THIRTEEN

The silence was soothing.

Cate closed her eyes and pulled in a long, slow breath.  The clean, earthy aroma of nature flooded her senses as her lungs filled with fresh morning air.  She held the breath in for as long as she could, oxygen fueling her body as the tranquility calmed her mind.  Slowly she let her breath escape, feeling her muscles relax.

She repeated the meditative ritual several more times before finally opening her eyes.  Her lips parted in a soft sigh as she took in the stunning panorama from her seat on the hillside.  All around her autumn’s colors blazed in full glory, gold and crimson and orange leaves garlanding the trees and carpeting the ground.  Ahead of her the placid lake mirrored the forest’s quiet beauty, its surface still and smooth as glass.

It was breathtaking.

Sunrise had brought warmth, the golden rays chasing away the harshness of the night’s chill.  The air was crisp and clear, subtly reminding of the coming winter but teasing at one last weekend of Indian Summer.  Thin clouds wisped high in the azure sky, like ghostly apparitions.  It was going to be a beautiful day.

Jon was still sleeping when Cate awoke.  She had watched him for several minutes, her gaze tracing slowly over his face from the shaggy blondish bangs tousled against his forehead, to the light lashes closed against his soft cheek, to the little lines at the corners of his eyes, and along the angle of his jaw, lightly sanded with soft caramel stubble.

Her eyes had moistened at Jon’s peaceful visage.  He was as beautiful as the sunrise outside their window.  For the millionth time Cate sent up a prayer of thanks and wonder that this wasn’t all a dream.

Carefully Cate had slipped from their bed and tiptoed into the bathroom.  There she quickly dressed, then crept from the master suite.  Minutes later she was outside, jogging slowly down the long gravel drive, performing her morning ritual.

As she ran Cate replayed the previous day’s events in her mind.  To say it had been a rollercoaster of a day was an understatement.  Again the gamut of emotions assaulted her, but the exercise endorphins kept her sorrow at bay.  By the time she had completed her five-mile run Cate felt much better, both in body and in spirit.

After a long stretch Cate went back into the cabin.  A quick peek into the bedroom confirmed her husband was still slumbering.  Not wanting to wake him, she had wandered into the kitchen, shedding her perspiration-dampened sweatshirt and tee, then pulling the elastic from her hair as she moved.

Cate pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator and drank, then turned her gaze toward the coffee pot.  She frowned as she felt the familiar longing for a strong cup of the self-forbidden brew.

“Baby,” she mumbled firmly in reminder, turning away from the pot.  She reached for the box of herbal tea bags she had deposited on the counter yesterday, then hesitated.  Cate frowned again and pulled her hand back.  She didn’t want any of that crappy tea, either.  But she craved something warm after her long jog in the morning chill.

Noticing the pair of mugs resting in the sink, Cate smiled.  “Ah,” she breathed softly as she again turned to the refrigerator.  She smiled gratefully as she extracted the half-empty jug of organic cider from the shelf.  Her husband’s thoughtfulness had provided them not only a lovely nightcap last night, but a tasty way for her to start her day. “Thanks, Baby,” Cate chuckled, not really knowing why she was talking to herself.

Cate found a clean mug, filled it with cider, added a dash of cinnamon, then set the beverage in the microwave.  A minute later she wrapped her hands around the warm mug and took a sip.  She smiled and moved to the window, gazing out at the beautiful morning scene.

A few more sips of cider and a half-refill later, Cate headed for the door.  On the way she paused to pull two heavy blankets from the small coat closet off the foyer.  Draping the quilted one over her bare shoulders, Cate headed out onto the porch, following it around the side of the house.  She descended the few steps to the ground, then wandered away from the cabin.

Cate picked her way through the forest until she found the perfect spot.  Morning sunlight dappled the little clearing, which offered her an unobstructed view down the hill to the peaceful lake.  Carefully setting her cider on the ground, Cate shook out the thick woolen blanket and settled it over the thick bed of leaves.  She lowered herself on the blanket, stretching out her legs and toeing off her running shoes.  She pushed them to the side of the blanket, then pulled her knees in to her chest as the damp chill from the ground caused her an involuntary shiver.

Cate pulled the quilt draped around her shoulders closer, covering her legs.  She snaked a hand out to retrieve her cider, then pulled it inside the warm cocoon.  Several more sips warmed her from the inside, tempering the morning’s chill.

