Forest of the Forbidden

by W. J. May

  “He transferred this past year to UT. We ran into each other at Kronberg Laboratories, where we will both be interning this summer.” For whatever reason, her dad’s method of questioning didn’t bother her, unlike her mom’s. Probably because she thought and acted much like he did.

  “Oh. Well, have a good time and be careful. It’s been a while since you have ridden a horse.”

  “I know dad, I’ll be—”

  “Oh wow. What a coincidence that he ended up down in Austin with you. Maybe you two can ride home together. That would make me feel so much better knowing that you wouldn’t be driving alone. I know you have a cell phone...” Natalie’s mother continued to ramble.

  “That’s what Lise said.” Natalie managed to get a few words in.

  “That you could ride home together?” Her mom held the coffee cup with both hands.

  “No, Mom,” Natalie shook her head, “that it was a coincidence that we ran into each other in Austin.” She bit her lower lip and held back any disrespectful remarks.

  “Oh.” It took a few seconds before her mom’s eyes lit up. “So that’s why you wanted to go shopping yesterday.”

  Natalie’s dad smiled at her. She wanted to cover her face. Her mom always knew how to embarrass her. The clock in the living room struck 9:30. She sighed in relief. Saved by the bell, thank God.

  “I better go. I don’t want to be late.” She shot up, causing the chair to skid across the tile floor. She fumbled to collect her breakfast dishes along with the milk and box of cereal.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll clean up later.” Her mom motioned for her to set them back down.

  “Thanks, Mom.” Regardless of her mom’s constant questioning and nagging, she appreciated how considerate and caring she could be.

  She kissed her dad bye and walked over to her mom. “Aside from my date today, I really did need some new clothes that fit.”

  “And new makeup and curling iron too? By the way, mi hija, you look beautiful. He’ll be impressed.” Her mom hugged her and fixed her hair, ensuring the waves fell to the front of her face. Natalie smiled and wondered if she did this for herself or to impress him? Maybe it was a little of both.

  “And she’s not wearing her glasses.” Laura chimed in.

  Her dad spoke up. “I noticed that.”

  “I thought it would be wise to wear my contacts instead.” She tried to justify why she didn’t wear them.

  “I also took her picture this morning with her phone. Let me show you.” Laura rushed over to her side and tried to grab Natalie’s phone from her hand.

  Natalie raised her hand out of Laura’s reach. She shook her head and motioned for her sister to be quiet. She didn’t like to boast or seek attention by taking pictures of herself. In fact, she only allowed her sister to take the pic so she would stop hounding her.

  “I’ll let you show them later. I need to leave.” Natalie winked at her sister.

  “Promise?”

  “Yes. I promise.” She slid her phone into her back pocket and took her keys from the bar. “I’ll be back later.”

  “Be careful.” Her dad reminded her, waving from the table.

  ***

  Natalie crossed under the wrought iron metal sign that said ‘Garrett Ranch’ and drove up the gravel road. She had passed his family’s ranch a million times growing up and never once did she ever think she would be asked to visit. Flutters circled around in her stomach and she prayed she wouldn’t later regret eating this morning. She told herself she had nothing to be nervous about but the butterflies didn’t stop.

  Hidden behind tall bushes and stout oak and pecan trees was the large white ranch-style house trimmed with evergreen shutters and a large wraparound porch. It overlooked acres of farmland with barns spread out here and there. Red and pink petunias outlined the pavestone walkway leading from the road to the house. She pulled her car up the driveway and parked behind a black pickup truck. Next to it, it made her Mazda look like a toy car. The tires were almost the same size as her little red car.

  She walked up the stairs to the front porch and rang the doorbell. She fiddled with her keys, waiting patiently for someone to answer. When no one came to the door, she decided to walk around back. She looked around but didn’t see Ryan or anyone else. She waited awhile and then pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number. It went straight to voice mail.

