Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Going up stairs and down some, we walk deeper into the forest, passing tree after tree, each seeming bigger than the last, until we get to a tree that is so huge I have no possible way to describe it with words. And as a human, I have never felt more insignificant or so small. Walking over to a sign on a raised placard close to the edge of the grate, I read about the Lost Monarch that is over fifteen hundred years old.
“When this tree started growing, we as humans probably still thought the earth was flat,” I whisper to Roman because talking too loud seems disrespectful. Like instead of standing in the middle of the forest, we’re in a church or a library, where people are attempting to gain some kind of knowledge for the greater good of humanity.
“Imagine what we’ll find out in another fifteen hundred years,” he says quietly, letting go of my hand and wrapping his arm around me as we both look up.
“We’ll probably be populating Mars by that time, and Earth will be a summer destination for the rich and famous,” I mumble, and he laughs, the sound wrapping tight around my insides.
“Probably.”
Smiling, I look up at him. “Should we go before it gets dark?”
“Yeah.” He gives my waist a squeeze, then dips his face closer to mine, so even with the trees above us, he’s all I see. “This isn’t the spot?”
Darn. Somehow, he knew I brought my mom’s ashes with us. I shake my head, and his face softens before he turns us and leads us back the way we came.
When we reach the van, I put the small bottle back into the box with the others and get into the passenger seat without bothering to ask Roman if he wants me to take over.
The drive to the campsite I found online is a little over an hour with traffic, and when we arrive, Roman parks at the guest check-in. The two of us get out and walk toward what looks like a small cabin. He opens the door, and I enter before him. It smells like dust and damp wood inside, but something about it is almost nostalgic.
“Hi, how can I help you two?” an older woman with long gray hair pushed back away from her face with a bright pink headband greets us with a warm smile.
“We’d like a campsite for the night,” I tell her as we walk toward the desk.
“Did you book online?”
“No.”
She cringes. “I’m sorry. All of our sites are booked.”
My heart plummets to my stomach. “Really?”
“This is our busiest time of year. I’m so sorry.”
“Do you know of another place that’s close that might have a spot available?”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m sorry. I wish I did.”
“What about a cabin?” Roman asks, picking up one of the brochures from the counter. “Do you have any of those available?”
“Only one. It’s the honeymoon cabin.”
“We’ll take it.”
“Great.” Her smile is wide.
“Roman,” I murmur, but he ignores me.
“Do you know of a place we can get something to eat?” he asks.
“We just started something new a couple of days ago,” she says, sounding excited. “They’re uncooked meals in a bag. We have dinner and breakfast options, and you just choose what you want from the list.” She passes over a piece of laminated paper to him, and he hands it to me.
“You choose.”
“How much is the cabin?” I ask, not looking at the menu I’m now holding.
“It’s just $627 a night with tax.”
“Just?”
“It’s our best cabin,” She defends.
For over six hundred dollars, it better be.
Roman takes the paper from me. “We’ll take the chicken and vegetable kabobs for dinner and the omelet breakfast for two,” he tells her.
“Roman, I can’t afford six hundred dollars for one night,” I whisper, glancing at the woman out of the corner of my eye as my cheeks burn.
“I’ve got it.”
“Roman.”
“Elora.” His hand comes up to the side of my neck. “It’s fine. We need a place to sleep. We can call around tomorrow and see if somewhere else is available.”
“Okay,” I give in, and he squeezes my neck before he drops his hand and takes out his credit card, passing it over.
When she’s done checking us in and has given us the key, she disappears into the back of the office and comes out a few minutes later with a large paper bag, passing it over to Roman.
“You two are all set. Have a wonderful night.”
“Thanks.” I force a smile and follow Roman back to my van.
It takes us a few minutes to find the secluded cabin by a small lake surrounded by trees. As Roman parks, all I can think about is how beautiful it is. The location is stunning, especially with the sky overhead, now a mixture of pinks and purples reflecting off the small body of water.