As she gazed out at nature’s splendor, Cate’s mind relaxed.  Her focus drifted, random images and thoughts dancing through her consciousness.  Her dog… her first car… the family vacation she and her parents had taken to the Lake of the Ozarks when she was ten… her first encounter with her best friend Danny…   the day she had almost shot a raccoon during a stakeout… how her breath had caught in her throat the day she walked into her Boss’ office and Jon had been sitting there, in front of his desk.

The memory of her first meeting with Jon made Cate smile.  She closed her eyes, replaying the moment in her mind like she was watching it on a movie screen.

For a half-hour Cate sat on the hillside, lost in her memories, barely noticing the beauty surrounding her.  She savored the solitude, allowing herself to relive the history of her and Jon’s romance.  A bittersweet smile played across her lips as she reflected on their past and considered their future, then returned to their present.  To yesterday, when their world had shifted.  To last night, when they had made a plan.

“We’re going to have a baby,” Cate murmured softly to herself.

The quiet affirmation gave her strength.  It validated the pact she and Jon had made the evening before, that they would continue to try.  If necessary, they would turn to science.   But they wouldn’t give up.

Reaching out of her warm cocoon to set her now-empty cider mug on the ground, Cate closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath.  She exhaled, cleansing her thoughts and her soul.

She didn’t hear the movement behind her at first.  The sharp snap of a breaking twig followed by the quiet crunch of leaves under footsteps alerted her.  Cate started, freezing for a split second as her trained senses worked to pinpoint the location of the potential threat.

“Hey, you.”

Jon’s gentle voice made her smile.  Before he had uttered a syllable Cate knew it was him.  She had felt his presence without even having to turn her head.

“Hey.”  Cate craned her neck to look up, over her shoulder.  “You’re awake.”

“Uh huh.”  Jon stopped beside Cate and grinned down at her.  “I rolled over to give you a good morning kiss and you were gone.  Figured you went out for a run.”  He prodded at one of Cate’s empty sneakers with his toe.  “Then I went to make coffee and looked out the window, and saw you out here.”

“I did run.  But you were still snoozing when I came back, so I decided to come out and enjoy the view.”  Cate squinted against a golden glare as she looked up at Jon’s face.  His head was haloed in morning sunlight from a break in the leaf canopy above them.

Jon had clearly just rolled out of bed:  his hair was wildly untidy and he was scruffy and unshaven.  He was now dressed, but obviously without consideration for the crisp autumn weather.  He shivered in his knit track pants and light cotton zippered hoodie.

“Got room in there for me?”  Jon nodded hopefully at Cate’s blanket cocoon.

Cate chortled quietly.  “Sure.”  She unfolded her arms from around her knees, opening the quilt in invitation.

Jon grinned and moved closer to Cate.  With a little groan he lowered himself onto the wool blanket-bed next to her, then scooted sideways.  Cate draped her arm around Jon’s shoulders as he settled, sharing her body-warmed covering.

She shivered as Jon’s chilly clothing contacted her bare skin.  She hadn’t bothered to put her t-shirt back on after her run, her body still warm from exercise.  From the waist up she was clad only in her snug sports tank.

“Don’t know why the fuck Steph couldn’t go to school in the Bahamas or somewhere,” Jon fake-grumbled as he toed off his shoes and kicked them over beside Cate’s.  “It’s fucking cold up here in the mountains.”

Cate snorted.  “You’re so full of shit.  You know damned well you’d hate her being so far away.”

Jon grinned as Cate called his bluff.  “Yeah, well.”

“And it’s not that cold.  Actually, it looks like it’s gonna be a gorgeous day.”

Succeeding in removing his shoes, Jon pulled his knees to his chest and sidled closer to Cate.  He reached up to take the edge of the quilt from her grasp, pulling it around his shoulder.   His smile gentled at Cate’s optimistic observation, happy to see his wife in seemingly good spirits.

“Yeah, it’s supposed to be clear and ‘fall-like,’ according to the weather guy.”  Jon tugged again at the quilt, trying to cover his chest with the warm fabric.  He grunted softly at the realization that the covering wasn’t big enough to enclose he and Cate side-by-side.  “Hey, move over a minute.”  He scooted sideways, pushing his hip against Cate’s.

