Lost & Found In Six Miles
830 Words
The sky was still somewhere between night and morning when I parked outside the café, but Tyler was already fully alert, his tail thumping against the van floor like a built-in metronome. I climbed out and breathed in the crisp morning air, stretching my arms toward the sky like I could pull the sun up myself.
Teddy wasn’t there yet. I leaned against the side of the van, watching the sky slowly shift in color.
Ten minutes later, I heard tires crunching gravel and turned to see a matte gray 2015 Jeep Wrangler pulling into the lot.
“Huh,” I muttered to Tyler. “Didn’t have him pegged as a Jeep guy.”
Teddy stepped out, looking maddeningly good for someone awake before sunrise. Sleep-tousled hair, worn-in hiking boots, and a paper coffee cup in one hand. The other? Reaching into his back seat and pulling out a small bag.
“For the prince,” he said, tossing Tyler a treat.
Tyler caught it mid-air like the show-off he was, then sat with perfect posture, tail swishing.
I arched a brow. “Oh, so now you carry treats? What is this, an elaborate ruse to win over my dog?”
He grinned. “Is it working?”
I gave him a slow once-over. “I mean…you’re not not charming him.”
Teddy leaned against the Jeep, sipping his coffee like he had all the time in the world. “You ready?”
“Almost.” I grabbed my phone and sent Ellie a text with a location pin, then turned on our location sharing. Just in case I disappear into the woods forever, I added with a smirking emoji.
Ellie replied instantly: He murders you, I get the van.
I rolled my eyes, then looked up at Teddy. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
The drive wasn’t long, maybe twenty minutes outside the city. Enough to feel removed from everything but still within escape range if the date turned murdery.
When we parked, I got into full adventure mode:
• Hydration backpack, check.
• Sunscreen and bug spray, applied.
• Hair in two braids, sunglasses on, bucket hat secured.
“You’re like a sexy Dora the Explorer,” Teddy teased, slinging his pack over one shoulder.
I gave him a deadpan look. “You say that again, and I’m turning this hike around.”
But I was already smiling as we started our ascent.
“Where exactly are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see.” He gave me that maddeningly vague smile again. “It’s a surprise.”
The hike stretched into a rhythm—boots crunching earth, birdsong overhead, Tyler trotting happily beside me like a golden cloud of joy.
At mile four, I stopped trying to guess where we were going.
At mile five, I stopped caring.
At mile six, I saw the shimmer of water between the trees and felt my heart lurch.
A waterfall.
Tucked into a green basin, water cascading down smooth black rock into a sparkling pool below. The morning sun hit it just right, making everything glow.
I turned to Teddy, breathless. “You’re forgiven.”
He laughed and dropped his bag near the edge of the water. “That easy, huh?”
I shrugged, already pulling out water for Tyler. “Waterfalls have a way of making me forget grudges. Don’t get used to it.”
We spread out a little picnic—fruit, sandwiches, a couple of granola bars. He even brought iced tea in a thermos.
We sat cross-legged in the shade, Tyler passed out in a content loaf nearby.
“So,” Teddy said between bites, “you wanna go swimming?”
I glanced at the water. “I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
“Neither did I.” He stood, unbothered, and peeled off his shirt, then his cargo shorts, leaving him in nothing but snug black boxers.
My brain short-circuited.
Teddy looked like he’d been carved—defined chest, toned arms, V-line peeking over the waistband. He ran a hand through his hair and walked toward the water like a literal movie moment, then dove under with a clean arc.
I sat there dumbly, sandwich forgotten in my hand.
“Oh my god,” I whispered. “He’s so hot it’s rude.”
Tyler huffed in agreement.
I stood, peeling off my own outer layers until I was in a black sports bra and cheeky thong. Screw it. We were in the middle of nowhere, and Teddy had already ruined all chances of me playing it cool.
I stepped into the water, the chill biting at first but quickly becoming refreshing.
“Teddy,” I called, moving toward him, “if you try to dunk me, I swear I’ll unleash Tyler.”
He surfaced a few feet away, grinning. “Noted. I value my life.”
I smiled, already feeling lighter than I had in weeks. Maybe murder wasn’t on the menu after all.
- Writer
