Summer's End

by Sally Henson

  My hand goes to my hip. “Oh, really.” I eyeball her.

  “I told you about Rex, but you were too preoccupied to hear me.” I shoot her a dirty look. “Come on, we're burnin' daylight.” She pulls me over to Raspberry, a sweet red roan. “I've already worked her before you got here. You shouldn't have any trouble once you show her who's boss.”

  “Good. I refuse to ride that Ape horse again. Ever.” She has a good laugh while telling Rex and Lane all about my experience with Stripe-ed Ass Ape. When they’re done laughing at me, she helps me get on the horse and checks the snugness of the straps.

  We take off on a trail I vaguely remember. There are so many acres of fields, pastures, and woodlands around Tobi's house, I don’t know how she knows every square inch.

  Tobi starts a competition with Rex, and we're not even a mile into the trail. They do a lot of loping and carrying on like expert horsemen. Knowing Tobi, it's probably a test to see if he measures up to her expectations. And of course, they disappear over a hill way ahead of us.

  Lane and I start down the wooded hill we saw Tobi and Rex disappear over. We hear her scream. Lane and I look at each other with rounded eyes as big as golf balls.

  I call out to her. “Tobi.” She doesn't answer.

  Lane calls for her. She still doesn’t answer.

  She screams Rex's name, and we both navigate down the hill as fast as we can. My heart’s racing. Crazy thoughts enter my mind that spurs me to push Raspberry much faster than I'm comfortable with. Halfway down I hear her again. This time it's more of a squeal of delight than a scream of urgency.

  Lane sees them before I do. He stops, puts his hand up to me. “It’s okay.” He waits there for me. When I reach him, I see Tobi and Rex, off their horses, splashing and flirting with each other in the creek at the bottom of the hill.

  He chuckles quietly. “It looks like Tobi's having a good time.”

  I put my hand to my chest. “She scared me to death.”

  Tobi sees us come out of the trees toward her. “Glad you could make it,” she teases. “Hop down for a few minutes and let your horse drink.”

  As soon as we hit the open space on our way back to the barn, Tobi and Rex are racing, again. “Show-offs.”

  Lane lifts his brows. “You want to race?” He has a big grin on his face, knowing I’ll say no. I can trail ride fine, but I get nervous speeding up. A horse has a mind of its own. It's not like a car or motorcycle that obeys your every command. But instead of saying no this time, I gently squeeze my legs against the sides of the roan until she begins to pick up the pace. I look back at Lane with a smile. He catches up with me, eyes bright under the bill his ball cap. We slow to a walk so the horses can cool down before we get to the barn and my adrenaline fades.

  18

  The guys go downstairs to get cleaned up after we put all the tack up. Tobi and I have showered and are in her room. She's talking a mile a minute.

  She wants to repaint my toes. “Why do you want to paint my toes? They’re fine.”

  “They look nasty, the paint's peeling. You'll look much nicer when I'm finished with them.” I huff at her reply. She has the old color off, a clear coat on, and one coat of a light gray when she starts asking me about Rex. “So … what do you think of Rex?”

  “Is that his real name?” We burst out laughing.

  “Of course it is, you moron. Serious, what do you think?”

  I shrug. “He seems nice. He seems to know his way around a horse. He seems to get along with Lane. It seems you really like him.”

  “Seems?” She deadpans, questioning my quadruple play on words. “Yeah, I'm trying not to get too excited about him. I'm sure some ugly trait will reveal itself soon.”

  “Maybe, or maybe he really is a good guy. It may be a little too late for you not to get excited, anyway.” Her eyes light up when she talks about him. He'd better be a good guy, for his sake. I look at my toes, shoulders slumped. “Why didn't you tell me about him?”

  She stops painting and thinks about what she’s going to say. “Well.” She takes a deep breath and bites on her lower lip. “I did mention him to you, but you’ve been off in la-la land lately. But, I think mostly, I just, I just didn't want to jinx it.” She shakes her head. “I know that sounds dumb. He made such an impression on me at the fair, which is usually a sign he’s bad news. I always fall for these nice guys that really aren't nice guys who end up being jerks.”

