Chapter 24

Sam lifted her head and looked at Daniel curiously. He didn’t say a word and kept his eyes straight ahead on the road. The further they got away from her house, the more her anticipation grew. It was supplemented with a tiny spark of uncertainty born out of Daniel’s slightly strange behavior, especially not wanting to enter her house and being so insistent on going for a ride. She tried to laugh it off. This was Daniel – she trusted him completely. She had nothing to worry about.

She looked out her window and admired the view of the mountains as they drove through the little town of Cascade. Daniel remained silent and appeared determined. Determined to do what? she wondered.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she finally remarked. “I’ve never been out this way.” She looked over at Daniel, waiting for him to say something.

“Mmm,” he replied. “I haven’t either.”

Sam gave him an odd look. So, this was what he was doing? Just driving aimlessly, not knowing or caring where they would end up? Not that there was really anything wrong with that …

“Ah … one of my colleagues in Anthropology told me about it – told me that the view was gorgeous. It’s a nice night so I figured a drive out this way wouldn’t hurt,” he answered carefully.

Sam regarded him with a bit of suspicion in her eyes. The tone of Daniel’s voice revealed that he was holding something back.

As the sun began setting and dusk approached, the mountains seemed bathed in a warm glow. It only made them appear more beautiful. Sam could appreciate them to the fullest if she only knew what Daniel had in store for her. Her eyes widened as the mountains seemed to draw nearer and she recognized Pikes Peak. Even though she’d never really been there, she’d seen pictures of it.

Daniel merged off of the highway and onto a paved road that led to a tollbooth. The sign on the right revealed the road to be Pikes Peak Highway. Sam felt bad when Daniel shelled out some money and paid the man at the booth.

“Daniel, what are you doing?” she asked as she instantly fumbled with her purse.

“Sam, honestly it’s okay,” he insisted.

“But …”

“Please,” Daniel said quietly but firmly as his eyes pierced hers.

Sam blinked and then nodded. “Okay.”

Daniel thanked the man and then began heading down the road. Almost immediately, the road began to rise steeply and Daniel was glad that his car, even though it was a sedan, was equipped for such terrain. As they began their slow, steady ascent, Sam looked out her window and found not much more than thick forest on either side. In the twilight, the forest appeared dark and almost sinister. The myriad of sounds coming from it – including owls, various insects, and the occasional snapping of twigs – created the perfect backdrop for a good, old-fashioned ghost story. She leaned back and chuckled inwardly. An image of her and Daniel sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows and trying to scare each other with such stories had entered her mind.

Daniel was building to the climax of a story based on ancient folklore that was really scaring the wits out of Sam. Just as he was about to end, he paused and, without warning, shouted and jumped at her. Sam let out a yelp and as she attempted to compose herself, she scowled at Daniel who was beside himself with amusement. She admonished him for scaring her half to death and smacked him upside the head. Daniel’s teasing laughter subsided and he looked at her with apologetic eyes as he edged closer and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Before either of them knew it, they were kissing passionately, their hands caressing and fondling every inch of exposed flesh. They ended up on the forest floor, moaning in ecstasy and proceeding to rip each other’s clothes off…

Sam’s eyes widened and she bolted upright. She blushed when she realized how intense her reverie had become. She began to seriously question whether having these kinds of thoughts was wrong. True, she and Daniel were in a serious relationship, but she’d never experienced these kinds of thoughts about any man before. One of her basic philosophies was that it was wise not to think about jumping into bed with a man until after you were married. Perhaps that made her out to be a prude in the eyes of some, but she didn’t care.

She then realized what these images were trying to tell her: she loved Daniel as the complete person, soul and body. She hadn’t been acquainted with the ‘body’ part, but it seemed that, deep down she was really yearning to and hoped that she’d get the chance; if not now, at least eventually. She sighed deeply and looked down at her lap.

“Sam?” Daniel asked, glancing at her and furrowing his brow. “You’ve been very quiet.”

Sam gave him a tiny shrug and adopted a crooked smile. “You haven’t been very talkative yourself,” she said challengingly.

Daniel nodded. “I know, it’s just that … well, you seem very, ah, contemplative. What are you thinking?”

She had barely noticed that they’d come to a small break in the forest. Daniel pulled over with the intention of getting out and enjoying the view of the overlook to their left. She lifted her gaze and met his eyes, clear blue orbs that were shining with question and concern.

“Nothing much, just … things,” she said weakly.

“Things?” Daniel repeated curiously.

