his bear, then they could have a future together. But if he couldn’t…he sighed. He didn’t want to think about life without her.
***
That evening, Daisy sat on the floor in front of the couch in Greg’s living room. Andy, River, and Meadow sat to her left, while Greg sat to her right. Aaron and Samantha had crammed themselves onto the couch next to their parents.
“It’s kind of fuzzy,” Samantha said.
Daisy studied the grainy gray and white video. She couldn’t really see the spaceship, but Walter Cronkite, the news anchorman, had described the image. She squinted at the shadowy outline of Neil Armstrong as he descended the ladder.
“I'm at the foot of the ladder,” the astronaut said. “The LM footpads are only depressed in the surface about one or two inches, although the surface appears to be very, very fine grained, as you get close to it. It's almost like a powder. Ground mass is very fine.”
“Can you believe he’s standing someplace no human has ever been before?” Betty asked in awe.
“Shh,” Greg’s dad said. “I can’t hear.”
“Okay. I'm going to step off the LM now,” Armstrong said. He descended the final rung on the ladder and stood on the surface of the moon. “That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”
Daisy slid her hand across the carpet, stopping when it brushed against Greg’s thigh. She wanted to hold his hand while a man walked across the surface of the moon but she couldn’t. Greg’s dad would freak out.
As she continued to watch the broadcast, she almost couldn’t believe it. A man was actually standing on the huge white globe that glowed in the night sky. She would have given anything in that moment to know what Neil Armstrong was thinking as he stepped off the ladder. If it had been her, she would have freaked.
“Yes, the surface is fine and powdery,” Armstrong said. “I can kick it up loosely with my toe. It does adhere in fine layers, like powdered charcoal, to the sole and sides of my boots. I only go in a small fraction of an inch, maybe an eighth of an inch, but I can see the footprints of my boots and the treads in the fine, sandy particles.”
“They’re supposed to collect some rock samples and bring it back,” Andy said.
“I wonder if they’re going to run into aliens,” River said.
“That’s ridiculous,” Meadow said. “Aliens are already on this planet.”
Daisy flashed back to seeing Greg transform from a bear to a human. Talk about aliens. She still didn’t know what to make of his revelation. He hadn’t changed the way he’d interacted with her after she’d discovered his secret. They were all alone out in the woods. He could have killed her to keep her silent but he didn’t. He trusted her. But could she trust him?
“I’ll be right back,” Greg’s dad said as he climbed around his son.
When he’d left the room, Greg leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Meet me in the woods tonight after everyone’s asleep.”
“I can’t,” she murmured.
“Please.”
The desperation in his tone made her turn her head to look at him. He silently pleaded with his gorgeous hazel eyes. Specks of forest green and golden brown fanned out from his dark pupils. She tore her gaze away without giving him an answer.
Greg’s dad hustled back into the room. “Did I miss anything?”
“No, he’s still walking around,” Samantha said.
As they continued to watch the first man on the moon, she considered Greg’s request to join him. She hadn’t detected any malicious intent. Without knowing exactly why, she still trusted him. A part of her needed to be in his arms again. Her lips tingled in anticipation of his kisses.
Trying to talk herself out of seeing him was pointless. But if anyone caught her, there’d be hell to pay. Greg’s dad had made it very clear that she wasn’t good enough for his son, and Andy would freak if he knew she’d kissed Greg. She’d have to be totally sure that no one woke up or she’d have to explain why she was trouncing around in the forest in the middle of the night.
When the broadcast ended, Greg stood and held out a hand to help her up. She took it long enough to get to her feet then quickly released it. She turned to find his dad eying her warily. If he caught her sneaking out, he’d probably kick all of them off the farm and then all of their hard work over the last few weeks would be wasted.
“Thank you for letting us watch that,” Andy said.
“Yes, thank you Mr. Grant,” Meadow said.
“Thanks, sir,” River said.
“Have a good night,” Daisy said as she followed the others out the front door. She didn’t risk a backward glance for fear that everyone would see right through her.
Hours later, she lay on her back in her tent. Silence blanketed the night, broken only by River’s occasional snoring. Everyone had fallen asleep so long ago that they had to be sleeping deep enough that she could slip out without them hearing.
She studied the flap at the front of her tent. She’d intentionally only zipped it halfway so that it would create less noise later. As she slowly tugged on the zipper, the teeth separated with soft clicks. Her fingers trembled as she reached the bottom of the tent. Was she really going to go through with it?
She hesitated. What was the point of trying to continue any kind of relationship with him when she was leaving in less than two weeks? She’d only be setting herself up for heartbreak. Running out to see him tonight would only make her miss him more when she left for Canada.
