“You will enjoy this. I promise, baby.”
Reaching up on her toes, she kissed me on the lips. “I trust you.”
Hearing those three words meant more than anything. After everything she had learned about Mike over the last few months, I knew having her trust wasn’t something I would ever take for granted.
“Come on, let’s go explore.”
THE STEPS LEADING down to the cave entrance felt like they went on forever. My hands were sweating I was so nervous. At the entrance, Rick turned to face us.
“Ready?”
I nodded. Blake placed his hand on my back and I instantly felt more at ease.
“It’s narrow as we walk down into the cave, but then it will open again.” Blake said.
“Okay.”
Goodness, why in the world is my voice shaking?
As we walked deeper into the cave, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was.
Rick’s voice pulled my gaze from the walls of the cave.
“Longhorn Cavern is a rare form of cavern. You’ll notice there aren’t a lot stalactites.” He paused and looked at me. “I guess you’ve never seen a stalactite before.”
I shook my head, and that was all it took. Soon Rick was pointing out stalactites, a bat, hidden caves, a lipstick wall women used to kiss back in the 1920s when they were down here dancing and having parties.
“They had parties down here?” I asked, twirling around in a giant chamber.
“Yes. It was a speakeasy for several years. They still have weddings and events down here. Over there is what’s left of the original wooden dance floor.”
“That is amazing. I bet it’s beautiful down here when they have it set up for a wedding,” I said, letting my gaze roam every inch of the cave. The sound of trickling water was so peaceful. Everywhere I looked I saw something even more breathtaking than the last place I looked. “It’s breathtaking,” I whispered. “Utterly stunning.”
Blake took my hand in his. “I told you.”
“I’ve been missing out.”
He grinned. “Ready to go explore a wild cave? Maybe an underwater one?”
I scrunched my nose. “Underwater cave? Have you done that?”
He nodded, and I felt my stomach drop. I would never tell him to stop doing things he loved, but the thought of something happening to him made me feel nauseous and for a moment, and the idea of losing him made me dizzy.
“Hey, you okay?”
I nodded.
“Then why did your face go pale?”
“It’s silly. Never mind. Let’s enjoy our time down here. I’m in awe with this place.”
I started to walk toward Rick, but Blake held me back. His eyes met mine, and my entire body tingled. The way this man looked at me was like nothing I had ever experienced before. He could communicate so much to me with one simple look.
“Talk to me, Morgan.”
Swallowing hard, I averted my eyes. “It scared me for a minute, thinking about you doing something dangerous. Something that might take you away from me.”
Blake’s strong hands cupped my face. He lifted my chin so our gazes meet.