wanted to say, he was struggling. Finally he turned to her again and she watched his guard fall a little. “I’m glad we…I don’t know, I’m glad we found this again.” He hesitated. “I thank God every day for you. For your family and your friendship.”
Bailey tilted her head and let her eyes get lost in his. The moon was making its way into the sky and it shone on his face. Whatever else the future held, she’d remember this moment as long as she lived. She didn’t want it to end. Without wondering whether it was right or wrong, she put her arms around his neckand hugged him. “That means the world, Cody.” The hug lasted longer than usual, and it took her breath. “I’m glad you told me.” She pulled back and felt her eyes start to dance. “Okay, my turn.”
He studied her, and there in the moonlight he almost looked like he had feelings for her. Feelings more than friendship. His voice was low and soft against her heart. “Go on.”
She could feel her expression growing more serious, deeper. “I was so mad at you last fall, when you wouldn’t talk to me.” She gently touched her fingers to the side of his face. “I thought in all our lives we’d never have a day like this again.”
“I was worried about it.”
“But here we are.” She eased her hands back to her sides, keeping her behavior appropriate. “That’s why God’s so amazing. He knows how to fix things, even after we make a mess of them.”
“Exactly.” He reached out his hand. “Come on; it’ll be pitch dark in a few minutes.”
She took his hand and felt the thrill of his touch all the way to her toes. Once they were on a steadier part of the path again she drew her fingers from his and kept the conversation light. But her heart was beating so hard she wondered if he would say something about the sound. Holding hands with Tim never made her feel like this, which was why she definitely couldn’t hold hands with Cody now, here. She wasn’t ready to analyze what that meant or what it said about her relationship with Tim. Better simply to keep her distance where Cody was concerned. Besides, he was holding out body and soul for the girl of his dreams. She didn’t want to get in the way of that, even if a part of her desperately wished she were that girl.
On the way back, Cody told her about a bear sighting in the woods not far from the campsite.
“Great.” She was about to tell him the story of her little brother BJ and the northern copperhead he rode his bike over, when her foot settled on something soft and slithery. She screamed andfell all at the same time, her ankle giving way beneath her as she dropped. She had no idea how Cody moved so fast or how in the dim light he was able to catch her, but the next thing she knew, she was in his arms, clinging to his neck. She pointed down at the ground. “There’s a snake, Cody! Be careful.”
He set her down a few feet away and went back to the spot where she’d felt the snake. Using the toe of his shoe, he pressed around and came up with something long and bendable. “This, you mean?”
He brought it closer and she stifled another scream. “Don’t, Cody! It could be poisonous. Shawn says copperheads are all around this lake.”
“Well,” he held his hands out so she could see exactly what had frightened her. “This branch is definitely not part of the copperhead family. I promise.”
Bailey straightened and stared at the thing Cody was holding. “A branch? You’ve gotta be kidding. I could feel it moving.”
“It’s a young branch. A little more flexible than some.” He tossed it off the path and grinned at her. “You probably scared it to death.”
She tested her ankle, but it was fine, and suddenly she pictured herself stepping on the branch and practically jumping into Cody’s arms. She burst into laughter again and had to hold onto Cody’s waist as they walked. Otherwise she would’ve fallen to the ground, unable to breathe.
The other campers
Bailey tilted her head and let her eyes get lost in his. The moon was making its way into the sky and it shone on his face. Whatever else the future held, she’d remember this moment as long as she lived. She didn’t want it to end. Without wondering whether it was right or wrong, she put her arms around his neckand hugged him. “That means the world, Cody.” The hug lasted longer than usual, and it took her breath. “I’m glad you told me.” She pulled back and felt her eyes start to dance. “Okay, my turn.”
He studied her, and there in the moonlight he almost looked like he had feelings for her. Feelings more than friendship. His voice was low and soft against her heart. “Go on.”
She could feel her expression growing more serious, deeper. “I was so mad at you last fall, when you wouldn’t talk to me.” She gently touched her fingers to the side of his face. “I thought in all our lives we’d never have a day like this again.”
“I was worried about it.”
“But here we are.” She eased her hands back to her sides, keeping her behavior appropriate. “That’s why God’s so amazing. He knows how to fix things, even after we make a mess of them.”
“Exactly.” He reached out his hand. “Come on; it’ll be pitch dark in a few minutes.”
She took his hand and felt the thrill of his touch all the way to her toes. Once they were on a steadier part of the path again she drew her fingers from his and kept the conversation light. But her heart was beating so hard she wondered if he would say something about the sound. Holding hands with Tim never made her feel like this, which was why she definitely couldn’t hold hands with Cody now, here. She wasn’t ready to analyze what that meant or what it said about her relationship with Tim. Better simply to keep her distance where Cody was concerned. Besides, he was holding out body and soul for the girl of his dreams. She didn’t want to get in the way of that, even if a part of her desperately wished she were that girl.
On the way back, Cody told her about a bear sighting in the woods not far from the campsite.
“Great.” She was about to tell him the story of her little brother BJ and the northern copperhead he rode his bike over, when her foot settled on something soft and slithery. She screamed andfell all at the same time, her ankle giving way beneath her as she dropped. She had no idea how Cody moved so fast or how in the dim light he was able to catch her, but the next thing she knew, she was in his arms, clinging to his neck. She pointed down at the ground. “There’s a snake, Cody! Be careful.”
He set her down a few feet away and went back to the spot where she’d felt the snake. Using the toe of his shoe, he pressed around and came up with something long and bendable. “This, you mean?”
He brought it closer and she stifled another scream. “Don’t, Cody! It could be poisonous. Shawn says copperheads are all around this lake.”
“Well,” he held his hands out so she could see exactly what had frightened her. “This branch is definitely not part of the copperhead family. I promise.”
Bailey straightened and stared at the thing Cody was holding. “A branch? You’ve gotta be kidding. I could feel it moving.”
“It’s a young branch. A little more flexible than some.” He tossed it off the path and grinned at her. “You probably scared it to death.”
She tested her ankle, but it was fine, and suddenly she pictured herself stepping on the branch and practically jumping into Cody’s arms. She burst into laughter again and had to hold onto Cody’s waist as they walked. Otherwise she would’ve fallen to the ground, unable to breathe.
The other campers
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