A subdued breeze moved through the forest, and the farther in we got, the more the air changed, became sweeter and damp-smelling from the rainstorm the day before. I liked just walking with Mark, being aware of his presence at my back or alongside me as we roved, and I guess he felt the same, because when I’d glance over at him, he’d give a smile I didn’t know what to make of. It was a fusion of shy and devious, and it made my stomach swoop just as much as the rolling hills we’d climbed and descended earlier.
