Kiss Me Cate Pt. 11

I looked at my father and he had a little smirk as he looked across the table at mom.

"Sometimes it's those moments that are the ones that define your life. If it weren't for the hormone driven impulse of youth giving way to that need to overthink things, I don't know how we would survive." He added. I was getting confused by the conversation and glanced at Cate who was equally confused.

Mom's expression softened a smile crossed her lips. "Neither of them would admit it now Dylan but my parents weren't too keen on your father when we were young. His family were considered pretty low class, he was from the wrong side of the tracks, and I was rebelling against my folks by seeing him."

"This sounds like the plot of a movie." I said laughing.

"It practically was!" Mom said laughing. "I remember the year we went to Florida for spring break, I thought my parents were going to explode. 'You aren't going away with that boy. You know he's only after one thing.' The arguments we had." She covered her eyes, still smiling.

"That beat up Toyota I had. I couldn't believe it made it all the way there and back."

"Oh I haven't thought about that purple rust bucket in years!" Mom replied. I glanced aside at Cate who was sporting a big grin now.

Mom continued. "Well I went anyway by performing the classic sneak out of the house in the middle of the night trick. I called them the next day from somewhere in Maryland to let them know I was fine. It's a wonder they let me back in the house when I came home."

They just looked at each other for a moment, the emotion thick in the air and I saw a tear trail down mom's cheek. She turned to us, the fact that we were sitting closer hadn't eluded her, "I guess the moral of the story is that when your heart knows, it knows and don't let your head try to talk you out of it." She dabbed her eye. "Your announcement was pretty surprising at the time, but we've seen over the past few months that this wasn't just some impulsive idea to you Dylan, and it's made all the more sense as we've gotten to know you Cate. We only hope that you'll be as happy as we are."

It took little coaxing to hand over the car keys to Cate since as she'd pointed out she'd indulged far less than I had with her one glass of sangria. As we made our way out to the main highway back home she was quiet and I just looked out of the window.

"Dylan, do you feel better now that you had a chance to talk with your parents?"

"Much better." I slid my hand over the console and gave her leg a squeeze of reassurance. Her hand settled on it and took mine with an iron grip. "I didn't get answers, but I got understanding that there aren't any answers until we make them ourselves, together."

She let out a little sigh of relief.

"What did you and mom talk about?" I had the benefit of being able to look at her while she drove. An amused smile lifted the corner of her mouth.

"I told her that I thought you were getting cold feet. She assured me that if that were the case, and you wanted to speak with your father, then it wouldn't last. She told me a story about you when you were younger." Cate's smile widened. "You'd gotten this toy erector set for your birthday and played with it on the floor of the office there at the house while she worked one day. She watched you build your own little version of the Empire State Building and stopped working when she saw your face change from fascination to concern as it began to wobble. She must have watched you for a long time. Your brow furrowed as you practically willed your building to stay upright. She told me that after a few minutes of watching you she said that she spoke about building and how everything needs a good foundation, and a carpet may not be the best option for such a tall building, and how the base should be broad enough to support the structure. The taller it gets, the stronger it needs to be."

"Living with an engineer, things rub off on you I guess." I laughed. Cate glanced at me for a moment then returned her eyes to the road.

"She also said that you had that same look when you came into the house today." Cate paused. "She said it goes the same for life that before we seek to build our life, we need to make sure the footing is solid and that we build it strong to withstand the winds that will surely blow."

* * *

We arrived home a short while later and settled in for the evening. Cate took a few minutes to go over her email. She'd gotten a submission request to write an article for a computer industry journal and was actively researching information for it, but she set it aside after she gave it a cursory overview.

"What do you say to the idea that we get out of the house for a couple days? I know it's only a few weeks before we're gone for the summer, but I'm feeling a little pent up now that school is out."

"I'd like that. Where would you like to go?"

Cate shrugged. "You've said that you used to like to hike and take pictures. I haven't been on a hike in a long time." She added the last with a little grimace. "Since the younger kids are still in school the trails may not be overrun yet. You could bring your camera, see what there is out there to point it at."

