It was a quiet day. I had the weekend off of work, while Mac and his team had been given a week off barring a major emergency. I had no plans for the weekend except relaxing in the company of my brilliant partner.
We had spent the morning lazing in bed, curled around each other trading slow kisses and gentle touches. Just before lunch time we actually managed to get out of bed and try to do something productive with our day. When we reached the kitchen, Bozer was there making something to eat. He raised his eyebrows at the two of us, but made no further comment about our late appearance from the bedroom.
"Come on, put a pair of jeans and a jacket," Mac said, pulling me from the couch.
"Why?" I asked.
"I've got somewhere I want to take you," he replied.
I shook my head with a smile, but followed his instructions. I grabbed a thicker jacket, guessing that we would be out past sunset.
We walked out to Mac's car, Mac slipping into the driver's seat.
No matter how many times I asked or how many different questions I asked in various forms, he still wouldn't tell me where we were going.
Without much warning, Mac turned down a barely visible dirt track winding its way into seemingly nowhere. A river came into view, meandering its way through the empty fields lined with velvet ash and eastern redbud. Mac parked the car, getting out and walking around to my side so that he could open the door for me. The late afternoon sunlight bounced off the slowly moving water, the air scented with the water and pollen from the trees.
"This place is beautiful," I told him.
"I found it when Riley was doing some satellite imaging of the area," Mac informed me. "I don't think many people know it's here, the entrance was grown over when I came to check it out the other day."
We walked little way down the river, joking and soaking in the sunshine. I stopped when I saw a small boat dock, rickety but still standing, and a water tower on the bank near it.
"Look," I said pointing. "There's a ladder, if you want we could climb the water tower and stare up at the clouds."
Mac looked at the tower and then at me and shook his head.
"No thanks, I'll take a pass. You know my opinion on heights."
I laughed and pulled him close.
"You're about as keen as I am, but I thought I'd ask."
The shimmering water kept catching my eye, and subconsciously I wandered towards it, dragging Mac by the hand with me.
"If you want to dip your toes in the water then we can stop here," Mac smiled. "We can sit and let our feet hang off the fishing dock."
I practically ran down to the dock, Mac's laughter floating after me. I stopped just short, unsure if the old thing would hold up under my weight. Gingerly I put one foot on it, testing it by slowly shifting my weight onto that foot. When it didn't creak or wobble I moved the other foot on as well.
"It's sturdier than it looks," Mac whispered in my ear. I jumped, not having heard him come up behind me. He just smirked at me and proceeded to walk to the end of the dock, letting me follow.
I swung my feet through the cool water, letting the flow of the water around me leach all the stress from my body.
I lost track of how long we sat there, side by side, feet in the water talking and laughing about nothing important. At one point Mac started a water fight, splashing water up with his feet, enough to wet my legs. That ended with the both of us with half soaked pants and breathless laughter.
The sun was setting when we returned to where the car was parked.
"We have two options," Mac told me, reaching into the back of the car.
"We can head home if you're feeling cold, or we could have a picnic here."
A picnic basket sat in the back of the car, alongside some plastic cups and some blankets.
I'm really not sure when Mac had organised all this, though I did suspect Bozer had a hand in it when I saw the contents of the picnic basket.
"We've got nowhere to be," I said. "Let's sit here and watch the stars."
The food was spread out and the blanket was laid out on the grass. Mac patted the place beside him, beckoning me down to where he was seated.
"Do you want a drink?" He asked. "We don't have to be at work tomorrow. If you want to have a few drinks, we can."
I thought about it for a moment, I couldn't see a problem.
"If we get a bit buzzed how will we get home?" I asked.
"You drink what you want, I'll just have the one. I'll make sure we get home safe, love." He kissed my forehead.
Reaching across, he took the plastic cups from where they were resting beside the food. I looked into the basket to find the bottles of drink that were in there.
"Which would you prefer, we've only got whiskey or wine?" I inquired.
"Which ever, I don't mind, it's fine," he passed a cup over to me.
I poured Mac a cup of whiskey. Jack had introduced Mac to Texan whiskey when they were both in the army, and he had developed a taste for it. I, on the other hand, preferred wine.
Night had fallen and the stars were out, reflected back in the river. There was no city noise out here, just the chirping of crickets, rustling trees and the gentle rush of the river. Mac was lying on the blanket, head resting on one arm while the other was cradling me where I lay on his chest. Mac had just finished his whiskey, and I was on my second cup of wine. I was feeling light and floaty, giggly in a way I hadn't since I was in high school.
Gently Mac shifted so that I wasn't lying on him anymore, and stood. He quickly walked to the car and pulled something from inside it. He returned to where I was now sitting on the grass. He was fiddling with a small radio, finding a channel that was playing slow songs.
He placed the radio by the picnic basket and straightened, holding out his hand to me.
"Let's fill the night air with the radio," he said gently as he pulled me to my feet.
I stumbled a little, bumping into Mac's chest. He steadied me and held me close as we swayed to the music. As we moved our hands wandered over each other's bodies, touching and roaming wherever they wanted to go.
I closed my eyes and let my partner lead me, putting my shaky balance in his hands. I trusted him wholly. My hair fell around my shoulders, brushing against Mac's face as he leant in close. His lips met mine gently, the lip balm I'd reapplied leaving red marks on all over Mac wherever they touched.
We spun around like teenagers, laughing like there wasn't a care in the world.
When we both collapsed exhausted on the ground, my cheeks were sore from smiling.
"Let's make this our own little secret," I whispered to Mac. "A place we can come if we want to go way out where there isn't anybody else around."
Mac pulled me closer, dropping a kiss into my hair.
"Maybe I can ever do up an old boat we can moor and travel along the river," he mused.
"That sounds perfect."
We stayed like that, cuddled together under the stars, well into the night.