PROLOGUE
Benny's heart pounded in his chest, a drumbeat of nerves as he reached into his pocket and felt the cool metal of the engagement ring. He glanced around, searching for the perfect spot to propose to Charlotte—that small hill his friend, Trevor, had mentioned where they could watch the sunrise together. Yet the morning sun was already beginning to paint the sky with pastel hues, and the elusive hill was nowhere to be seen.
Sweat trickled down Benny's temple, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. Everything had to be perfect for Charlotte; she deserved nothing less. But time was running out, and Benny couldn't shake the feeling that he was failing her.
The edge of the Great Salt Lake stretched before them, shrouded in a thin veil of mist that seemed to dance and sway with every whisper of wind. The air was heavy with the scent of salt and damp earth, and the cries of gulls filled the silence between them. Treeless hills clad with rocks and yellow grasses rolled up from the water toward the distant, snow-capped mountains.
As they hiked along the uneven terrain, Benny noted the smatterings of wildflowers dotting the landscape, their petals still dew-kissed and glistening.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Charlotte murmured, her eyes reflecting the wonder of the scene before them.
"Yeah," Benny said, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart. "Absolutely beautiful."
Their boots crunched on the salt-crusted ground, breaking the fragile crust and revealing the wet, dark soil underneath. Benny watched as a small flock of sandpipers skittered across the shoreline, their delicate footprints left behind like tiny works of art. He longed to freeze this moment, to capture the magic and hold it close forever.
"Are we getting close?" Charlotte asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she scanned the horizon.
"Uh, yeah. I think so," Benny stammered, trying to sound more confident than he felt. His hand slipped into his pocket again, fingers tracing the delicate grooves of the ring as if to reassure himself it was still there.
"Is everything okay?" Charlotte's voice was tinged with concern, her eyes searching his face for any sign of distress.
Benny forced a smile. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?"
"You just seem a bit...nervous," she said.
"Ah, it's nothing." He swallowed hard. "Just excited about the sunrise. It's going to be amazing."
Charlotte offered him a warm smile that made his heart swell. "I'm sure it will be," she said.
Just then, Charlotte's foot caught on a rock, and she stumbled forward toward a shallow pool of water. Benny lunged to catch her, his strong arms wrapping around her waist as he steadied her. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Benny felt his heart swell with love.
Gazing at her, he found himself thinking of all the choices and coincidences that had conspired to bring them to this moment. They had met two years ago at a mutual friend's birthday party. Benny still remembered the way Charlotte's laughter had filled the room, drawing him to her like a moth to a flame. Her intelligence and wit had captivated him from the start, and he found himself falling more in love with each passing day. He loved how she always seemed to know when he needed a reassuring touch or an encouraging word, how her smile could light up even the darkest days.
Benny had sought her father's blessing just a week ago, feeling his heart pounding in his chest as he awaited the older man's answer. The relief he'd felt when Charlotte's father gave his approval had been nearly overwhelming, but now, as he stood on the edge of the Great Salt Lake with the engagement ring burning a hole in his pocket, he couldn't help but wonder if Charlotte would feel the same.
"I think I'm safe," she said, arching an eyebrow playfully. "You can let go now."
"Oh. Right." He loosened his grip, letting her take a step away to balance herself. Did she not want me to keep holding her? he wondered, unable to suppress the doubt that rose up. Is it possible she's not as serious about this relationship as I am?
"Are you coming?" she asked as she resumed walking. "I thought you wanted to watch the sunrise together?"
He nodded and, shoving his doubts aside, followed her.
"It's so isolated out here," Charlotte said in a soft, uneasy voice as they continued their trek. "I didn't expect it to be this... remote."
Benny heard the worry in her tone and tried to reassure her. "Isn't it great, though?" he said, his voice upbeat. "No one else around, just you and me. I can have you all to myself." He laughed as if this were a clever joke, but the sound was too loud, almost profane in such a tranquil place.
She smiled at his words, but the tension remained in her shoulders. "It's just...different from what I imagined, that's all. Can I take a look at the map?"
Benny paused, his heart sinking. He hadn't thought to bring one, too focused on the proposal plan and finding that elusive hill. "Uh, actually, I didn't bring a map."
"What?" Charlotte's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why would you come all the way out here without a map? We've never been to this area before." She pulled out her phone, tapping the screen frantically. "Great, there's no service either."
"Charlotte, it's okay," Benny tried to assure her, taking her hand in his. "We can just follow the lake back. There's no way we'll get lost." The words were meant to comfort her, but even he felt a twinge of doubt creep in. After all, it wasn't as if the shoreline would lead them straight to the parking lot where they'd left the car. They would have to leave the lake at some point and hike up into the hills, and if they didn't know when and where to do that, they could easily get lost for hours.
To his relief, however, Charlotte took his word for it. "Alright," she finally said, though her gaze remained uneasy. "I trust you."
As the sun continued to rise, its rays slowly dispersing the mist, Benny realized they had lost their chance to find the fabled hill Trevor had mentioned. It was time to improvise.
