Flying Home

by T. R. McClure

  “Note to Colleen…” She waved and smiled. “Don’t talk to yourself in front of the neighbors.” In an attempt to get her mind off her task, she turned on the radio. Love songs from all eras blared from every station. With a frustrated twist, Colleen flicked off the radio.

  Matt might not even be there. One of the hired hands could help her push the plane into the lane. She took a deep breath and blew it out through pursed lips. She probably wouldn’t even see him. In fact, if she avoided the house… A sudden thought struck her. What would she do with the minivan?

  Damn. She slapped the steering wheel with her hand. “This is ridiculous. So you get your plane but you leave a vehicle.”

  She shook her head at her faux pas. She would get Rob to bring her out after work, maybe after dark, so no one would see her. Better yet, Rob and Bobbi could take the kids for a drive and pick up the van.

  She passed Rob and Bobbi’s favorite Mexican restaurant, then the office complex where Rob’s law firm had its offices. As she left Almendra behind the homes became more and more spread out. She passed several vineyards and orchards, the trees and vines just beginning to green and blossom. Orchards bloomed in shades of pink and white. Newborn calves and foals frolicked in bright green pastures.

  Colleen smiled at the antics of a black and white foal kicking up its heels as she passed a horse ranch. The mare grazed peacefully nearby, occasionally raising her head to observe her baby.

  At the “Berk Family Almond Ranch” sign displayed prominently at the end of the gravel lane, she slowed. A border of pink almond blossoms decorated the perimeter of the white sign. On either side of the wide gravel drive were grassy, fenced pastures. On one side, Colleen noticed glossy, black cattle. The other field appeared empty.

  To get to the building where her plane was stored, Colleen would pass the barn. At least she could avoid the house. She inched the van down the lane. As she approached the barn, she saw Bunny and Chick, saddled and tied to a hitching post.

  Matt appeared out of the barn.

  “Darn,” she muttered and ignored the rapid beating of her heart. She braked and put the window down, gazing at the horses as Matt walked up to the car. “I’ll park behind the building and pick the car up tomorrow. I, uh, couldn’t get anyone to ride out with me today.”

  “I saddled the horses. Want to take a ride?”

  Colleen tore her gaze from Bunny’s freshly-combed mane and looked into Matt’s brown eyes. “I thought you were in a hurry for me to get my plane.”

  “The plane can wait a couple hours. In the meantime, I saddled Bunny and Chick. They haven’t been ridden in a while and I want to tune them up before my parents ride them.” He put both hands on the window and leaned down to look at her. “I assume you can ride.” He paused, eyebrow arched. “Can you ride?”

  Colleen stared into Matt’s eyes, trying to read his motives. But his eyes seemed innocent enough. “I can ride.” Her hand, itching to caress his face, seemed to have a mind of its own. She gripped the steering wheel tighter.

  “Thought so,” Matt muttered as he straightened, opened the car door, and headed toward the horses. “Let’s go.”

  Colleen sat motionless, hands still clutching the steering wheel. “I have sneakers on,” she protested to Matt’s back.

  “That’s fine,” he replied. “Bunny won’t bolt. If she does, which she won’t, at least you’ll be comfortable walking back.”

  “What about the car?”

  “We’ll leave it here.”

  “No, I mean where should I park it?”

  “It’s fine just where it is.” Matt untied Bunny, turned and led the docile mare up to where Colleen still sat in the car. He held out the reins. “Coming?”

  Colleen sighed then stopped halfway through, remembering her pledge to stop sighing. She got out of the car and avoided Matt’s eyes as she took the reins and placed a palm against Bunny’s soft nose. “You look beautiful, Bunny,” she crooned. “Did somebody take you to the beauty parlor?” Bunny nickered in response as Colleen stroked the glossy black hair on her neck.

  Colleen spied the blanket tied to the back of the saddle. “What’s the blanket for?” She finally turned and looked at Matt, already mounted on Chick. In an effort to make out the form on the horse, she shaded her eyes from the sun.

  “You’ll see,” he responded solemnly. “Do you need help mounting?”

