by Amy Briggs
Good morning beautiful.
Then, about twenty minutes later, another one.
I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.
And the third one had me smiling.
I’m not going to let you bail on me.
I giggled out loud, covering my mouth with my hand while I read the messages several times. He was persistent, I gave him that. Admitting to myself I was looking forward to seeing him again the next day, I replied.
I won’t bail, I promise. I was just having breakfast with Rayne.
He replied immediately.
There you are. What a relief. I took the day off, I want to show you some things tomorrow if you’ll give me the day with you?
He wants to spend the whole day together, I thought. The whole day seemed like a pretty big commitment. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that, although I was intrigued that he had an entire day planned. Oh, what the hell. I decided to go for it, even though I was nervous. I had nothing to lose, but another day. I don’t know why, but in the short amount of time I’d known him, he made me feel safe. I wanted to make sure he really meant the whole day, though.
A whole day? Are you sure about that? What if we don’t get along?
I started getting butterflies in anticipation of his response.
Yes, a whole day. And the evening. We’ll get along just fine, I promise.
Okay, I can do that.
I smiled at my willingness to go along with his request. At the end of the day, it would be nice to not be alone, and surely nothing bad would happen with him around. I grinned at what felt like moving forward, even if it was just for one day.
Great. I can’t wait. What are you up to today?
Rayne is taking me to the spa. For the whole day!
That sounds incredible. You deserve to be pampered, I can tell.
That’s sweet of you to say.
It’s true. Now go have a wonderful day. I’ll message you later.
Ok, thank you. You too.
I set my phone down and giggled like a teenager. It wasn’t a date, really, but he was flirting with me, and it felt good. I loved the feel of his strong hand on my back the night before as he led me to the truck, and his stature and demeanor was protective. Those characteristics in a man are so appealing, and something about the way he spoke to me; demanding, but also gentle, in a way. Like the way he gave me his number; he wasn’t rude about it, but also didn’t ask. He simply told me to give it to him and I did. I loved that I didn’t have to think about it at all.
I continued musing about our brief but welcomed interaction as I got ready, and realized that with the exception of the talk Rayne and I had the night before, I hadn’t felt afraid, alone, or anxious since I’d arrived. Optimism was becoming a more prevalent emotion, and it felt good.
***
That afternoon, while sipping on an absolutely heavenly margarita, Rayne and I sat back in lounge chairs after our massages.
“This is the life,” she sighed.
“It sure is. I can’t thank you enough for today. I haven’t felt this relaxed in as long as I can remember,” I replied wistfully.
“Stop thanking me,” she laughed, turning on her side to face me. “I’m happy you came down.”
“Me too,” I smiled.
“So, let’s dish, Sarah,” she said mischievously. Sensing my stiffness, she laughed. “Oh, come on. Chase isn’t here now. Tell me what was up with you and Colin last night?” she pleaded, causing me to giggle as well.
I turned to my side, feeling myself blushing a bit. “There’s really nothing to tell?” I said, as if it were a question.
“Now don’t you dare lie to me, Sarah Kennedy. Something was going on last night. I’ve hung out with that man a few times, and he’s usually rock solid, on his game. He didn’t take his eyes off you one time the entire night. And what was with the whole phone thing? I saw it.” Now she was demanding some answers, and she knew she caught me.
“Okay, okay. He wanted to give me his number, so he asked me for my phone.” I left it at that, hoping that she would move on, but knowing we weren’t done.
“Uh huh. He wanted to give you his number. Makes sense. He was drooling all over you, after all,” she teased. “So, what else? Have you talked to him?”
“Umm, yeah. We’ve texted a little bit. But I mean, it’s nothing. I don’t live here, and you heard what Chase said. It’s kind of pointless, really.” I attempted to talk myself out of my enthusiasm for his affection.
Taking a sip of her margarita, she grinned at me. “Well, I don’t think it’s pointless at all.”
“You don’t? Why not?” I asked, curious why she seemed so captivated by the connection.
“We all meet people in our lives and they all serve a purpose. Whether it be the cashier that smiled at you, and reminded you to smile back, or the guy who asked for your phone number because he likes you. It doesn’t mean that they have to stay, or they have to go, but appreciating the moments is what drives us forward and makes life interesting.”
“That’s a prolific way of looking at it,” I replied.
“I’m serious, though. So what if you live here and he lives there. Maybe it’ll go somewhere, maybe it won’t. But isn’t it fun to find out? Relish in some of the joy these encounters has to offer you, Sarah. I think you’ll find that opening yourself up to the experiences and chance meetings that find their way to you will change your outlook on life.”
“You’ve become quite the philosopher, Rayne,” I teased her. She was right, though. I had been feeling relaxed and confident since I’d arrived here and spent time with her. Why would spending time with him be any different?
