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Allen: I’ve decided to make it my mission to bring the sunshine out in you again.

Clara: Oh you have, have you?

Allen: Absolutely.

Clara: And how will you do that?

Allen: Go out with me and I’ll show you. How about Saturday?

Clara: I need to check my schedule, I might be working.

Allen: You’re not working. You’re off Saturday and Sunday, I already checked.

Clara: How?

Allen: Like I said, we have a mutual friend. I’ll pick you up at ten on Saturday morning. Wear jeans and sturdy shoes.

Clara: Someone’s getting a little bossy, isn’t he?

Allen: Please wear jeans and sturdy shoes. See you Saturday.

As I clicked off my screen I found myself smiling. It had been a while since I’d smiled like this or been excited about anything. It felt good.

Allen

I rolled up to Clara’s house ten minutes early, eager to see her again. As soon as I stopped in the driveway she came out, wearing faded jeans that hugged her strong legs, a red knit shirt, and God help me, red leather cowboy boots.

“You look like a real Texan now,” I greeted her, pointing at her feet.

“I am a real Texan,” she reminded me. “And I’ve had these for years.”

I moved closer, noticing the scuffs on the toes. The boots were definitely well worn. I reached for her hand, dropping a quick kiss on her forehead, and pulling her towards my truck.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she buckled herself in.

I jogged around the front of the car, then got into the driver’s side, popping the engine into reverse.

“I thought we’d go horseback riding.”

Another thing I remembered about Clara was her telling me how much she loved horses. Even though she was raised in a suburban area, she’d had family who lived in the country and taught her how to ride.

“Oh wow. I haven’t been in years. But don’t we have to go out of the city for that?”

“Yeah, I made arrangements at a place about an hour away. I hope that was okay.”

Actually, the place was my family’s ranch, but I didn’t want to mention that quite yet. I didn’t want to freak her out.

“Sounds good.”

I pointed to the cupholder in the console between us. “I brought you a coffee.”

“Thanks.” She seemed surprised. Lifting the cup to her mouth, she took a sip. “Delicious.”

It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny, and when we got off the freeway we rolled down the windows to let in the fresh country air. Clara’s hair whipped around her head until she dug into her purse and found a ponytail holder to pull it back into a messy bun.

She seemed lighter today. I just hoped it lasted.

We got to the Double J Ranch in good time. I keyed in the code, opening the gate, and headed down the lane as the iron gate closed behind us.