  “Darn,” she muttered under her breath. She hit the end call button and slid the phone back into her pocket. The thought of leaving crossed her mind. When she turned to walk back to her car she saw out of the corner of her eye someone coming out of a nearby barn. She lifted her sunglasses and placed them on top of her head to get a better view of the guy wearing a cowboy hat, plaid button down shirt, and faded blue jeans walking in her direction. A surge of adrenaline hit her veins and immediately she knew it was Ryan.

  He glanced up, holding his cell phone in his hand. Natalie pressed her lips firmly together, trying to keep from smiling. Happiness flowed through her, making it difficult. He waved his arms in the air and gave a big Texas smile. She gave a small wave back.

  “Good mornin’.” He adjusted his cowboy hat.

  “Hi. Thanks for inviting me. I rang the doorbell, but no one answered.” Natalie glanced back at the house, wondering if anyone had come to the door after all.

  “Sorry. I forgot to tell ya that my parents and sister are out of town. They went to buy a steer. It’s just me and my brother ... and his family. They live in the house out back.” Ryan pointed behind him with his thumb.

  “Oh. Okay.” Even though he wore a cowboy hat, she noticed how light his brown eyes looked in the bright sunlight. They had streaks of gold that glistened when the light hit them the right way.

  “Let’s go inside for a minute, if ya don’t mind. I wanna grab a few bottles of water before we head out.”

  Natalie nodded, trying to keep her focus on the conversation. For some reason, she couldn’t stop checking him out. “Sure.”

  She walked by his side, to the house, when a strong breeze swept down and knocked his hat off his head. He tried to catch his hat but ended up stumbling forward. She reached up, catching his hat before it blew away.

  “Good catch.”

  She handed him his hat, completely surprised that she caught it too. “A lucky catch I guess.”

  Another gust of wind blew, surrounding her in a chamber of bergamot and sandalwood. It traveled up her nose and through her body, melting everything along the way. Why did his smell intoxicate her to the point of bringing her down to her knees? Another wave of dizziness hit her like a brick wall. Her head throbbed and pulsated causing an incessant panic to rise in her heart. She stopped and held her hands out to the side of her body. “Whoa... not again.”

  “Hey, are you okay?” Ryan put his arm around her.

  “Yeah, sorry.” She held a hand up to her head, willing herself to take control of the situation. Within seconds the dizziness faded away.

  He removed his arm but stayed close by her. “Have you called your doctor yet?”

  She inhaled deeply and let out a long breath. She lowered her hand and glanced at him. “No. To be honest, I forgot about it. I haven’t had any more dizzy spells since last week, so it didn’t cross my mind. I guess I’ll call Monday.”

  “Do you think it’s a good idea to go ridin’? I mean, we don’t have to go if you don’t feel well.”

  Natalie thought about what he said. Despite the dizzy spell, she wanted to spend time with him and get to know him. “Let’s go inside for a while and see how I feel.”

  “Okay.” He led her inside the house.

  The old wooden floors creaked, indicating years of passing feet, shuffling in and out of the country-style home. She followed him into an airy and brightly sunlit room, filled with pictures on every wall. They all told a story of how his family had grown over the years. She noticed a few pictures of him and Sal when they were young.

  “Are you and Sal related?”
>
  “Yes, we are cousins. Our moms are sisters. I guess I forgot to mention that to you.”

  “I actually see a resemblance between you two.” She pointed to one of the pictures on the wall. Then she looked at a family portrait. “Are these your parents?”

  “Yes, that’s my mom, dad, my brother Lance and my sister, Ellen.”

  “So, are you like half Mexican? I mean, not that it matters.” She hoped the question didn’t sound rude.

  “Yeah, I am. My mom’s Mexican and my dad is White.” Ryan removed his hat and set it on a nearby end table. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead. That explained his tawny skin tone and sandy brown hair and brown eyes.

  “Me too! How wild is that? My mom is White and my dad is Mexican. Vega... obviously.”

  “That is wild. I guess you get your blue eyes from your mom?” Ryan walked up behind her. She could still smell his manly scent, swirling around her and latching on to her.

