Chapter 84

"You have your entire set of luggage downstairs?"

"Yes."

"You took everything out of the bathroom upstairs?"

"Yes."

"You remembered…"

"Renée, I'm good!" Chloe piped up as her teeth clicked a few times. "I have my tickets, my luggage, and everything else. I know how to pack." She shook her head. "Why don't you go upstairs and nag Pete for a while."

"I'm not nagging," I replied as I crossed my arms. "I just want to make sure you don't forget anything."

"I know how you get." She pointed to the large pile of bags and luggage on the floor. "I got it all here without your help, and I'll get it all back."

"Okay, fine," I said with a nod. "I know you have everything." I looked up at the staircase. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to check on Pete, though."

"You might want to make sure he doesn't have a Fuchsbau stuffed in one of his suitcases."

I laughed. "I'm sure they won't let him on the plane with a carry-on like that."

I climbed the stairs and knocked on the open guest room door as Pete was folding a t-shirt. "Hey. How's it going up here?" I asked while leaning against the doorframe.

"Almost finished," Pete replied as he laid the shirt in his suitcase. "And my luggage doesn't contain a Fuchsbau," he added with a slight scowl.

"You heard her, huh?"

His ears elongated. "Of course I did."

"Of course." I nodded with a small grin. "So when are you coming back to visit her?"

Pete retracted then said, "I might be back in May, permanently."

I moved forward, picking up his tie and laid it on top of his shirt. "So, you're really gonna move here?"

He nodded. "If I get the job, which it looks like I have a pretty good shot at getting from how the HR department talked. I had two interviews while I was here." Those must have been his 'errands' he'd referred to. "Since I was in town anyway, the company that I'd been in contact with made time to interview me."

"Well, you know you can stay here until you get settled."

"That would be nice, actually," said Pete as he zipped up his suitcase. "I hate hotels."

"I remember," I whispered as I grinned at him. "Let me help you with that one."

"Thanks, Née. And I'm sorry about…" He touched his lip quickly. "You know."

I shook my head. "Water under the bridge. I'm glad you came to help. It seems you've found some things here in Portland that were worth the trip."

Pete smiled while reaching for his other bag. "Yeah, I really did."

We walked downstairs, and I set Pete's luggage down next to Chloe's. "You sure you don't want me to follow you guys to the airport?" I asked. "I really don't mind."

"Nah." Chloe shook her head quickly. "After what you told me about your last airport experience, let's not risk it."

"Hopefully there won't be a repeat occurrence when I go back home again," I chuckled lightly, but internally I cringed at the memory.

Chloe placed her hand on my shoulder. "I may hire security to escort you next time." With her, she probably wasn't joking.

I held my best friend for a few moments. "I wish you didn't have to go yet."

"If I didn't have non-refundable reservations in Florida that I've already missed part of, I'd just stay here. But the beach is calling my name."

I nodded and glanced at my watch. "You guys gotta get going." I turned and hugged Pete. "Thanks for everything."

"Anytime, Née." He looked into my eyes. "I mean that."

I helped my bunny pals with their luggage as we walked out to the rental car. "Have a safe flight and call me once you're home, okay?"

Chloe pulled me off to the side as I closed the trunk. "Renée, I don't care how many thousands of miles away I am. If anything happens, you tell me about it. I can't handle another dump of crazy in one sitting, regardless of the amount of alcohol you try to pump into me. Got it?"

I nodded slowly. "I just don't want to upset you."

"And I don't want to think you're hunky dory when you aren't," she scolded. "I'd rather you tell me, even if it's awful. Okay?"

"Okay. Let's hope there's nothing to tell."

"Now that's an answer I like." Chloe gave me her model smile and I hugged her tightly once more. "I love you, Renée. Try to be safe and I'll see you back home soon."

"Three long weeks," I groaned as I let her go.

"May will be here sooner than you know."

"Thank you for being here for me when I needed you most. I love you."

"That's what Wesen under the spell of a Waldgeist are for," she said with a smirk.

I laughed. "You're too strong-willed for that to be the case."

"Yeah. You're probably right about that."

Pete rolled down the window. "Uh, I hate to cut things short, but we have a plane to catch."