“What are you.. Jon!  Quit hogging the covers!” Cate protested as Jon tugged again at the quilt, making it slip from her shoulder.

“Just hang on…” Jon argued mildly.  He stretched out his legs again, then pushed them apart.  “Here.  Let me get behind you.  Gimme the blanket.”

Cate hmphed at his order, but didn’t protest.  She relinquished her control of the quilt, letting Jon slide it fully onto his shoulders before she crawled rather ungracefully over his leg.  Cate shivered again and cursed under her breath as the cool air braced her bare skin, raising goose pimples on her flesh.

After a good bit of scooting and shifting and adjusting and tugging and prodding,  they finally got comfortable.  Sitting between Jon’s bent knees, Cate pulled her knees back up to her chest.  She sighed softly at the feel of Jon’s firm chest against her back as he encircled her in a snug embrace, pulling the quilt around them like a cape.

“There.  Better?”  Jon’s voice was soft in her ear, his chin resting on her shoulder.

“Better.”  She smiled.  “You?”

Jon chuckled.  “Perfect.”  He tightened his arms around her in a little hug.  He was rewarded with a soft purr of contentment from his wife.

Jon turned his gaze forward, taking in the lovely vista.  He could see why Cate had been drawn to this spot.  The autumn foliage was stunning in the golden morning light, against a backdrop of azure sky and indigo water.  “It really is gorgeous up here,” he observed.  “Steph chose well, if you ask me.”

Cate chuckled.  “Yeah, and the school is actually pretty good, too.”

“Smartass.”  Jon grinned and playfully nuzzled at Cate’s ear.  “So, what were you thinking about, out here all by yourself?”

“Nothing particular.  My mind was just kinda wandering.”  Cate paused, then smiled sheepishly at her unintentional lie.  “Well, okay… I was actually thinking about us.”

“What about us?” Jon pressed his lips against Cate’s shoulder, hiding a little frown.

“Our life so far.  How we met, how you convinced me to go out with you…”

Jon snorted.  “Yeah.  That was no easy feat.”

Cate chuckled at his gentle retort, then continued.  “How nervous I was, going to California with you… meeting your kids… How we got married on the spur of the moment on that beach in Hawaii…”

“Best day ever.”  Jon nibbled lightly at Cate’s shoulder as he gave her another affectionate squeeze.

“And all the good times since.  All the wonderful experiences and moments we’ve shared.  I guess…”  Cate sighed gently.  “I guess lately I’ve just been too focused on… on what we’re going through.”  She fluttered her lashes against the moisture in her eyes.  “I should be grateful.  I’m lucky.”

“We’re lucky.”  Jon gently corrected her.

“Yeah.”  Cate smiled and dropped her gaze from the scenery to her quilt-covered knees.  “We really are.  Even if…”

“That’s not gonna happen.”  Jon cut Cate off, reading her mind.  He didn’t want her to slip back into sadness, when this morning she seemed so upbeat.

Cate turned her head to give him a tender look.  “I know.  We have a plan.”

Jon chuckled and brushed his lips across hers.  “Yes, we do.  Even if I have to mix up that test tube myself, we’re gonna get another little Bongiovi on this Earth.”

Cate giggled at his silliness.  “I’m sure you’d be right there in the lab, frowning at the tech and demanding a play-by-play of the process, if you could.”

“Damn straight.  I’m an involved parent.”  Jon grinned.  But probably all I’m gonna get to do is visit that special little room.”

“Probably so.  Sorry, Baby.”

“Nah, no big deal.  I do it anyway.  May as well make it count.”

Cate laughed aloud at Jon’s tease.  The beautiful, rare sound made Jon’s heart squeeze.  He hugged Cate close, again dropping his chin onto her shoulder and pressing his cheek to hers.  She leaned back against him, her warm body molding to his.

“Like I said last night, Baby…” Jon’s voice turned husky.  “We’ll do the science.  Whatever it takes to get you pregnant.”

Under the quilt, he let one hand slide across her knee and up the inside of her thigh, his fingers trailing over the thin fabric of her track pants.  He smiled as he felt her intake of breath, then felt her open her legs a little bit more to his touch.   Jon turned his head to breathe against Cate’s ear.  “But it can’t hurt to try it again the old-fashioned way, right?”

Cate felt her pulse kick up at Jon’s sultry growl in her ear.  The sensation was almost a surprise to her; it had been a long time since she and Jon had spontaneously made love.  They had had plenty of sex over the past few months, but it had been mostly purposeful and premeditated.  At least on her part.

