He looked forty-eight.
Too young.
Smiling.
Alive.
Daniel stayed ten feet away.
He did not intrude.
When Evelyn finished speaking with old colleagues, she found him near the exit.
“Ready?”
She nodded.
Outside, sunlight filled the parking lot.
Evelyn took his hand.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Not standing beside me.”
Daniel frowned.
She smiled.
“You knew that moment belonged to him.”
Daniel squeezed her fingers.
“Yes.”
She looked at him.
“And this one?”
He understood.
“This one belongs to us.”
They kissed beside the parking lot.
A woman walking past smiled.
Evelyn did not care.
The following summer, Daniel sold the motorcycle.
Evelyn was shocked.
“You love that thing.”
“Loved.”
“Why?”
He shrugged.
“I’m tired of riding alone.”
Her expression softened.
“So what will you do?”
Daniel handed her a folded brochure.
Road trip.
Two people.
National parks.
Three weeks.
Evelyn looked at him.
“You want to spend three weeks in my SUV?”
“Our SUV.”
“No.”
“Your SUV.”
“Better.”
“What about hotels?”
“Yes.”
“Camping?”
“Absolutely not.”
Daniel smiled.
“Fine.”
They left in September.
Arizona.
Colorado.
New Mexico.
Back through Utah.
On the third week, Daniel asked Evelyn to stop at a particular overlook.
She recognized it.
The highway.
The place where she found him.
The guardrail had been replaced.
The loose slope had been reinforced.
No motorcycle.
No blood.
No rocks.
Just road.
Daniel stood beside her.
“Strange.”
“What?”
“Being here.”
Evelyn looked toward the cliffs.
“I almost kept driving.”
Daniel turned.
“You did?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“About one second.”
“That is long enough.”
She smiled.
“I know.”
Daniel touched the scar near his temple.
“You saved my life.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I moved rocks.”
“You stayed.”
That silenced her.
Daniel continued.
“You stayed when I told you not to.”
“You stayed after they came to your house.”
“You stayed when James’s past became part of it.”
“You stayed when I became difficult.”
“You are still difficult.”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
“So are you.”
Evelyn looked toward the road.
“Maybe that is why it works.”
Daniel reached into his jacket.
Evelyn immediately narrowed her eyes.
“If that is a ring, put it back.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
“I am not marrying anyone beside a guardrail.”
He laughed.
Evelyn continued.
“Especially this guardrail.”
Daniel put the small box back in his pocket.
“Noted.”
She stared.
“You really had a ring?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
“Disappointed?”
“No.”
He waited.
Evelyn smiled.
“Ask me somewhere with coffee.”
Daniel laughed.