Starting Over

by Sheri S. Levy

  “Well, I can’t imagine that filled you up. Let’s go into the kitchen. I need coffee, and Trina hasn’t eaten yet. Would you two like some pancakes?”

  I frowned. “Mom, aren’t you going to work today?”

  Her eyes lifted with a startled expression. “Yes, but I don’t have to be there this early. How about a big batch and some bacon?”

  “That sounds great.” Chase smiled at Mom and then turned to me. “So Trina, what are we doing today?”

  Mom shooed us out of the kitchen. “Go. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

  “All right. Follow me, Chase. I need to take Colton outside.”

  He followed me to the laundry room, cleared his throat, and whispered, “I—I can’t wait to meet your new guy.” Then he forced himself to speak louder. “The first pictures you sent, he was so little. How’s he doing?”

  I hiked my shoulders, beaming. “He’s adorable but tons of work. Once he’s potty trained, life will be a lot easier. He does wear out quickly, and then I get a break when he naps.”

  Colton met us at the baby gate, turned in circles, and yapped. I lifted him swiftly.

  “Can I hold him?” Chase put his arms out.

  I chuckled. “That could be dangerous.” I told him about my experience, and he dropped his arms as we hurried outside.

  Colton ran through the trees, barking at the birds.

  As he slowed down, I asked him, “Do you want Breakfast?”

  He halted and ran to the house.

  Chase tucked his chin and flashed me a surprised look. “He certainly is smart. He knew exactly what you said.”

  “Yep, I’m always amazed at the number of words our dogs learn. That’s why they make such good service dogs.”

  When we walked into the kitchen, the aroma of bacon and pancakes made my stomach rumble. “Thanks, Mom. I’m starving.”

  “Yes, thank you, Mrs. Ryan.” Chase’s eyes glistened, seeing the platter of pancakes. “That biscuit was a long time ago.”

  In between mouthfuls, I politely swallowed and then shared. “We really should go horseback riding as soon as I finish Colton’s training. It’s going to get major hot wearing jeans.”

  Chase glanced at Mom standing at the sink and Dad reading behind the newspaper. He leaned in close to whisper in my ear. “And then we can swim. Later, we can listen to music and draw.”

  I stayed close, feeling his warm breath on my neck, and then I murmured in his ear. “Sounds perfect.”

  As Dad dropped his newspaper, Chase bounced back in his seat.

  Dad glanced at me and then at Chase. “I just want you two to know I’ll be in and out of my office, but mostly in.”

  Mom walked over to the table and took our dishes. “I’ll be back early with groceries. Chase’s dad will join us for dinner around six o’clock.”

  I grinned at Chase.

  He winked.

  We’d have most of the day to ourselves.

  Caring for Colton would definitely keep us busy, but we had so much else to do.

  One day wasn’t going to be long enough. Every part of my body buzzed. And these new sensations took my breath away, making me weak and shaky.

  Chase sat, ready to be a spectator. I attached Colton’s cape and started his commands. “Walk! Wait! Hurry! Let’s go!” Grooming came next.

  Chase helped brush Colt’s teeth. I put my hand on top of his, guiding the brush back and forth. He lifted his face to mine and his twinkling green eyes smirked with mischief.

  My stomach did a flip flop. I smiled back. Ooo! I think this will be a day to remember.

  “All right, done. Let’s pack a lunch and some drinks for a picnic in the woods.”

  Colton’s head tilted at the word “woods.” He twirled in circles.

  His excitement rubbed off on us, and we mimicked his behavior, giggling, and talking while packing lunch into two backpacks.

  Chase raced into the downstairs bathroom to put on his jeans. I darted upstairs to change, and then stuck my head in Dad’s office to tell him we were off.

  Inside the barn, Colton dashed into his stall and sniffed each new toy I placed on the straw. He’d be asleep in a few minutes, and we’d be back from our trail ride before he woke.

  Mrs. Brown poked her head out of the tack room for a second and smiled. A couple minutes later, she came out with a broom and kept her back to us while sweeping the straw that escaped from each stall. I walked over and tapped her shoulder. She flinched and smiled.

