Aubrey (Revolving With Axis)

075:

                 

            We were engaged in his mind for sure. I had to stop and remind myself. I needed to be clinical and not gloss it over. "Depending on what your Bishop says, we might have to wait a year."

            "Because I am not a member in good standing?"

            "You've said so yourself."

            "I paid my tithing."

            "And they let you?"

            "Yeah. I did it online. I just did it, I called and got my membership number...."

            "How did you know to do that?"

            "I was messing around on the church website. I saw this whole MY ACCOUNT thing and wanted to know what it was. So I called my dad and he put me in touch with the ward clerk."

            "Nice."

            "Nobody said anything."

            "Hm.... Then I don't know. Have you talked to your Bishop?"

            "Hm."

            "You should talk to him. The sooner the better."

            He was quiet for a few minutes, thinking that through and finally came to the conclusion I had been waiting for. "Why don't we just do like Kell and Maille? We could get married at a Justice of the Peace, and then—."

            I shook my head. "I'm not Maille."

            "But---."

            "I'm not getting married at a justice of the peace."

            "But it would be legal and we could be together."

            I just stared at him, and finally away. He knew I meant it. It was hard, I'd already caved in on other things. It was hard for both of us. But I was firm about it. I wasn't getting married at a Justice of the Peace. I just wasn't.

            We arrived. It had been an hour. The resort parking lot was just this little thing nestled inside a red rock canyon on a dirt road, with blowing grasses all around. The sky was faintly blue, mostly white. The sun was already blazing hot. The guys got out, Jeremy turned and waited for me to hold my hand and help me out. I thought Rafe might have a heart attack. But he'd chosen to sit as far away from the door as possible. I figured he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

            Ben had researched the place. He knew where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do. He said I had given him the idea yesterday, but I wasn't sure when I'd talked about mountain biking, hiking or looking at archeological digs.

            We rented mountain bikes, and helmets. I started taking pictures. I felt giddy and crazy and happy, very free right now. Very enthusiastic. This kind of set the tone then for the rest of them.

            The trails were just about five minutes from the parking lot, and the first of seven waterfall pools was about fifteen minutes away. We went single file, and there was quite a bit of laughing, good-natured ribbing, and jokes about no cussing. Jeremy and Levi had to join the no cussing club, or owe me money. They made a few slip ups and we all cut them a little slack, since it was sprung on them as we were riding. But then eventually Jeff caught Jeremy in a cuss word and he collected for me. That was a triumph for me.

            The first pool literally took my breath away.

            "I've never seen anything like it!" I breathed as we crested the top and then urged ourselves down to the soft spots above the water's edge. The waterfall here was just a trickle, and it was early yet, so there weren't any other people, but I stripped off the backpack and shoes and waded in. Rafe caught me around the waist from behind and twisted till we both fell in. It wasn't deep enough to dive in, but the splash was monstrous. It felt incredible. Not cold at all.