Sam nodded and awkwardly cleared her throat. Daniel squeezed her arm and gave her a little smile.

“Well, I don’t blame you. I’ve had a lot on my mind, too. The first overlook is this way. Why don’t we go check out the view?” he asked hopefully, gesturing to the clearing on his left.

Sam forced a smile and nodded. They climbed out of the car and slowly walked over to the area in question. They were greeted with a breathtaking view that overlooked Cascade and the valley back to Colorado Springs. Sam was nearly in awe of what lie out beneath them. Being up so high made her feel like a bird, wanting to spread her wings and fly. It was exhilarating and she let out a small, giddy laugh.

Daniel placed his arm around her and pulled her close to him. “It’s a wonderful view, isn’t it?” he asked quietly.

“It sure is,” she sighed. She adopted an impish grin. “Hey, I think I can see my house down there,” she said as she pointed to a random structure in the area of Colorado Springs.

“What makes you think that’s your house? I’m willing to bet it’s my apartment complex,” Daniel said, teasing her in a mock smug tone.

Sam grinned widely and snickered. “Does it really matter?” she asked. She supplemented her question with a quick kiss on the lips.

A very faint blush colored Daniel’s cheeks for a brief moment. His lips edged upward into a soft smile. “No,” he said softly before kissing her back.

Sam beamed up at him and Daniel regarded her affectionately. He turned and looked back toward his car. “Well, it’s really starting to get dark now and I believe that even better scenery awaits us. Shall we?” he asked as he held out his arm for her.

Sam nodded and they hooked arms as they made their way back toward the forest.

After several more miles, the forest began to thin out and a somewhat large body of water became visible on their left. From where she was sitting, Sam couldn’t see much, but after driving through all that forest she nearly begged Daniel to stop.

Fortunately, he saved her the trouble, pulling off to the right close to a large tree that featured a sign reading “Crystal Reservoir.”

Sam exited the car and began walking toward the lake, Daniel soon catching up to her. They stopped short of a low stone embankment that separated them from the water’s edge. The nearly full moon was reflected in the crystal clear water, creating a stunning, magical effect. The water was so calm and clear that they might as well have been peering into a mirror. Sam gaped when she lifted her gaze and was greeted with a view of Pikes Peak across the lake. Accented by moonlight, the enormous geological feature was a magnificent beacon.

“Oh, wow,” Sam murmured.

She now felt like kicking herself for never having been here after several years of living in the area. The beautiful view afforded them reminded her so much of the view she enjoyed near her home of the little creek and the mountains in the distance. Sam had thought that one was hard to top, but the sight stretched out in front of her proved otherwise.

“It’s gorgeous, Daniel,” she said quietly.

Daniel nodded and placed his arm around her. “Why don’t we head over there?” he asked, pointing to a narrow dock that jutted out into the water some fifty yards in front of them.

Sam nodded silently. They were about start walking over there when they heard a faint clinking noise, followed by muffled swearing.

Daniel and Sam whirled around, expecting to find someone in back of them. They took a few steps and found a short man with glasses and very short, platinum blonde hair stooped next to a Jeep, inspecting one of the tires. A young woman was waiting in the passenger seat. Daniel sighed, frustrated at the intruder who’d barged in on their quiet time together. When it seemed that the man had a flat tire, the frustration nearly ebbed away and was replaced by pity.

Daniel timidly made his way over to the man. “Problem?” he asked shyly.

The young man turned and almost jumped in surprise. Daniel’s eyes widened.

“Uh … sorry, you kind of scared me there,” the man chuckled sheepishly.

Daniel shrugged. “Sorry. I just noticed that you seemed to be having a little trouble.”

The short man nodded grimly. “I came here with my fiancée, you know, to enjoy that wonderful view,” he began.

Daniel nodded and snorted inwardly, slightly annoyed that his idea was apparently not original.

“Everything was fine on the way down. We even stopped at that depot halfway up to make sure the brakes weren’t overheated - no problems whatsoever. It was after we passed Glen Cove that the tire gave out. There’s a few big rocks jutting out across the road and I guess I came a little too close to one of them.” He winced slightly before continuing. “Luckily I was able to just coast over to this area.”

Daniel nodded sympathetically. “Do you need any help, ah …?” he asked, wondering what to call their new acquaintance.

“Walter,” the man supplied. “Walter Harriman. And, yes, I’d really appreciate it. I haven’t had too many flats in my time driving so …”

“I have,” Daniel said. “I’m an archaeologist and I’ve driven over many different types of terrain. I’ve learned to be prepared for anything in that respect.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Walter said, distracted, as he readied his spare tire. “So, you say you’re an archaeologist, um …?”