  “Actually, I get my eyes and hair from my dad. Spanish blood...descendants or something. My mom has light brown hair and brown eyes, kind of like you.” She had to take a few silent breaths to clear her airway from his intoxicating aroma that filled the room.

  “That’s cool.”

  Natalie glanced back him. “You look like both your mom and dad. Except you have more of a golden color to you.”

  Ryan rubbed his forearm. “That’s from all the sun I get from being outside.”

  “I guess I should get more sun.” She held out her arm in front of her, noticing how light she looked compared to him.

  “Well, you have a nice olive skin color. But if you want more sun, it’ll be nice and sunny today, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

  A picture of Ryan with some of his friends caught her attention. She walked over to it and picked it up. “Are these your college friends?”

  “Yes, from TCU.” He reached forward took the picture from her hand. By the way his eyes narrowed and the twitch in his mouth she knew it stirred up some memories. When he went to set it down a picture fell out from behind, landing on the wooden floor.

  Natalie bent down and picked it up. Elegant handwriting embossed the back of it and when she turned it over she saw Jen, posing in a field of bluebonnets. She quickly lowered the picture, pretending not to notice.

  “Here, I’ll put that back.” Ryan stuck out his hand, reaching for the picture. She held out the picture and when he saw Jen in the photo, his hand stopped. “What’s that doin’ in here?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders, not knowing how to respond.

  His body tensed and his jaw protruded as though he wanted to rip it apart with his teeth. He took the photo from Natalie’s hand. “I thought I burned everything from her. I bet my mom found this and stuck it behind the other picture.”

  “My mom always does stuff like that too. She never throws anything away.” Natalie tried to sympathize and put him at ease.

  He let out a slight smirk. “That’s my mom too.” He started to rip the picture in half but Natalie placed her hand on top of his, stopping him.

  “You don’t have to do that because I’m here.”

  He looked up at her, not saying a word. He released his death grip from the picture and she eased the photo from his hand. She turned the picture frame over and put Jen’s photo behind the other one.

  “It will be here if you want to tear or burn it after I leave.” Gently she placed the picture frame back on the shelf.

  Ryan’s eyes softened and his body relaxed. “You are the most admirable gal I have ever met. Most gals are jealous of the ex.”

  Natalie smiled and shook her head. “I’m not like other girls and I’m sure you’ve met others who are more admirable, pretty, and outgoing than I am.”

  “No, I haven’t.” Ryan reached down and took her hand in his. Her heart skipped a beat. The warmth of his touch felt good against her skin. She folded her fingers over his firm, thick hands and held on.

  “Let’s sit down.” He led her over to the couch and she followed willingly.

  He let go of her hand and rested his arms on the top of his legs. He leaned forward and brought his hands together, twiddling his thumbs. She remained silent, allowing him time to gather his thoughts.

  He kept his eyes focused on his hands. “Natalie, you are like no one I’ve ever met before. Maybe that’s why I’m so attracted to you.”

  Her body flushed with heat. She sat perched on the edge of the couch, unable to relax. The adrenaline pumping through her veins told her to run, to flee and never come back. Her heart told her to stay put. Her hands gripped the edge of the tapestry-covered sofa, holding on for dear life. Did she really want to have this talk with him?

  She sensed him looking at her but couldn’t make eye contact. “You are so beautiful but it’s more than your beauty that attracts me. It’s your personality and the way you act. It’s everything that makes you who you are.”

  Natalie sat frozen, unable to respond. Every word he spoke was everything she wanted and needed to hear. Her head reminded her that she had heard those words before. All of them had been lies that crushed her into a pit of agony. She would never fall for words like those again. She had to be smarter than that.

