Today we took a day off from our routine. We skipped out on the sunrise this morning in order to stay up later with the guests. Or, that’s how I justified it to Kiara when I suggested it.
“Come on, golden boy, you just didn’t want another early morning!” She laughed as we swung together on a hammock this afternoon.
“Guilty as charged,” I said, holding back my smile.
Yesterday, I decided it was time to ask her on a date. I have a whole evening planned out, and I got a lot of inspiration from stories my dad used to tell me about when he met my mom.
To drum up the suspense, I showed up to the garden party early, took a few photos, and left before she arrived. For the first time this summer, we didn’t spend the evening working together.
Now, it’s past midnight and I’m hoping that my plan worked.
And that she wants to show up. I remember her words from one of our first days here. She joked that she only dates photographers or, at the very least, “artsy types”. Whatever that means. She never said she would date a soccer player.
The minutes tick on and the world around me is silent. A small voice nags at me. Is she coming?
I check my watch. 12:10.
What if she still sees me as “golden boy Jonathan” from Edendale High? I wouldn’t blame her. I could’ve been kinder to her in the past. I regret those times now, but an apology only goes so far. She might’ve seen the note and thought it wasn’t worth it. I can understand why she was angry with me for so long, and why she wouldn’t want to date me now.
I fiddle with my hands, looking out towards the lake and listening for any sound coming down the path.
12:15.
With every minute counting down on my watch, my heart sinks further, and the voice gets louder. Did I read her all wrong? All I’ve been able to think about lately is kissing her, showing her how much she means to me. Is it entirely one-sided?
I sigh and my shoulders slump as I stare at the ground. What do I do? How long should I wait?
12:20.
The world is still around me. Even the surface of the lake doesn’t have a single ripple. There are no birds or bugs making noise. It’s just me and a deafening silence.
Then I hear a crunch in the distance.
Footsteps down the gravel path. Is that her?
I shift from foot to foot, the nerves taking over. Please let that be her.
12:25.
The footsteps are getting closer, and my heartbeat is rising. What if it’s Delia or Vin? I’m definitely not meant to be out here right now. They’ll be mad. Will they send me home?
The gravel path crunches loudly as the person turns the corner. I’m holding my breath, praying that it isn’t Delia or Vin.
My stomach drops. I’d recognize that hair anywhere.
It’s Kiara, wearing her jean shorts and a lacy top. Her hair is tumbling down her shoulders in waves. She catches my eye and smiles shyly, the moon illuminating her features beautifully.
Relief floods my senses, and I could almost kiss her right there and then. “You look amazing.”
“Sorry, I’m late,” she says at the same time.
I take her hands in mine and her half-smile breaks out over her face.
“I truly am,” she whispers, blushing.
Right now, I could believe that we’re the only two people in the world.
Feeling giddy and light-headed with happiness, I take her hand and lead her down the gravel path towards the lake.
Here we go.
33
Kiara
Jonathan’s hand is warm in mine as he leads me along the moonlit path. My heart is beating so loud, I wonder if he can hear it.
Despite my distraction tonight, I got some great photos of the guests. I’ve taken a page from Jonathan’s book and have started speaking with the guests and engaging them. I’m not scrambling to get the shot anymore; the photos come naturally now.
I smiled like an idiot throughout the evening as I thought about him. Jonathan has this incredible way of relaxing me and making me feel at ease. When I’m around him, I want to be carefree. He brings out a side of me that feels alive.
Finally, when the last guest went to bed, I ran to my cabin to get ready. I debated keeping my dress on or wearing a skirt, but I always feel best when wearing my shorts. I let my hair down so it’s falling in nice waves and then reapplied a bit of mascara.
The end result feels good to me — natural and confident.
Now, as Jonathan leads me along the lakeshore, I’m grateful for my choice. He’s wearing his cute hoodie and board shorts. He must prefer this style to the designer shirts and fancy slacks he wears at Edendale High. We round the corner and I open my mouth to compliment him when a beautiful scene unfolds before me.
A secluded part of the beach lies ahead of us and the stars above are unobstructed. Jonathan has placed a bunch of fake candles in a circle. In the middle, a picnic basket and a blanket are laid out on the sand.
He sits on the far end of the blanket and shyly motions for me to come and sit next to him.
“Do you like it?”
I realize my mouth is still open and I clamp it shut. Speechless, I sit down next to him, gazing out over the lake. The calm surface mirrors the billions of stars above.
“Kiara?”
“It’s incredible.”
I take in the tapestry of stars above us. It feels like every constellation in the universe is visible.
Jonathan opens the picnic basket and takes out a container of food and some orange juice. My stomach grumbles.
He opens the lid of the container. “Mac and cheese.”
“Fantastic choice. Jonathan.” His name rolls off my tongue.
“Woah, Garcia, this is huge! I don’t think you’ve ever called me by my name before!”
I roll my eyes dramatically. “There’s a first time for everything.”
We dig into the mac and cheese, eating by the light of the candles and the moon. We talk about everything and nothing. The more I get to know Jonathan, the more I realize that he’s never what I expect. He has interesting perspectives on things I’ve always taken for granted.