“Daniel … Jackson,” Daniel returned. “Yes, I teach archaeology and anthropology at UCCS.”

Walter nodded, seemingly impressed.

Sam felt pangs of disappointment well up inside her as she watched Daniel help Walter remove the flat tire. The evening had started out so wonderful with just the two of them enjoying a lovely view, and now all that was put aside so that Daniel could help a complete stranger fix a flat tire. She leaned up against a tree and sighed bitterly.

Walter’s fiancée exited the Jeep and walked over to them. “Do you think you can fix it?” she asked.

Daniel failed to look at her and nodded. “Yeah, it shouldn’t be any problem …” He trailed off and finally lifted his gaze. He looked at her curiously.

“This is my fiancée, Karen,” Walter beamed. “She’s a botanist.”

Daniel looked at her and smiled politely. “Nice to meet you,” he said.

The young redhead smiled and nodded.

Daniel looked past them, searching out Sam so he could do a bit of bragging himself. “And this is my …” He trailed off, not quite sure what to call Sam. Was she a girlfriend? No, she was much more than that.

“This is my dear, close friend, Sam,” he finally said.

Sam blushed faintly as she made her way over to them. Walter regarded her with a friendly smile. “Hi,” he said.

“Um, hi,” Sam said shyly.

Walter looked at her expectantly. It prompted her to continue, “I also teach at UCCS … astrophysics.”

Walter looked from her to Daniel and his face cracked open in a grin. “Did you guys meet there?” he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Ah … not exactly,” Daniel replied. “But you’re close.”

Walter looked at him and blinked. “Oh.” He turned to Sam. “You teach astrophysics?”

“Right,” Sam nodded.

“What a coincidence. I work as a curator and guide for the Museum of Space Exploration,” he continued.

Sam looked at him seriously. “You’re kidding!” she said, intrigued.

“Nope, I’ve been working there for the past year and a half,” he said proudly.

“I visited it once or twice not long after I moved here, but I never got a chance after that,” she said with a touch of regret in her voice.

“Oh, well, you should come by one day,” Walter said insistently. “You guys come to the front desk and I’ll give you a little tour. We just got a new exhibit in this past week.”

Sam bit back a giggle at Walter’s enthusiasm. She merely smiled and nodded.

“Sounds good,” Daniel muttered as he helped Walter fit the spare tire on. “So you say that’s the Museum of Space Exploration?”

“Yeah,” Walter confirmed. “The John May Space Museum – it’s right next to the Golden Eagle Ranch RV Park on Rock Creek Canyon Road.”

Daniel nodded and sighed as they succeeded in securing the spare tire. “Well, I think that’s it.”

“Great, I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” Walter gushed. He reached out and shook Daniel’s hand.

“Oh, no, please, it’s okay,” Daniel said humbly.

“No, really … I don’t know what we would have done if we hadn’t run into you,” he insisted.

“I’m happy to help,” Daniel said.

Walter nodded. “So, are you guys going all the way up to the top, then?” he smiled.

Daniel looked quickly over at Sam. “Oh, ah … no, I don’t think so.”

“Too bad,” Walter shrugged. “There are some great panoramic views up there. Only problem is that there aren’t any guardrails or anything, so you really have to use caution. I heard that one unlucky woman plunged over the side to her death earlier this year.”

Sam and Daniel exchanged uneasy looks.

“And then you have to make sure you have at least a half of a tank of gas … and make sure that your car or brakes don’t overheat. Then there’s the fact that you have to shift down to first gear in this one spot where …”

Daniel nodded vigorously. “Yeah, yeah, I, ah … I get it,” he said, beginning to grow impatient.

“Well, we better get going. Thanks again. It was nice meeting you,” Walter said.

Sam and Daniel smiled and waved to them as they drove off. Once they were gone from sight, Daniel sighed and turned back to Sam.

“Solitude at last … I hope,” he said wearily. Sam chuckled affectionately.

“I mean, I was happy to help him – no argument there. But I really wanted to get back to our time together,” he added as he looked into her eyes.

Sam nodded and gave him a genuine smile. They headed back over to the dock and walked about halfway down it. The water was just feet below them on either side and was so clear that they could see their reflection in it. Sam smiled from ear to ear when she caught the reflection of her and Daniel’s faces. The image was suddenly disturbed when a series of very small waves moved across it, resulting from a small breeze blowing off the water.