“It’s not that at all, I swear. It’s just that, since Egypt, I realized people have come into my life that have grounded me, scared me, and loved me, and I’ve gained perspective in how to take each of those moments and own them. They didn’t happen to me, they happened for me. Maybe Colin asking for your number was God’s way of saying, ‘have a little fun on your vacation’ and maybe you should listen.” She gave me a tight-lipped smile and raised a questioning eyebrow at me.
“Hmm. Maybe you’re right, Rayne. You might be on to something,” I replied, smirking back at her.
Chapter 8
Colin
Throughout the day, I texted back and forth with Sarah, and she seemed to be opening up more. Well, she sent me more than three words at a time back, and that was a win in my book. I never did tell her what we were going to do, and she didn’t ask. Most women would have a million questions about what to wear, how long we’d be gone, all sorts of details that would have ruined the surprise. All she asked was what time she should be ready and if she needed to bring anything special.
That morning, I stopped and bought two coffees on my way to pick her up at Rayne’s house. I did manage to find out she had a love of coffee the way I did, and how she liked it, too. One sugar, two creams. On the way to get her, I had a brief ‘what are you doing’ moment, but consciously shoved it to the side. I was a sworn bachelor, married to my country, but everyone deserved a break, and why shouldn’t that break be with a beautiful, thoughtful flight attendant who wasn’t staying in town for more than a week. I reminded myself she would be leaving eventually, and that made me slightly anxious, but it was also a great way to cover up the fact that I was digging this chick. Telling myself it wasn’t going to go anywhere, but would be nice to get to know her was lying to myself, and I didn’t even care.
I’dd put on jeans and boots since we were going to the ranch, even though it was close to one-hundred degrees out. I probably should have told her to wear boots or something, but I didn’t want her to be upset if she didn’t have any. I swallowed my nerves, and rang the doorbell to find her dressed exactly as I would have told her to if she’d asked me.
Standing before me in cowboy boots, a black tank top, and blue jeans that showed off all of her curves, I stared before realizing my jaw had fallen open.
“Hi Colin,” she smiled at me,
her full lips showing off her perfect teeth. She seemed happy to see me.
“Good morning, beautiful,” I said. “You ready to hit the road?”
“Um, I think so. Is what I’m wearing alright? I probably should have asked what we’re doing today before getting dressed,” she replied.
“Well, I’m going to keep that a surprise, but you’re dressed perfectly. You should bring a change of clothes though, just in case,” I added, without explanation, hoping she would just go for it and then I could convince her to stay later.
“A change of clothes? Am I gonna get dirty?” She let out a giggle.
“You might, but I can’t say just yet. Go grab a bag, and throw a swimsuit in there if you have one. Where we’re going, we can go swimming if we want to later,” I replied, feeling myself grin.
“Okay, I’ll be just a minute. Come on in.” She let me in, and ran off down the hall. I couldn’t help but watch that round ass of hers the entire time she scurried away.
Moments later, she returned with just a backpack. “That’s all you need?” I asked, shocked she didn’t want to bring more stuff with her. Most women would have brought a ton of things they probably wouldn’t need.
“I’m a flight attendant. I’m used to packing light. I’m pretty sure I have everything I need, and if I don’t, I’ll improvise,” she smiled widely. I clearly needed to stop comparing her to other women; she was one of a kind.
“I like it. Well then, if you’re all set, your chariot awaits, milady.” I motioned toward the door.
As she walked ahead of me, my eyes found their way to her ass again, distracting me completely. I had to stop myself from reaching out to grab it and pull her to me. I’d been trying to calm the lustful feelings I had toward her because I unquestionably did want to get to know her, but those jeans didn’t leave much to the imagination. I had to adjust myself when she wasn’t looking, and I tried to think of that homeless pet commercial that makes everyone cry to quell the hard-on that was quickly becoming noticeable.
As I opened the door to my truck for her and helped her in, she glanced back, giving me another little smile. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
“For what? I haven’t done anything yet,” I replied with a smirk.
“Sure you have. Thank you for taking me out today. I probably would have stayed inside and read books or something all day if you hadn’t asked me to go out.”
“Well, what kind of a guy would let you sit at home all by yourself? Not this guy.” I grinned at her and gave her a little wink before walking around to get in the driver’s seat.
Once we were settled in, and pulling out of the driveway, I pointed to the coffee in the cup holder. “That one is for you. I’m pretty sure it’s how you like it. One sugar, two creams, right?”
I watched as her jaw fell open, making her shimmering lips appear even more delicious than they had before. “You remembered that?”
“Of course I did,” I replied, pleased and mentally high-fiving myself. I sipped on my cup of coffee as we got on our way.
“Thank you so much, Colin,” she said sweetly, before taking a sip.