  Biting back a retort, Colleen ignored the question and leapt up on the horse easily.

  “I thought not,” Matt murmured.

  “After you, Professor.” Colleen’s joints settled pleasantly into the saddle. Being on a horse again felt good.

  Matt clucked to his gelding and started down the road. Bunny followed at a gentle walk without any coaxing from Colleen.

  “There’s a hilltop on the ranch where you can see all two hundred acres,” Matt said over his shoulder. “It’s a nice view. I thought you’d appreciate seeing this place in the sunshine. The entire time you were here fog hid the view.”

  Colleen studied Matt’s back as her horse ambled along behind Chick. He seemed pleasant enough today, not as distant as he had sounded on the phone, but not as insistent as he had been before. Maybe they could just be friends.

  She clucked to her horse and caught up to Matt. They rode along side by side. The sun felt warm on her bare arms as they clip-clopped down the lane. High above them, a hawk drifted lazily in the wind, outlined against a bright blue sky.

  Hips settling into the saddle, swaying with the motion, Colleen finally relaxed. The weather was perfect with just a light breeze to cool the warm rays of the sun. She felt content, content with a capital C. Maybe this was life. Occasional bits of contentment woven in among the actual life, contentment being different for everyone.

  “We’ll go single file up this path.” Matt turned off onto a little-used path winding up the hill. They wound through a small stand of trees. Cottontail rabbits scurried out of the brush. Both horses flicked their ears but were otherwise oblivious to the sudden appearance of the bunnies. They exited the trees on top of a grassy knoll.

  Colleen caught her breath as Bunny stopped at the top of the climb. Below them, a cloud of pink and white almond blossoms stretched from one end of the ranch to the other, broken only by the cluster of white buildings in the center. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.” She gazed in reverence at the scene before her.

  “It’s said the burial of St. Valentine caused the almond tree to bloom.” Matt dismounted and pulled the bridle off his horse. Chick wandered over to a clump of grass and nibbled noisily.

  Colleen continued to stare at the view spread out before her. “St. Valentine?” Ah, the roses in the kitchen at the beginning of the week were for Bobbi. Yesterday, a box of deluxe chocolate candy had appeared on the coffee table. And this morning Bobbi had been wearing a diamond necklace with her housecoat.

  Colleen laughed out loud. “This is Valentine’s Day?” She grinned at her obtuseness. “Of course, that explains all the gifts my sister got this week. She always did stretch out holidays.” Her smile faded as she took in the expanse of blossoms on either side of the cluster of buildings.

  “This is Valentine’s Day,” she repeated to herself, “how beautiful.” She kicked her feet out of the stirrups and propped her hands on the horse’s rump, relaxing as she took in the view.

  The view was spectacular. Far below, Stan sat on the back porch steps of the white brick homestead. As she watched, Olivia came out and sat next to him.

  In the orchard across from where her plane was stored, workers set out rectangular white boxes among the trees. She turned to ask Matt what the boxes were. To her surprise, the blanket was on the ground, anchored at one end by a picnic basket.

  “Have a seat,” Matt leaned back on the blanket and stretched out his long denim-clad legs.

  Colleen gazed down at him. With his blond hair tousled from the wind and his denim shirt open at the collar, she was sorely tempted to launch herself off of
the horse and land in his lap.

  But that wouldn’t be the sensible thing to do. The sensible thing would be to kick Bunny in the ribs and hightail it out of there.

  Her thoughts jumbled, she continued to gaze at Matt. Finally one thought rose to the surface of the swirling sea of words in her head. To kick Bunny in the ribs and hightail it out of there would simply be rude…to Bunny. For once, she didn’t feel like doing the sensible thing.

  For a minute… She would stay for a minute…with a friend.

  So she dismounted and did her best not to sigh.

  Bunny wandered over to the same promising patch of grass Chick had been investigating where they nibbled companionably nose to nose.

  “What’s this, Matt?”

  He popped the cork on a bottle and poured a glass. “California champagne, of course.” He offered her the drink.