  “Oh, Hey T. You two having fun?

  I beamed at her. “We are just beginning our day. Come over and meet Chase.”

  Chase approached with his handsome smile.

  He put out his hand to shake hers. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  She chatted, and we fidgeted, answering her many questions. After a quiet giggle, she turned and spoke over her shoulder. “I’ve kept you long enough. Go have some fun. I’ll play with Colt if he wakes. Just stay safe out there. And pay attention to what you need to be doing. Okay?”

  I caught her eyes. “We’ll be fine. Nothing can happen on the trail.”

  Chapter 10

  Chase patted and spoke to each horse, then he chuckled. “I’ve only ridden once at a riding park. They gave me the oldest and slowest horse in the barn. She didn’t want to walk, and I had to keep kicking her sides. It wasn’t very much fun.”

  Smiling, I headed over to Sonny. “I have the perfect horse for you. I’m going to tack our horses which means ‘put on their gear.’ You can watch me get them ready, and I’ll let you help put on Sonny’s saddle.”

  I walked him through tacking Sonny then gave Chase a few instructions on steering. He followed me out, or Sonny maybe did. We plodded into the woods and up the grassy field between the houses with our backpacks. The comfortable morning breeze rustled the tree limbs and lifted the scent of honeysuckle into the air. Squawking geese flew in formation, and squirrels dashed back and forth. The horses’ ears pitched forward like antennae and their heads turned to find the cause. A long distance from any homes, deer stands had been built in the trees, but thankfully, it wasn’t hunting season.

  Once Chase started talking about Logan, his younger brother with autism, he couldn’t stop smiling. Every time he spoke, he’d let go of one rein and fling his hand in the air, and Sonny would stop walking. “You wouldn’t believe the change in Logan since he met Sydney and you. His speech improves every day and he’s so funny. He tells himself, ‘Look, Logan.’ And he makes himself lift his eyes. He’s happier, but he really misses Sydney. He asks, ‘See, Sydney?’ I can’t answer that question because we don’t know if Sydney will be his service dog. But we’re sure hoping.”

  As he paused for air, I answered. “Me, too. I’m so happy to hear he’s doing well.”

  And then I shared Colton’s funny antics and the work involved in his training. I started to mention Morgan and her horrible behavior but didn’t want to change our carefree mood. After thirty minutes of wandering around in the woods, the heat and humidity melted us. Chase picked a quiet place under the trees next to the stream.

  The horses’ necks relaxed and bent toward the water, lazily drinking. A minute later, their mouths lifted a couple inches from the water, and their eyes darted. Soon, their necks flew upward and their heads lurched to the right. Once again, their ears twitched different directions, concentrating on something.

  I paid attention, too. Maybe deer had wandered close. Since they had lost interest in drinking, and I didn’t want them darting off, I walked both horses to the trees, and threw their reins over branches. What could be bothering them? They gazed through the trees to the right, making me alert. And then the sharp twitter of birds came alive from the trees. Were they alarmed, also?

  Shivers crept up my arms. I hope it’s a deer.

  Chase caught my expression. “Wha
t’s wrong, Trina?”

  I shrugged. “Probably nothing, but the horses are spooked. It could be the breeze has picked up. I ride out here all the time, and I’ve never had a problem.”

  “Well then, let’s not worry about it.” He took out our beach towels, and laid them on the grass.

  I unzipped my backpack, and Chase snickered. “I know you’re always hungry. And I am, too, but let’s go for a walk, first.”

  “Sounds good, but I’m thirsty.” I opened my water bottle, took a long swallow, and held it out for Chase. “Here, have a drink. The weather is major hot, and we need water.” I put the other bottle back, and as soon as I turned around, he grabbed my empty hand.

  “I’ve waited all morning for this.” He held both of our hands in the air.

  My heart rocked and rolled. Is that what I hear? My heart thumping?

  After a while, my regular breathing returned, and holding hands was perfectly normal. We walked deeper into the woods and talked about anything that came to mind. Suddenly, a different snort echoed to the right somewhere hidden in the woods. Chase stared at me. He’d heard it, too.

