The trip in was spectacular. The ridgetop we camped on the night before was a mesa with its own spring. The wildflowers were in full color, and I filled three memory cards with photos. The dogs sniffing flowers made for some hilarious opportunities, and I spent a couple of hours with my camera.

Chayton took time to groom the horses, and then came over to see what I was up to.

"You look amazing, give me the camera, and don't move."

I lifted it off my stomach where I put it after my last shot. The bees buzzing, and soft twitter of bird song, coaxed me onto my back to rest. Snow and Patch on either side, with their heads resting on my thighs. I caressed their heads, at ease for the first time in forever.

Turns out, Chayton has an eye for composition too. We might have to get him his own photography equipment. The memory was etched in my head as I snapped the first of many landscape photos. I hoped I could stitch them together for a panoramic shot when I edited them later.

"I want to get these pictures so I can make a collage for your Aunt. She needs to see the beauty here. Perhaps we can help her heal a little too."

Now as the sun was at its zenith, I squeaked as Chayton pulled me into his arms and his hand came up behind my head, cradling it against his shoulder. It was one of his favorite ways to stand as we gazed over eerie landscapes in the evenings before we doused our campfires for bed. I felt slight trembles as he gazed up.

"Fly free Chidi. I release my anger here and replace it with the memories of your friendship. Let me always remember to lead with kindness as you taught me. I promise I will find the one who stole your lovely Haloke from you." Chayton's voice was rough with emotions I knew he held inside for far too long.

"I never knew you, Chidi. But from what I have learned, from your cousin, your aunt, and your mother, you were an extraordinary man. Simple and straightforward, with a well of love you gave freely. Goodbye, we will not disappoint you. Haloke will tell us what happened to her." I felt tears coming and buried my face in Chayton's soft shirt.

We stood there for some time with the dogs leaning into our legs. Chayton eased away from me slowly.

"Thank you."

"We'll lay his tools at the base tomorrow night, all right?" I waited for his nod before I started toward the mules to unload our tent.

We worked together setting up our camp. I wanted to stay for a couple of nights, and the horses needed a rest. Besides, I saw a series of regular holes in the cliff above us. It looked like a fairly easy climb, as there were hints of stairs carved into the sandstone. I wanted to see what was up there. Maybe an ancient dwelling or maybe nothing at all. Curiosity was killing me.

"Do you want to go back the way we came?" I asked as we cleaned up after our evening meal.

"I was thinking we'll change our plans. Take the pass over there." He pointed to a gap between two mountains, "and get Mauro to come pick us up at the town there."

"Then you shouldn't have a problem climbing up there." It was my turn to point.

"Hmmm, I've been wondering about those openings myself. How are your climbing skills? I'm rusty to say the least and we haven't got any ropes with us."

"It looks more like a scramble. Can you see the stairs? We need to find the bottom. I think an easy ride will get us there."

"Exploring is part of the deal. Let's do it."

He sounded excited and to say the least I was too. I lifted my face to study his eyes and noticed the deepening smile wrinkles at their corners. With no mirrors around, I wondered if I had the same changes. We were laughing more, and I reached up to trace the lines.

"They're deeper, and I think it's a good thing." I stretched up to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "I've unwound in a way I've never done before. My ex told me to quit if I was stressed out. He thought sex was the only answer and then it was always when he wanted it."

Chayton framed my face with his hands. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about how we have to go through the hard to understand the good. Seeing you half asleep in the wildflower meadow yesterday, showed me the joy of having a friend who gets it, and isn't afraid to be herself around me. Thank you."

My heart flipped again. It seemed to be a regular thing around him. "Promise me, the friendship always? Maurice was a good friend. It deepened into love and we were so happy at first. He stood behind me through all the years of education and cheered when I won my first case as a prosecutor."

"What changed?" His eyes stayed focused on mine as I continued.

"I'm not sure. He was moving up the corporate ladder at the accounting firm where he was employed. I found it to be a toxic workplace. Maurice was thriving, but I noticed his behavior degrading. Negative comments. Sly digs about my work schedule. How things weren't up to snuff at home.

He got a huge promotion. The youngest vice president ever in the firm. He wanted me to quit. His boss said we should be having kids, and I wasn't even close to ready. I just made it into DOJ, and it meant a move to D.C. He called me a lot of names, insisting I could just open a practice down the street from his office. It got physical, he overpowered me, and well it wasn't pretty. I moved out. I had the bank change all my financials to new accounts and closed the credit cards we shared. He called me a gold digger and went after everything I had in divorce court."

Chayton interrupted me with a kiss. Sweet and tender, he wiped the angry tears from my cheeks. "I'm sorry he wasn't strong enough to tell his boss to eff off. He should have."

"I wish." I couldn't keep the fury or the hurt out of my voice. "Thinking about it more clearly now, I should have left long before I did. He tried to accuse me of adultery, which was an utter insult. I caught him in the act. Then the false charges of fraudulent use of his earnings, but in the end he lost. I had a much smarter lawyer than he did. I kept what was mine, including a pay out for half the value of the house we purchased. The judge added a considerable sum for the liable and slander. I didn't have to sue him over that, and I haven't heard a peep from him since."

"It's so hard when a dearly loved friend changes before your eyes. Knowing when to say enough to the bullshit isn't clear. Ever. Especially when they had your back for so long." Chayton swept me up in his arms, cuddling me to his chest like a fretful toddler. He made his way to a ledge in the sandstone cliff sheltering our tent and sat there.

"You know I could have walked," I teased him with a giggle.

"Yeah, but you need coddling just now. It's time to let go of old hurts. You've helped me through, now it's my turn to take care of you."

"I love you." I laid my finger across his lips before he could say anything. "You don't have to say it just because I did. I know the worst thing is to not say it once you know. My grandmother said give it freely, and don't worry about getting it back. It will come by itself when least expected."

"Wise woman, your grandmother. And she's right. I love you, comes when it's least expected and most needed. I love you. Because my heart is full, and I can't see myself without you anymore." He pulled me in tighter against his chest. He held me there, and I couldn't speak for several minutes. The totality of my feelings and his declaration were almost more than I could comprehend.

"I'm afraid, Chayton. What I feel is so deep and so total I know the loss would be devasting. But on the other hand, we are more together than I would ever be alone. Let's see where this takes us."

"How about up the cliff to those caves, tomorrow?" His teasing tone hit exactly the right note and I giggled.

"Yeah, I'm really curious. I'm betting on a new archeological site."

"Or maybe it'll be a crystal cave."

I nodded. "Let's douse the fire and get ready for bed. The sun's almost down."

It was one of those wonderful times when the sky went from peach to deep blue and then black with the first stars appearing as we watched. I was absolutely sure we could face anything together. There wasn't a single cloud in sight.