Reaching over, I drop a hand on top of them. “Figured a picnic would be a good way to reconnect.”
“No prying eyes, you mean.”
I smile over at her, her blue eyes staring back at me. “You know this town better than I do.”
“They will definitely be all over the two of us going out.”
“Reenie already is,” I say.
The sun is already setting as the mountains come into view once we clear the trees behind us.
“I forgot how much I loved coming out here,” Presley says.
“Not a frequent visitor?”
“Not really…”
Not since I left. It hangs between us. This always used to be our place. Presley would come out and visit me while I was working and we’d ride together. Make out. It was the perfect place for two teenagers.
“Here we are.”
Pulling the truck to a stop by a small copse of trees, I put it in park and hop out to help Presley. She’s already jumping down by the time I get around to her door.
“Can’t let me be a gentleman?” I quirk a brow at her.
“I’m used to doing things on my own.”
I file that away for later, grabbing her hand and leading her around to the truck bed. Popping the tailgate down, I arrange the blankets and pillows before getting the basket of food.
“I hope you’re ready for what Rex made us.” I slide up onto the bed and reach a hand down to help Presley up.
“It smells good.”
She sits cross-legged across from me as I pull everything out.
Zucchini turkey burgers with buffalo sauce. Sweet potato fries. Chocolate torte for dessert. And two beers.
“Rex is working on a new menu. Experimenting more to hopefully bring in new guests.”
Presley grabs a plate and starts dishing out the food. “It seems like you want to bring the ranch back to its glory days.”
I look around at the fields that surround us. “Remember how much we used to love it out here? I want to bring that feeling back. That sense of pride.”
“I think you can do it.”
I pop a sweet potato fry into my mouth and chew, giving myself a minute. “You sound awfully confident.”
She shrugs a shoulder as she takes a bite out of her burger. “If you put your mind to something, you could do it.”
I kick my legs out in front of me, settling into one of the pillows. “I could be a slacker. You don’t know.”
That earns me a laugh. “This coming from the guy who had already earned a dual-enrollment associate’s degree by the time he graduated from high school. I doubt you’ve changed that much.”
“I got my MBA early too.” I laugh.
“See? You haven’t changed a bit. Otherwise I don’t think you’d be here.”
“It’s still weird being here without Verne.”
