“I can never look at it enough. Let’s head east and take the trail.”
“I’m following you.”
“Darlin’, you can follow me anywhere.”
They rode out of the barnyard into rolling pastures dappled with buttercups. The trail wound beneath high cottonwoods, their leaves tinkling in a gentle breeze. After an hour of easy canter, Rawley guided his horse to a shaded bank beside a still pond. They dismounted, as the horses nosed at tufted grass, tails swishing away flies.
Rawley unstrapped and produced the two paper lunch sacks, a couple of water bottles, and a soft woven blanket. He handed her the bags and bottles, then spread the blanket on the grass, then he removed the saddles. She took his outstretched hand, slipped down onto the blanket, and he settled beside her, their shoulders brushing. In front of them, the pond mirrored the sky, and dragonflies skittered across its smooth surface. The hush of the plains wrapped around them, and for a moment, nothing existed but the gentle crunch of grass under hooves and the shared warmth of a new connection.
****
Skylar handed him a bag and bottle, then opened hers.
“What did you make us?”
“Turkey and Swiss cheese with mayo or mustard.”
“Mayoormustard?”
“I made one of each. Whichever one you didn’t want, I’d eat. I like both mayo and mustard.”
“Well, that was smart. I like both too, but I prefer mayo.”
“That’s fine.” He removed his sandwich from the baggie and checked it. “This is mustard.”
“Okay.” She removed hers from the bag, took a bite and moaned. “I’m really hungry.”
“Did you eat anything?”
“I had coffee and toast.”
“Coffee and toast? You call that eating?”
Skylar shrugged. “I was nervous.”
“About what?”
“Seeing you.”
Rawley tilted his head. “Why? Do you regret last night?”
“Oh, dear Lord, not at all. It was great.” She shook her head.
“Then you shouldn’t be nervous about seeing me again.”
She looked away from him, but she felt his hand on her chin, making her face him.
“Skylar?”
“It just hit me, after you left last night, that you probably think I sleep with any man who comes along.”
“I never thought that. It happened because there’s a lot of heat between us.”
Skylar nodded. “Chemistry.”
“Yes, and every relationship needs that. I told you I wanted to keep seeing you.”
“That was before we had sex.”