  I stiffened. “That didn’t come from Chancy or Sonny. We’ve got to check on the horses.” Holding hands, we jogged back. In a distance through the trees, I spotted a large black horse nibbling grass.

  I squinted and looked harder. “I know who it is.” I threw my elbows back and my hands clenched. My heart pounded so fast I couldn’t say another word.

  Chase looked like a boxer, ready for a fight. He held his fists close to his chest and tossed his head side to side. “Who?”

  My eyes narrowed. “I haven’t told you about the new girl at the barn. She’s spying on us. Watch what happens when I call her name.”

  “Hey, Morgan,” I screamed. “I see Knight. Did you come to join us?”

  Chase pulled on my hand and spoke loudly. “Don’t invite her to join us. I want to be with you. Only you.”

  Surprised by Chase’s outburst, I stared at him. “Really?”

  “Yes, I’ve waited a long time for our one day together. Please don’t invite her.”

  And that’s all it took for Morgan. She rode through the woods, eager to ruin our day.

  As she approached I whispered to Chase. “I have a plan. Just follow along. She won’t stay.”

  He frowned and shook his head.

  “Morgan, come meet Chase. He’s a friend from Edisto Beach.”

  Knight plodded along and stopped just outside the tree line. Morgan sat straight in her saddle and stared at us. “Why are you here all alone?”

  “We’re having a picnic.” I inhaled twice and calmed my voice. “Do you want to join us?”

  Morgan pulled on Knight’s reins and grumbled. “Nope. I heard voices. I ride out here every day to warm up Knight. You’ve messed up my training routine. Now, I’ve wasted too much time, and I’m behind on my schedule. I’m going back and telling Mrs. Brown what you’re doing.”

  We walked away, and I called over my shoulder. “Thanks. She’ll be happy to know we’re safe. See you back at the barn.”

  Morgan turned Knight around and kicked his sides. “Get moving, Knight. We don’t have all day!”

  Chase turned to me. “Oh boy! She’s a mess. Thanks for getting her to disappear! Now back to what we were doing.”

  Hearing my stomach growl, I snickered, “I think it’s time for lunch. Are you hungry?

  “Yep, and I know you are.” He released my hand so we could eat. After lunch, we pulled off our shoes, rolled our loose jeans up to our knees, and waded in the stream. Chase splashed me with his foot. We giggled and splashed, getting closer and closer, making our wet and muddy clothes cling to our skin.

  Standing face to face with water dripping down our chins, Chase leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. My eyes flickered, and I froze. Suddenly uncomfortable, we stood staring at each other.

  Chase blinked. “Are you okay with me kissing you? We didn’t get much practice at Edisto, and I’ve waited as long as I could.”

  I smiled, knowing he couldn’t detect my flush under the mud.

  I lowered my head. “Yes.” I muttered. In a second, I made eye contact and mumbled a little louder. “I think I’ve been waiting all day for you to try. That-that was nice.”

  His eyes narrowed, questioning me. He nodded, grabbed his towel, dried his face, and tenderly wiped the mud from my cheek. “Okay, a real kiss.” We leaned forward, and touched each other’s lips without retreating. When we finally parted, we stood, eyeing each other, and grinning.

  Chase spoke first. “Wow! I’m ready for a swim. How about you?”

  I nodded. “Time for the pool.”

  We climbed on our horses and rode.

  Everything around me intensified. The slight breeze tickled my skin. The green leaves shined under our blue sky. I covered my stomach with both hands, hoping to stop my insides from vibrating.

  Comfortable again, we talked and laughed about our Edisto adventures all the way back.

  On entering the barn, Chase held the horses’ reins while I peeked in on Colton, still asleep. I then explained the next process of brushing and hosing the horses, and scraping off the excess water.

  Finished with cooling down our horses, Chase walked Sonny into his stall, and I did the same with Chancy. They were ready for their afternoon nap.

  Colton heard my voice and barked. He walked on leash most of the way home. Halfway there, he pawed Chase’s leg, begging to be carried.