"Go on." I motioned Chloe toward the car. "Call me this afternoon."

"I will."

"The universe won't keep us apart for long!" I reminded her as she waved reluctantly and shut the car door.

I walked in the house once the rental car was out of view. A heavy sigh left me. May was still too far away.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Later on that morning I ate half a tart; my treat for all the insanity this weekend. A half wasn't as many calories, so I didn't feel too guilty. I more than worked the others off with Bikram. I took some time to get work caught up, but I was distracted. This morning I'd awoken to more crazy dreams about Nick. They were getting stranger every night. Last night Nick and I were rescuing Seltenvogel from their cages and after they were freed, he'd taken me in his arms as we passionately made out while Unbezahlbars fell from the sky. I didn't even want to try to interpret that one.

My cell rang as I was tidying up the house.

Picking it up from the coffee table, I smiled as I said, "Good Morning, Monroe."

"Hey," Monroe replied. "Are you ready to come over?"

"Am I supposed to be ready? You didn't give me specifics, remember."

Monroe chuckled. "Hmm… Guess I forgot about that."

I straightened the pillows on the couch. "It's okay. Give me just a little bit and I'll come over. Or, if it'll save time, come over here while I get ready."

"No. I need you to come over here," Monroe replied quickly. "Part of the surprise."

"Okay. I'll be there in about an hour, maybe? Will that be all right?"

"Yeah, but the sooner the better. Can't wait to see you," his reply beamed through the phone. "Oh, and wear comfortable shoes."

"Comfortable shoes?"

"Yeah, we're gonna be walking around."

"Will do. See you soon." My heart skipped as I hung up the phone. I showered quickly. What did he have planned today?

My hunter green skirt paired nicely with the black cardigan sweater I'd bought on my last shopping trip with Chloe. A black belt tied the ensemble together. The weather forecast was still chilly today, well for me anyway, but it also called for some sunshine. With that news, I was celebrating already. If the sun came out, the red highlights in my chestnut brown hair would look great with the green. I slipped on my watch, tucked my Waldgeist necklace under the sweater, and added my green onyx necklace. I did a once over in the full-length mirror in my bedroom. It was important to look good today, and I'd managed to look better than good.

Scanning the bottom of my closet, I searched for comfortable shoes. Okay, so no heels. I had a pair of flats that were comfortable, but they weren't as cute. I picked them up anyway. They were better than sneakers, since those definitely wouldn't go with my outfit, and I didn't want to change into a pair of jeans. I took some extra time with my hair and makeup. After applying a little lipstick, I smiled at my reflection. Perfect!

Grabbing my bag, keys, and Monroe's sweater gift, I headed to my car.

I sang along to U2's 'Beautiful Day' along the drive to Monroe's. The sun beamed down, warming my face. It was too cold to roll down the window, but I did it anyway. The sun felt so good. Today needed to be good. Was it too much to ask for one good day?

Monroe was on his porch as I pulled into the driveway. He wasn't alone. His cello was with him. As I opened my car door he began to play. Was that… Cyndi Lauper? Oh, yes it was. His bow and skillful fingers took on a wonderful rendition of 'Time After Time' as I walked toward him and up the few steps. He was grinning wide as he played the song like he'd known it forever, which was doubtful, but adorable nonetheless.

"If you're lost you can look and you will find me,
Time after time.
If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting,
Time after time…"

I sang the words as he continued. He caught me every time I fell, and I was falling right now… Monroe sure knew the way to my heart. Standing behind him, I set his gift down and placed my hands on both his shoulders, the muscles flexing as his bowing arm rocked back and forth over the strings. While his fingers moved along the fingerboard, my fingers moved up his neck and into his hair. The notes hit a staccato as I scratched his scalp lightly then trailed down under his collar.

"You make it awfully difficult to play," he murmured.

"Keep going," I bent down and whispered in his ear, kissing it gently. The bow jerked as my lips dipped down and touched his neck, but Monroe was able to find the melody again. I loved it when he played. God, that cello did something to me. As the song ended, he pulled the bow slowly along the final note, letting it soften out. He tilted his head, and I met his mouth with such intensity. His sexy lips let mine go as I was left a bit breathless.

