by Alicia Rae
I kindly granted her a moment to recover her scattered wits.
“Hello, Colton.” She smiled at last, still appearing a little off-kilter. “What are you doing here?”
Dave answered before I had the chance, “I invited the boy in for dinner.”
I swallowed and quietly cleared my throat to stifle my laughter. The old man still had my back after all these years.
I pointed at her dad. “What he said.”
Paige didn’t seem convinced. In fact, she fractionally narrowed her eyes at me just like she used to while calling my bluff when we were kids.
I sauntered up to her with a playful smirk on my face. Then, I outstretched my hands between us. “Let me help you with those,” I said, reaching for the plates.
She handed them to me. A smile slipped past her lips. In that moment, I knew that all was forgiven, and I was welcome to stay. Paige never could remain mad at me for long. Her heart was too sweet.
“Supper is ready, so let’s all take our seats and dig in,” Paige’s mom, Nancy, chimed in. She set a Crock-Pot on a hot pad placed on the center of the table.
I quickly set the plates down on the table and distributed them. Then, I assisted Paige with grabbing glasses and utensils before we all took our seats. Nancy and Dave sat at each head of the table, and Paige and I sat across from one another.
The four of us began to fill our plates with the assortment of food in front of us, including a pork roast, buns, baked potatoes, steamed carrots, green bean casserole, and a basketful of corn on the cob. It all looked so good. I didn’t know what I was going to dig into first.
As we finally started to eat, I snuck a few quick glances at Paige and found her doing the same to me. We would give each other a shy smile and then go back to taking another bite of food. The first part of the meal remained quiet as we all filled our grumbling stomachs.
When I lifted my glass and took a sip of water, Dave broke the silence. “Colton, how is Foster’s training coming along?”
Swallowing my mouthful, I set down my glass and looked over at him. “He’s doing fantastic. He has quite the spirit.”
“I imagined he would.” Dave laughed while adding another corn on the cob to his plate. “How about your parents? Are they settling into their new condo in town?”
Paige’s head jerked up, and she gaped over at me. I took it as a hint that she’d had no clue.
“So far, so good,” I replied to her dad.
“That had to be a big adjustment for them,” Nancy said in between bites. “I just can’t picture giving up the ranch life. It’s all I have ever known.”
“What do you mean, giving it up?” Paige frantically asked. “They sold the ranch?”
I wiped my face with my napkin and clarified, “Yes, I bought it from them.”
“When?” she questioned in confusion.
Buying the property and making such a monumental decision without Paige by my side had been tough for me to do, especially not knowing what our future held. Nonetheless, letting go of the place had felt wrong, so I had purchased it.
Knowing the subject wasn’t quite appropriate for dinner talk, I methodically pushed around the carrots on my plate. Making eye contact with Paige, I kept my answer short as I said, “I signed the papers about five weeks ago.”
“I think it’s wonderful that you are going to stay nearby, Colton,” Nancy piped in, reaching over to pat my arm.
“I didn’t know that,” Paige said at the same time, her voice quiet.
“We have a lot of things to catch up on, Paige,” I said thoughtfully.
Her eyes roamed over to where her mom had tapped me. I had gotten several tattoos since Paige left town, and I knew she was taking in one that started at my wrist and continued beneath the short sleeve of my shirt.
“It seems that we do,” she agreed.
Paige and I stood in front of my four-wheeler, and I knew the clock was ticking. If I didn’t convince Paige to come with me soon, then my plans for the night would go down the drain.
I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around her. I set my hands on the small of her back, reveling in the feel of her in my arms. When she tipped her gaze up at me, I asked, “Come for a ride with me, please?”
She bit her lower lip in deliberation. I couldn’t help but lift one hand to stroke my thumb across it.
She released a cross between a moan and a sigh. “You aren’t going to give me space as long as I’m here, are you?”
That was an easy question to answer. “No.”
“Figures.” She laughed.
“I want to take you somewhere.” I returned my hands to either side of her hips and soothingly stroked them along the waistband of her jeans. “I’ll take the trail slow. All you have to do is hold on to me.”
“Okay,” she finally agreed.
I used my right palm to guide her to the side of my four-wheeler. I threw my leg over the seat first and sat down before stretching my hand out to Paige. She slipped her hand in mine and climbed on behind me. Her arms banded around my stomach, and she scooted closer, pressing her inner thighs against the outside of mine. I smiled at the feel of her body wrapped around me.
I turned over the ignition, and the ATV fired up. Then, I rotated my head to the right, catching a glimpse of her from the corner of my eye. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she squeaked, her voice laced with nerves. She tightened herself around me.
In the past, Paige had been the daredevil, and I had been the cautious one, always fearing for her safety. Therefore, seeing this wary side of Paige was so new to me that it threw me for a loop. It was painful to see her state of mind had broken down.
If we were going to overcome this hardship in our relationship, I would have to be the strong one and force her out of her shell—within her limitations, of course. I wasn’t even quite sure what those were because she had been so quiet and distant about her injuries. During her most intense recovery months, Paige had allowed only her mother and father to take her to and from physical therapy. At that time, I had been lucky to see her at all on most days.
