There was a dirt trail worn in the grass, and they took it all the way up to the highest point of his property. It was nothing like back home, but it still afforded him a nice view of the low valley adjacent to his land.
“Whoa, girl.” Boone gave a gentle pull of the reins, and Sassy came to a stop near the edge of the hill.
Luna and Patience stopped next to them.
“Good job, Sassy.” His leather saddle creaked when he leaned forward and patted the side of his big mare’s dark, reddish-brown neck.
“Oh, my gosh, Boone.” Luna straightened her legs enough to rise out of the saddle and look down into the valley. “It’s beautiful from up here.” She sat back down.
“I want to show you something.” He threw his leg over Sassy’s back, dismounted, and looped the reins around a dead branch.
The horse instantly lowered her head and started yanking huge tufts of dark green grass from the ground and munching on them.
Luna started to dismount, and he hurried around to help her. He needn’t have worried, because she climbed down like she’d been riding for years.
“You’re a natural.” He showed her where to secure Patience’s reins.
“Not quite, but I appreciate the confidence-booster.” She brushed off the seat of her jeans.
As usual, Patience followed Sassy’s lead and started eating grass.
Boone reached up and grabbed the blanket roll strapped to the back of the saddle and tucked it beneath his arm so he could remove a couple of bottles of water from one of his saddle bags.
He held his free hand out, hoping with everything he had that Luna would take it.
She looked down at it, hesitated, then finally set her hand in his palm.
Boone felt like he’d won the damn lottery.
“Watch your step in here.” He led her into a copse of trees where large roots littered their path.
After a few minutes of navigating their way around trees and large ferns, they stopped at a clearing. In the center was a massive weeping willow tree. Its leaf-laden branches drooped all the way to the ground.
“After you.” He released her hand, speared his arm between the branches, and held them back like a curtain so she could pass through. He followed her and let the branches fall back into place.
Concealed in the space created by the canopy of branches, it was as if the rest of the world simply fell away.
“It’s … it’s like something out of a fairy tale.” Luna slid her sunglasses up to perch on the top of her head and turned to take in the unique beauty.
The shade from the tree kept it cool beneath the canopy. Decades-old branches arched downward like gnarled fingers reaching toward the earth, and they were surrounded by the soft sound of leaves rustling against each other from the light breeze. Butterflies hovered over the yellow catkins—small, fuzzy blooms—that dotted the branches and created an interesting-looking ground cover.
She walked over to one and leaned in for a closer look.
“It’s looks like a caterpillar, but it’s a bloom.” She reached out and gently brushed her fingertip along the fuzz, then turned to him. “I’ve never seen anything like this place before in my life.”
Boone set the water down, unrolled the blanket, and spread it out on the ground.
“I come up here when I need to decompress after an op or if I just need to think.” He tilted his head back and surveyed the old tree, then turned to her. “I’ve never brought anyone here before.”
“You haven’t?” There was a skeptical lift of her left eyebrow. “Not even a girl you wanted to impress?”
Her voice was teasing, but there was a hint of something else. Jealousy maybe?
“Nope.” He shook his head. “The only girl I’ve wanted to impress lately is you.”
“Me? Really?” She stepped closer. “Boone, why did you really bring me up here?”
“I wanted you to see it, and in case you haven’t noticed, Luna, I’d like to get to know you better.” He moved up to her and dipped his chin down to look at her. “And, well, I thought maybe if I shared this special place with you, you might begin to trust me a little.”
