I say this absently watching Jenny practically skip her way into the vineyard. No one around to follow her and I had Carmen with me. She’s probably going to get lost….

“Shane?”

“Sorry….”

“She is kind of slow but nice in…a weird way…..”

“Let’s go……maybe the walk will do you some good.”

Chapter Thirteen

We walk kicking rocks in the dark. We don’t speak. She is cold and out of breath so I slow down. I match pace with her. I walk close to her my eyes scan everything. Little spread of twinkling stars here and there. Hum of insects in the trees, millions of bugs eyes watching us as we not say the thinking on our minds. Wonderful that she can’t read my mind, wonderful that I can’t read hers. I want to kiss her again. I tell my blood no, I say to my hands stop, I slow down some more.

She takes my hand as we make our way higher and higher toward Heaven. I see my tent pitched. I see the log I rolled out to sit and think things. She gasps when we get to the top. Catching her breath looking out over the city. She turns to me and her eyes say a million things, the view, unreal, protect me…

I walk her over and she sits on the log. I have this pile of wood all set and ready to go so I get to make a fire to keep her warm.

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Shane, I never knew you could make fire.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I think I have said that to you once before….all this…”

“No you said that you where not a kid anymore…..I didn’t really see it then but I…I see it now…”

“It will only take a sec….here some water…..how is your wound….man I should…”