“No, I suppose not…” Cate felt a tingle of anticipation creep through her as Jon’s teeth closed gently on her earlobe.  She gasped softly when his hand moved from her thigh to her chest.  “But… Dorothea and the boys…”

“Over an hour away.”  Jon reassured her in a silky purr.  His groin twinged in anticipation as Cate shifted her seat, her buttocks pressing firmly against his crotch.  He let the edge of the quilt slip from his grasp and moved his other hand to Cate’s chest.  He breathed against Cate’s ear as both hands curved over her full breasts.

“Ohhh….” Cate whimpered softly as she felt her nipples pebble against his palms, though they were securely bound inside her sports tank.  “But Jonny…”  She shivered slightly as the quilt, now unanchored by Jon’s otherwise-occupied hands, slid down her legs  “It’s cold out here…”

“Nah.  It’s nice and warm…”   Jon’s lips found the side of Cate’s neck.  He suckled lightly at her skin, the remnants of her perspiration deliciously salty against his tongue.

Cate chuckled and tipped her head, further exposing her neck to Jon’s mouth.  “But you have clothes on.  I’m hardly wearing anything.”

“We can take care of that.”  Jon chuckled sexily and slid his hands down to the bottom of Cate’s thin microfiber tank.  His fingers curled under the edge and he pulled it upward, exposing her stomach.

Cate gasped softly as her skin was bared to the morning air, and clutched at the edges of the quilt.  Tugging it closed around them, she sighed.  “You promise to keep me warm?”

“Cross my heart.”  Jon lifted a hand to draw an “X” over Cate’s bosom.  His gesture was concealed by the quilt, but Cate smiled as she felt the movement.  “Or cross yours, anyway.”

“Well, okay then…” Cate coyly relented.  She was a little surprised that she was as eager for sex as Jon obviously was.  Surprised, and a little relieved.  Apparently she hadn’t forgotten the deliciousness of spontaneous lovemaking.

She turned her face to Jon’s and sighed at the feel of his lips on hers.  She tasted the excitement in his kiss, something that had been subdued of late.  Cate parted her lips more widely to revel in the feel of his tongue on hers, caressing and stroking, alive with desire.

Jon moaned softly against the kiss, then pulled back.  “Mmmm…  Baby, I want you.”

“You’ve got me.”  Cate breathed.  Giving up on her attempts to hold on to the quilt, she sat forward and turned on her hip, twisting to half-face Jon.

Jon leaned back a bit to give Cate room to move, then snaked his arms around her waist as she quickly closed the space between their bodies.  He chuckled hoarsely as this time her mouth took control of his.  Jon felt himself tilting backward as Cate shifted again, trying to get even closer.

The quilt slipped from Jon’s shoulders as he reclined, puddling around him on the blanket-covered ground.  He felt Cate automatically respond with a shiver.  “Mmmfff… Baby…” Jon mumbled against her lips.  “Hang on…”  He didn’t want to stop kissing her, but he didn’t want her to catch a cold, either.

“Hurry.”

Jon quickly grabbed a fistful of fabric, dragging the tangled quilt from the ground.  With a soft grunt he again claimed Cate’s lips, restoring the kiss while he fumbled blindly behind her back with both hands, attempting to untwist the quilt.   “Dammit,” he rumbled, giving the heavy fabric a frustrated shake.

“Here,” Cate commanded quietly, breaking their contact.  She half-turned again and grasped at the quilt, taking it from Jon’s hands.  She quickly untangled the fabric mass, then shook it out over Jon’s legs.

Cate turned to give Jon a sexy smirk.  “Okay.  Now…”  She hitched the quilt up over her shoulder and leaned into Jon.

He responded with a husky chortle, reclining back on his elbows.  “Now what?” he asked coyly, arching a brow.

Cate reached for the zipper tab at Jon’s chest.  “Now…” she answered as she pulled, slowly unzipping his hoodie to reveal his heavily-furred chest.  “Keep me warm.”  She tugged the two halves of his sweatshirt apart and slid her hands across his abdomen before lowering her torso to his.

