Page 12 of The Heart Remembers

“Nope. Leon, Jacob, Tom, and Jess went to meet Gavin and Ethan. Boys only.” Levi’s a man, but I get that this is the older crew. I shake my head, knowing those guys always hang out together. It’s nothing special, and it’s all an excuse to day drink.

“How is Aunt Karyn taking it?”

“She’s fine. She has Tom’s credit card and just hired a service to give all the girls manis and pedis this afternoon.”

“That’s like twenty women.”

“Yep.” Tricia pops the word and leans toward AJ. “Lesson here, little man. Do as the lady says, or hell hath no fury like a woman with her husband’s credit card.”

+ + +

I shower within the half hour, but I’m not dressed.

“You aren’t ready,” Levi says to me, startling me as I hadn’t heard him open the door. I’m standing in my room with only a towel around me. “I mean, I like what you’re wearing, but it won’t work for today’s activity.”

Turning to him, I place my hands on my hips. “You know if you want to make plans with me, you should ask me, not tell Tricia. I’m not a little girl who needs mommy and daddy’s permission for things.”

“Okay. That was hostile.” One brow arches as he keeps his eyes lasered on mine before lowering to my towel-clad body.

“Whatever,” I mutter like the child I just said I wasn’t. I turn my back to him, aiming for my suitcase, not certain what to wear for the day.

“Okay, you’re right. Katie girl, would you do me the honor of going somewhere this morning with me?” His voice softens the longer he asks, and I spin around again to face him. “Tricia said she’d watch AJ for me. Please.”

Something in that singular word has me giving in, despite the awkwardness of last night and the temple kiss to Lys. They’re friends, I remind myself, and it shouldn’t bother me. Levi can temple kiss whomever he pleases.

“Fine. Where are we going?”

“Can it be a surprise? Just know you’ll need jeans and solid toed shoes, cowboy boots if you have them, but tennis shoes might work just fine as well.”

“Cowboy boots?” I actually do own a pair, but they are in my apartment two hours away. I didn’t expect to need them in the eighty-degree heat of July.

“Just trust me. Can you do that?” His deep dark eyes plead with mine, and I nod as though my head has a will of its own like my hands did last night. I’m just a pushover with this man.

Dressed within minutes and sweating in the heat, we leave for our outing, and twenty minutes later, we pull up before Levi’s destination.

“Randall Ranch?” Surprised at the location, I realize I haven’t been here in years. Randall’s is a place for people to enjoy horseback riding through the woods and canoe trips down the river winding along the property. It’s a bit of an eclectic estate with a motel vibe resort yet a large central dining hall and rental cabins off to the left in the woods. They even have a campground.

Levi helps himself out of my car as he didn’t get a rental for this trip, and I’m climbing out the passenger door when he comes around to it.

“Next time, wait for me.” I’m startled by the comment until his hand comes to the door, and I swallow hard. Levi is a gentleman. For some reason, my thoughts flit to how Derek never opened or held a door for me—not a car, not a business, not even our apartment. He just opens a door, and in he walks. It’s rude when I really consider it, but I don’t want to pick apart Derek. I’m suddenly too excited for this day with Levi.

“Are we horseback riding?”

“Yes.” His smile grows as does mine, and he leads me inside to register.

A guide will take us on a tour. Once we near the horses, Levi surprises me again by appearing confident and calm as he approaches a quiet gelding. He lowers his head to the side of the animal’s and breathes him in a bit, stroking his soft hair. I’m lost in the moment, watching him petting the horse while acting as if the motion soothes him. We grew up in a small town near big bodies of water, and while there is farmland around us, I don’t recall Levi loving horses.

“Do you ride?” I question. Levi pulls back, keeping his eyes on the horse while his hand wanders along its neck.

“Not often enough. After I returned Stateside and had trouble finding myself, I ended up at a ranch in Tennessee. It was run by a veteran and used as a rehabilitation center for vets like me, ones stuck in their own heads and missing parts of their bodies.”

My breath catches at his candidness.

“I loved that place,” he mutters more to himself than me. “It’s been a long time.” He pats the side of the horse, and I don’t know what he means. What’s been a long time?

The guide checks the saddle on my horse before helping me up into the seat. Once on top of my own sweet mare, I glance up to find Levi already on his. We follow the guide quietly at first as he points out features to the ranch, but my mind wanders as the guide rambles. Eventually, he stops chattering, and Levi and I fall into a companionable silence for a while.

The ride lasts an hour and a half, and when we return, something about the trip has made Levi different. I can’t put my finger on it, but he seems sedate, almost peaceful, as though he’s a little high from the ride.