Page 13 of One Lustful Summer
R: Heads up, I just emailed over the quote.
I set my phone on the counter and decide to empty the dishwasher. There is no use staring at the phone, waiting for a response. I’m halfway through the chore when my phone beeps.
M: Great! I’ll take a look in a minute.
An idea pops up and I decide to go with it. I want to spend time with her and I don’t want all our time to be focused on the renovations.
R: You have plans this afternoon? I want to show you something on the property. Have you ventured out in the back?
M: No plans. And I haven’t made it out far.
M: You want to be my guide?
Hell yeah, I want to be her guide.
R: Yeah, I do. You good if I come over in about 20 minutes?
That should give me enough time to load up the side-by-side and drive over to her place.
M: See you in 20.
I make quick work of hitching the flatbed trailer. Next, I drive the UTV onto the trailer and strap it down with tow straps. Once the UTV is secure, I make a quick stop inside the house and load up a small cooler with some waters, sodas and snacks.
I drive down Maggie’s driveway ten minutes later and find her waiting for me on the porch steps. She stands up as I park and walks towards me.
I step out of the truck and take her in. She’s dressed in a pink tank top, short cutoff jeans and a pair of black chucks. Her brown hair flows down her back and over her shoulders.
“What’s that?” she asks, pointing to the UTV.
“The Mule,” I answer and chuckle when her eyes crinkle in confusion. “It’s an UTV. A utility task vehicle or some call it a side-by-side. This brand is a Mule.”
“Why is it here?” She asks as I unhook the first strap.
“I’m going to be your guide,” I tell her as I walk around and unhook the other side. “There are some trails out in the woods. Thought we would take a ride and then I can show you my favorite spot.”
“Awesome. What do you need me to do?”
“Stay right there while I get this off the trailer.” I claim up on the trailer and back the Mule off.
Her eyes shine with excitement. And I’m glad I’m the one to share this with her. We haven’t talked to deep yet, but I have a gut feeling that she had a sheltered life. If I had to guess, moving to Paulding has been a total adventure for her.
I pull up next to her and tell her to get in. I hop out and grab the cooler from the truck and put in the back bed of theMule, placing a bungee cord around it and securing it in.
“Ready?” I ask her. She nods and tells me she is, so I take off around the house towards the woods. She grabs the frame on the side with one hand and the other grabs the ‘oh shit’ bar in front of her. I’m about to slow down when her laughter rings out.
I drive down to the woods and follow the tree line to the larger path. I have to let up on the gas a little to maneuver through the overgrown trail.
Maggie’s quiet as she takes it all in. I look over at her every few seconds. Her eyes are wide, and a wide smile as she turns her lead left and right, taking it all in.
We make it to the clearing at the creek, and I park. Her gasp has me turning in my seat to face her.
“Rowan,” she whispers. “This is beautiful. I own this?”
I scan the area, looking at it from her perspective. Old oaks shadow the clearing. Tall grass now replaces the trimmed area my grandfather kept up with. The creek is wider and deeper here, with plenty of space to wade through and cool off.
“You do. We used to come out and cool off almost every day in the summer. It’s where I did a lot of thinking in the day.” The nostalgia of being here stings a bit. But I pull that emotion in. She doesn’t need to see it or feel guilty that this is hers.
I take a minute to point out the picnic table that my dad and grandfather built; the rope hanging from the tree across the creek that we used to jump into the water and fire pit near the far end of the clearing.
