(Book 3) Roadhouse Garden

Part 41

The question seems odd timing to me, but this is how the man's mind works, "No, I don't have a passport, well, not anymore, it's expired."

He nods, taking note of the information, "We need to get you one."  He opens the driver's door and steps out.  When meet him at the door leading into the kitchen as he pauses to disarm the alarm, he hands me back my keys.   Since he's not elaborating on the whole passport query, I ask, "Are we going somewhere?"  I knew traveling out of the US was going to be a given with him, but the fact he's asking now seems odd.  

"Not right away, but we will," he points to my camera bag, "so you can take more pictures."  I make a sour face, thinking that he's picking on me until he pulls me to him and elaborates.   "Sugar, I loved seeing you so excited today, you have a way of looking at everyday things like they're brand new.  I want to take you places you've never seen, I want to show you things that will blow your mind."

Tears well up in my eyes from the fact that he derives so much pleasure from my happiness, but I can relate, I feel exactly the same way when I see him happy.   With his thumb, he wipes away a tear that has slipped free, before he kisses my cheek and whispers, "Show me your pictures."

I set the bag down, retrieving the camera and remove the SD card from it's compartment.  I follow as he leads me to his office, he offers his chair to me as he pushes the SD card into the drive.   Within seconds, my pictures flood the screen, I have a little bit of deja vu, it reminds me of when we screened our engagement photos.  Prince clicks the mouse a few times, enlarging the last image from today, then scans backwards, going well beyond the photos I had just taken.  I watch as he pauses to study every shot, "You have a good eye, Sugar, some of these are amazing."  He stops on one that just happens to be of an weathered concrete statuette, it's surrounded by a creeping ground cover of some sort, the concrete is mottled and it looks lonely, "This, right here, very artistic," he looks at me to see if the praise registers. 

"I just thought it looked neat," I shrug it off.

He scans more photos, and offers more compliments, "I'm buying you a better camera," he smiles at me, "and we are definitely going to be traveling."  He comes upon some close up photos of black bears, "Where's this?"

"Tennessee."

He nods, more scrolling backwards, more bears and some wolves, "Still Tennessee?"

"Nope, right here in Minnesota."  When I get a shocked expression, I explain, "Up near the Boundary Water Canoe Area, about four hours North of Duluth."

He blinks at me in disbelief, "You've been to Minnesota before?"

"Um, hmm, several times, but never here."  He sits on the corner of the desk, he wants more information, but he still scans through the pictures.  "It's a quaint little town called Ely, those pictures are from the Bear Center and Wolf Center, and these," I take control of the mouse, "are from a sanctuary in Orr."  I show him pictures where volunteers are walking among wild bears and dishing out food for them.  I turn away from the screen and start animatedly describing these places in detail to him. 

"That," he grins pointing at me, "That right there is why I want to take you places."  He cups my face and kisses me, hard. 

The kiss floors me leaving me blinking like an idiot, but then I softly suggest, "I would love for us to visit there, sometime, I miss that little town."

"I would love to see it, I can tell you enjoy it there."

With his continued relaxed manner, I can tell that he's in no rush to go to Paisley, and something tells me he's not going at all today. He confirms this by asking, "Are you going to work at the Arboretum today?"

"I wasn't planning on it, why?"

"Good, I need some more time with you."

I nod, we have both been staying quite busy lately. We see each other in the evenings, and I try to stay awake, but I don't always succeed. This mornings trip to the zoo was long overdue, we needed a chance to focus us for a change. 

"So, what did you have in mind?" I ask.

"Absolutely nothing." 

"That sounds perfect."

I know this means he just wants to occupy the same space, there's a comfort that I can't explain when we have these rare moments together. 

I decide to see what I can throw together for us for dinner while he takes a seat at the piano and begins to play. Nope, there's nothing more perfect than an absolutely nothing day.