CHAPTER THREE
Friday Night Lights
By Friday afternoon, Luke had one thing on his mind.
Getting home.
The workweek had dragged by, and every hour seemed longer than the last. As he pulled into the driveway, Emily was already sitting on the front porch swing with two glasses of iced tea.
“There you are,” she called.
“I thought this day would never end.”
Emily handed him a glass.
“You survived.”
“Barely.”
She smiled.
“I’ve got a surprise.”
Luke raised an eyebrow.
“Good surprise or expensive surprise?”
“The good kind.”
“I like those.”
“We’re going to the county fair tonight.”
Luke grinned.
“I haven’t been to a fair in years.”
“I know.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I wanted to see your face.”
“You did good.”
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, they made the short drive to the fairgrounds.
The parking lot was already filling with pickup trucks, families, and teenagers laughing as they hurried toward the entrance.
Emily breathed in deeply.
“I love this smell.”
Luke laughed.
“Funnel cakes?”
“Popcorn.”
“Corn dogs.”
“Fresh-cut grass.”
“Livestock.”
She wrinkled her nose.
“Okay… maybe not that one.”
They walked hand in hand past food vendors and carnival games.
Luke stopped at a stand selling homemade kettle corn.
“You want some?”
Emily nodded.
“You already knew the answer.”
“I did.”
They wandered through the livestock barns, admiring prize-winning horses, cattle, and sheep.
Luke stopped in front of a beautiful chestnut horse.
“One day.”
Emily looked at him.
“You still thinking two horses?”
“Definitely.”
“What would you name them?”
Luke shrugged.
“I guess we’ll know when we meet them.”
Emily smiled.
“I can’t wait for that day.”
After watching a horse demonstration in the arena, they found seats in the grandstands just as a local country band started playing.
Luke reached over and laced his fingers through Emily’s.
“This is nice.”
“It is.”
“No work.”
“No bills.”
“No stress.”
“Just us.”
Emily rested her head on his shoulder as music drifted across the fairgrounds.
For a little while, the rest of the world disappeared.
On their way out, Luke spotted a booth advertising local employers.
He slowed down.
Emily noticed.
“You thinking about it again?”
He nodded.
“There are a few companies here I’ve heard good things about.”
“The kind where you’re home every night?”
“That’s the hope.”
Emily squeezed his hand.
“You’ll find it.”
Luke smiled.
“I think I’m finally ready.”
As they reached the truck, fireworks from another event lit up the distant sky.
Emily looked out the window as Luke started the engine.
“You know what my favorite part of tonight was?”
Luke glanced over.
“What?”
“You smiled the whole evening.”
He thought about it for a moment.
“I guess I did.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“I missed that smile.”
Luke looked ahead as they drove toward home, the fairgrounds growing smaller in the rearview mirror.
For the first time in a long while, the future didn’t feel like something to survive.
It felt like something to look forward to.