  “That might be true, but I think most guys are intimidated by you.”

  Tobi throws her head back. “Yeah, right.”

  “Seriously, Tobi. You’re very pretty, and I think most guys consider you out of their league. You may have to show you’re interested in them first.”

  “That’s sort of what I did with Rex.” She giggles at herself. “There were some girls hanging around him constantly. They screwed with his work and almost made him late for one of the shows. Every night they tried to get him to go off with them, offering him booze and who knows what else.”

  “Were they pretty?”

  “The ring leader was real pretty. Her personality, on the other hand ….” She gives thumbs down.

  “Crazy Sadie?” She nods. That's what we call girls who expect everyone to treat them as if they’re the center of the universe. And when you don’t, they go off like a crazed animal. “So, he never went with them?”

  Her eyes big and wide, she shakes her head. “No. He was always polite, but I could tell he wished they'd go away. After a couple days of that, I told him he could say I was his girlfriend or something and act like he was helping me if he wanted to get away from them. We were inseparable the rest of the week. And he kept in touch with me, obviously.” She screws the lid tight on the polish and puts it away.

  I raise a hand for a high five. “Best State Fair ever?”

  She smacks my hand. “It's up there.” She's smiling as bright as the morning sun. “Now …” She stands and holds her palms up to me. “Don't get upset.”

  I growl. This means I'm going to be upset. “Tobi …”

  “I'm taking you to dinner, and I want you to wear this.”

  She pulls an outfit from her closet. It’s white, off-the-shoulder, gauzy shirt with turquoise embroidery around the top, narrowing at the bottom, and a matching skirt with turquoise embroidery down one side to the flared hem.

  I marvel at its beauty. “Wow!” She has a thing for finding nice clothes that are different from what everyone else is wearing. I don't know when she has time, though. “Where are we going that I have to dress up? I don't like going to fancy restaurants with snotty people and neither does Lane—well, except Firefly, but they're not snotty. Can't we eat a sandwich or order pizza or something cheap and easy?”

  She shoves the clothes at me. “You are going to love it, trust me.”

  “This is why you wanted me to bring my sandals?”

  “Let's hurry and get dressed. I don't want to keep the guys waiting any longer.” Tobi's surprises seem to be getting more and more elaborate. Simple, in my opinion, is totally underrated.

  We’re about to walk out of her bedroom. “Tobi, I don't know about this top, I feel a little exposed.”

  She turns and looks me over. “It looks great. You look great.” She smirks and raises an eyebrow. “Lane's going to flip out when he sees you.”

  I hold my arms out. “Come on, Tobi.”

  “Regan quit complaining, and let's go.” She's not going to give in to a change in my apparel, so I trail behind her to the kitchen, pulling the neckline up.

  Mrs. Bridlow’s leaning against the counter and whistles when she sees us. “You girls look fantastic.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Everything ready?” Mrs. Bridlow nods and hands her the keys.

  Mr. Bridlow stands and holds his arms out for a hug. “Have fun, you two.” A stern warning mingles with his words.

  “Thanks, Dad.” Tobi hugs him on the left.

  “Thanks, Jim.” I hug him on the right. “Where is it we're goi
ng again?” I ask him in hopes he lets it slip.

  “According to Tobi, if I tell you, I'll have to kill you. Top secret, you know. He chuckles.

  I roll my eyes. “Top secret?” I make sure to give an exaggerated sigh. “Where are the guys?”

  “They're waiting. Come on.”

  “Waiting where? I think we've had enough surprises for the day.” I try to drop the hint Rex was a doozy.

  “You'll find out soon enough.” I follow her out the door to her Dad's silver King Ranch Ford truck.

  “Why are we taking your dad's truck?”

  She looks at me with her hand on her hip, silently ordering me to get in and shut up. And so, I do.

  “It won't be long.” She smiles wide, gaining some patience back. Tobi's dressed in white, too. A pretty, and probably expensive, linen tunic dress falls to her knees in the front and flows longer in the back. It has a western flair to it. Rexy Poo is going to hyperventilate when he sees her.

