AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I usually prefer to be on my own and get lost in some old map or a cartography book, but being with her just feels so natural and right. I feel like I could talk to her forever and not get bored.
She tells me all about her old gymnastics team and how she’s been feeling so lost since she got cut from it.
“I don’t know what to do with myself,” she says as she tucks a strand of brown hair behind her ear. “My alarm isn’t going off at four-thirty for practice anymore and I don’t have a strict diet to follow. I have so much freedom, but I don’t know what to do with it. I get up at four-thirty and end up staring at the wall.”
“You haven’t tried sleeping in?”
“I don’t know how,” she says with a laugh. “I’ve been getting up at four-thirty since I was seven years old.”
“Have you shaken off that strict diet at least?”
She shakes her head with a grin on her sexy lips. “I had steamed broccoli, six almonds, and a hard-boiled egg for breakfast.”
“We’re getting burgers and fries tonight,” I tell her. “I wanted to take you somewhere fancy, but you look like you need something greasy instead. We’ll do fancy tomorrow night.”
She looks at the ground and smiles to herself. “That sounds good.”
We continue on the beautiful hike to the Greene Mountain Stables, talking and laughing along the way. It’s already late in the afternoon. This day is flying by. It’s going way too fast.
“What’s a cartographer?” she asks me. “Does that have to do with maps?”
I grin as I look at her.
“I googled you,” she says with red cheeks. “The website said you were an amateur cartographer.”
“What else did it say?”
“That you saved nineteen people. Is that true?”
“No. It’s twenty. I saved an angel from some wolves.”
She smiles and my heart skips a beat. “I’m honored to be on your list.”
I tell her all about my hobby and how as a young kid I was so fascinated by maps. I used to trace them and memorize all of the rivers, lakes, and mountains. By eight years old, I knew all of the world’s capitals. By twelve, I could tell you every mountain and river in Montana and pick them out on a map in seconds.
“People don’t see the beauty in maps,” I say. “They’re art.”
“I’d like to see them through your eyes,” she says as she watches me. “Maybe you can help me find the beauty in them.”
I grin as I gaze back at her. “I would like that.”
A girl who’s interested in learning about maps? I’m in love.
We return Otter to the stables and Tyler gives us a few apples to feed her.
I just sit back and watch Kylee smiling and laughing as the horse’s big lips tickle her palm. She’s perfect. I can’t get over her.
She takes a couple of selfies with the horse and sends me the best one. I immediately make it the background on my phone.
“Bye, Otter,” she whispers into the horse’s ear when it’s time to leave. “Thanks for rescuing me.”
She kisses the horse on the side of her face and then sadly leaves.
“It’s not fair,” I say while we’re walking to my truck.
“What?”
“Otter and I both saved you, but only she got a kiss.”
