He looked at me. Then looked away. “You know… you need to get used to the idea he’s not coming back. I’m not saying it’s what he wants to do. I’m just saying that he’s a time traveler and that can’t be easy, maybe it’s dependent on the seasons, or the sun spots, or moon positions. Maybe time travel happens once every ten years, you know?”
I nodded. The day had just gone to golden hour, a gleaming gold glow over my house and land. “But… I don’t know, maybe he’s coming, perhaps he’s on his way.” I looked at the side of his tense face. “You believe him, he’s a time traveler?”
“Yeah, but in my whole life this is the first I’ve ever heard of it. It’s gotta be rare, Lexi, just… I don’t want to see you sad.”
“I’m sorry I won’t go out to dinner with you?—”
“I was just hungry, thought you might want some tacos.”
“I would, kinda.”
He grinned. “You would? Did Cooper charm you? You’ll go out to dinner with me?”
“Sure, give me a moment to get dressed. I smell a little like a horse.” I looked over at my car. “Think they’ll let me drive?”
“Nope, Marcus will drive, that’s why you have him.”
I said, “I hate having a driver.”
“You don’t think it’s cool? I think we’re styling.”
“I miss my car. I want to drive my car. But fine, I get extra dessert. Will you arrange with them that we’re going while I shower?”
“Yep.” He looked at his watch. “I’ll meet you down here in forty?”
“Perfect.”
The alarm systemfor the house had been set. Marcus safely delivered us to the restaurant. Jen was already there waiting on us when we walked in. Cooper said, “Oh, you called Jen?”
“Yep, because this is not a date.”
He huffed.
Jen had already ordered margaritas for the table. She loved to arrive first and order drinks for us to be ready when we arrived. She was bossy that way, which I really didn’t mind. She asked, “So what have you two kids been doing?”
I said, “I had my first horse riding lesson, Ferrari earned an B+ I got a D- and that was because Bonnie was being nice.”
She looked over the menu. “Figured you’d at least get a passing grade because of time on the beast.”
“Nope, apparently holding the reins is integral. Ferrari misses Lambo. We had a long talk today about it.”
Jen said, “You and the horse?”
I nodded. “We’re very close, I just don’t like to ride him much. He’s not that happy with me either. I think he’s mad at me that Lambo left.”
She chuckled. “I love the idea of horses named Lambo and Ferrari a couple hundred years ago.”
I was looking over the menu, and simply said, “Almost five hundred.”
She dropped the menu. “How in thehelldid you survive back there? Was it just plague and pestilence all the time?”
I said, “Kinda, yeah, but some parts were good.”
I thought about the slow shifting movement of the horse under me as I had my eyes on Torin’s back, watching him, as we?—
Cooper repeated himself, “What are you having, Lexi?”
“My usual, don’t know why I look over the menu.” I put it down, sighing, looking out the large window at the parking lot.
