“Yes?” She was a little shaky and seemed nervous.I hoped she wasn’t regretting this.
“I have a run in my tights. Can we go?” I moved her hand from her thigh while holding her other, and I noticed the small, broken threads in her tights. I didn’t see why she was so worried about it, but it was cute. I cocked my head to one side, saying the first thing that popped into my mind.
“Looks like a stairway to heaven to me.” I stopped her efforts to open the door.
“Hm?” She turned to look at me.
“I’ll get the door for you, darlin’, but first…”
I took my free arm and rested it above my head against the roof of my truck, peering down into her eyes as I did so. I saw how she had her back leaning against the door, smiling at me. I felt a rush of affection, and I could feel my heart light up. I could smell her perfume, a floral tone that reminded me of the scent my mom used to wear, mixed with the earthy aroma of the truck, creating an atmosphere that felt like peace and belonging.
In that moment, I couldn’t resist any longer. I had the strongest need to close the distance between Daisy and me. I released her hand from mine and gently cupped her face in my hand, tilting her chin up so her eyes were locked even fuller on mine. With a soft smile, I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. I kissed her tenderly, wanting to bask in her and savor this moment as long as I could. My heart raced with each second that passed, and once I drew the kiss deeper, I could feel my entire body let go. I felt her hands curl around my waist, and one hand gripped the back of my shirt, sending shivers down my spine. At this point, there was no bar, no people, no music…only us. The moment was perfect. I just hoped it stayed that way.
I pulled back to gaze into her eyes once more, admiring how her eyes sparkled in the glow of the outside lights from the bar.
“What was that for?” She was barely above a whisper, still coming down from the aftershock of the kiss and wanted embrace.
“For being you.” I grinned at her, remembering all the time as kids that I stole glances at her, admiring her beauty. That girl who made me laugh was all grown up now, and her beauty was redefined. Her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue now that made my heart swell.
Just then, I heard the noise of laughter, and we both turned our heads toward the bar to see a couple coming out, arms interlocked, swaying back and forth as they made theirway to their car. I brushed it off, though, and turned back to Daisy.
“Now, are you ready to go?” She nodded, and I opened the door, closing it only after I made sure her legs and arms were tucked away safely inside the truck.
I held her hand on the drive, both of us stealing glances at the other, and this drive reminded me of when I first took Daisy for a drive in this truck. We were 17 and 15- the year I got this truck- and I wanted so desperately to tell Daisy how I felt back then. This felt like a second chance, a chance to make up for being too petrified as a kid to share my feelings.
? ? ?
At 17, I had saved up my money from birthdays over the years and from doing some odd jobs here and there to fix up my grandpa’s old truck. I bought new tires for it and got the truck all cleaned up. It did have little, rough spots here and there from the usual wear over the years and from sitting for so long, but it was special to me. I had always dreamed about the day I got my license to drive it, and that day had finally come.
Daisy and her parents were over at the ranch, and I was so excited to show her the truck. As soon as she arrived, I yelled at her to come over to where I was.
“Hey, Colt.”
“Hey. I wanted you to see the truck.”
“You got it cleaned up pretty good.”
“Yeah. Got new tires for it, too.”
“Well, it looks sharp.” She walked around the truck, looking at it all over. “You did well.”
“Thanks.”
“Well, cowboy, are you going to take me for a drive? What’s the use of having a license if you aren’t going to take it for a little joy ride?”
“Get in. I’ll be right back. I’m just going to let my mom know.” I ran inside to tell my mom, who was cooking dinner with Daisy’s mom, Ivy, her smile big as she knew I was so excited about being able to drive the truck. I had driven it a few times around the ranch throughout the past few months after getting my permit, but now it was legal.
I started the truck, listening to it rumble. I put it in drive and drove it down the gravel road, listening to the sounds as the tires went across. The windows were down, the sun hanging low, and Daisy’s hair was blowing in the wind. She stuck her head out the window, and I couldn’t help but feel something in my chest. It was this tight feeling, like something was pressing down. I had pressed that same feeling down for years.
“Does this thing play music?” She turned the radio on and instantly recognized that the song playing was Beat This Summer by Brad Paisley. We blasted it, singing off-key and carefree, the world outside fading away.
I stole glances at Daisy, happy that she was with me and that we were sharing this time. I saw how her eyes glowed with the setting sun and how she had the biggest smile on her face. She was full of pure happiness myfavorite look on her- and so was I. In this moment, nothing else mattered- just two kids in an old truck, chasing the horizon and living for laughter, fun, and adventure. I never wanted it to end.
“Daisy…” This was it. I was going to tell her how I felt. This had been years in the making, and this moment felt right. I just had to muster up enough courage to get the words out. I could do it.
“Hm?” She turned to face me again, and I slowed the truck at the stop sign, getting ready to turn around so we could head back to the ranch for dinner.
“Thanks for coming with me for the ride.” The words were right there on the tip of my tongue, but that’s as far as they were going. “You aren’t too bad of company, Miss McClain.” She smiled.