But none of that mattered. Her heart already ached for him. She’d already passed the point of no return and she’d hurt no matter what when she left. If all the time she’d ever have with him was limited to the next few days, then she wanted to make the most of it. She’d never been afraid to take a risk before, so why start now?
Determined to meet him, she rolled onto her hands and knees. She crawled toward the edge of the tent and listened carefully for any sign of movement from the other tents. When she didn’t hear anything, she inched forward. Without making a sound, she exited the enclosure. She carefully rolled onto her feet and stood. But before she could take a single step, a branch snapped behind her.
Chapter 10
She whipped around to find Greg standing in the shadows. He held a finger to his lips and waved her toward him. She carefully navigated the ground so that she wouldn’t step on a branch and make even more noise. When she reached him, he grabbed her hand and led her into the woods.
They trekked through an area she hadn’t been to yet. The farther he led her into the woods, the more nervous she was becoming. What if she’d been completely wrong and he wanted to kill her?
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She relaxed as a revelation hit her. He wasn’t a monster; he was the same man she’d been falling for since the day she’d met him. She still didn’t understand how he’d managed to turn into a bear, but she’d seen far stranger things on ‘shroom trips. Granted, that had all been a figment of her imagination, but somehow his secret wasn’t as shocking now that she’d had time to see that he really was the same man.
“We’re almost there,” he whispered.
“Where?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
She followed him up a hill. When they reached the summit, she gasped. Flickering candles illuminated a small clearing which overlooked the whole valley. She stepped toward the edge and gasped.
“Unfortunately, we can’t see the moon right now,” he said.
“It already set?”
“Yeah, otherwise we could wave at Neil,” he joked.
“It’s amazing that we were able to send a man all the way up there,” she said.
“My dad always said anything’s possible if you focus and work hard at it.”
She sensed his presence when he came up behind her. When he gently pulled her into an embrace, she relaxed against him. He pressed his lips to her temple.
“Thank you for staying,” he said.
“I couldn’t run. The bus isn’t fixed.”
“You could have run,” he said.
“Yeah. But then I wouldn’t have been able to see this incredible view with you.”
He chuckled. Without letting go, he circled to face her. In the faint candlelight, she could hardly make out his features, but she didn’t need to see him to know that he wanted to kiss her.
“Why are we here?” she asked softly.
“Because I can’t stand being away from you,” he said.
“But...why?”
“From the moment I met you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You’re beautiful and brave and hardworking. I’ve been looking for someone like you my whole life.”
“You’re not that old,” she said.
“Daisy.” He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “I don’t want you to leave. I think I’ll die without you.”
“But there are so many other women out there,” she said. “Women who will be happy to live on a farm and give you lots of children. I can’t stay in one place. I haven’t even begun to explore the world. I’ve only been through a few states and I want to see them all. I want to go to Alaska and Hawaii. I want to see the Everglades and New York. I hear there’s a big music festival happening out there in August. Meadow and I talked about going.”
“I know I can’t give you everything you want. I know that,” he said. “But I can give you one thing you can’t find by running from one place to another.”
“What?”
“Love and family and a home. Don’t you want to settle down and live in a house with a husband and kids?” he asked.
“Maybe, but not until I’ve been to everyplace I want to see,” she said.
“We could go on camping trips in the summer. We could travel to all of the states together.”
“I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m not cut out to be a farmer’s wife.”
“But… I need you.”
The desperation in his tone was like a punch in the gut. She couldn’t stand to hear him so anguished. She moved into his arms and clung to the back of his shirt. He ran his hands up and down her back in a slow, sensual caress. She leaned into him, savoring the hard plane of his chest. When she tilted her head up, she found him gazing at her with the same longing she’d kept locked up in her heart. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was falling in love with him.
“Did you bring a blanket?” she whispered.
“Yeah.”
He took her hand and led her to the center of the candles. He only let go of her long enough to spread a blanket out on the ground. When he finished, he sat on one side of the blanket. She joined him. He lay back, so she followed.
As she stared up at the night sky, a million stars twinkled. She’d never seen anything so beautiful. A flood of emotion rushed up to claim her. She couldn’t imagine sharing such a perfect night with anyone else.
He propped up on one arm and leaned in to kiss her. The sensation of falling pulled her into the earth. She moaned against his lips as he moved to cover her with his chest. As she laced her fingers into his hair, he sighed against her mouth. His hand grazed the edge of her hip, and she shivered with desire.
