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Carly Jo keeps her focus on the road, refusin’ to look at me as she mumbles, “I don’t know; I guess when we were kids, maybe.”
“Well damn, you’re in for the time of your life,” I reply, giving her a wink when she finally looks up at me behind defeated hazel eyes. I keep the conversation light on the way up to the trails, trying to ease the tension between us. Carly Jo is less than thrilled that I chose mudding as our first date, and I’m sure she remembers that amazing night so many years ago, just as I do. I’m not trying to recreate anything; I’m only trying to create new memories and make her fall in love with me all over again.
We finally reach the top of the mountain, and I park the truck over in the brush. I hop out of the truck and unstrap the side-by-side from the trailer, while Carly Jo stays in the truck. I open the passenger side door and without a word, I scoop her up in my arms and carry her over to the side-by-side. She doesn’t even look at me, but her body trembles at my touch.
Setting her in the seat, I buckle the seat belt, but she looks up at me with a disconnected gaze. I slowly trail my fingers up the side of her chin, cupping her face in my palm. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?” Releasing a deep pent-up sigh, she drops her eyes with a look of defeat.
“You’re pushing too hard, Colton.”
“No. No, you’re givin’ up too easily.”
“Why did you bring me here?”
“Because I’m trying to bring my girl back. I’m tryin’ to make memories with you.”
“But here? Really?”
“Yeah, here, really. Now, calm down, put a smile on your face, and enjoy yourself. I promise ya, we’re just gonna ride the trails, darlin’. Nothin’ more.” I press a kiss to her forehead, then lead her to the passenger seat of the side-by-side. I grab the cooler and blanket from the cab of the truck, placin’ them in the back of the side-by-side. I climb in beside her, start the engine, and soar off up the trail.
It’s been years since Carly Jo has been on these trails. When we were kids, these were just man-made trails, off the beaten path that us kids rode our four wheelers and dirt bikes on. In the last few years, they decided to re-vamp the trails, widening them, and making them more accessible from several routes. These trails span across eight counties here in Eastern Kentucky and offer some of the best off-road ATV adventure in the Appalachians. People come from as far as Canada to ride these trails. It’s boosted tourism for small towns like Williamstown.
I didn’t bring Carly Jo up to the mountains to flood her mind with memories of our past relationship. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought of that. I brought her up to the mountains so she could live and laugh a little. There is no bigger rush of excitement as climbing a mountain side, or the gush of wind hitting your face as you fly down a huge ass hill. But the best, the absolute hands down best is the mudding. Damn, I love sending this CanAm through a mudhole so deep that when I bring it back out, the canary yellow paint is smeared in nasty brown mud. It’s friggin’ awesome.
It ain’t long before her face lights up with excitement, laughter erupting from her lungs as we climb the tallest mountains and hit the deepest mudholes in Kentucky. Even though she is protected by the seat belt, she clings tight to my bicep each time we climb a hillside that’s too steep. But as we come racing down the other side, her face lights up, beaming with excitement. She always loved mudding when we were teens, and I’m glad to see she’s letting go and having fun.
We’ve been mudding for a couple of hours, when I park the side-by-side by the pond. Carly Jo looks up at me with a confused look on her face. I hop out, grab the blanket and cooler from the back, and find us a spot by the pond to sit. Spreading the blanket on the ground, I look up to see that Carly Jo is finally approaching me.
“Sit down, darlin’; I brought your favorite snack.”
“Colton, we’re covered in mud; you can’t be serious.”
“Like hell, sit down.” I smirk at her. She giggles and shakes her head before plopping down beside me on the blanket. I open the cooler and take out the snacks, spreading them out on the ground. Carly Jo eyes the peanut butter kiss cookies and chocolate milk, then smiles up at me.
“Dig in, sweetheart,” I say, giving her a wink.
“You brought me milk and cookies?” she asks innocently.
Popping a fresh baked cookie into my mouth, I mumble, “Yep.” Her eyes soften, and her smile gets brighter. She grabs a cookie and inhales the peanut butter scent before taking a small nibble.
“Mmmm, your momma always did make the best cookies. Oh, these are like heaven,” she says, devouring the cookie.
“My momma? What the hell, woman? I made them damn cookies.”
Carly Jo laughs, nearly choking on her cookie. “Oh right, I bet you did, Colton.”
“Shit, may be her recipe, but my kitchen is proof. Place is a mess.”
“Yeah, and you’re full of shit,” Carly Jo says, poking my side.
“Well, I’ll just have to prove it to ya. I cook all the damn time.”
“Yeah, really? What’s that, Hot Pockets and Kid Cuisines?”
“Well ain’t you just stepped into some more shit? Dinner, tomorrow night. Be there at seven.”
“Colton, you know I’ve had enough of your momma’s cookin’ to know her meals, right?” Carly Jo replies with a light snicker.
“Damn it, fine. I’ll be at your place at five, and you can watch me work my wonders in the kitchen your damn self, baby. There, that better?”