  We pass the horse barn, and I'm getting nervous. My palms get hot and sweaty. “Why are we both dressed in white? Are we going to some virgin sacrifice or something?”

  She laughs and shakes her head at me. “You are so ridiculous.”

  Once in the pasture, we bounce all over the cab as Tobi races to wherever it is we're going. “You're driving me crazy over here.”

  She turns on the radio, humming to the music coming out the speakers. We make a hard right into an obscured entrance in the woods and turn left about a quarter mile down the path on a lightly-traveled rock road with an opening ahead. As we pass through the opening, I see Lane's truck and feel a little relief. I still don't know what's going on, though.

  “Are you going to tell me what's going on now?” She just grins and keeps driving up the hill.

  We park next to Lane's truck in the shade of a large old barn that looks as if it's had a recent facelift. “Six forty-five, right on time.”

  Rex opens the door at the corner of the barn after I get out of the truck. His smile is bright under the shadow of his cowboy hat. He’s a total cowboy. At least he dresses like one, with dark starched jeans and a fancy western style white shirt. His eyes are focused on Tobi as he saunters across the distance between us.

  “You finally made it.” He looks past me at Tobi. “He's inside,” he mumbles to me as we pass each other, answering my unspoken question.

  Tobi likes to come up with crazy surprises. She’s upped her game with two in one day, but I've had my fill today. My mouth is dry, but I need to swallow down these nerves.

  I step inside without waiting for her, hoping Lane will know what she's up to. Inside the door, it's dimly lit with giant white pillar candles flickering at the base of a plain staircase. My insides quiver as I search around me. The hardwood floor meets the soft whitewashed old barn-wood siding. A few more candles are staggered along the stairs. I didn't know the Bridlow's were refurbishing a barn. I hear footsteps on the stairs and move closer to see a brightness coming from upstairs.

  “Lane?” I hold my breath. Descending to the landing where the stairs turn ninety degrees, he wears a smile that makes me want to leap up the stairs and into his warm arms.

  He takes a quick inventory, finding I'm alone. His excited eyes wash over me, sparkling with flickers of candlelight. “You look amazing.” He steps down with his hand outstretched. “Come on.” He nods up the stairs. “Come see what she's done.” He's in the same clothes from puteulanu luna. My heart skips to the memories and emotions from that night, and I take him in sandy hair to bare feet. He leads the way, keeping hold of my hand. Once we turn the corner, Lane eases me ahead of him a few stairs, and I see the sunlight bouncing through the loft.

  “I didn't know about this place, did you?” I ask and turn for his reply at the same time he steps up to me, eyes drawing me in. Butterflies bypass my stomach and go directly to my chest, as they grow in number. Slowly, silently asking permission, he slides his arms around me to bring us closer and gauges me with those crystalline blues. I’m breathless.

  Standing on the step above, I'm taller than he is. His cologne wafts in my direction, and I wrap my arms around his neck, following the trail with my nose, breathing in to get my fill. Softly, I plant my lips on his cheek in front of his ear. I've been waiting to touch my lips to his skin since yesterday. He leans back and studies my posture, my expression before he connects with my eyes again. Gently, he presses his lips to mine—once, twice, lingering each time.

  My knees feel a little weak. “You look very handsome tonight.” His fingers play with my long, smooth hair, still a calming sentiment of our friendship, and his kiss is evolving us. He takes in a deep, audible breath. I feel his muscles relax under my arms as he exhales. “That's better.” A slight giggle escapes my throat. Too quickly for my liking, he separates us. “You have to see what she did upstairs.” He turns me around, gently pushing me forward. I'm still relishing in the excitement of our touch, still surprised by how he makes me feel now.

  Once I reach the landing and take in the whole room, I see how beautiful it is. Soft under my feet is a cork floor that covers the entire upstairs. The air is filled with honeysuckle—the scent of summer. The first thing I'm drawn to is the flowing white sheers framing the huge opening at both ends of the rectangular room. We walk with laced fingers to the opening, where the unobstructed view extends to the western horizon. They're large enough to house small glass panel garage doors. Currently raised, I see nothing but nature before us.

