Exercise had been such a big part of my life as a player and coach that I had felt a difference in my body and mental health, not making it a scheduled part of my week. I usually ran for a bit in the morning, but my quest to be a better photographer had recently taken over that spot in my day. Even though it had been lighter than my usual workout, it felt good to be outside—and away from my quiet house for a bit.
Evenings were Jake’s time with his daughter, and I gathered a very distinct impression that the time between the two of them was sacred, and I never wanted to intrude.
“Have you and Jake been hanging out much?” Tessa asked, innocently picking at a spot on her shirt.
Kelsey was checking her nails.
“Yeah, we get together after Sophie goes to bed and make out.” I could play their game too.
Both of their heads shot my way. “What?”
I checked my watch. “Oh, look at that. I’ve got to run.”
Confident that neither of them could catch me in their current states, I waved as I ran off laughing. I wasn’t sure if they believed me. But it probably couldn’t hurt our pretend cover. Safety net and all that.
Jake’s house seemed quiet when I stopped by my cabin to grab my camera, determined to hike up the mountain a bit to retry a shot of the valley in the sunset.
Every time I wasn’t with Jake or working, I was taking pictures. When I wasn’t taking pictures, I was editing on my computer or uploading images to the dude ranch website.
I had just over a month left before I needed to turn in the photographs for the magazine job. But the challenge of it all revived me. There were so many different things to be aware ofin landscape photography. I could speed up or slow down the water by picking the right shutter speed. I could determine how much light I wanted in the image. Whether I wanted the warm orange glow of a sunset or the harsh line of direct sunlight to cast a sharp feel. I also determined that I loved a wide-angle shot for dramatic storytelling.
Not many pictures passed my critical eye. But my favorites were always the images I snuck of Jake. Not that I could really use them. He’d probably kill me if he knew. He was never the main focus of the image, but he gave such weight to the picture. There was one with Jake riding his horse out into the pasture. I had framed him on the left side, riding away from me. The shot captured the grandiose mountain chain and a few cattle sprinkled throughout. Another favorite was of Jake fly fishing before the trio of cousins had mobbed him. He had been an ant in the valley of peaks and ridges, but my eye was constantly drawn to him. The subtle frown on his face as he concentrated. The casual way he stood alone in the water. The solitary way he seemed to move through the world.
Ahem…there was also one I caught that I would die a thousand deaths if he knew I’d taken. It was Jake, shirtless, one evening, brushing down his horse after a ride.
It wasn’t my fault that I had a lens on my camera that zoomed in a very long way. He shouldn’t be walking around shirtless if he didn’t want admirers.
Even I could admit that he had much to be admired. There, I said it. He was still off limits, but it felt good to get that off my chest.
I spent a few minutes after hiking a quarter of a mile up the trail, retaking the shot I’d wanted to improve on. Once I was satisfied, I made my way back down the mountain, a bead of sweat trickling down my cheek from my temple.
I was halfway back to my cabin when I heard voices and a few big splashes. Curious, I made my way closer to the clearing where the pond sprawled out, surrounded by pine trees. It had become a favorite with the ranch guests, so I was surprised when I saw Jake and Sophie swimming there instead. I watched as Jake walked alongside Sophie in the water, on her stomach with her hands straight out in front of her like a pencil, kicking her feet proudly across the pond. When she got to the end, she leaped into Jake’s arms, where he threw her up in the air to the sound of her squeals before catching her.
I smiled as I watched them. The absolute joy on Sophie’s face as she played with her dad. My first inclination was to take a picture, but I already felt like I was intruding. Jake’s muscles were doing their thing while he tossed his daughter in the air, and it was probably for the best that I didn’t add any more shirtless pictures of Jake to my computer. Slowly, I began backing away.
But not before being spotted.
Sophie pointed up toward me. “Look, Dad! It’s Rapunzel!” she squealed. Jake turned to see me standing awkwardly behind a tree.
“Do you want to see my pencil swim?!” Sophie called out as she slapped her hand against the water, spraying Jake.
“I saw you for a minute. You did so good!” I said, staying where I was. Jake’s eyes were on me, but I couldn’t tell if he would welcome my presence with his daughter. “Why am I Rapunzel?”
“She thinks you look like her,“ Jake said. “But I tried to tell her that you’re the princess with the wild red hair.”
“Her hair isn’t wild,” Sophie exclaimed matter-of-factly.
I smiled at her, not sure I’ve ever felt so proud of a compliment in my life.
“It used to be wild.” Jake eyed me from the water, and suddenly my limbs weighed a thousand pounds. I had to tell him about Easton, but now was probably not the time.
“Well, I’ll let you guys get back to?—“
“Come swimming with us!” Jake called.
I stopped. “What?”
“You heard me. Get in.”