Fall from Love

 
     
    Prologue
     
    Tonight was supposed to be special. It was supposed to be a night to remember and it was, just not in the way I imagined it would be. Knowing what I know now, I would’ve done anything in the world for him not to walk out the door.
    “Come on, Holly, don’t give me that look,” Adam says, looking away from me and back towards the clothes scattered across the bed. “You know how that look makes me feel.”
    Of course, I knew exactly how the look made him feel. Why else would I be doing it? But as hard as I try, I’m not able to wash the frown from my face. In all honesty, I hate sulking. It isn’t my usual behavior and I actually feel pathetic for doing it, but with Adam, it seems to always work… until tonight that is.
    He sighs in frustration and shoves a sweatshirt into his backpack. “I have to do this, okay. I signed up to be a part of the rescue team so I have to follow through with it.” His voice holds mostly guilt, but I also sense some irritation in there as well. I didn’t want to make him mad; I just want him to feel a little sad about our ruined evening. He’s not even acting like it’s bothering him that much.
    He had just completed his training to be a part of a volunteer mountain rescue team and I know he’s really excited about his first real rescue. When he first told me about signing up, he said that he would be on call one weekend or so a month and I would hardly notice he was gone. If this was any other night, I wouldn’t have minded so much, but since him leaving happened to fall on our two year anniversary, I couldn’t help being disappointed.
    I sigh, realizing that I should quit the pity party I’m giving myself and spend the last few minutes we have together not fighting. Making my way across the room, I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his back. “I’m sorry,” I tell him. “I just wanted this night to be special.”
    He turns around slowly, careful not to break the hold I have on him, and grabs my chin, tipping it up and forcing me to look at him. “I promise I will make it up to you. They say they really need me. They’re one man short. Someone from the team had to cancel last minute, so my name was up.” He finishes his explanation with a kiss on the tip of my nose.
    “Fine. You’re off the hook for now, but I will hold you to making it up to me. I’m talking massage, champagne, maybe even a candlelit bubble bath… possibly all at once.” I smile and he rolls his eyes.
    Adam is the ultimate man’s man. He loves anything that involves danger or getting dirty. He hates anything romantic. That’s why I’m so disappointed that the dinner he had planned for us, actually slaved over all day, is canceled.
    Sighing heavily, I gaze out his bedroom door and see the candles still burning and the rose petals still scattered across the hardwood floor. He had gotten the phone call from someone on the rescue team just a few minutes after I arrived. It had been just enough time for me to hug and kiss him, thanking him for being so sweet and romantic. Now, instead of eating the dinner that he said he had spent the day preparing and probably making passionate love afterward, I would spend the rest of the night with my head buried in a book. Very romantic.
    Adam finishes packing his backpack, places it by the front door, and then walks back over to me. His arms wrap around my waist as he gently kisses my neck. “I should be back before you wake up,” he says in between kisses. “They said this rescue should only be eight hours round trip, so, if all goes well, I will be back before the sun rises.”
    “Be careful up there, okay?” I hug him tighter.
    “I’ll be extra careful, knowing you’re worrying enough for the both of us.” He pulls back, looking me in the eyes. “You really shouldn’t worry, though, everything is gonna be fine.”
    “Just come back to me soon.” I force myself to smile and fight back the awful feeling I have in the pit of my stomach.
    “I’ll be back before you open those beautiful green eyes.” He kisses me once more, and then he’s gone.
    The rest of the evening I feast on the dinner he had made for us. He insisted that I eat it and not let it all go to waste. He had cooked salmon and topped it with a garlic cream sauce. There was a side dish of some fancy looking rice and a vegetable medley. It was all very fancy and very not Adam. I smile just picturing him cooking all day and wonder how many