“What happened?” he asked. “We were about to head back up the trail to look for you.”

“I blew a tire.”

“Did it pop?” Cooper asked. “I heard a bang and wondered if that’s what it was.”

I nodded. “Right in my face too. I nearly had a heart attack.” Simon settled on the bench across from us. “Luckily, Simon was still behind me when it happened. He had a spare tube and replaced it for me.”

“Hey, thanks, man.” Jamie gave his brother a high five. “I’m glad we restocked all the repair kits last night.”

“Not a problem,” Simon said. “Who ended up winning?”

“We did,” their parents said in unison. “First and second place right here, baby,” Lynette said. “All you young and tough boys can eat that for dinner.”

Dave tossed a napkin at his mother’s head. “Yeah, yeah,” he said with a grin. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

* * *

The rest of the weekend was more of the same. Lots of joking and laughter but also moments of tenderness that made me love the Hamilton family as a whole in serious ways. After church, I watched as each brother, throughout the afternoon, found a moment to sit down with Cooper individually. I don’t know what they talked about—advice, I guessed, from three former missionaries to a brand-new one—but whatever their words were, it was touching to see it. To recognize their regard for one another.

We drove home Monday morning, leaving Cooper behind for two final days with his parents before heading to the Missionary Training Center in Johannesburg. Time alone in the car with Jamie was much-needed relationship validation after the weird moment I’d had on the trail with Simon. Something had happened inside of me when Simon had suddenly become free of the protective bubble his relationship with Karen had provided. His official off-limits status had always made it much easier to dismiss any potential spark or connection or whatever it was that had happened when he’d looked at me like he’d looked at me on the trail. Now that was gone, which made being around him feel dangerous in ways I couldn’t explain. But Jamie was real. And he was mine. And though I’d voiced my misgivings to Randi about some facets of our relationship, we’d had a great time over the weekend. We were good together. Things had been really good.

Just across the Virginia/NC border, we stopped at a Dunkin’ Donuts. “You want anything?” Jamie asked. “I was thinking some hot chocolate would be good.”

I stared. “Right now?” October was almost hot-chocolate weather, but it was still sixty-five degrees outside. I mean, yes, I drank hot chocolate year-round, but I was weird.

“Why not?” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been wanting to try the hazelnut. I’ve heard it’s good.”