I set my left hand on top of hers, which still had a death grip around my stomach. “I got you, Paige,” I said in a low tone. I was determined to keep us in good spirits. “Just don’t let go, and we’ll be there shortly.”
When she nodded at me, I faced forward and moved my hand to pull in the clutch on the front handlebar. Then, I downshifted into first gear with my foot and slowly released the clutch. All the while, I gently pressed on the gas.
Conscious of keeping our movements easy, I stayed on high alert over the course of the path while attempting to avoid every bump or hole in the ground, so I wouldn’t jostle her. After a few minutes, I felt Paige lean her head against my back, right in the middle of my shoulder blades. Her grip loosened, and she opened her palms, cupping my chest, as she relaxed against me. I interpreted it as a good sign that all was well with her.
Our tree fort, the same one I had originally built for Paige when we were roughly ten years old, came into sight. Over the years, as I’d gotten older, I had slowly upgraded it to what it was today.
I gradually came to a stop just a few yards to the right of the tree trunk, and I killed the motor of the ATV. It was as close as I could get without taking a chance of tangling the unruly vines from the tree around the wheels. Most of the fort was hidden behind thick, tall weeds, overgrown branches, and wild bushes that had taken over the area during our absence.
Paige let go of me, lifted her head, and glanced over at our fort. “Wow,” she breathed, climbing off the four-wheeler before standing on her feet. “It’s still here after all this time.”
“Of course it is.” I grinned boyishly, rising to stand at her side. I looked between her and the fort. Behind the overgrowth, the top few feet of the building was all that was visible to the eye from here. “It’s a little on the rough side, but the structure is solid. Only the cosmetic stuff needs to be fixed.”
Lost in her own world, Paige veered to the left and pushed through the grass and milkweed. We dodged patches of mud as we ducked under dense branches of tree limbs. I tucked my thumbs into the loops of my jeans and followed closely behind her, letting her explore the area as I concentrated solely on her.
We had shared years of history here. I thought of one specific memory. On her seventeenth birthday, we had watched the sunset on the wooden ledge of the fort, and for the very first time, I had told her that I loved her. It was also the first time I had made love to her. Looking back, we were just kids, but I hadn’t cared. Since we were five years old, I’d loved this girl with my heart and soul, and now, I was going to remind her that my love for her would never change, no matter what challenges came our way.
Paige cleared the other side, and the wide base of the tree came into plain sight. She stopped dead in her tracks as she absorbed the details of the new staircase I had installed just for her. Previously, we’d had to physically climb vertically ten feet in the air on old boards nailed to the tree, but these new steps would allow her to walk up the tree at an elevated angle, not risking injury to herself.
She peeked back at me. The smile on her face had the power to stop my heart, and the tears welling in her eyes had the power to bring me to my knees.
“A staircase? For me?” she asked in awe, undoubtedly knowing the answer.
“Yes.” I nodded, overwhelmed by the ferocious drumming of my heartbeat.
Paige blinked rapidly as if she were trying to rein in her emotions. “Thank you. It’s perfect.”
“You’re welcome.” I walked behind her en route to the base of the stairs, which were now farther to the left.
The first eight steps were taken in complete silence. As soon as she came in line with the brown bark of the tree, she stopped at our engraving. I observed her as an array of expressions flitted across her features.
C & P
WARMTH FLOODED THROUGHOUT ME as I stared at our initials carved within the bark, remembering the very day Colton and I had used his dad’s screwdriver and hammer to chisel the first letter of our names. In my mind, I could still hear our laughter when our aching hands had finally finished outlining the surrounding heart.
Everything for us had happened out here—making small bonfires together in an old metal fire pit, snuggling beneath the stars while listening to our laughter filling the skies, confessing our love to one another before making love for the first time.
Fate had brought us together so long ago, but I didn’t know if I had it in me to get us back to where we should be—in our happy place, passionately in love and laughing every single day.
I drew in a breath and swallowed hard before gazing down at him through the thick moisture in my eyes. “Why did you bring me here, Colton?”
He took another step up, just one below me. My pulse quickened at his proximity.
“I’m going to remind you that you are mine, Paige.” He softly tipped my chin up until I met his gaze, and he leaned closer. “The kind of love we share never dims or fades.” He brushed his lips along mine. When my breath caught, he whispered, “It’s the kind of love that lasts forever.”
In the next instant, his mouth captured mine. I gasped with pleasure at the amazing feeling of his domineering warm lips, and I melted against him. It was like going home, and in truth, I was.
Colton’s hands came to my nape and pulled me to him as if he couldn’t get enough of me, and he deepened our connection. Electricity burned throughout me as our lips continued to embrace one another with intense passion and fervor. It kindled something deep within my soul that only he could reach, giving me hope for a future I had believed was lost.
When Colton and I finally broke apart, we were both breathless.
He skimmed his nose across my cheek and then buried his face in my hair. “As much as I want to keep kissing you,” he rasped in a husky tone, “we have a sunset to catch.”
Still in a hazy state of mind, the only word I was able to speak was, “Okay.”