"There's a great place that should be pretty quiet this early in the season." I said grinning.

The next morning we were checking into our room at the winery. Cate shook her head, the slanted smile stated clearly that we could have just stayed at home if we were going to spend the weekend in bed. "This was not what I meant when I said we should get away for a couple days."

"Well there's nothing much at the south end of the lake unless you wanted to rough it completely and go camping. Besides I thought you said you weren't planning on backpacking around the world because you were fond of room service." I said with a smile as she slipped between my arms and hugged me. "We're about thirty or forty minutes from the head of the trail so if I can drag your lazy arse out of bed early in the morning we can be there by dawn." I started squirming as she began tickling me in retaliation.

"Lazy arse? I'll have you know that I've been up before you nearly every day this week!" The mock indignation punctuated by laughing and hands batting at hands to get her to stop. She eventually broke down laughing too and we fell into each others arms again.

My mood was much lighter than it had been. This is what I needed, some time alone with Cate, away from the rest of the world. The past month had been a bit of a whirlwind what with my finals, the finals she gave to her class, the defense of her dissertation and her graduation. This was going to be a nice little wind down. We had picked up a few supplies for the hike in the morning, bug spray and industrial strength sunscreen. I warned her about going out in bright sunlight but she assured me that she wouldn't really go up in a puff of smoke like a vampire. I was holding her to her promise since we'd already sent out the wedding invitations.

We set out early, still well after sunrise the next morning. Once we'd gotten to the parking area at the trail head Cate basted herself with sunscreen which I assisted with in the harder to reach areas. After a quick stretch we were off. I found myself panting and trying not to show that it had been a while since I'd gotten this much exercise, Cate on the other hand glowed, a light sheen of perspiration shone on her rosy cheeks as the morning warmed quickly. We weren't making a record pace as we continually stopped and looked around. Cate noted the sound of water in the distance and I smiled. I knew the area well. There was a small waterfall nearby which cascaded into a pool. It had a shallow outflow over large water smoothed granite boulders before it continued downstream.

I nodded and told her it wasn't much farther and we could take a break.

"This is beautiful." She pulled the towel she'd brought from the hotel out of her bag and dabbed at the sweat on her neck to dry off. I began to walk down to the pool, the edge was soft under my feet. I stepped out onto a flat rock in the water. "Careful, I'll leave you for the bears if you hurt yourself." She said, the grin on her face was absolutely dazzling in the bright sunshine.

"You wouldn't. You'd run for help just like Lassie."

Cate laughed. "Come quickly, Dylan has fallen in the well!" She hopped out to the rock and stood next to me before folding her long legs and reaching down to the cool water. She cupped her hand and splashed it in her face. "Look." She pointed into the water at a gravel depression in the sand.

"Trout nest I'm guessing." I looked up and down. "This is probably too small of a stream for salmon." She cupped a handful of water and flung it up at me and I dodged quickly enough to miss a lot of it. I gave her a dirty look and moved my camera around my back. "Be glad I'm a gentleman or I'd grab you by the seat of your pants and toss you in."

"Don't disturb the fish." She said grinning broadly. I looked at her for a long moment, her ponytail fell over her shoulder as she leaned down again running her fingers in the water. When she looked up at me again her face went blank. "What is it?" She looked around to see if there was danger around.

I felt my face flush with more heat than was already there as I pictured her reclining nude on the rocks. "Nothing." I said. She gave me a look and I told her what I was thinking. Her reclining nude on the rock with her hand dragging in the water. She gave me a shrewd look and looked around again.

"This looks like too popular of a place for that sort of thing. Don't you think?" The fact that she didn't immediately decline was a little surprising but I agreed.

"I don't know. People come out here to get back to nature all the time. What's more natural than a mermaid on the rocks."

Cate smiled and began taking off her shoes and socks so she could dip her feet in the cool water. She stared out over the pool and up at the fall without speaking as I sat and joined her. She began singing softly, it took a moment for me to realize it was Gaelic, her voice rose and dipped as the words came out, a few I recognized here and there.