  She took a deep breath. “Ryan, I’m flattered by your words but....” She turned her body in his direction and looked up at him. “I don’t think I...” Her eyes caught his gaze and her breath caught in her throat. Why did he make her forget about everything she promised not to do? This uncontrollable attraction was more than she could handle. She would not surrender to it. She didn’t want to take the chance of getting hurt again. The battle between her head and heart overwhelmed her. Then she heard that voice; her grandmother’s voice, reminding her to have faith. Isn’t that why she agreed to the date in the first place?

  “I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?” His eyes cried out and she knew he searched for the right words he longed to hear from her.

  Oh my God, why can’t I resist him? She turned away, trying to fight the feelings taking over her heart. Why was this so hard? No one had ever made her feel this way before. She couldn’t explain the connection or the relentless force that drove her soul straight to his.

  She looked back at Ryan. The calling of his lips and the hunger in his eyes made it easy to break her rules. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that... I’m scared. I’m so scared of getting hurt again.”

  He leaned in closer to her. “I’m scared too. We’ve both been hurt before and I don’t think either of us can handle going through that again. All I know is that there is somethin’ about you that drives me...” he breathed out slowly through his nose, “crazy.”

  Not only could he not resist her either but he had the same fears as she did. One thing was for certain, he would have to earn her trust and that would take time. She would take the time and get to know him. She peered into his eyes. “So, I drive you crazy?”

  He cracked a smile. “I don’t mean crazy, like that. I mean that I can’t stop thinkin’ about you and the way you make me feel.”

  She pressed her lips together, contemplating if she should open up to him. He had definitely shown his vulnerability. She figured now it was her turn. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I can’t deny that there is something about the way you make me feel too.” Her hand drew to his arm. “It’s like... magnetic.”

  His eyes lit up and he took her hands in his. “Then you do feel what I feel?”

  A hum of energy encircled them. She looked down and saw how his hands cradled hers in the shape of a heart. His voice touched a part of her that made her want to surrender everything to him. It overwhelmed her and she struggled to contain her emotions.

  She stared directly into his eyes. “Yes, I do and it’s amazing. Just please don’t hurt me.”

  “I understand, Natalie. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt and I don’t want you to hurt me either.”

  “I promi
se I won’t... but let’s take this slow. Get to know each other, okay?” She surrendered, laying all her emotions on the table.

  “Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys.” A pregnant lady walked in holding a small boy’s hand.

  Ryan let go of her hands and stood up. “Oh hey Steph, you’re not interrupting. Ummm, let me introduce you to my friend, Natalie Vega.”

  Natalie immediately jumped to her feet and met her halfway. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

  “This is my sister-in-law Stephanie and my nephew Colt. Oh and my soon to be born niece, Emma.”

  Natalie leaned over and rubbed the boy’s sun bleached hair. “Aren’t you cute?” He hugged his mother’s leg tightly, hiding behind it.

  “Lance wanted to let you know that the horses are saddled and ready. He needs to finish mending a fence on the east side of the property so he’s about to drive over there.”

  “Okay thanks, Steph. We were getting ready to head out.”

  “Did you still want to ride?” Ryan turned to Natalie.

  She wanted to ride with him now more than anything. Since there were no signs of dizziness she decided it would be safe. “Yes, I do.”

  “I’m going to make some sandwiches for lunch. Nothing big,” Steph said rubbing her stomach. “Would you like to stay?”

  Natalie turned to Ryan, waiting for him to ask her.

  “Please stay. I’d like for ya to eat with us,” he replied.

  She nodded at Steph. “Sure. I’d be happy to.”

  “Great. See y’all in a little while.” She turned and walked into the kitchen.

  Ryan put his arm around her and she knew without a doubt she had made the right decision to follow her heart. “C’mon let’s go for that ride.” He picked up his hat and led her outside.

  “Have you ever ridden before?” Ryan asked as they stepped out the kitchen back door.

  “Yes, but it’s been several years. I’m going to need a refresher and probably some guidance.” Natalie put her sunglasses back on, despite the slight haze in the air.

  “Okay, no problem.” Ryan put his hat on and adjusted it, bringing it slightly forward where only his dazzling brown eyes showed.