"That was beautiful, Monroe," I said in awe, reaching down for his gift and tucking it under my arm. "I thought you just played classical," I added with a wink.

"Well, you said this song represented me, so I, umm, did a little searching for the music." He stood as he held on to the cello. "I kinda like the words, but that part about the second hand unwinding… Well, technically, I mean, depending on the timepiece, the second hand will…" Monroe paused as he cleared his throat. "Umm, happy Lunar-versary, Renée."

"Thank you for this." I chuckled lightly, reaching for his hair again. "That cello of yours is like an aphrodisiac."

"I could tell." A flicker of red hit his eyes. "Why don't we go inside and keep celebrating."

As the door opened, Monroe carried his cello while kissing me deeply. We continued our kiss, maneuvering toward the living room like an awkward waltz. He finally let me go once we were near the couch.

"Now that's the way to celebrate," I exclaimed as I caught my breath.

"I'll say." He grinned and then walked toward the fireplace to properly put his instrument away. When he turned back, his eyes rested on the gift box under my arm as he twitched slightly.

"Oh, this is for you." I held out the gift box in front of him.

"Red?" he asked hesitantly as he looked it over.

"It's your favorite color," I replied. "Isn't it?"

His brows knotted as he twitched again. "Well, yeah, but after, umm… You know."

"Just don't tie me up with the ribbon, and we'll be okay," I replied with a smirk.

His eyes glinted with a lusty red. "I'll tie you up with something else if you prefer."

I shook my head. "Umm, how about you just open your gift instead?" I wasn't ready to discuss bondage today. No, we were going to have a good day.

Monroe took the box as he sat down on the couch. He slowly removed the red ribbon and tore through the paper, discarding it on the cushion beside him.

Opening the box, his lips curved into a smile as he looked up at me. "Is this the same one?"

"If it isn't, it's really close."

He lifted out the gray sweater and checked the tag. "Yeah, man. This is the same one." He held up the sweater to reveal the equally gray Vince label. "Where did you find this?"

"Just got lucky." I moved toward the couch, folding up the wrapping paper and sliding the ribbon inside as I sat beside him. "Sweaters can be replaced, but you can't." I leaned in and kissed him. "Happy lunar-versary."

"Thank you, Hun. You know, I'd kinda missed that sweater."

I bit my lip slightly. "So have I."

He grinned at me as he set the box and wrapping paper on the coffee table. "Okay. It's your turn."

"My turn?" I tilted my head. "There's more?"

"Hell yeah." Monroe stood up, helping me off the couch. "Close your eyes." I hesitated and then he added, "Come on, just do it."

"Okay." I closed my eyes as he led me toward his workroom.

"All right, open them up."

On the table set my cuckoo clock in all its splendor. It was just as beautiful as when Monroe had fixed it before. The wood was freshly polished, and the little bird was back on top of its perch. Monroe walked over and slowly moved the minute hand until the bird tweeted out his sweet song.

"Oh, Monroe. Thank you!" I turned quickly toward him. "Thank you so much!" I dabbed at my eyes, trying not to cry all over the place.

"See, I told you it would be fine," he said as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Fortunately, all the parts were attainable, and the casing didn't crack or anything when it fell. I had to get on the horn to Flagstaff, Reno, Seattle, and Sacramento to find everything, so it was a joint effort. There were a few kinks with one of the bellows, but I got it straightened out." Monroe continued to talk mechanics while I held him tight. I may not have understood it, but it was fixed, and I was more than glad.

"So how much do I owe you, Mr. Clockmaker?" I asked with a coy grin as I brushed off my tears. "I didn't bring any money."

"Oh, I can think of a few ways." Leaning me against the front door, Monroe kissed me with fervor. He fiddled with the belt and zipper on my skirt and worked off my sweater while I undid his vest and shirt. Clothes fell to the ground as he trailed his lips down my shoulder. "It's gone. You were right." He traced the spot where the Blutbad had assaulted me.

"Yeah, gone," I murmured, reaching my hands into his hair. "Now kiss me and don't worry about it."

We moved toward the living room. The clocks on the mantel rattled as I pushed him up against the fireplace, taking control. I kissed down his chest, breathing in his Old Spice as I moved down.

