He instructs me to lay the blanket on the grass, while he opens the cooler, grabbing out two of what looks to be beer, and popping the caps off. I situate the pillows at the top of the blanket, and we take a seat. He hands me the bottle of what I now can tell is an IPA, before taking a swig of his own. The moonlight is bright enough that it illuminates his features, and I can see his Adam’s apple dip as he swallows.

“What is this place?” Last time, I didn’t allow myself to ask any questions, but I’m not doing that this time. I want to know. I need to know.

“It belongs to my family. We’re all from Spokane, but when I got into WSU, my folks wanted to be close by. They bought this property, but never had a chance to move into it. It belongs to me and my sister now. You can’t tell in the dark, but there’s a house at the end of this field.”

“Do you live here?”

“No. Neither Molly nor I live here. We can’t bring ourselves to, but it is my favorite place to go when I need to get away from it all and be alone. Look up.”

My head falls back on my shoulders as I take in the sky above me. “Wow,” is all I manage to get out. The sky is filled with stars, the moon full and shining bright. I’ve never seen the sky look like this before.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Hell yes. How have I never seen the sky like this before?”

“The city lights make it impossible for the stars to be visible. Out here, away from the city, you get an unobstructed view. I love it.”

Bringing the beer bottle to my lips, I take a long pull, turning my gaze toward Stone. “Do you come out here often, err… with your wife?” I’m thankful for the darkness. Stone can’t see how my cheeks heat with my question.

He gives me a crooked grin before taking a swig of his beer. “You’re, uh, actually the first person I’ve ever taken here.”

That answer surprises me. “What? Why?”

“I don’t know. It’s my favorite place to go, and it’s special to me. I never wanted to taint it by bringing anyone.”

I try hard—I really do—to not let myself melt into a puddle by that statement. I fail, of course. I fully fucking melt… because he has never brought anyone else here. Not even his wife. But he brought me.