Chapter Fifteen #2
“Are you sure? I can keep feeding you and eating my sundae at the same time,” she asks me, laughter filling her voice as I turn to face her once my seatbelt is unfastened.
“I’m positive. We’ll run out of napkins sooner or later if you keep feedin’ me, Keaton,” I say while laughing so she knows I’m joking.
We eat our sundaes in silence, sharing a few spoonfuls every now and then.
I’ll admit the peanut butter one she chose is really rich but it’s so good.
I watch on as she closes her eyes every now and then as she savors the dessert she chose.
By the time we’re done, it’s the perfect time to go for a ride.
Dusk has set in and the sun will finish setting soon.
Getting out of the truck after shutting off the engine and pocketing my keys, I help Keaton out before grabbing the bag of drinks and a blanket from my backseat.
I love watching the sun set on the farm and for the first time I’m about to share that experience with someone else.
Someone I feel is going to be so important in my life.
“I’m gonna pick my favorite horse for us to ride tonight. You’ll ride in front of me since it’s your first time. Are you okay with that?” I ask Keaton as we step in the barn and I turn the lights on.
“If that’s what you feel is best, then I’m okay with it. This is your territory and I’m new here so I’ll follow all the rules you give me,” she says as I lead her to a stall in the middle of the barn.
“This is Bandit. I’ve had him for about five years now.
He got named Bandit because he likes to steal things out of my pocket,” I tell Keaton as she starts laughing and slowly reaches her hand out, letting Bandit sniff her before nuzzling against her touch.
He’s a gentle giant and one I know will take good care of Keaton on her first time out.
“You’re such a good boy, aren’t ya?” she asks him as she finally pulls her hand back and accepts the bag and blanket for me so I can put his saddle on and get Bandit ready to ride.
Keaton watches me put a saddle on Bandit and asks questions as I work.
I answer every one she has with a smile on my face because she’s showing me something important in my life that means something to her.
She wants to learn more about it and truly listens to my responses.
This isn’t something she finds boring and disgusting at all like most girls do unless they’ve grown up on a farm.
By the time I have Bandit ready to go, I realize we have a small problem.
Keaton is wearing a short skirt and it really won’t cover her body once she’s in the saddle.
“Um, so I just realized ridin’ a horse might not work for you right now,” I say, turning to face her as I let my eyes linger on her skirt.
“Shit. I wasn’t even thinking about what I was wearing. What if I wrap the blanket around my body? Or use it to cover the front of me since you’ll be sitting behind me? If we pass anyone, no one will see anything they shouldn’t,” she says, looking thoughtful as I think about her words.
“That could work. I’ll lift you up in the saddle and then you can put the blanket in front of you. I promise I won’t look at anythin’,” I tell her honestly as I step in her personal space and lift her in my arms after setting the bag on a bail of hay next to the stall.
“I don’t care if you see. I mean, I do because it’s our first date, but I won’t hold it against you, Ice,” she says with a shy smile showing.
After grabbing the bag, I climb up in the saddle behind her and move my body close enough to cover her while grabbing the reins in one hand and getting Bandit to move slowly out the back of the barn so we can cross the back pastures and set up the blanket to watch the sunset.
“Can I ask you somethin’?” I question Keaton as we ride and I point out various things along the way.
“Of course you can. I already told you that,” she responds, leaning against my chest as I keep my arms around her with the bag of drinks in her lap on top of the blanket.
“Whenever you go to laugh or really smile, why do you hold back?” I ask her, knowing this line of conversation might tank our date, but wanting her response at the same time.
“Nora just passed away. She was brutally taken from us and I’m left behind.
I think I’ve heard it called survivor’s guilt or some shit like that.
A large part of me doesn’t feel as if I should laugh and have a good time.
Nora used to be the life of the party and was always saying and doing things to get me to laugh and join in on her craziness.
She’ll never get to do that again so I don’t feel as if I should laugh or have a good time.
My job is to raise her son to be the man I know she wants him to become and nothing more,” she admits and I feel her body shake slightly as silent tears fall down her cheeks and land on my arm.
“I’m sorry to make you upset, I thought that might be the reason, but I wasn’t sure,” I tell her, holding her against me tighter as Bandit moves toward the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
“You didn’t make me upset, Ice. It’s gonna take a long time before I can get through each day and not miss her more than the day before.
Nora was one of the most important people in my life and it’s so hard to think that she’s no longer here with me.
I look at nothing and start crying it seems. The most bizarre things make me think of her and miss Nora even more.
I promise you did nothing wrong, Ice,” she says, as I take the bag of water and blanket from her once I’ve gotten off of Bandit’s back.
I spread out the blanket and set the bag in one corner before moving back over to Bandit and tying him off before helping Keaton down from the saddle.
She stays in my arms for a minute once I have her feet on the ground and looks up at me with those beautiful, innocent eyes of hers.
I lean down as she moves up until our lips meet in our first kiss.
It feels like an electric current rushes through my veins as Keaton deepens the kiss and I follow her lead while pulling her body closer to mine.
When we finally break apart after a few minutes to catch our breath, I move us to the blanket and wait for Keaton to take a seat before I move in behind her and cage her body in with mine.
She sinks back into my chest as I wrap my arms around her.
We talk, kiss, and watch as the sun disappears while the stars come out and the moon shines down on us.
It’s the perfect ending to our night as we move to lay on the blanket.
Keaton and I take turns pointing out various constellations and share stories of our lives. Perfect fucking date if you ask me.