"Come back up here," he coaxed as I dipped down further.

I looked up into his eyes, batting my eyelashes. "But Mr. Clockmaker, I need to repay you."

"I'll get my money's worth, don't you worry." He lifted me up, thumbs brushing against my cheeks as he took my face in his hands. He paused, just staring at me. The sunlight flickered through the window, bringing out the golden hues in his brown eyes and the dusting of freckles across his face. "Are you okay?"

I tried to take the question in, but I didn't want to. "I'm great. Kiss me some more and I'll be even better."

"In a minute." His eyes searched my brain. "Why didn't you tell me about you and Pete?"

"Me and…?" I froze. Fuck…

"Yeah." Monroe's hands slid down to my shoulders. "You two do this experiment thing, which was a bit incredible I might add, but you didn't mention any of it. Why?"

My breath let out slowly as my muscles relaxed. Okay, so he meant the leaf trick.

"Monroe, it was the night before all hell broke loose with that sergeant, and then Jack came, and then I almost lost you. That leaf went to the back burner of my mind. It didn't help that I had Pete chiding me about not messing with the balance of things, and then I used my ability on you, which was a bit disconcerting. But I would've done anything that night to…" I trailed off before the tears returned. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. I mean that."

Monroe nodded slowly. "You know, it just felt awkward with Pete and Chloe knowing, and I had no clue, man."

"That wasn't my intent." I brushed back a tear that escaped.

"You sure you're all right?"

"As well as one can be with the events of last week, or last month, or…"

"Is there anything else you need to share?"

"I must confess…" I grinned at him. "I need your lips on mine."

"Be serious with me. Trust me."

"Monroe, I…"

I wanted to tell him all the gaps… tell him about the stupid dreams… the reckless things I'd done that he wasn't aware of… And that I loved him. I wanted to tell him that more than anything. But I couldn't. I needed him, but dumping all that on him would just be upsetting. No, today needed to be a good day.

"If there was anything else that needed to be shared, I would," I replied instead, placing my hands on top of his arms. "Right now I'm just taking life day by day. But if you weren't here to do it with me, then… Well, I never want to know what that would be like."

Monroe pulled me in close. His kiss hit me hard as he took over. Feathery kisses fluttered down my chin to my neck, and I responded with a soft sigh. He didn't nip or bite, but his mouth became forceful and demanding as it took hold of mine again. I held on to his shoulders as he kissed toward my collarbone, down my chest.

"We need to take this elsewhere," Monroe insisted. He scooped me up in his arms, hovering. "No, we'll just do it here." He laid me on the couch. "It's been too long to wait," Monroe grunted out.

"It's only been a couple of days," I replied between kisses.

"Too long."

His mouth trailed down my shoulder, but then he paused as he glanced over at the coffee table. Flicking the wrapping paper with his two fingers, it dropped behind the table.

"Really?" I asked.

Monroe grinned. "Better safe than sorry, man."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

An hour later I was still trying to catch my breath. "You're amazing," I sighed out breathlessly as I leaned back on the couch, closing my eyes.

"Eh, I just do what I can," Monroe humbly replied, leaning over to kiss my forehead. "Now I'm going to find my clothes and make us some coffee."

"This has been a good lunar-versary."

"Oh, there's more than this." His grin was infectious as he wiggled his eyebrows.

I lifted myself up, rescuing my panties off the lamp by the couch. The bra was around here somewhere. Monroe dressed quickly while I retrieved my sweater and skirt by the front door. While Monroe was in the kitchen, I hunted down the bra from under the coffee table, picking up the wrapping paper while I was down there. I shook my head. Either his routine was still off, or that color was more trouble than it was worth.

I went into the bathroom, trying to fix my hair and makeup. I managed to put myself back together as I stared at my reflection. Right after some of the greatest sex ever with Monroe, I'd wondered if Nick was home yet. What the hell was wrong with me?

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"I think that this Peruvian dark roast is my new favorite," Monroe said as he took a long sip. "Thanks for buying these, Hun."

"Glad you like it." I took another sip as we sat on the couch together.

