* * *
Her rabbit,with Herculean effort, stopped itself from screaming,We’re going to diiiiiiieeee!inside her head, and without that distraction, Emmy was able to take a deep breath, look around, and embrace what it felt like to leave Virtue.
It didn’t actually feel like anything at all, except possibly faintly silly.
There was nothing different about this side of the fence except a technicality. Well, that and the fact that the grass and wildflowers were sprinkled with thin saplings that the rancher pulled up on their side of the fence. But it wasn’t like Emmy had passed through a forcefield, or was being drawn back to Virtue by an irresistible pull. She was just on the other side of a fence.
“It’s like a birthday, isn’t it,” she mumbled, embarrassed. “They always ask you, what’s it like to be thirteen? Or whatever age. ‘Does it feel different to be eighteen? Twenty-one?’ And the truth is it doesn’t. You’re just a day older than you were yesterday. That’s all it is, isn’t it? It’s just one step farther than I’ve been before.”
“But when you’re thirteen you can go to more movies, and when you’re eighteen you can vote, and when you’re twenty-one, you can drink legally. So there are differences, too.” Karl sounded soft and gentle and so incredibly proud that Emmy looked up at him, her gaze suddenly swimming with tears. “It’s only a little bit, but it’s also so much. And next time, if you want there to be a next time, it’ll be a little easier, because you’ve done it once already. And I’ll be there then, too, if you want me to be. I’ll be there every time, if you want me to be.”
“I think that sounds wonderful.” Emmy dashed tears from her eyes, then suddenly gasped. “Oh no. What time is it? Are we going to miss lunch at Kate’s?”
Karl made a show of checking the time, and put on an expression of distress. “My God, what have we done? It’s—nine thirty, Emmy. We’re fine. We’ve got hours. Do you want to take a walk into the woods here, or head back?”
“Oh.” The word came out as a sigh, and to her surprise, Emmy’s heart leaped with excitement. “Oh, I think I’d like to go for a walk, but only for a few minutes. Is that okay?”
“Absolutely. I think there’s a view about a ten minute walk from here. How would that be?”
“Amazing?”
Karl grinned at her. “Say it with conviction.”
“Amazing!”
“There you go.” He offered his hand again, and they walked up a trail that got enough traffic to be fairly wide and smooth without seeming too polished. It rose at a steady incline, enough to make Emmy breathless, but Karl slowed without her having to ask him, and after a few minutes she settled into the rhythm of the climb and could move a little more quickly.
I can run up the hill if you want,the rabbit offered hopefully, and she grinned.
If it gets steeper, I’ll let you.
The rabbit said,Yay!which Emmy thought might have been a first. The rise didn’t get significantly steeper, though, and after a few more minutes, they reached the viewspot Karl had predicted.
The mountains were too far away, and too spread out, for Virtue to really be considered to be in a valley. But a river did run through it, and low hills on this border were high enough to offer a lazy look over the picturesque scenery. Even from the distance, Emmy could see the huge green block that was the town square, and the clock tower and church steeple that marked opposite ends of that square. With everything turning spring green under the pale blue sky, and the colonial houses that littered the landscape, it looked rather like a painting, or even a glimpse back in time. “No wonder developers keep trying to buy up the land around here.”
“That would be an actual crime.” Karl sounded genuinely offended at the idea.
Emmy smiled and nodded. “There’s a lot of resistance in the town to the idea. And of course I know why, it’s a beautiful area, but…I’ve never seen it from here before. Of course. And now I understand better. Both why they want to develop it, and why we won’t let them. I’m so lucky to live here, Karl.”
“You really are.” His voice held that gentle note again, and when she looked up at him, he smiled. “I’ve been here less than a day, and it’s already blown me away. How could you feel anything less than that?”
“Oh, I definitely feel it more. BecauseIknow how good Kate’s carrot cake is—”
Karl interrupted her with a belly laugh. “Oh my God. Carrot cake. Rabbit. I get it now.”
Emmy put her face in one hand, and, muffled, said, “Yes. I’m afraid so.”
He pulled her close, grinning down at her. “Don’t you dare be embarrassed. It’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. You’re adorable. Wonderful. Perfect.”
“I could get used to these kind of outrageous compliments.”
“You should. I intend to be unstinting with them.”
“Oooh, unstinting. There’s a word you don’t hear often.” Emmy stole a kiss, then tilted her head toward the trail. “Come on. Let’s head back. You can then unstintingly praise both the carrot cake and me for introducing it to you.”
“Sounds like a flawless plan. Wi—hm.”
“What?”