He lowered one hand, twined his fingers with mine, and led me up the rest of the way. At the top of the stairs, we rounded the corner and ducked our heads beneath a huge overgrown tree limb. We passed between two wooden support posts that outlined the open entrance of the tree fort.
The floor was covered in worn plywood, and a few paintings I had done years ago were still visible on the walls. Back then, art had been my single hobby—outside of horses, of course. I had insisted it would dress up the place a bit and hide some of the dull wood. Colton had let me paint to my heart’s content.
To the right, the plywood wall displayed a painting of the first sunset we had watched out here together. A mixture of dark- and light-blue paint strokes covered the top and then faded into medium purple followed by orange and yellow. They used to be all vibrant shades in their time, but they weren’t as bright now. A sketch of our favorite prairie field covered another wall. I had painted it one fall, my favorite time of year, so I could use many shades of gold and yellow, and to enhance the atmosphere of the fort, I’d added red and orange, too.
Colton was now standing in front of me. His eyes searched mine as if he were trying to deliberate if I would turn around and look at the wall behind me, but I knew what was there—a collage of both our families’ horses. Bentley and Missy, Colton’s and my horses at the time, were at the front and center, taking up most of the space.
“I don’t want to see it and take the chance of ruining this moment.” I adamantly shook my head while stepping toward him.
“All right,” he said with understanding. “Let’s go.”
We walked out the open end on the other side of the fort leading to a six-by-six foot expansion. It was Colton’s version of our own personal deck, and it provided a perfect view of the sky.
“Look!” I exclaimed, glancing upward. “The sun is beginning to set!”
Colton sat down, resting his back against the outside wall of the fort. He lifted his knees and broadened his legs for me to settle in between. I gradually lowered myself to the floor and positioned my back against his chest. He gathered his arms around me, and I felt myself relax against him.
“Look at how rich and vibrant the colors in the sky are tonight,” Colton mentioned near my ear.
“Uh-huh,” I agreed in awe, taken by the way the hues reflected off the white clouds. “There is just something about watching the sun fall out of sight. It never gets old.”
He set his hands on top of mine and used his thumbs to caress my skin. “Tell me about your time in Murfreesboro.”
I continued to gaze at the sky, pondering over what little I had to tell him. “Most of my days were spent with Ashlee at the bakery where I learned how to bake all sorts of delicious goodies.”
“Mmm,” he crooned in a happy boyish tone. “Please tell me you memorized her recipe for gingersnap cookies.”
“Actually, I do know it by heart.” I grinned even though he couldn’t see my face. “Though, we don’t get a significant amount of orders for those.”
“That surprises me. Her customers don’t know what they are missing out on.” He shifted us as though he were getting more comfortable on the unforgiving plywood.
“That is true, but anything Ashlee bakes is absolutely divine.” Colton’s parents entered my thoughts, and I yearned to know more about what had happened. “Why did your parents sell the ranch?”
“With the property being so big along with the improvements my parents made to the fences, barns, and equipment buildings over the years, they still owed a considerable balance on the mortgage,” he said.
I could hear his love and devotion to his family.
“Dad would never have been able to retire, so they decided to downsize.”
“So, you asked if you could buy it?” I inquired, trying to understand.
Colton answered, “Yes. When they first came to me, they wanted to know my thoughts on selling the ranch and our horse training facility. I
didn’t want to give it up if there was another way, so I went to the bank and applied for a loan.”
“Were your parents okay with you taking over the place and the business?”
“Of course,” he said. “Mom and Dad have always loved it here. They were both thrilled to be able to keep the horse establishment my father had built from the ground up in the family. Dad just didn’t want to run the business dynamics of it any longer, and Mom felt it was time for them to retire. My career is just getting started. So you see, it worked out in the end for everyone.”
Colton’s parents were older than my own, but they were still fairly young to retire. It was hard for me to process since I could not picture my dad giving up the life of a rancher anytime soon, but we all had different visions for our retirement. Johnathan and Josephine’s contentment was the most important part.
I still had to ask, “Are they happy in the condo?”
“Oh, yes! They thoroughly enjoy not getting up at the crack of dawn to do chores anymore.” Colton laughed richly. “They still come by and visit all the horses, but now, they leave me with all the dirty work!”
“That sounds fair,” I retorted playfully.
“Uh-huh,” he huffed in exasperation. “Leave it to you to defend them and not care that I do all the hard labor.”
I tipped my head to the side and rotated to smile back at him, cherishing this time with him. “Well, they were always nice to me.”
Colton caught me off guard as he lowered his head and sweetly kissed the corner of my mouth. “That’s because you’re a girl,” he countered, pulling back. “Now, I want to hear more about your time away from me, so go on,” he urged.
I resisted the compulsion to frown, knowing I’d much rather hear about him than talk about myself. “Well, on the weekends, Ashlee and I would sometimes go shopping at the mall. We both agree that a woman can never have enough purses or shoes.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
I ignored his typical male response and continued, “Or if we finished our work early enough, we’d catch a new release at the movie theater and gorge ourselves on popcorn. You know, we just did typical girl stuff.” I tried to think of something else exciting that had happened in the past three months, but I came up blank. “Other than that, there isn’t really much to tell. My life there was a cycle of work and physical therapy on constant repeat.”