"After this, we'll need to get going before it gets any later." He tapped his watch.

"Where are we going?"

"Surprises," he said. "You should know that by now."

I set my mug down. "Can I get a hint?"

He put a finger to his chin, then replied, "Darkness then water."

I tilted my head and repeated, "Darkness then water?" That man became more cryptic every day.

"Uh-huh." He shot me a sly grin as he stood. "So we better get going."

Monroe and I finished our coffee and headed out. He stopped me on the porch, giving me another kiss. "You still trust me, right?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Just checking." Monroe grinned again, taking my hand as he led me down the porch steps. He opened the passenger side of the VW and I got in. He closed the door and moved to the driver's side. Once his door was closed, he turned toward me. "Open the glove box," he instructed.

"Okay." I opened it up and stuck my hand inside, pulling out a blindfold. "Darkness?" I asked as I looked over at him.

Monroe nodded. "Put it on."

"Are we going to an Eyes Wide Shut party?" I joked.

"Would you go if we were?"

I shook my head at him. "Not my kind of party."

"It's not like that," Monroe said with a chuckle. "Besides, you wear masks to those, not blindfolds."

I gave him a sideways glance. "And why do you know that?"

"I watch movies." He shrugged. "Now put the blindfold on."

I bit lightly at my lower lip as I held it in my hands.

"Go on," he coaxed. "Trust me."

Slowly, I lifted the blindfold to my head, slipping it on. A light breeze hit my face. No doubt he was waving his hand in front of me to make sure I couldn't see.

"I can't see, but I can feel you testing me."

"Really?" He replied with a smirk in his voice. "Can you feel this?" His fingers drew across my collarbone.

"Yes," I replied, running my tongue over my lower lip.

"What about this?" The heat of his breath teased my ear. He kissed my lobe gently.

"I definitely feel that."

"Too bad I'm on a time schedule," Monroe replied, his voice a bit deeper. "But I'll remember that reaction for later, I'll tell ya that."

"So, do you normally blindfold women?" I teasingly asked.

"No. First time," he quickly replied. The warble in his voice was slight, but it was there. Did he just lie?

"You sure you haven't?" I probed a bit.

"Uh, pretty sure." The warble was worse.

"Pretty sure… you have?" I questioned further.

There was a slight pause before he finally admitted, "Perhaps a time before… or maybe two."

Oh, really? Hmm…

"What about the whole rope thing?" I asked. He'd seemed awfully good at that, too. "Was that really your first time?"

Another pause. "I said it was, didn't I?" His voice was a bit deeper, but the tone was still warbled. Holy crap.

"You may have said it, but I don't think it was all that true." I smirked whether he saw it or not.

His hand on my thigh jolted me. "You're asking a lot of questions." His voice was darker, like I was uncovering more than he wanted me to.

"So, am I to take your avoidance of said question as acknowledgement that you've done it before?" I asked pointedly.

He paused again as his hand moved up further, hitching my breath. "Let's say, hypothetically, I had. Would it be a bad thing?" The words rolled off his tongue as smooth as silk.

"Hypothetically, it would've been deceitful." Inside a wave of panic hit. There was no 'hypothetically' to it.

"Deceitful or just a white lie?"

"More like a red one," I replied, smirking again. Who knew a blindfold could work as a lie detector? Perhaps Mr. Monroe was better at lying than I gave him credit for.

"Okay, now I can honestly say I hadn't used red before that night."

No warble. At least that was the truth. So, how many women had he tied up before? Five? Fifty? A horrible image of Monroe in a dungeon with shackled women lining the walls passed through my mind. My cheeks burned at his manipulation. Oh, sly wolf.

"So, was that color just for my benefit?"

"Wasn't much of a benefit, obviously," he mumbled. "I'm still sorry about that, you know." That sounded honest, too.

"You should've told me the truth." I shook my head. "Don't chide me on withholding things if you're doing it, too," I reprimanded. "That doesn't earn trust."

"If I'd told you I'd done it before, would you've still tried it?" he asked openly, fingers dipping under the elastic of my panties. He made it hard to think by doing that.