Jon grinned and dropped from his elbows, fully reclining on the wool blanket covering the ground.  His hands moved to Cate’s hips, resting there for a moment to steady her as she shifted once more, stretching out her legs between his and rolling onto her belly.  He gasped softly as her belly pressed against his now-fully awakened shaft, then he groaned happily as Cate slithered her body upward against his, settling herself on Jon’s chest.

Cate sighed at the warmth of his bare flesh against hers.  She dropped her lips against his firm pectoral in a gentle kiss.  Then with a devilish chuckle she slipped her mouth to cover Jon’s nipple.

“Ohhh…. Baby…” Jon groaned, his eyes fluttering shut as Cate sucked lightly on the hard peak.  His head tipped back and his hips automatically pressed upward in response to her stimulation.  His cock throbbed as it was sandwiched between their pelvises, the pressure welcome and teasing.

Cate chuckled against Jon’s skin, then raised her face to give him a smile.  The gleam in her swirling sapphire eyes made Jon’s heart squeeze as well as his groin clench.  It had been awhile since Cate had looked at him like that when they made love -- not just with lust, but with her whole soul.

“Get rid of this,” Jon growled, his hands moving swiftly from Cate’s hips to her back.  He hooked his fingers under her tank and yanked it upward.  The garment tangled briefly in Cate’s long hair as he tried to drag it over her head, and she levered herself upward to unsnarl it from her tresses.

Jon groaned as Cate’s bared breasts hovered in front of his face.  Another little gust of chilly air crept under the blanket, causing her dusky nipples to shrink even more.  He reached up to fondle the firm globes of flesh, gently kneading as he stared in fascination at their voluptuous swell.  Cate purred softly at the attention.

“Ohhh… Jonny…” she sighed, bracing her hands against the ground on either side of Jon’s torso to allow him to continue his touch.  “God, Baby…”

“So beautiful…” Jon crooned softly.  He raised his darkened eyes from Cate’s chest to her face, then smiled tenderly as their gazes locked.  He knew what he wanted.  Simple, old-fashioned lovemaking.

“Baby… here.”  Jon slipped his hands from Cate’s breasts to her sides, urging her to lower her body to his.  She complied, and he glided his hands down to her waist.  “Hang on.”

“What?” Cate’s puzzlement sounded in her soft voice.  Jon shifted beneath her, gripping her waist gently as he turned to the side.  “Oh.”  Now understanding, Cate rolled sideways with Jon.  Her arms flailed slightly as she straightened the quilt to keep their bodies covered.

“There we go…” Jon whispered, pulling her body tight against his as they lay facing each other.  His mouth dropped to Cate’s and again they shared a hungry kiss.  Jon’s cock throbbed as he ground his pelvis hard against hers.

“Jon…” Cate purred.  Her free hand moved to push the thin knit of his sweatshirt over his shoulder, baring it.  Jon responded to her silent cue, struggling slightly to shed his hoodie but quickly succeeding.  He wrapped his arms around Cate, the skin-to-skin contact making him sigh blissfully.

Cate savored the embrace for a long moment, then a powerful twitch against her mound made her smirk.  She reached down to tug at the elastic waist of Jon’s track pants, pulling the band downward to bare his left buttock.  Her hand curved around the firm flesh and she squeezed.

Jon chuckled and responded in kind, his hand slipping under the elastic of her jogging togs and into her panties.  He gave Cate’s ass a gentle grope before sliding his hand up to her hip and pushing downward at the waist of her pants.

Wordlessly Cate and Jon worked to undress each other, pushing and tugging and wiggling until they managed to kick free of their lower garments.  Jon re-adjusted the quilt over them, ensuring they were protected from the chilly air.  He smirked silently as he realized he and Cate were both still wearing their socks.  Only their socks.

“Warm enough?” he murmured as he lowered his mouth to Cate’s.  She hummed an “Mmm Hmm” against the kiss in reply.  Her arms slipped around Jon’s waist and she molded herself to him, her soft curves yielding to his firm planes.

A growl of arousal rumbled from deep in Jon’s throat as the kiss intensified.  His cock twitched again, urgently reminding his brain of its readiness.  Heeding the signal, Jon slithered his hand down Cate’s back and across her hip.  His fingers slid between their tightly-meshed bodies, seeking the source of his pleasure.

Cate gasped softly as Jon tunneled his fingers through her curls and between her folds.  She didn’t know when it had happened, but somehow she had become instantly and thoroughly wet.  She chortled quietly when she realized that shouldn’t surprise her… he had always been able to make her moist with just a look.