  Colleen knelt on the blanket and accepted the flute. “No, I mean, why are you doing this?”

  Matt reached into the basket for another glass. “It’s siesta time. This is what we do here on the ranch. We get up early, we work hard, and we take a siesta before we start all over again.” He poured himself a glass. “And it’s Valentine’s Day.”

  “Thank you,” Colleen murmured, raising her eyes from the wineglass and searching his face.

  “What for?” Matt’s eyes met hers, a slight smile on his lips.

  “For showing me all this.” She waved an arm to include the view from the hilltop. “It’s beautiful, and it’s Valentine’s Day, and…and…and I really appreciate your sharing this.”

  “You’re welcome.” He continued to gaze at her.

  Colleen dropped her gaze to the picnic basket, suddenly uncomfortable with the silence. “What else do you have in there?”

  Matt pulled three containers out of the basket and placed them in front of her. “Open them.”

  Colleen balanced her glass on the blanket, opened the blue container, and peered inside. “Almonds.” She set it down and opened the red container.

  “Almonds,” she repeated with a short laugh.

  “One more,” Matt prodded.

  Colleen opened the green container. “Almonds.” She regarded him with a smile. “I suppose this is your version of a three course meal.”

  Matt chuckled. “I guess it is, in a way.” He held out the blue container. “Try this one.”

  Colleen popped a dark plump almond in her mouth and bit down. “This has a very pronounced flavor, but it’s good and crunchy.”

  “Look at the color and size. See how it differs from the other two? When you grow almonds, you need at least two varieties for cross-pollination.” He glanced sideways at her. “You know what that is, don’t you?”

  “Yes, Professor, I remember my biology,” she asserted.

  He held out the red container.

  Colleen reached into the container of dark but slightly more elongated almonds and chewed diligently. “Also very good, a little stronger, maybe.”

  Matt nodded. “Exactly. That variety is good for eating but can also be used in baking.” He reached into the last container. This time, he held a light-colored almond to her lips and gently slipped it into her mouth.

  Colleen stared up into the blue sky as she chewed thoughtfully and tried not to shiver as his fingertips brushed her lips. “Mild, smooth texture…probably my favorite.”

  “As it should be. We use this variety for eating because of its mild flavor. The other two can be used for eating but are more often used in baking. We grow all three varieties here on our ranch. Very good, Ms. McLachlan. Since you passed the test, you get a reward.” He reached into the basket and brought out a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries.

  “Oh my goodness.” Pleasure surged through her as Colleen placed a hand over her heart. “My two favorite things in the world—strawberries and dark chocolate.”

  “I know.” Matt lifted a strawberry to her lips.

  Colleen hesitated and studied the man who waited with the chocolate-tipped strawberry poised in the air between them. If only she were eleven years younger, she thought as she searched for answers in the dark brown eyes. She opened her lips like an obedient child and bit down on the strawberry as Matt held it to her lips. The juicy sweetness of the strawberry combined with the bittersweet chocolate burst on her taste buds. She licked a drip of juice from her lips and blushed when Matt’s eyes darkened.

  “I forgot napkins but…” Matt leaned toward her, a devilish glint in his eyes.

  Colleen leaned back on one elbow and looked at the sea of pink before them. “I’m good, Professor, but thanks anyway.” She gave him a half smile.

  “Hey, a guy’s gotta try.” Matt propped an elbow on his knee and stretched out the other leg. A lock of hair flopped over his forehead from the breeze as he looked over at the horses. A bunny hopped underneath Chick, who stood motionless with half-closed eyes, either unaware or uncaring.

  “Why the lesson on almonds?” Colleen queried.

  Matt stared out over the sea of pink below them.

  For a moment, Colleen thought he hadn’t heard her question until he looked back at her, his eyes thoughtful. “I want you to understand how much a part of my life this ranch is.”

  As she gathered her thoughts, Colleen surveyed the sea of pink below them. “I think I do understand, Matt. In fact, that’s part of the reason…” She hesitated. This was exactly the reason she had wanted to avoid Matt at all costs today. She had ended it once. She didn’t know if she could end it again.