"You didn't give me the opportunity to make that decision." That we were both trying something new was one thing. But was this something he did regularly? His fingers traced back down my thigh. God, he was making it difficult to keep my thoughts. "So, I don't know..."

He was silent for a minute. "You aren't mad, are you?" His voice had a bit of a worried edge, but his fingers were telling me something completely different. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking..." I reached for his hand, but he wiggled it free, creeping further up my skirt again. I turned toward him, even though I couldn't see. "That's cheating. I can't determine how I feel with you doing that."

"Well, I can tell how this makes you feel," he replied with a devilish grin in his voice. If I could see right now, he'd have tapped his nose to emphasize his point.

"What else are you hiding?" I asked. "Or do I want to know?"

Fortunately, his fingers vanished from my thigh, and my breath evened out. It was only briefly until they were bushing my hair away from my neck.

"Umm, probably don't want to know," he candidly replied. "I never claimed to be a saint, you know?" He chuckled, but I wasn't laughing. "The same could be asked of you." His fingers traced along my ear and down my throat. He was turning the tables. Dangit. "Anything else you wanna share?"

"Aren't we going to be late for something?" I managed to ask, unable to refrain from biting my lip as his fingers continued.

"Now who's avoiding questions?" His fingers circled my throat a few times as my breath quickened once more.

I gripped the edge of the car seat. "I just don't want us to be late to, umm, whatever surprise you have." We both had secrets we were keeping. Best to quit while we were ahead.

"Okay, okay," he relented, removing his fingers. "But only because you have a point." The air changed ever so slightly. He was moving his hand in front of me again, but slower this time.

"I still feel that."

"Man, you're good," he chuckled. "I want try this again, though." He hesitated, but then added, "If you'll let me." His voice tinged on sarcastic. The blindfold really enhanced that inflection.

"Let you?" I chuckled. "You want permission?"

"Well, yeah," he replied. "I mean, you don't have to let me, but it would be nice." His hand cupped my chin. "Or I could make you, if that would be better?"

I sucked in my breath. Now that tone was all Mr. Wolf… Holy moly!

Monroe laughed as he removed his hand. "Well, that sure answers my question real quick," he said in a satisfied tone.

"No it doesn't," I replied in a hurry.

"The nose always knows." His smugness permeated like a scent of its own.

"Now don't you… That doesn't…" Crap, he had me flustered and he knew it. "Darn Scorpios." My face flushed hot. "Let's just go." I leaned back in the car seat.

Monroe laughed again, but he didn't reply, thank goodness. I focused on the cricket chirps of the VW as he backed the car up. My heart was beating fast as I tried to slow my breathing. Make me? Maybe he knew more than I realized. Stupid books. Stupid thoughts. No, I wasn't going to ponder what all he knew or had done before. It was going to be a good day. Monroe turned on his radio as a jazz tune played softly. The slow rhythm was soothing as my heart and my breath relaxed in time with its beat.

As Monroe drove, I mentally took note of the turns. Right on Southwest Naito Parkway, then from the sound of it, we were getting on the Morrison Bridge, next was a sharp left, which meant we were merging onto the I-84. Too bad I still didn't know my way around out of the city. Back home I could play this game easily. On my dad's road trips I'd close my eyes and try to figure out where we were going. Most always I could map it out in my head. From the turns to certain sounds, I knew Kentucky pretty well. Oregon would take some time to learn, but this was a good start.

The drive remained smooth for the next twenty minutes, so we must have still been on I-84. The interstate was sixty miles per hour, and Monroe usually dropped back five miles. Doing the math quickly, we were roughly eighteen miles out of Portland already. I rummaged through my mental filing cabinet, trying to place the cities outside Portland. There was Gresham and Troutdale. Those two we must have passed already. After Troutdale what came next? There were a few clusters of parks if my memory was correct, but what was the city?

I tried to listen through the music. The VW engine was distracting. The cricket chirps overshadowed the other sounds. I cracked the window a bit, taking in the smell. Wet wood and dead leaves. It reminded me of the scent of the Ohio River. The low horn of a barge caught my ears.

"Is the Columbia River on our left?" I asked.

Monroe's hand ran up my leg. "Yeah."

"Is there a barge going past?"

"Umm…" He paused. "Looks like it."