  The room is layered in shades of white with provincial shabby chic furnishings, rustic touches, and a splash of color here and there. A low-setting leather sofa, the shade of a dark honey saddle, is placed in front of the door, offering a comfortable front row seat to take in the view.

  I can feel Lane watching me as we move from place to place. “It's unbelievable.” I'm still in awe of how they changed an old barn into this.

  “I know. Mrs. Bridlow has great taste. Rex said they've been working on it most of the summer.” He steps closer to me.

  I stop my wandering around to look at Lane. “Tobi's outdone herself on surprises today. I still can't believe she kept Rex from us.”

  Our palms press against each other's raised to shoulder height as if we’re seeing how small mine are compared to his. “Maybe she's been too busy playing Cupid to let it slip.” He clasps his fingers through mine. The squeak of a door downstairs hits us like a blast of electricity, increasing the distance between us.

  “Hey! What do you think?” Tobi yells up to us.

  I move to the stairs and Lane follows. “Tobi, this place is unbelievable! When did your parents do this? Why didn't you tell me about this place?”

  She and Rex climb the stairs each with a cooler. When she sees me at the corner, she gives us that playful grin. “What have you two been doing?” Lane meets her on the stairs to take the cooler from her.

  “Checking this place out. Really, Tobi, it’s—Wow!” I shake my head. I have no other words to describe how awesome it is.

  Lane and Rex set the coolers by the buffet. I didn't notice before, but the table is set.

  “I know, my mom went all out on this one. She's not finished yet. Oh, would you guys go get the drinks?” Lane and Rex go downstairs. Tobi opens the cooler and pulls out a large rectangular container, which she hands to me. “Put that on the table please.” She cocks her head to one side looking down her nose giving a wink.

  I set it next to the candles on the table. “Why didn't you tell me about this place? If I wasn't in awe right now, I think my feelings might be hurt with the secrets you've been keeping.”

  She shrugs. “I wanted to do something fun and special with it.”

  “I love your surprises, but I wish you’d tell me what's going on in your life.”

  She takes another container out of the cooler and moves to the table. “It seemed to take forever for this place to be transformed, and there's still more Mom plans to do, like the kitchen downstairs.” She cocks her head to the
side. “I could say the same thing to you and Lane.”

  I ignore her last comment and help her unload the cooler.

  Lane and Rex return with a cooler of iced-down drinks. “This is a great idea, Tobi. Thank you.” Lane gives her a quick hug.

  “So, you made dinner?” I’ve been with her all evening, how is that even possible?

  “Sort of.” She pulls out an insulated container. “Homegrown ribeyes! Dad grilled them to perfection. I made dessert!”

  The guys are ready to sit down and eat. They try not to inhale the food, but only mildly succeed in doing so. The sun, on its downward trajectory to set, is beaming through the door. We’re packing up the dishes, and then Tobi's going to give us the official grand tour. Halfway through packing, her phone rings.

  “Hey, Dad.” Her body language changes a bit and her mouth twitches off to the side. “Seriously?” She looks at me, Lane, then Rex, and closes her eyes, shaking her head. “All right, I'll be there in a few minutes.”

  “What's wrong?” Rex speaks before I can.

  “The cows are out, over at Turkey Knob. They're getting in Arnold's garden and he's not happy about it.”

  I lean over the chair and slump my shoulders. “You need to go now? Your dad can't handle it?”

  “My cows. My problem.” She lets out a frustrated grunt, but in an instant, she changes to an upbeat tone. “You guys stay, I'll be back.”

  Rex chimes in. “I'll help. It won't take as long with two of us.”

  Lane points to him and me. “We can help, too.” I nod.

  “No, no. You two stay. We'll be back soon. Enjoy dessert.” She points out to the west. “And the sunset. That’s what these doors are for, you know, sunset and sunrise.”

  Lane persists. “You sure you don't want us to help?”

  Tobi starts toward the stairs with Rex two steps behind her. “Nope.” They head downstairs, and Tobi sings back up to us, “Have fun.”

  “Have fun.” I mock her. She giggles, and then I hear the door close.

  Lane begins to finish packing up what's left of dinner and our dishes, and I join him. Tobi put on what she called dinner music before we sat down to eat.