  Chase scooped him up and huddled him close to his chest. He grinned. “When Logan gets his service dog, I hope I’ll be able to enjoy him, too.”

  “I need to tell you.” I halted and puckered my face. “You’ll be able do things for the dog when he’s not working with Logan, but you can’t get attached. The dog must only make a connection with Logan.”

  Chase straightened. “When Mom filled the application for Logan to get a service dog, she had to name one parent and one sibling who would help with the dog care. Since Logan’s so young, she chose herself and me. Then she went to the bookstore on Edisto looking for books on how to care for dogs. She even bought some psychology books to help overcome her anxieties. She’s getting herself ready for Logan’s dog.”

  “Wow! That’s awesome your Mom is overcoming her fear of dogs. She has months to learn. Since you live close to PAALS, you could always take a dog class. Maybe we could meet at a class.”

  Chase’s eyes brightened and his smile widened. “I’m going to look into that.”

  Dad met us in the kitchen. “So, how was your ride?” He saw the mud on our wet clothes. “Are you two okay? What happened?”

  Laughing at Dad’s reaction, I continued to stack the leftover food in the refrigerator.

  “Oh, sir.” Chase’s voice deepened, sounding serious. “We stepped into the stream to cool off.” Chase cleared his throat. There was a short pause as he rallied with a clever word. “Um, and before we thought about it, we had a water fight. We got muddy and wet. But we’re okay.”

  Dad chuckled. “Well, I’m glad you had a good time.” And then he made his voice stern. “What’s next?”

  I grinned over my shoulder. “We’re going swimming.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.” Dad headed to the hall. “I’m going back to work. You might want to clean up before—”

  “Yep, we planned on that. By the way, Dad, there’s sandwiches left over in the frig. Help yourself.”

  Chapter 11

  Before going to the pool, Colton caught sticks or a ball and chased us in the backyard. His little body slowed down like a battery running out of juice, but I encouraged him to walk to the barn until his little legs wore out. Long naps were good for both of us.

  Along the way, Chase picked up my little guy and held him snuggly on his shoulder. He set Colton down in his stall, never w
aking him.

  Mrs. B watched Chase with my puppy and did a thumbs up.

  Before she started another conversation, I waved. “Thanks, Mrs. B for letting us swim in your pool. I’ll get Colton in an hour.”

  Chase grabbed my hand, and we giggled all the way to the pool.

  He dropped our supplies on the chair and dove in. While he was under water, I pulled off my green cover up and hurried into the cold water. We had spent hours together on the beach in bathing suits, but this time I was embarrassed. I stepped gingerly down one step at a time, goose bumps blooming, but the warmth on my cheeks made me aware my freckles were racing to be seen. I bent over and splashed cold water on my cheeks.

  Chase treaded and slapped the water. “Get in, silly. It feels great once you get wet.”

  The chill made me gasp. I sucked in a lungful of air and dove through the water straight into his stomach as he treaded in the deep end of the pool. He reached down and pulled me up. As I inhaled and closed my mouth, he placed a quick kiss on my lips. Once again I treaded water and stared at him while I caught my breath.

  He smiled. “Let’s race.”

  I dared him with my eyes. “Okay. Which stroke first?”

  “What’s your best one?”

  “Breaststroke.”

  “Me, too. Let’s go!

  Smiling, I poked him on his shoulder. “No cheating. We go on three. Ready?”

  He nodded.

  “One, two, three.”

  I didn’t think, just swam. Only turning my head on one breath, I swam ahead by a hand. I kicked harder, and kept my face down until I smacked the edge of the pool. I won by an inch.

  Chase swept his black hair out of his eyes. “Ok, you got me that time. Now backstroke. And I count this time.”

  My worst stroke!

  Again, we blasted away. I kicked hard, but my legs didn’t keep me afloat. I leaned my head farther back, got a face full of water, and didn’t swim in a straight line. I treaded water, caught my breath, and tried again.

  Chase waited for me at the edge. “Ah, I beat you good this time.”