Page 48 of You Met Me There

I open my mouth to reply, to tell him that he should swallow his own pill of advice and let us have a baby. Yes, it’s scary, but it would be worth it.

It would be so worth it. We would have fun and laugh. We’d be the happiest parents because we’d be sharing our love. But I don’t say that.

Instead, I keep looking at the paper in my hands. It’s covered in pictures of places with the best sightseeing and ads for shops in town. Flipping the pamphlet over, I see an advertisement for a local horse farm. They offer trail rides, and a photo of a path through the woods catches my eye.

“What about this?” I turn the paper toward him. “Safer than skydiving, and I’ve always wanted to trail ride.”

The corner of his mouth twists up playfully. It twists my insides, too, and I want to sit in this moment and remember this feeling forever.

“Have you ever been on a horse before?” he drawls, looking like the young Luke I met at this exact place.

“No. But that doesn’t matter.”

“And you think it’s safer than skydiving? You’re absolutely sure a horse—a living being with its own mind and weighing hundreds of pounds—won’t buck you off simply because it feels like it?”

“Come on, Luke. They’re horses. They’re gentle and they’re trained for this. How bad could it be?”

He sighs. “Okay, we can try it. Let’s plan for Saturday. Hopefully I don’t break my neck before my trip on Monday.”

I instantly deflate, shoulders drooping at the reminder that he has to visit one of his properties in Atlanta.

Luke reaches across the table and puts a hand over mine. “You could come with me.”

I know I could, but I don’t think it would be right to leave Maple Lake right now. Not even for a few days.

“No.” My stubby ponytail brushes the back of my neck. “I shouldn’t go anywhere right now. Mom and Dad are still excited that I’m here. It hasn’t quite worn off yet. And they want to get Tyler to come for a visit this week. And, of course, Jules is still upset about something. She acts all weird when I try to help with anything, and she hasn’t spoken to me much. She’s distancing herself … I think leaving town right now would make it worse.”

A thought crosses my mind, so I rest my elbows on the table to lean closer to Luke. Nobody’s around to hear us since the older couple left a while ago, but I feel like I need to whisper.

“Do you think Jules feels like I’m trying to take over? Am I too overbearing? Please tell me if I’m too hard to handle. I can tone it down when I’m around her. Maybe she doesn’t like my personality. Sometimes I can come across as bossy … or bitchy. Am I bitchy?” My heart speeds up and I bite my lip.

Luke rubs his thumb over the back of my hand. “No, you’re none of those things. But if you’re not sure, why don’t you just ask her?”

I blink at him. “Why don’t I—why don’t I just ask her? Is that what you just said?” I pull my hand back.

His nod is cautious, eyes wide. “Yes,” he says slowly, more like a question than a statement.

“I can’t just ask her.” My hand finds my heart. “We’re not on that level of friendship. She doesn’t trust me. I can’t just ask her what she thinks of me.”

He laughs a low, rumbly chuckle. “Why not? If you want to know how she’s feeling and you need a way to fix the problem, then just ask her why she’s distancing herself. You’ve been away a long time and now you’re here, but she’s still acting like you’re gone. Ask her why.”

My tongue runs along my teeth. “Maybe she doesn’t want me here. I’ve changed everything by coming back. She didn’t expect it, and she’s not sure what to do now that I’m around.”

He tips his head. “It’s possible. But you said she was happy to see you the first day you went to her house. Maybe you staying the whole summer is a little confusing.”

“Confusing? But she and Cam asked me to stay the summer. They gave us their cabin.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Nat.” He shrugs. “You have to ask her.”

“I don’t have to ask her.”

“You do if you want to make it right.”

“I don’t even know what to ‘make right.’” I hold up air quotes with my fingers. “I’m here, aren’t I? What else can she possibly want?” I cross my arms.

He stands from the picnic table, nodding with his chin toward my dad’s car pulling into the parking lot across the street, but he pauses directly in front of me. “You’re here, but for some reason that’s a problem. And I can’t tell you the answers because I’m not Juliet.” He walks toward the road, looking both ways for oncoming traffic.

I grab all the brochures and chase after him.