In return, I get the gratifying feeling that he listens to what I have to say. He pays attention and asks intelligent questions. Our conversations flow easily, and sometimes I believe we could talk forever.
After we finish the mac and cheese, Jonathan turns to face me with a twinkle in his eyes. “We have one more thing to do.”
He stands up and grabs two candles. He then runs down to the water’s edge.
“You’re insane!” I exclaim, and then laugh as he motions for me to follow.
But I guess I’m insane too. I grab two more candles and follow him down to the water. Together, we line the four candles by the water’s edge.
“Now what?” I whisper excitedly.
Jonathan looks at me, a smile on his face. “We light the water.”
He carefully grabs one candle and places it in the lake, pushing it out and away from us. I watch, mesmerized, as the flicking light floats away from the shoreline, creating ripples that disturb the perfect reflection.
As the light comes to a stop, the reflection on the water is unreal. It looks like a star, shining bright from beyond, or below, our atmosphere. The ripples fade, and I’m breathless.
“Can I try?” I ask, still spellbound by the beautiful sight.
“Absolutely.”
Jonathan sits behind me, his legs around mine. We send the other three fake candles into the water together and I watch as the scene changes. We’ll pick up the candles tomorrow, but for now, I allow myself to get lost in the view. My hands instinctively reach for a camera that isn’t there. I’d left it in my cabin.
A smile spreads across my face and I lean back onto his chest, appreciating the moment for all that it is. I rise and fall with his breath, his body warm against mine.
“So, Jonathan.” A happy feeling overcomes me as I say his name. “I think you o
we me something.”
“What’s that?”
“You owe me your top bucket list item.”
He chuckles easily. The sound floats across the surface of the water. “You’re right. I never told you that.”
He pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around me. I lean into him, feeling at home.
“My top bucket list item,” he whispers into my ear, “was to watch a sunrise with Kiara Garcia on a mountaintop.”
I laugh and a blush spreads over my face. We sit in silence for a moment, feeling content. The stars reflect perfectly in the water, the moonlight illuminating the peaks in the distance. Everything about this moment is perfect.
“I have a new bucket list item...” I say, feeling brave.
“Yeah?”
Jonathan’s voice is low and encouraging. I take a deep breath and I’m sure he can feel my heart racing. I’m not one to shy away from what I want, but I’ve never been this forward before.
“To kiss Jonathan Wright.” My voice is more confident than I feel.
He’s gone silent, stock still.
Did I go too far?
Then, he shifts me gently to the side so I can look up at him. The moon, the candles, and the stars reflect in his eyes. It’s like they’re holding the key to the future.
I tilt my chin.
He leans in.
Then, in the silence of the mountains, his lips meet mine, and the world stops.
It’s just me, Jonathan, and the stars.
34
Jonathan
Knock. Knock.
My knuckles make a gentle sound on Kiara’s window. It’s dark out, but we’re used to this routine.
We’re a month into the summer, and Kiara and I are up early to catch another sunrise. It’s part of our pattern. We wake up early and find each other in the dark, our hands fumbling together at the trailhead. After the sun rises, we spend our days snapping photos of Legacy Inn and its guests — and sneaking in a few kisses in the meantime. At night? We lay on the beach, stare into the stars, and talk.
By now, I know this trail by heart. I understand where the bumps and ridges and tree roots lie.
Nonetheless, I always hold her hand as we hike. I pretend that I do it to make sure we don’t get lost, but I really just love having her close to me.
The trail is slick after yesterday’s rainfall, so we proceed slowly. By the time we get to the viewpoint, the sky is lightening. We continue to the summit and I feel thankful that the days are still long.
As we get closer to the summit, I hold back and wait for Kiara to stand next to me.
“Ready?” My voice is quiet. There’s no one around, but I don’t want to disturb the balance of this place.
She squeezes my hand in response.
One.
Two.
Three.
Together, we stride forward with our faces down. On the count of three, we raise our heads to take in the panoramic view. It’s a little habit I suggested when Kiara teased that I was seeing the view before she was. This way, we get to experience the first look together.
“Not bad, golden boy,” Kiara says.
It’s a crisp and clear morning, and the horizon hints at what will be a colorful sunrise. Kiara sits, making herself comfortable on a large expanse of rock before taking out her camera and setting up. Then, she shivers.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Should’ve brought a warmer jacket.”
I reach around my camera bag and find a to-go mug. “This’ll help.”
Kiara’s eyes light up. “Good thinking.”
Before knocking on her window this morning, I went to the kitchen and filled it with hot coffee. Fernando opened his mouth, but left his questions unasked, and simply smiled.
She takes a long swig and then curls further into her jacket, clutching the to-go mug with as much passion as she does her camera. I laugh and wrap my arms around her to keep her warm.
“You’re gonna miss the views.” She leans back against me, shamelessly stealing my body heat.
“It’s worth it. We have many mornings to chase the sunrise.”
