Tabitha stood up from the rug with an ease that defied her age. She lifted the tent flap to let us out. "Happy summer solstice-the longest day of the year. Too bad that also means it's the shortest night. Enjoy it while you can."
I thanked the elderly woman before Penn yanked me out of the tent. By the time we reached the path again, I wrenched my arm from his grip. "Stop pulling me along. I'm not some prop."
He spun around on the narrow wooded path. "No, you're not."
"Then, I'm just a silly mistake?"
Penn's shoulders sagged. "I didn't know about your mother. No wonder you're such a comfort. Bringing you along wasn't a mistake for me, but I bet it feels like one to you."
It felt like there were floodwaters pressing against my heart. I wanted to open up and let them rush over me, but I was too afraid.
I had always thought my parents’ marriage was a mistake. My beautiful mother trapped in that little town with nothing much. Then, I had seen how much they loved each other and how it killed my father when she died. I knew love was like drowning, and I was scared of it.
I tipped my chin up. "I'm not as shallow as you think. This trip has given me other things besides a nice mansion to stay in. I don't think I made a mistake."
He took my hands with the lightest of touches and lifted them to his lips. "Thank you."
I pulled back from the waves of emotions his lips stirred up. "You want to thank me? Then you're going to have to dance with me around the campfire."
Penn smirked. "How about we start with a little dandelion wine?"
"But I hear the music now." It was my turn to pull him along the path.
We veered to the right, away from the spa, and found Alice's campground by a side path. The bonfire was already reaching up to the sky and all the campers were either playing an instrument or dancing. The celebration was bright, loud, and easy to get lost in. The psychic's words were forgotten and our role as the happy couple came easily. I tugged Penn's arms around my waist and lured him closer to the dancing.
Xavier saved him and handed us each a cup of sweet wine. "You're going to like this, so I suggest right now you decide to camp overnight."
"Corsica camp?" Penn snorted.
I punched him on the shoulder. "I told you I grew up hunting, camping, and fishing."
"Then you won't mind hearing my idea for your wedding," Alice interrupted. "I can imagine you standing under a sea-swept cypress tree. The ocean's your backdrop, the waves are part of your vows."
"She's already had a little wine," Xavier interjected.
Alice swatted his hand from her arm. "It will be beautiful. Then, you'll leave the shore and hike into the oak groves. We'll make a campsite far up above the fog line, just for you two."
"And our honeymoon will be all hiking and camping," Penn said.
"Dream on," I snorted.
Alice frowned. "Don't you want to talk wedding plans? Isn't it exciting?"
It was, but it was also too close to the useless daydreaming my mother had taught me as a child. Penn and I were not engaged and we would never be married. So, it hurt to imagine how wonderful it would be.
I felt a stab of guilt. We were feeding Alice a pleasant fairytale and all of a sudden, it didn't feel fair. "It just doesn't feel real," I said.
I was on the verge of telling her, but Alice held up her hands. "I know. I understand."
I worried that she really did. Did Penn's mother know we were putting a good show to make her happy?
Before I could pull Penn aside and share my worry, he whirled me into a wild dance around the bonfire. The rest of the evening melted into the long streaks of a slow sunset. The solstice was full of warmth and when Penn finally led me to a quiet place on the hill, I felt a sudden chill.
He wrapped an arm around me, but I shrugged it off. "I feel like walking," I said.
Penn's lips curved. "Good because there's somewhere I'd like to show you."
He pointed high up the hill, but I was glad for the quiet hike. I carried the pack that Penn had tossed me and concentrated on making the weight seem inconsequential. Still, I was relieved when Penn stopped at an old oak and pointed out the quiet grove.