"Okay, just checking."

"Are you trying to figure out where we're going?" His voice held a hint of amusement.

"Maybe," I replied with a grin. "I know there are parks out this way, but I haven't had time to memorize the maps of Oregon yet."

"Well, good. Just relax, and don't worry about where we're going."

The sound of the radio increased. I closed the window. Fine, I'd be good and remain surprised. I reclined back in the seat, taking in the music. Michael Bublé was singing his version of 'Moondance.' I softly hummed along as I relaxed a bit more.

"Okay, take off your blindfold," said Monroe as I sat up in my seat.

I removed the blindfold to a large sign that read, 'Whispering Pines.' I turned toward Monroe, but Nick was sitting in the driver's seat.

"We're here," Nick said with a toothy grin.

"Where's Monroe? Why are you here?"

Nick reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring box. "Renée, you're the one…" He looked into my eyes, his hand poised and ready to open the box. "Renée…"

"Renée…" A hand was pulling at my elbow. It was still dark. "Dude, did you fall asleep?"

"Must have. Sorry." What the hell was I dreaming? Nick was becoming the highlight of every one. "Can I take this off now?"

"Yeah. I told you, we're here."

Removing my blindfold, I tried to focus in spite of the bright light. The sun was fully out, nearly blinding me. I shielded my eyes with my hand as I squinted until they adjusted. We were surrounded by trees, and as I opened the car door, the sound of rushing water behind us piqued my curiosity. Monroe was already by the door, holding out his hand. I took it as he helped me out of the car.

"So where is here?" I asked, taking in my surroundings.

"Follow me," he replied. "You'll see here in a minute."

I continued to hold his hand as we walked across the road toward a house, maybe? But what was behind the house was got my attention. It was a large waterfall.

I pointed up. "That is beautiful," I said as we edged further. The sign caught my eye. 'Multnomah Falls.' "So this must be the water part of the surprise, right?"

He nodded and replied, "Multnomah Falls is the second largest year-round waterfall in the United States." Monroe flashed me his trademark smile. "But we're gonna get real close here shortly."

"I can't wait."

Monroe and I followed a long trail up the ridge as the large waterfall came closer into view.

"Now according to the Native American folklore, Multnomah Falls was created to win the heart of a young princess who wanted a hidden place to bathe. There are other legends that a princess jumped from the cliffs as a sacrifice to save her tribe from illness." Monroe scratched at his head. "Not sure if was the same princess though."

"That's sweet and yet kind of sad, too," I replied.

"You know, we'll just go with the first one then."

Regardless of the legends, the waterfall was both breathtaking and majestic. Water cascaded down from behind a large, arched bridge, while a second tier of the waterfall spilled out underneath it.

I pointed up. "Can we get up there, too?"

Monroe nodded. "Yeah, that's where we're headed. That's the Benson Bridge. From there you can see the top of the waterfall and, like, really feel its power, man. Let's keep moving."

On and on we climbed as I breathed in the scents of the woods while serenity wrapped its loving arms around me. All my burdens seemed to melt into the void as the ambient sound of the waterfall washed them all away.

Monroe caught me grinning. "You seem to really like this place." He pointed at his eyes. "You're kinda showing it off a bit."

"Was I?" I blinked a few times. "I wish I knew when it was happening."

"It's just the surge of emotion, man."

"This place is definitely giving me a surge. I'm pretty content right now."

Monroe took my hand. "We're almost to the bridge, let's go."

As we stepped along the bridge, the din of the waterfall was almost deafening. Light sprays of water hit our faces, as the falls plunged down in front of us. Below, the water crashed amongst the rocks into the foggy mist surrounding the surface, like it was fading right into a cloud. Small rainbows of light reflected off the water from the sunshine. Nature's beauty at its finest. I was in awe.

Monroe and I stopped in the center just holding each other. He tried to say something, but the water was too loud to hear. I gestured at my ear and shook my head. Monroe let out a breath and motioned me forward as we stepped away from the waterfall, the sound becoming fainter as we sauntered toward the patch of trees past the clearing. We were alone and shielded from the other tourists in this small space.

"Can you hear me now?" he yelled out.

