Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
MILLIE
“ I t’s so pretty back in here,” I say to Betty as we discover another beautiful meadow full of wild flowers. Purples, reds, and yellows flutter in the breeze, and when I inhale, the scent of them surrounds me.
It’s fun to explore new property. I’ve been on every square inch of my family’s land, probably hundreds of times. I know it like the back of my hand. So, to be out here, exploring by ourselves, is fun.
And helps to clear the frustration from the conversation with my dad.
“We haven’t done this in a long time, have we, baby?” I rub Betty’s neck as we walk through the field. “Just you and me, wandering around. There’s the creek they told us about.”
I judge where the mountains are and urge Betty to the left.
“We have to stay to the north.”
I check my phone, and I still have a signal, so we’re going in the right direction. I know Holden doesn’t want me to be without a signal, and that’s the last thing I’d want, too.
The air is cooler around the creek. Refreshing. I pull Betty to a stop beside it and swing down so I can let the water run over my hands. It’s still ice-cold from snow runoff, but it feels good.
I glance to the right and see a little family of deer standing about thirty yards away. The spotted fawn is drinking from the water while two does watch me, their long ears twitching.
I grin but don’t make any noise as I turn away from them. I don’t want to scare them and send them off into the woods.
I’m on their turf.
Betty takes a drink of the water, and when she’s finished, I hop back into the saddle, and she trudges easily through the current to the other side and climbs up the bank.
We wander for more than forty minutes. Just meandering around, taking in the scenery, enjoying the shade from the tall evergreens, and then breaking into the sunshine to warm up. I didn’t realize just how beautiful the Lexington property really is.
Something makes me glance up to the trunk of a tree, and then I grin. There’s a trail camera. I wonder if Holden’s watching me right now, and I wave, just in case.
And then I blow him a kiss.