An raibh tú ar an charraig nuair a chonaic tú mo ghrá

An raibh tú ar an charraig nuair a bhí sí ann

She smiled, turned and kissed me.

"What were you singing?"

"An old song about a man who fell in love with a mermaid." She sang it in English.

Were you on the rock when you saw my love

Were you on the rock when she was there

"I like it better in the Gaelic."

She spent the next few minutes teaching it to me, wording it out slowly. We snacked on the food we'd brought, and sipped from the same large water bottle as we let our feet dry on the sun warmed rock.

"I thought you were going to be angry at my suggestion." I'd said after a long moment of silence.

"I was a bit intrigued by the idea but the more I've had to think on it the last thing I need is witnesses of me flitting about naked in the woods. Doesn't exactly do wonders for the career if something like that were to get out."

"It depends on your career I guess." I said grinning. She shot me a stern look. I did ask to take a few pictures of her sitting on the rock. She was okay with that and even took out her cell and took a selfie of us with the waterfall in the background. We donned our shoes and began the trek down the trail back to the car. As we walked I turned and threw my apple core into the trees and she gasped.

"What? It's an apple core not a tin can. Somewhere there's a chipmunk who will be happy for the snack." I added defensively. "Who knows in a few years there could be an apple tree there and everyone will have me to thank for it, including the chipmunks." I added with a grin. She gave me a shove down the trail and we kept walking.

* * *

"Good lord that is delicious. I wonder if they would part with the recipe." Cate had set down her fork and leaned back from the table with a sated grin as she reached for her glass of wine. I asked our server if it was possible to get a copy of the recipe or if it was a secret family secret. She grinned and said she'd find out.

"I'm going to need to go on a run to work that off." I agreed.

"I think we already have plans for dessert, thanks." I said. Cate blushed so hard I wonder if she had any blood anywhere else in her body. "Coffee would be nice though." She came back a few minutes later with coffee and a folded sheet of the hotel stationery with the recipe for the roast chicken and mushroom linguine. Cate hadn't spoken since and waited for her to walk away before saying anything.

"I wonder if the adjoining room is available." She arched an eyebrow at me.

"What? Why? I only said that we already have dessert plans. That's all." I teased. We finished our coffee and took a walk through the gardens behind the hotel. The twilight enhanced by lamps along the walkways.

"If we had decided to marry here I think this would have been a perfect place for it." We paused by a small pond and listened to the night. The chirp of crickets and cheep of frogs filled the air.

"I think we should come back in November." Cate said. I smiled at the thought of the first anniversary of our relationship taking place in the same spot as it began.

"Were you as scared as I was that night?" I asked softly.

"Scared?" She seemed surprised at my admission. "I was absolutely petrified." She added with a little chuckle, and pulled me closer. "I thought you were just some rake looking to put another notch in your belt." She paused and her voice got softer. "I was lonely enough to let you. You'd been so kind to me, so sweet, and you were dreadfully handsome which would make it a lot easier. Besides I'd wanted to sink my teeth into you from the day I asked you to be my assistant." She butted her forehead against my shoulder and erupted into a fit of giggles.

I turned and took her in my arms. She looked up at me, mirth still danced in her eyes as I kissed her. "It didn't take that long for me. Did I mention how much I liked that dress you wore the first day we met?"

"The short blue one with the little flowers on it?" She grinned knowing exactly which dress I referred to.

"The one with the little buttons down the front." I dragged my finger down between her breasts until it reached her navel. Her hand had found it's way around to my back and she reached down and gave me a grope.

"I should wear it again, give you the chance to take it off of me like you did with your eyes that day."

"Was I that obvious?" I said with a grin.

"Dear me, it's a wonder the buttons didn't actually pop off with all of the thought you were putting behind it. I was very flattered though because you were so boyishly sweet about it." She reached up and brushed a lock of my hair off my face. "I'm not being immodest if I say that I've heard a few cat-calls in my time but I've never had anyone in awe of me before that day."

"I'm still in awe of you."