“Lay back,” Jon commanded in a hoarse whisper.  Cate silently obliged, rolling reluctantly away from him though she knew their contact would be momentarily restored.  She panted softly in anticipation, her sapphire eyes dark and wide as she stared up at him.

Jon paused for a moment and smiled down at Cate.  She looked beautiful, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink, her mahogany tresses fanned out against the dark brown blanket, her eyes swirling and gleaming with anticipation.  He missed seeing her like this, fully in the moment, lost in their passion.  In her expression he saw no hint of sadness or worry.  Only desire.

“Jonny…” Her whisper urged him to continue.  Jon nodded slowly, then eased on top of her.  Cate sighed blissfully as his hands braced on either side of her shoulders, then his knee nudged apart her legs.  She willingly opened herself to him, purring as she felt his shaft press against her cleft.

Jon moaned softly as he rubbed his cock against the soft strip of hair cloaking Cate’s womanhood.  The sensation was delicious.  But not as good as what they were about to share.

“Look at me,” Jon whispered, his eyes locking with Cate’s.  He stared intently into the sapphire pools, wanting to see the very moment in her gaze.  He retracted his hips, feeling his head slide into place against her warm opening.  Then he slowly, steadily pushed forward.

Cate’s eyes widened with delight as Jon filled her.  It was as if he was moving in slow motion, inching his manhood inside her tingling womb, so dialed-in were her senses.  Her lips parted in a silent moan, only a soft breath escaping her.  Above her she saw nothing but glittering azure.  Inside her she felt nothing but rigid flesh.  On top of her she felt nothing but warm muscle covered by soft skin and downy fur.

It was almost rapturous.

Jon exhaled at Cate’s expression.  It was primally beautiful, her pale skin and glittering midnight eyes against the backdrop of her fiery mane.  At this moment she was clearly more fire than ice.

Cate stared up at Jon for a long moment, transfixed by his passion-painted face.  For a long moment he stared back.  Then, without a word spoken between them, they began their practiced dance of desire.

Jon’s hips rolled slowly, making Cate gasp with delight.  She whimpered softly as he half-withdrew, then yelped hoarsely as he plunged back inside.  It only took three repeats of the sequence for her to feel the onset of her climax.  The tingling started in her feet, then raced up her legs to her middle.  The sensation subsided abruptly, as if it was swallowed by her core’s own pulsing energy.

“Oh!  Jon…”  Cate grimaced involuntarily, her womb suddenly and violently contracting.

“Let go,” he whispered hoarsely.  “Let it go, Baby…”  Jon grunted as again his cock was assaulted by her clenching muscles.  “Come on…”

“But Jonny….” Cate panted.  “You…”

“Shhhh.” Jon stilled her.  “Let go, Baby.  I’m with you.”

The quiet reassurance was enough for Cate.  She gasped and whimpered and shuddered under Jon as her orgasm possessed her, overtaking her control and her senses.

The warm, wet rush of her release ignited Jon.  Wanting to prolong her ecstasy, he dropped to his elbows, pinning Cate beneath him.  He thrusted powerfully against the violent fractures of her orgasm, his swollen head dragging hard against her sensitized walls.   With a hoarse yelp and a long moan he came, his seed met by another wave of wet heat from Cate’s womb.

Dropping his forehead against Cate’s chest, Jon panted for breath.  After a long moment he raised his face to look at her.  Her lips were painted with a smile of wonderment, her face awash with relief.  Jon looked into his wife’s swirling blue eyes and saw that her release was not just physical, but emotional.  She looked dazed, but utterly and completely content.

Jon’s heart squeezed again at her beauty, and he lowered his lips against her skin.  He pressed a kiss to her breast, then turned his cheek to rest on her chest.  Her heartbeat under his ear made him smile.

Cate didn’t know how long they had laid there, lost in the afterburn, when Jon finally moved.  Without a word he slipped from her, then carefully settled next to her on the blanket, reclining on his side with his head pillowed on his bent arm.  She turned her face to him and saw his tender smile.

Jon pursed his lips into a silent “Shhh,” and raised a hand to her face.  He stroked back a lock of auburn hair and tucked it behind Cate’s ear, then laid his hand gently against her cheek.

They gazed silently at each other for a long time, listening to the sounds of the awakening forest.