“Hey, my uptown girl,” I said as I got out of my truck.

“Hi yourself,” she said, smiling up to me.

“Are you excited to go hiking? The weather is supposed to be perfect.”

“Yeah, I packed us a little lunch for when we reach the old mill.” She winked.

I walked over and pulled her into me. Wrapping my arms around her, I kissed her softly on the cheek. She looked up at me with wide eyes, her mouth splitting into a broad grin that showed me how excited she was to see me.

“Ready to go?”

“Yup, let me just grab our food.”

I watched her run back up the steps to the porch swing. I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her sexy, little ass.

She walked back down the steps, carrying two narrow CamelBak backpacks containing what I assumed were our lunches and water. I took them from her and set them in the back of my truck.

I opened the door, and she brushed against me. Her touch shot currents of heat across my body and felt electric to my soul. I felt connected to this girl. I didn’t understand why, but it made me feel alive, and I loved it.

I ran around to the driver’s side and hopped in, relishing in the way she watched me slide into the driver’s seat and put my key into the ignition. She glanced up and saw me staring at her then blushed a crimson red.

I rested my hand on her knee as I backed out of her driveway, hoping it might relieve any anxiety. She squeezed my hand in reassurance as I drove off.

It was early in the day, and we made record time driving down toward Atlanta. Even on the weekends, the traffic was typically stop-and-go. I pulled into the park and left my truck in the lot near the office.

“Which trail do you want to take?” Samone asked.

I smiled. “I was thinking either the yellow or white. Sound good to you?”

“Yes, sounds good. We could do both if you want to.”

“Yeah, let’s do that,” I said

I handed her the purple CamelBak, putting the black and red one on my back. We walked hand-in-hand toward the trailhead.

I smiled to myself as we went along the water’s edge and stopped every so often for her to take pictures. Sweetwater Creek State Park was one of Samone’s favorite places. I loved bringing her here. When we reached the mill, we stopped at the lookout for lunch. I was surprised when I saw her pull a mini thermos out of her pack.

“What’s in there?” I asked

She blushed pink in her cheeks as she looked up at me with a small smile. “It’s a . . . umm . . . a mocha latte.”

I laughed before I could stop myself. “I’m sorry, but . . . isn’t it a little hot outside for a latte?”

Her eyes narrowed, and I worried I’d offended her.

“It’s an iced mocha latte, thank you very much. And it’s small. I only brought it for the taste. I’m kind of addicted to them,” she finished, casting her eyes down.

“Oh. Okay. Sorry. I was just surprised. Sometimes I forget how much you love them. Most kids our age aren’t into coffee drinks.”

“It’s okay. I know I’m not normal,” she pouted.

I reached out and lifted her chin. Locking her gaze with mine, I leaned forward and gently kissed her soft lips. “No, you’re not. You’re unique, and that’s even better. I don’t want a cookie-cutter girlfriend.”

Her eyes snapped to mine, and she smiled, biting her bottom lip. I couldn’t stop watching her as we ate the rest of our lunch.

“That was really good. Thanks,” I said.

“You’re welcome. I figured we could stay a little longer than last time if we’re not so hungry.”

“Good idea. Let’s get moving so we can finish both trails.”

She stepped up on her tiptoes and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek then started skipping down the path. As I took off behind her, I couldn’t remember a time I was so content in my life.

I wondered when the other shoe would drop and everything would be taken away. I was becoming too attached to her. I pushed back thoughts of slowing down. I wanted our relationship to grow and was determined not to let my idiocy get in the way. It was okay to let someone in. It was okay to let Samone in.

I woke up early. I couldn’t sleep. Emjay was coming home from college to see Aunt Robin and me. It had been months since he’d been home. I loved my brother. We’d always been very close, even closer after Mom and Dad died. For a while, we only had each other, until we moved up here to stay with Aunt Robin. She traveled a lot with her boyfriend, Kent, but knew I was responsible enough to stay out of trouble while she was gone.

I walked downstairs and smelled cinnamon rolls baking and coffee brewing. Clearly, Aunt Robin couldn’t sleep either.

“Good morning Aunt Robin.”

“Oh, good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, it was good. Just woke up early. I guess I’m a little excited to see Emjay today,” I answered.

“Me too, dear. Me too. We really need to go see him if it’s going to be this long in between his visits home.”

“That’s a good idea.” I smiled.

“Alec, hey!” Aunt Robin startled me.

“What?” I asked, surprised by her worried tone.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered confused. “Umm, hey . . . do you need any help with the cinnamon rolls? I can put the icing on for you,” I said, my mouth watering as she pulled them out of the oven.

“Yes.” She looked at me skeptically, with her brow scrunched down. “Thanks, but that doesn’t mean you get to eat one early. You can lick the icing spoon though,” she smirked.

I laughed. “Okay.”

I took the icing from her and set it in the microwave for ten seconds for easier drizzling. Aunt Robin set the table for when Emjay got there. She always liked to entertain when she was home. I wished that was more often than not.

I heard Emjay’s car pull into the drive way and his door shut. Aunt Robin rushed to the front entry to greet him.

“Hey, Aunt Robin.”

He sounded older than the last time we’d seen him.

“Hello, dear. We’ve missed you.”

“Are those your homemade cinnamon rolls I smell?”

She laughed. “Yes, they are. See? You should come home more often.”

They rounded the corner, and I looked up and saw my brother. I couldn’t help the swell of pride that filled me. It had only been a few years since our parents died. For a while, I wondered if he would even go to college. He withdrew into himself. I know he thought the same of me, too. It was, and still is, hard to deal with the death of our parents. To see him coming home from college with a smile on his face gave me relief. I wondered if that happiness had anything to do with the overabundance of beautiful girls on campus.

He walked up and gave me a solid brotherly hug. “Missed ya, little bro.”

“I missed you, too, man,” I replied. “How long are you staying?”

“Just a couple days,” he said. “Then I have to head back for my shifts at work.”

“Cool. Well then, Aunt Robin can we eat? I’ve been smelling these since I woke up and I’m dying to have one,” I said as I licked the icing spoon.

She laughed. “Okay, okay. You boys sit down. Let’s eat.”

“So, Alec has a steady girlfriend since last year, don’t you dear,” Aunt Robin blurted.

Emjay swung his head around and looked at me, his eyes wide with shock. “Wow, you never told me about her. Why’s that?”

“They seem like they’re pretty serious too, if you ask me,” she said.

“Really, bro? A serious girlfriend . . . for that long? She must be something to break you out of your hermit shell,” he teased. “Congrats, man.”

“I can interact with the outside world,” I deadpanned.

“She’s adorable, too,” Aunt Robin chimed in.

“Yeah, she’s amazing. We met at a drunk driving charity event we were both volunteering at.”