"That's how you got into my drawers." She said laughing. Her smile faded a little but the look in her eyes radiated love. "You're the only one that's ever treated me as if I have something between my ears. That set you far apart from anyone else."

I placed my fingers under her chin and lifted gently. "That you do, Doctor Murray." I kissed her again. "That's why I got you that tee shirt." I added with a laugh reminding her of the shirt I'd ordered for her with the simple statement across the front, 'all this and brains too'. She was to modest to wear it out of the house at first, but then gave in and got many silent, agreeing looks in the process.

We took another trail hike the next morning, this one a little more difficult than the day before as it went up the steep side of a hill with switchback trails. We took a lot of pictures of the lakes and countryside from the top, and I got several of Cate goofing off, making faces and one of her standing on a rock with her arms raised as if she'd just reached the top of the world.

"Oh dear, delete that!" She said laughing and reaching over my hand to press buttons on the camera. I pulled it out of reach so she couldn't do any damage.

"Absolutely not, that one is going to get printed poster sized."

"Why would you do that?" She sounded exasperated.

I looked at the picture then at her and smiled. "Because, to me it's indicative of your spirit. You don't treat goals as walls, you treat them as hurdles and leap over them. I love your spirit." I leaned forward and gave her a long kiss which she returned in kind.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me to near crushing and whispered in my ear. "God I love you so much." She kissed my ear giving a little tug to the lobe with her teeth.

Hearing her say that with such unbridled conviction sent a shock through my system making my heart beat faster and my head feel light. "I hate to sound like one of those sappy romance novels but I now believe that there is most definitely someone for each and every one of us in the world. I'm so glad I found you." I kissed my way down her neck eliciting a soft gasp.

"Keep that up and I'll drag you behind that rock for a quickie, bugs or not!" She whispered, her voice husky. I released her and tugged her by the hand around the rock. She resisted and looked around hesitantly. "Dylan! Someone will see us!" I brought her hand down to the tent in the front of my shorts and her eyes went wide as she felt me through the canvas. She lifted her head and looked around not seeing a soul, the only sounds were distant birds calling and the breeze. I let go of her hand and reached forward with my own and slid my fingers down the front of her own shorts pressing deeply with my fingers. I found my mark and Cate's eyes shut hard as she let out a gasp. They opened and she looked around quickly before she pursed her lips. She looked at me again and grinned. "I'm not going to get my arse hammered into this gravel so you're just going to take me standing up." The wicked grin that crossed her lips must have been mirror to mine as I grabbed the front of her shorts and opened them fumbling at the button. I got them down and pulled her panties down with them exposing her to the great outdoors. I drew my fingertips up her thigh to find her already very wet. She pushed me aside and leaned forward on the rock, her bottom curved in the patchy sunlight like ivory and I thought my shorts would burst at the sight of her. I couldn't get out of mine fast enough as I slipped into her slowly causing her to groan and push back onto me, I retreated making her wait for it. She growled something I didn't quite hear as she pushed back again. I pushed forward and she moaned out a long agreeable noise. I took long deep strokes jolting her forward. She made it known I wasn't going fast enough. One of her hands slipped off the rock and disappeared between her legs as I drove her forward. We both began to moan as I picked up the pace until she came with body shaking gasps of 'yes' which caused me to join her as I drove forward one last time. I looked down at where we were joined as I felt my body jolt. Her legs were taught and pale as she stood on her tiptoes to receive me. I drove my hips forward once more as I erupted. Her fingers reached a little lower and began massaging my balls as I felt my body tense one last time before relaxing. I leaned forward and ran my hands up to her chest grasping her breast firmly through the sports bra and kissed the damp skin of her back.

"Now that's what I call getting back to nature." I said.

Cate tilted her head back and looked over her shoulder, hair in her face, and gave me a look before she laughed. "Fetch the towel out of my bag. I have a feeling this is going to be messy and I don't want to hike back down the hill in a puddle." We both cleaned up and once we were at least mostly composed again Cate smiled up at me, hair still a mess but pushed out of her eyes and I couldn't resist taking her face in my hands and kissing her again and again.