“You’re very welcome, sweetheart. Now settle in. We’ve got a bit of a drive.” As she shifted in her seat a bit, I couldn’t help but notice how she seemed more relaxed than she had been the other night. She didn’t seem uncomfortable when we met, but she definitely had a different vibe today that was much more enthusiastic than I’d expected. It felt awesome to make her smile.
After we’d driven in silence for a bit, I turned on the radio. “What would you like to listen to?”
“I’m easy, whatever you like,” she replied, gazing out the window at the fields along the highway.
“Well, now we are at an impasse,” I said.
She turned her head to look at me quizzically. “An impasse? Why?”
“Because I want to listen to what you want to listen to. So unless you pick something, we’ll have to drive in silence,” I said matter-of-factly. I wasn’t going to let her get away with the girl game of ‘whatever you want’; I was going to make her tell me what she liked whether she realized it or not.
“Okay,” she said, giving me a sideways glance through her sunglasses. “I like classic rock, and I like country. Either of those would make me happy.”
“Now we’re making progress,” I teased, as I put on the classic rock station I usually listened to on the drive to my parents.
Crossing her arms over her chest and pouting her lip a bit, she asked, “When are you going to tell me what we’re doing?”
“I can tell you right now, darlin’. You never asked me what we were doing, so that’s the only reason it’s a secret.”
She pursed her lips and thought about it for a minute. “Hmm, I guess you’re right, I didn’t ask. So, what are we doing?”
“We are going up to my parents’ ranch. It’s a couple hours north of us. They’re away, so we pretty much have free reign. I thought you might like to ride horses or go swimming in the lake. I’ll grill us up some dinner tonight, and we can stay if we want, or I can bring you back home tonight. It seemed like we could both use a little break. I know you’re already on vacation, but there’s no way you should be holed up in the house when you could be out playing with baby goats and stuff. What do you think?”
“There’s baby goats?” she asked excitedly, causing me to laugh loudly.
“Yeah, there’s baby goats. They’re like little jumping beans bouncing all over the place. You’ll love them,” I beamed. Out of everything I said, she got stuck on baby goats. That was absolutely hysterical to me.
Another high five to myself for getting us out of town for the day, and possibly the night too. I couldn’t wait to peel back her layers and see what she was all about.
Chapter 9
Sarah
When we first got on our way, I was a little nervous and tried to hide behind my sunglasses, pretending to take in the scenery. The truth was, I was afraid I was getting in over my head, agreeing to spend the whole day with this stranger. But his attention to detail coupled with his desire to get me out of my shell was totally working. Not only did he bring me a coffee the way I liked it, he somehow knew that I loved animals and would enjoy spending time with them. Maybe he didn’t know at all, but it felt good to think that he intuitively knew what I needed. It warmed me to him tremendously.
When he arrived at the house, I was taken aback at seeing him again. As if I’d forgotten how good-looking he was. Maybe it was seeing him in the daylight, but his tightly fitted t-shirt that danced around the waist of his jeans, giving me a peek of his torso, ignited my libido and I imagined what he would look like without that shirt on at all. I intentionally ignored his comment about possibly staying the night. I already knew he wouldn’t try to make me sleep with him or anything, and I appreciated that he left it open-ended. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, and decided I’d make a decision after dinner, which he was apparently cooking.
Throughout the drive, he pointed out a variety of small landmarks, and general history of the area. He was extremely knowledgeable about the countryside here, and I loved hearing his little trivia facts. We’d been driving for almost two hours, just chatting about work and other small talk. It seemed that there were many things about his job he wasn’t permitted to discuss, but he was definitely a career soldier, dedicated to serving his country. I admired that about him; about anyone, really. But, he seemed to have a deep-rooted belief that it was what he was meant for, and that was so honorable to me.
“Was your father in the military as well?” I asked.
“He was, but he was discharged halfway through his service for an injury on a deployment,” Colin replied.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Oh, nothing to be sorry about. He served his country, and when he came home, he and my mother got their ranch going. They’ve been doing this for over thirty years together now. I think it’s what they were made for.” He glanced over at me with
a smile. “So what about you? Are you close to your parents?”.
As I pursed my lips and thought about how to answer that, I gazed out the window. All you could see for miles were a few farms here and there, and fields that ran parallel to the vast blue sky. It was beautiful. “I don’t know my dad at all, and my mom passed away when I was a teenager. I became a flight attendant as early as I could so that I could get away. I had been passed around from family member to family member for years, so no, we’re not close. I don’t have any brothers or sisters either. It’s always been just me.” Suddenly, the gravity of what I’d said set in. I didn’t have any family. At least, none that cared about me. As if he knew that I’d had a revelation, he reached his hand over and gently rested it on my knee.
“Sometimes family isn’t who you think it is, Sarah. Sure, I’ve got my mom and dad and all, but I consider the guys I deploy with, the soldiers I march side by side with, my family. I bet if you looked real hard, you’d see that you’ve got more family than you think you do.”