  “Part of the reason you don’t want to be with me,” he finished. “You don’t like it here?”

  “It’s beautiful here.” Colleen swung out an arm to include the area below them.

  “What then? Why have you refused every one of my requests for a simple date? I thought we both felt the same way.”

  “You stand to inherit a ranch owned by your family for four generations. You need someone who knows the business, who can help you, a young person who is full of energy and ideas.”

  “I know the business, Colleen, I don’t need anyone. I can hire people if I need help. What I want is someone to share my life with, and I’m really sorry to have to burden you with this but that someone just happens to be you.” Matt raised himself to his knees and leaned in toward her.

  Colleen suppressed a smile at Matt’s attempt at humor. She dipped her head and took a sip of champagne in an attempt to buy time while she figured out how to answer Matt. Unfortunately, she was out of answers.

  “Just relax for a minute, Colleen,” Matt said, his voice soft. “Just enjoy the moment.” He topped off her glass and put the plate of strawberries between them.

  Colleen sat cross-legged on the blanket and sipped from her glass. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Matt lie back against the blanket and cover his eyes with his arm.

  Bees buzzed in the stillness. Down below, Stan and Olivia rose and Stan put his arm around his wife before they disappeared into the house.

  The workers finished dropping off the white boxes and disappeared.

  “What are the white boxes for?” Colleen kept her voice low, just in case Matt had fallen asleep.

  “Those are bee hives,” Matt replied, his voice just as soft. “We need bees to pollinate the trees this time of year so we rent them from beekeepers.”

  “You don’t have enough bees naturally?”

  “When you need to pollinate this many trees, no. There’s also been a problem with the bee population the last couple of years. Some of the hives are dying.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “No one does yet, although there are a lot of theories. It’s a big deal in an agricultural community. We rely on mother nature to pollinate all kinds of things.”

  Looking at the beautiful, peaceful sight below her, Colleen wished the moment would last forever. “Who would ever guess you need to know so much about trees?”

  “Indeed,” Matt replied. He rested his arm on his forehead and stared up at the
sky.

  Colleen drained her glass. “I should be going, Matt.” She opened the lid of the basket to place it inside and froze, heart pounding. Inside the basket nestled a small box wrapped in red paper with a gold bow. She glanced up and caught Matt’s eye. “Those are the colors of my plane.” Her voice came out in a whisper, her heart in her throat.

  “So they are,” Matt responded. “Primary colors. We have that in common, you know, liking primary colors.”

  She studied the small package.

  When she didn’t move, Matt sat up and reached in for the box. He held it out. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  Colleen stared, her throat catching. “Happy Valentine’s Day?”

  “You’re supposed to say ‘Happy Valentine’s Day to you,’” Matt replied, one corner of his mouth twisted up in a grin.

  “I don’t have anything for you,” she whispered hoarsely.

  “Yes, you do,” Matt whispered back.

  Colleen’s heart thumped so loudly she feared Stan and Olivia could hear it at the house. The very thing she had dreaded, the very thing she had hoped for, the very thing she had…

  “I am afraid, Matt,” she blurted. “I’m not afraid of much in life but this…this scares me to death.”

  He dropped to one knee in front of her. “What are you afraid of?” he asked, his voice soft. He set the box on the blanket then cupped her face with his hands. He tilted up her face until they were eye to eye. “Tell me…please.”

  Colleen sighed. “I’m not the right person for you, Matt. I’m older, I’m independent, I don’t know anything about agriculture…” She shrugged. “And quite frankly, after all those years of not fraternizing with younger personnel, I just don’t feel right about being with a younger man.”

  “Colleen, it’s not your decision.”

  She scrutinized him. “What do you mean, it’s not my decision?”

  “It’s not your decision to decide what is right for me. For you, sure, and I hope you think I’m right for you.” He smoothed a reddish strand of hair away from her face. “You’ve spent your entire adult life helping people make decisions…the recruits, your sisters…but I’m not a young recruit, Colleen, and I’m old enough to know what’s right for me, and I’m looking at her.”