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He winks. “You, if I’m lucky.”
A little while later, I squeal in delight as Shadow jumps over a log. It’s been years since I was on a horse. I can hardly believe I let Rhett talk me into it now, but he promised to bring back the best memories of our time together, and how was I supposed to say no to that?
Rhett is on Sadie, a few paces ahead of us. “Duck!” he yells, and I have just enough time to lower my head before it gets taken off by a branch.
My hair whips around my head, the warm sun beating against my face, and for the first time in a long time, I feel free. I push Shadow faster as Rhett picks up speed.
I know exactly where he’s taking me. I knew it the second we started down this path, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that the horses still remember where to go. The overgrowth on the trail indicates how long it’s been since anyone was out here, and that makes my heart both happy and sad.
As teenagers, Rhett and I would ride out here to watch the sunset. It was our secret spot, and the memories this little chunk of land holds are immeasurable.
Shadow slows to a trot when the brush clears and we hit the meadow. Rhett glances over his shoulder and nods to the left. I can’t fight the smile that creeps across my face when a giant oak tree comes into view. It sits about ten feet from the pond and represents so many firsts for us.
With my back against the bark, he kissed me for the first time.
On a blanket in the sun on a warm summer day, he made love to me for the first time.
Wrapped in each other’s arms on a cool fall evening, we said goodbye for the very first time.
He was off to be a professional bull rider. I was off to college. That was the last time I was out here, and I can still feel the stabbing pain in my chest that began as we walked away from the tree all those years ago.
Before I have a chance to stick my emotions back into perfect little boxes, Rhett hops off of Sadie and grabs Shadow’s reins. I swing a leg over the side and slide off while he ties the horses up.
My feet lead me toward the tree, and when I see the familiar red-and-white plaid blanket spread out over the grass and a picnic basket, I laugh and spin around.
“When did you do all this?”
He smiles shyly. With his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans, he shrugs. “Earlier. Before you and Phil showed up.”
“It’s amazing.”
I turn back around and head toward the edge of the pond. Closing my eyes, I tilt my head to the sky, allowing the warm summer breeze to take me back to a simpler time. The air is fresh and clean, with hints of lavender from a field I know sits adjacent to the pond.
“Do you remember the first time you brought me here?”
“How could I forget?” Rhett smiles and pulls me to his side.
Rhett
“It was my sixteenth birthday,” I tell her. I still remember how excited I was. “Jake and Christopher wanted me to pick them up so we could go cruisin’, but all I could think about was getting you alone.”
Mo buries her face against my shirt. “That was a great day,” she says, smiling up at me.
“It was.” I grin. “If memory serves, I made it to second base.”
“Pretty sure it was third.”
I know for a fact it wasn’t third. “Nope. Third base came on your sixteenth birthday when I took you to see Dirty Dancing at the drive-in.”
“Oh my God, that’s right! How did I forget about that? We spent the entire night in your truck. By the time we thought to leave, the movie was over, your windows were fogged up, and the entire place was empty.”
“When I dropped you off, your dad asked what we’d thought of Swayze’s performance, and I said—”
“Who’s that?” we both say at the same time.
Mo tosses her head back, laughing. “He was so pissed! He thought we’d lied about going to the movies, and he grounded me.”
“Worst punishment ever. I didn’t get back to third base for another month,” I scoff.
