“Thanks.”
The interior of the truck cab illuminated Clay’s handsome face as he turned the engine over with the key, the throaty muffler vibrating her seat. He drove on the back streets of suburban Atlanta, avoiding the interstate, while a classic country station played faintly on the radio. They hadn’t spoken since they left the high school, only catching glimpses of each other and offering nervous smiles. A few minutes later, the truck’s wheels went from smooth asphalt to a gravel road, the bumpy ride kicking up dust as the rocks hit the undercarriage making a clanking noise. Katie held onto the oh-my-god strap as her bottom bounced on the front seat. Finally, Clay backed his truck up to a cleared area and parked before turning off the engine. He rested his arm on the seat-back and turned to her.
“We’re here,” he said happily.
“Where’s ‘here’?” she asked looking out into the dark. She had a severe aversion to horror movies and the surrounding area seemed intimidating. The last thing she wanted to do was get out of the truck and explore the creepy surroundings that could be lurking with ax murderers, ghosts, and vampires.
“Put your shoes on, I’ll show you.” He opened the door and got out of the truck, leaving her alone in the cab.
Quickly, she shoved her shoes on her feet and nervously opened the door. She could hear Clay’s crunching footsteps on the gravel coming closer. She could also hear water.
“Come on.” He thrust his hand out for her to take. Katie carefully navigated the uneven terrain in her pointy shoes holding tightly to his hand. They walked a few steps before she gasped.
The full moon illuminated the smooth flow of a river directly below them several yards down an embankment. Clay had backed his truck up to where they had a perfect view of the water.
“Is that the Chattahoochee River?” she asked in awe. The light of the moon cast beautiful, shimmering orbs on the fresh water, her previous thoughts of ghosts and ghouls vanished from her mind.
“Yep.” He stretched his arm out to point as he explained. “It’s flowing from the Blue Ridge mountains southwesterly toward the city. I discovered this place a long time ago. It’s off the beaten path. Not a soul in sight.”
The sound of the water gliding over river rocks was very Zen and peaceful. Katie gazed at the sparkling shimmers on the top of the moving liquid and listened to the symphony of critters creaking and croaking in the summer night. It was an amazing experience. She stood there, lost in a relaxed trance, and didn’t realize Clay had put the lift gate down and spread out the furniture pad again. When she looked around for him, he was sitting on the gate swinging his legs back and forth grinning at her in the soft, romantic haze of the moon. She carefully stepped over the gravel toward him, reaching for his hands. He pulled her in close between his thighs and caressed her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.
“I’ve never shown anyone this spot before. You’re the first.”
Katie felt a wave of happiness gush through her entire body and intentionally thrust herself forward to kiss him again. He helped her back up into the truck bed and they lay on the blanket feverishly making out like two pubescent teenagers. His hands groped over her clothes, pulling her taut against his body. She grabbed his jean-covered buttocks feeling a quickening in her lower abdomen. When he suddenly stopped, a swell of disappointment washed over her. She wasn’t the type of girl to throw herself at a guy, but with the way Clay Watkins was kissing her with that delicious mouth of his, it would be easy to throw caution to the wind and let him do whatever he damn well pleased.
“I need to slow down,” he gasped, catching his breath. “I’m so sorry…”
“Sorry about what?” she said, taking in quick breaths in an attempt to slow her heart rate down.
“I just… I’ve wanted to kiss you like, forever.”
“Forever?” she asked, perplexed. It had been ten years since she had laid eyes on Clay. Ten years, and he had been thinking about her?
“Yes. I had the biggest crush on you in high school.”
“What?” Katie sat up in shock and watched him chuckle, leaning his head back on his clasped hands.
“Yes, ma’am. I crushed on you big time.”
She shook her head and couldn’t help the goofy grin that was plastered on her face. Stacey would go out of her mind with this news. Katie couldn’t wait to tell her.
He reached one arm up and tucked her long hair behind her ear, his fingertips lingering on her cheek. “Kiss me again Katie Parker. Please. You’re making a guy’s teenage-dream come true.”
She happily obliged and leaned across his muscular chest to meld her lips with his.
chapter four
They lay in each other’s arms for hours in the back of Clay’s pickup truck, talking effortlessly and kissing passionately under the sparkling night sky. It was as if making out had released that uncomfortable silence, allowing Clay to lighten up. Time passed quickly, and Katie must have drifted off to the rhythm of the water and the steady song of insects. She woke with a start, lying across his chest, his breathing slow and even in slumber. His firm body was warm as she blinked, trying to wake up, the memories of the night before flooding her mind, causing her to smile. The sun was just starting to rise, and subtle shades of orange and lavender flecked the Eastern horizon as the dark began to fade. She was mesmerized watching the merging colored light of a new day seep up from earth beyond the river and the tall Georgia pines. It was a perfect moment.
She quietly sat up, sitting cross-legged in her hiked-up skirt, with her back erect to take it all in. To bypass the rush-hour traffic on the perimeter, her weekday commute to her job usually started way before the sunrise. By the time she was sitting behind her desk and firing up her computer while sipping on a second cup of coffee, the first light of day would inevitably start to creep in through the blinds, making her shut them tight to avoid the glare off her screen. This was what she was missing out on? This was what she deliberately shut out day in and day out? Stacey would often scold her for missing out on moments like this. “Just be in the moment!” she would say. All her yoga and meditation mumbo-jumbo usually went in one ear and out the other. Not today. She didn’t know if it was because she had woken up in the arms of Clay Watkins or because what she was feeling for the first time in a long time was new and exciting. All she really knew was that she was totally captivated trying to memorize every second of the glorious sunrise of the new day as she tried to just “be.”
“Good morning.” Clay interrupted her thoughts as he pulled himself up beside her and kissed her neck before resting his chin on her shoulder. She shivered from his touch.
“Good morning,” she whispered. They both stared out at the color explosion above the trees.
“Wow. What a gorgeous sky,” he said quietly.
“Mmmhumm,” she replied, aware that his warmth was seeping into her skin like melted butter on toast as he moved even closer.
