I pulled her into me, rested my chin on her head, and filled my lungs with her sweet scent.
In the morning, she was gone. I scurried past the kitchen, hoping Bea wouldn’t see me. “Slow down,” she hollered. “Get in here and eat something.”
She slopped a ladleful of grits onto a plate and handed it to me. “There’s Velveeta, or you can have corn flakes for your grits.”
I felt myself starting to gag. “How about some fruit. Can I have fruit?”
“Sure honey, check in the fruit bowl.”
I tried not to breathe through my nose as I slurped up the bland grits, occasionally chomping off a bite of apple for flavor. Caleb sat across from me eating his grits, which were swimming in Velveeta cheese. It really was a small miracle, with the amount of red meat and cheese these people ate, that they weren’t all wracked with heart disease. Their diets were so heavy in cholesterol that I couldn’t help but visualize the plaque buildup in their arteries each time they took a bite.
“Where’s Ava this morning?”
“She’s working that filly,” Bea answered. “Caleb got some barrels and set up a track for her in the field below.”
“That was nice of you, man.”
He nodded, not looking up from his bowl.
I left the kitchen and walked down the dirt road to the small arena where Ava was riding the gorgeous black filly. The horse’s movements were even more graceful than Dancer’s as Ava galloped her back and forth. I took a seat on the top slat of the wooden corral. When she spotted me she steered the horse over to where I was sitting.
“What’s her name?” I asked.
“I hadn’t named her until now, actually.” She was smiling, her hair was floating down her back, and her cheeks were pink from the cool air hitting her face.
“Well?”
“Shine.”
“It’s perfect for her . . . and for you.”
“Red told me you took a job in Missoula.”
“Yes.”
“That’s great. How’s your hand? Will you be able to do surgery?” Her eyebrows were pinched together in a worried expression.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I need to get to the hospital, though, and take care of some things. And I have a place now, not that far from here. I want to take you there but it’s not ready.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll call you this week then maybe . . .” I was suddenly very nervous. “Maybe I can take you out to dinner next weekend . . . on a date?”
“I would like that.” Her bottom lip quivered. “Nate?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you for last night. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Her voice cracked and her eyes brimmed with tears.
I cleared my throat and jumped down from the fence. Holding my hand out to her, I said, “I’m Nate and you’re gorgeous. What’s your name?” She giggled. “I like that sound.”
“I’m Ava.”
“Nice to meet you, Ava.” We shook hands. “Can I take you out this weekend?”
Shine started getting antsy. Ava pulled her in a circle. “I have to run her a bit. Bye, Nate.”
She took off in the other direction. “You didn’t answer me,” I yelled. “Will you go out with me?”
“Yes, cowboy,” she yelled back.
Later that day at the hospital, I chose to wear my boots with my scrubs. I assisted on an angioplasty and when Abbie, the scrub nurse, looked down at the booties over my boots, she laughed.
“What?”
Smiling, she said, “I like your boots. I didn’t take you for a cowboy.”
“It’s a state of mind, Abbie, plain and simple.”
“We’ve all been calling you Hollywood.”
I laughed loudly. “I will spare you my John Wayne impression.”
CHAPTER 17
There Are Places
Avelina
“Come to me, baby,” Nate whispered. “There are places you and I can run to. Places where no one knows us. No one can see us.” I took his hand and followed him into the darkness. We were together in a void that was smooth, soft, and warm, and he was touching my face and neck. There were birds chirping and the feeling of sunlight against my skin, but there was no light. He laid me down and kissed me, kissed my breast. He was on his side facing me as I lay on my back. We were naked but warm. His tongue toyed with my nipple and I ran my hands through his messy hair. “God, you are so lovely,” he said. “Can I touch you?”
“Yes, touch me, please.”
“Where shall I touch you, beautiful?”
“Here.” I placed my hand to my flesh.
“Show me how,” he said.
“Like this.” I touched myself and felt the aching pulse below. I arched my back as I felt his warm hand cover mine. My mouth opened but I couldn’t breathe. He covered my mouth with his in a gentle assault.