"Yeah, you're fine, and you don't have to yell."

"Okay. Good." He took my hands in his. "So what I wanted to say back there… Like this waterfall, err, that waterfall." He hooked his thumb behind him. "Umm, we've been flowing down a rocky path with everything that's gone on, but, you know, it's still been a wonderful thing because we're like that water, pushing forward together, and, you know, with that being said I…"

Monroe's cell rang in his pocket.

"With that being said…" he repeated while slightly rolling his eyes. "Give me just a second." He pulled out his phone, looked down, and let out a huff. "It's Nick."

"Well, answer it," I urged. "It might be important."

He hesitated, but then pressed the button. "You know, man, I think you need to look up the definition of the word vacation… Whoa, what's wrong? Everything go okay with the Seltenvogel? Please tell me she's leaving that Klaus… What? Oh, and so when you…? And then she…? Oh man." Monroe was silent a moment as his eyes did all the talking; squinting, then widening as his head bobbed up and down to whatever Nick was telling him.

"He didn't get hurt did he?" I asked quickly. Thoughts of anything happening to Nick stabbed at my heart.

"No, umm, not like what you're thinking," he replied to me. "Yeah I'm still here… Well, don't you think that Hank might be better suited to handle this kinda…? What? She actually used the words, 'keeping things from her'? Oh, dude…" He looked up at me as his brow furrowed, pressing his fingers against his forehead. "Yeah. No, I understand… Meet me at my place. We'll talk, have a few beers. It'll be okay, Nick." He shoved his phone back in his pocket and shook his head.

"What happened? Is he okay?"

"Well, he kinda… His, umm, proposal didn't go exactly as planned last night."

"She said no?"

"Yeah, well, it kinda seems that way."

"Oh…" So he wasn't engaged. Juliette dumped him. Oh, wow...

"He's kinda… Well, he needs to talk and drink, and not necessarily in that order. We gotta head back."

"You want me to go with you guys?" I wanted to see Nick, console him, and maybe hold him. I shook the thoughts out. What was I thinking?

"No, man. I don't think that's such a good idea right now. I think he needs some guy talk, you know? Just some dudes and some beers. No females."

I nodded slowly. "Well, what did you want to say before he called?" Monroe was gonna say it. I knew it. The crazy 'L' word. But was that what I wanted? Was it safe for us to be this close? What did I want really? I loved him, but…

His lips tightened into a thin line, and then he blew out a breath. "Man, it's just…" He shook his head.

"What is it?"

He reached for my arms. "I'll tell you later. I'm sorry our belated lunar-versary has to be cut short like this. Not exactly the way I planned this day going." He sighed. "We didn't even get to do the lunch thing. Oh man…"

"It's okay. This place is beautiful though." I took another glance behind me. "Maybe we can come back sometime?"

He gave a short nod. "Yeah. I'd like that. Up there at the top is amazing." He pointed. "It's over six-hundred feet above everything, and a view as far as the eye can see."

I turned back to face him. "Thank you for this. I really mean it."

"Let's go," mumbled Monroe. "It'll take at least a half hour to get back anyway."

We drove back in silence. Well, outward silence. From the look on his face, Monroe's clock gears where whirling in his brain while mine was overloaded with thoughts about Nick. I looked off toward the Columbia River as my mind wandered. What had happened with the proposal? Why would Juliette decline? Why was I sort of happy about it?

A/N: Okay, another longer chapter... So Chloe and Pete headed home. Monroe's blindfold uncovered a few more truths than Renée was expecting. Multnomah Falls has been featured in Grimm back in "Lonelyhearts." I put a picture link on my profile in case you need a refresher. And yes, the crazy 'L' word is still getting halted, this time due to Nick's declined proposal.

A new buddy of mine on YouTube named "Chef Hayden" has graciously made me a little video of his cello rendition of "Time After Time" to add to my story. The link is also on my profile. Check it out! He is a jack of all trades with videos of everything from movie reviews to cooking lessons. Thank you, Hayden! You rock my socks!

So the good news is this story is done! 120 chapters total! Double from the last one, yet again. We have 36 chapters left and so much more story to tell.

Gonna post more, but be kind and pause to give me some comments. (;