She wrapped her arms around his back and drew him closer. At first, he spread feathery kisses across her lips. But the more she responded, the bolder he became. His tongue slipped between her lips to caress hers. The sweet taste of him overwhelmed her senses. She groaned as he tugged the hem of her flowing skirt up.
As his hand rested on her bare knee, warmth spread out from her core. She returned his fervent kisses with every ounce of passion in her body. Their tongues swirled and pressed together. She gasped and threw her head back as he nibbled the edge of her jaw. His lips grazed the side of her throat before dipping to trace her collarbone.
The tips of his fingers stroked the inside of her left thigh before arcing to awaken every nerve ending on the other side. She arched her back and pressed into him. He sat back on his haunches and reached to unbutton his shirt.
“Wait,” she said. “Let me.”
As she freed each button, his shirt inched open to reveal his muscular chest. After she unhooked the last button, she pushed the fabric over his broad shoulders. She ran her palms over the smooth flesh, memorizing every inch so she’d never forget the gentle, caring man she’d met in Montana. She treasured every moment together, knowing that one day she’d look back on it with fond memories. But that’s all they’d be—memories.
He slipped his hands under her gauzy shirt and lifted it over her head. Her hair fell in a cascade of soft waves around her shoulders. He pushed the strands back and gazed at her with more than just simple lust. She couldn’t risk reading into the expression on his face for fear of acknowledging how much she would hurt him when she left. She’d warned him not to think about her as anything other than someone who had worked on his farm for a few weeks.
She hesitated, knowing that if they went any further, she could also end up hurt. She wasn’t like Meadow who lay down with any available man. Daisy had only been with one other man in her life and didn’t intend to flit around the country collecting a trail of broken hearts. She didn’t want to hurt him, but the intensity in his eyes drew her in. She didn’t want to stop. She wanted to share one magical night with him, even if it would be their only night together.
As he eased her back against the blanket, she stopped thinking about anything but the movement of his lips across her heated flesh. His mouth teased and nipped at her neck before delving down into the valley between her breasts. She sighed as he captured one hard nipple between his lips. Tendrils of desire unfurled in her belly. She moaned and arched against him as he moved to her other breast. He lavished her with a river of lingering kisses before leaning back to gaze at her with hooded eyes.
“You’re so perfect,” he murmured.
“Thank you.”
“I never want to let you go.” He buried his face against her chest.
“Greg, please. Not now,” she said as she stroked his hair. “Just for tonight, can we forget everything else?”
He responded by rising up to press his lips against hers. She relaxed as he slid lower to hook his fingers in her skirt. As he pulled it past her thighs, she w
riggled out of it. He slipped her panties off and tossed them into the growing pile of clothes. After raking his scorching gaze across her naked flesh, he stood and shucked his pants. He returned to the blanket and gathered her into an intimate embrace. Chest to chest and cheek to cheek, they lay pressed against each other. Without a breath of clothing between them, every hard line and firm muscle in his body melded against her soft curves.
When he gently parted her thighs with his knees, she let them fall open. But he didn’t take her, not yet. Instead, he nuzzled a path from her mouth to the apex of her thighs. She trailed her fingers over his shoulders and down his arms. Poised over her, his animalistic power radiated with feral intent. She held her breath. It was almost as if she’d caught a glimpse of the bear. Did it live inside him? Would it come out if he became too aroused?
Her worry vanished as his lips grazed the soft thatch of hair over her sex. She shivered. Her ex had never kissed her there. He’d never taken his time. Greg was so different from him in every way, and so much better.
Hot breath blew against her tender lips. She whimpered until he flattened his tongue against her. Her hips jerked as bolts of electric tingles raced up her spine. But when he licked the soft folds, her entire body clenched with wanton hunger. She shifted against him, greedy for his breathtaking tongue. Wet heat pooled under his lips. He teased her with silken caresses before pulling back to nibble the inside of her thighs. He alternated between tasting her and stroking her quivering thighs with his tongue.
“I need you,” she whispered.
“I could do this all night,” he murmured.
“No. Please, take me now. Don’t make me wait.”
He gripped her hips with his fingers and held her in place. As his tongue lashed against her, she cried out. Tension built until she was sure she’d break. Then the world cracked open as her sex pulsed with undulating waves of pleasure. She slammed her thighs closed around his head. Unable to stop the shockwaves of release, she surrendered to infinite bliss.
When she finally came down from the heavens, he crawled up to pin her to the earth. The tip of his cock probed her tender folds. As he slid into her still-fluttering sex, she wrapped her legs around his butt. He lay still, whispering unintelligible words as he clung to her. Then slowly, with gentle thrusts, he coaxed her to new heights.