I lie down on the rock so Kiara and I are curled together, watching the sky change colors. It’s peaceful and we don’t need to speak. Every once in a while, Kiara sits up and lifts the camera to her face. It’s an epic sunrise.
Kiara lies down after taking a photo, and she fingers the bottom of my hoodie.
I burst out laughing. “Still cold?”
“The coffee helps.” There’s a smile in her voice. “I was just thinking that I love seeing you wear hoodies and shorts. You never wear stuff like that at school.”
She trails off and her body stiffens. She’s broken an unspoken rule. We don’t talk about how things were at school, and we definitely don’t talk about how things will be when we go back. Our rivalry is an ancient story, practically a Greek Legend. The Feud of Golden Boy and Kiara the Queen.
“You gotta admit the polo shirts and slacks are a popular look.” I joke, but it doesn’t have the desired effect. Kiara is still lying uncomfortably. “Coach tells us we need to wear polo shirts. Do our hair so we look professional. It’s part of the image. But next year, I’m bringing back the hoodie.”
“Good,” Kiara says. “It’s tough for a girl to steal a polo shirt.”
I kiss the top of her head. “My hoodies are yours.”
35
Kiara
The ground moves under me and I groggily open my eyes.
“Ready?” Jonathan whispers into my ear.
I jerk awake. Somehow, between the beautiful sunrise, the early morning, and being cuddled into Jonathan’s chest, I’d fallen asleep.
“How long was I out for?” I ask. The sun is far above the peaks. I peel myself off Jonathan.
“Only a day or two.”
I punch him playfully. When he tries to block me, I leap, tackle him, and we roll in the dirt.
“I surrender!” He shouts, cradling his head. “It was only half an hour!”
“And you just let me sleep?”
He grips my wrists to stop me from attacking him. “You looked so peaceful, drooling and snoring and everything.”
In horror, I put my hand to my face before realizing he’s joking. I give him another swat and then stand up, wiping off my pants and jacket. “You think you’re so funny.”
When I look down at Jonathan, though, he’s frozen. He’s staring just behind me and motions for me to be quiet.
My heart slams in my chest. Bears?
Jonathan slowly stands, still staring at a point beyond my shoulder. His face is a mask of tense vigilance. Fear grips me and I can barely breathe.
He carefully walks towards me, side-stepping around me to get between me and the creature — whatever it is.
Very, very slowly, I turn around to see what he’s staring at.
On the mountainside just beyond, there’s a beautiful white mountain goat with three baby goats. I gasp and then hold my breath. The adult goat is looking at us, simultaneously bored and cautious.
There’s the wildlife shot.
Slowly, I raise my camera to my face, capturing the sight of these four goats in the morning sunlight.
The group of goats strides along the rocks and around the corner, disappearing from sight.
Jonathan grabs my hand. “Unbelievable.”
We make our way back to the trail, treading carefully down the mountain as the path is still slick. My stomach is in a ball of excitement thinking about how amazing the morning was. I’m going through the photos, wanting to relive it.
I click onto a sunrise photo. “This one’s great. Check it out!”
For the shot, I’d zoomed in on the peaks across the lake and then used a darker setting on the camera to bring out the warm tones. The image perfectly contrasts the cool and warm features of the scene.
I lean towards Jonathan to show him the picture, and I immediately lose my footing.
The trail slides out from beneat
h me.
My stomach lurches.
I fly through the air.
Jonathan whips around, catches me before I hit the ground. “Didn’t I tell you not to fall? Or drop your camera?”
“I believe you told me it was very expensive,” I say. “But it’s fine. I wasn’t really falling. Just testing your reflexes.”
He laughs and stands me up straight in front of him, his beautiful blue eyes gazing into mine.
I think I’m in love with you.
My heart stops.
Freaked, I jump out of his arms.
“Anyway, check it out!” My words tumble out as I try to shake off the feeling from moments ago.
Jonathan checks out the photo over my shoulder, his eyeing growing wide. “Garcia… that is really, really good.”
“You are talking to a Queen here.” I beam with pride, cradling the camera close to me.
“You should try again,” he says.
“What?”
“The Glacier Journal. Send that photo to them.”
I walk down the trail, stammering. “I don’t think I have what they’re looking for.”
I was definitely not expecting him to say that. After my rejection letter, I never want to contact them again. They probably know me as that girl who takes lifeless and dull photos. Ugh, what a reputation.
Jonathan takes my hand. “It’s an awesome shot, Kiara. What do you have to lose?”
Optimism fills his eyes, and it warms my heart that he believes in me this much.
“My dignity? My self-respect? More of my reputation?”
“Can’t lose what you never had,” he says, grinning. He catches my hand before I can swat him. Stupid soccer player reflexes. “I’m serious,” he says.
“About my lack of dignity?”
“About how good that photo is. I’d buy the Journal on that photo alone.”
I smile warmly. I’ve never had this kind of support before… It feels nice. Even though I’ll no doubt get rejected, part of me wants to see the world like Jonathan sees it. Endless opportunities, everywhere.
The Complete Legacy Inn Collection: Four Sweet YA Romances Page 59