The breeze was cool, almost chilly, and Sam began to rub her arms. Daniel noticed immediately.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“Oh, uh … no, I just thought I got bitten by something,” she lied.

Daniel gave her a dubious look and then shrugged resignedly.

“They seemed like nice people,” Sam said, distracted as she looked out over the water.

Daniel nodded. “He works at the Space Museum … I would have thought you’d have been there more than twice,” he said, his eyes twinkling.

Sam shrugged. “I was so busy at work I didn’t really have time to get down there. To be honest, it really wasn’t anything to sneeze at. I mean, they had some interesting things, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the Air and Space Museum in D.C.”

“Well, maybe it’s changed since then. He said himself that they just got a new exhibit there. We should check it out all the same.”

Sam looked at him and smiled. The fact that he was showing appreciation for one of her interests actually touched her. She absent-mindedly looked down at her wrist as he took her hand and began to caress it. The emerald bracelet that she’d made a habit of wearing every day now sparkled against the moonlight. As she deeply admired it for perhaps the one millionth time, she didn’t think she’d ever received a more beautiful gift.

That was about to change, however.

Daniel reluctantly let go and stuck his hand inside his pant pocket. Seconds later he removed a small, navy felt covered box. He clutched it tightly in his hand as if he was hiding it. He seemed as if he was a bit unsure of what he was doing, or perhaps his shyness was getting the better of him.

“Sam,” he began tentatively. “The reason you didn’t see me for a week was because I had a lot of thinking to do … thinking about you, thinking about me, thinking about us – together. All this thinking has led me to believe that, at this point in time, everything between us is just as it should be. I know what I’m feeling is right. We love each other and trust each other with our lives. Not only that, but we’re still the best of friends. I couldn’t think of a better time or a better place than this for what I’m about to say.”

Sam’s eyes widened as Daniel uncovered the box and shyly handed it to her. Her curiosity mounted as she slowly lifted the lid.

What she found inside made her jaw drop. It was a ring with a modest-sized diamond surrounded by two smaller emeralds. Sam blinked furiously as her eyes began to sting with tears.

“Daniel, it’s … it’s beautiful,” she said softly, finally finding her voice.

An endearing smile spread across Daniel’s face and his eyes bored into hers. “Like you,” he nearly whispered. This time he didn’t blush.

Sam’s lip trembled as she struggled with her composure. Daniel removed the ring and slid it onto her ring finger where it rested comfortably. He then took hold of her hand once again.

“Sam, I know we’ve only known each other for close to four months, but we’ve gotten to know each other so well in that time. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we know each other’s life stories, and we know each other’s deepest and darkest secrets. I’m not so sure I believe in destiny, but our relationship might just change that. It’s funny how a cup of coffee can bring two people together,” he finished with a slight grin.

Sam gave him a watery smile and sniffled. He gave her a little smile and then his expression became more serious.

“I’ll get right to the point. Sam, I love you and I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to spend the rest of my life with. Will you marry me?”

Sam’s tears threatened to cloud her vision and she blinked rapidly. “Daniel … I … Oh, God, yes,” she answered, her voice faltering.

She threw her arms around Daniel and he hugged her tightly. “Yes!” she repeated as she tried to choke back a sob of joy. Daniel held her for a while longer and then stepped back, looked deeply into her eyes, and bestowed a slow, passionate kiss upon her. Their tongues intertwined and Sam’s hands found the back of Daniel’s head, her fingers snaking through the long, soft strands of hair. They both uttered low moans of pleasure, thoroughly enjoying every moment of the kiss. Daniel’s fingers had worked their way down the back of Sam’s neck and were about to slide underneath the collar of her t-shirt when she jumped slightly at the sensation of his cold hands touching her skin.

Daniel’s eyes instantly became apologetic and he blushed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hurt you or anything, did I?” he asked, worried.

Sam blushed madly herself and awkwardly looked away. “No, I … just didn’t think your hands were that cold.”

He touched her hands and found that they were cold as well. “I’ve got a blanket in my car,” he finally said, determined not to leave this beautiful, serene area just yet. “Want me to get it?”

Sam shook her head adamantly. “No, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, concern reflected in his eyes.

Sam nodded and Daniel finally let it go. They stood on the dock, looking out at the crystal clear water that surrounded them and the magnificent peak looming across the lake. The soft, gentle sound of water lapping at the edge added to the calming effect. Daniel put his arm around Sam and pulled her closer to him. He looked down at his new fiancée with a serene smile, content in the way things had turned out. She had accepted his proposal and that was the last reassurance he needed that she loved him.