River’s End

fork.
    “It’s terrific.”
    “Ah, there is a wide variety of edible mushrooms in the rain forest.”
    “Yeah. Maybe I’ll make it back up there one of these days and you can show me.”
    “I’m—we’re hoping to add a naturalist center to the lodge. There’d be lectures and talks on how to identify the edibles.”
    “Edible fungus—it never sounds as appetizing as it is.”
    “Actually, the mushroom isn’t the fungus. It’s a fruiting body of the fungus organism. Like an apple from the apple tree.”
    “No kidding?”
    “When you see a fairy ring, it’s the fruit of the continuous body of the fungus that grows in the soil, expanding year after year and—” She caught herself. “And you can’t possibly care.”
    “Hey, I like to know what I’m eating. Why do they call them fairy rings?”
    She blinked at him. “I suppose because that’s what they look like.”
    “Are there fairies in your forest, Liv?”
    “I used to think so. When I was little, I’d sit there, in the green light, and think if I was very quiet, I’d see them come out and play.”
    “And you never did?”
    “No.” So she’d given up fairy tales. Science was reliable. “But I saw deer and elk and marten and bear. They’re magical enough for me.”
    “And beaver.”
    She smiled, relaxing back as the waiter cleared, then served the main course. “Yes. There’s still a dam where I took your family that day.”
    She sampled her angel-hair pasta with its generous chunks of tomato and shrimp. “
    They always give you more than you could possibly eat.”
    “Says who?” He dug into his manicotti, with shells bursting with cheese and spices. It amazed her that he managed not only to do justice to his meal but also to put away a good portion of hers. Then still had room to order dessert and cappuccino.
    “How can you eat like that and not weigh three hundred pounds?” she wanted to know.
    “Metabolism.” He grinned as he scooped up a spoonful of the whipped-cream-and-chocolate concoction on his plate. “Same with my dad. Drives my mother crazy. Here, try this. It’s amazing.”
    “No, I can’t—” But he already had the spoon to her lips, and she opened them automatically. The rich glory of it melted on her tongue. “Hmm, well. Yes.”
    He had to pull himself back a little. Her response, the half-closed eyes, the just-parted lips made him think of sex. Made him realize he wanted his mouth on hers, so all those tastes would mingle.
    “Let’s take a walk.” He scribbled a tip and his signature on the bill, pocketed his credit card. Air, he told himself; he needed a little air to clear her and his fantasies out of his head.
    But they were still there when he drove her home, when he walked her to her door, when she turned and smiled at him.
    She saw it now, clear and dark in his eyes. Desire for her, the anticipation of that first kiss. A tremble shivered up the center of her body.
    “This was nice.” Could you possibly be more inane, Liv? she asked herself. “Thanks.”
    “What are you doing tomorrow?”
    “Tomorrow?” Her mind went as blank as glass. “I have classes.”
    “No, tomorrow night.”
    “There’s . . .” Studying, another paper, extra lab work. “Nothing.”
    “Good. Seven, then.”
    Now, she thought, he would kiss her now. And she’d probably implode. “All right.”
    “ ‘Night, Liv.” He only ran his hand down her arm, over the back of hers, then walked away.

Ten
    He took her to McDonald’s, and she laughed until her sides burned. She fell in love with him over fish sandwiches and fries, under glaringly bright lights and through the noisy chatter of children.
    She forgot the vow she’d made as a child that she would never, never love anyone so much she’d be vulnerable to him. That she would never hook her heart to a man and give him the power to break it, and her.
    She simply rode that wonderful, that wild and windy crest of first love. She told him what she hoped to do, describing the naturalist center she’d already designed in her mind and had shared with no one but family.
    The biggest dream in her life was easy to share with him. He listened, he watched her face. What she wanted seemed to matter to him.
    Because she fascinated him, he put aside all the work he’d done that day—the sketchy outline for the book, the notes, the more detailed plans for interviews—and just enjoyed her.
    He told himself there was plenty of time. He had the best part of two