“An airport pickup. Unheard of,” Harper said to Dot. “Even my parents make me get a cab.”
“This is getting interesting!” Dot said to Harper while she texted back to Mary, “No problem. We’ll leave a light on for you.”
She snapped a selfie with Harper and Pippi, her face sticking out of her tote bag, and sent it to Mary.
MARY KICKED OFFher sandals as they drove back past Cedar Falls. When Jake turned into the Taylor farm, she said, “So, this is a place you love. I could have guessed.”
“More than anywhere else. I want to show you the best place on earth to watch the sun set.”
He pulled up next to a pond, way out of sight of his folks’ farmhouse. There were a few big oaks that grew along the edges of the pond. Several giant weeping willows lined the shore, their branches laden with leaves that stretched down to the water.
An old wooden picnic table was placed in the shade of the largest oak. They got out of the car and Mary didn’t bother putting her shoes back on. Jake pulled a picnic basket and a blanket out of the trunk.
“Do you always have that ready to go... just in case you pick someone up at the airport?” she asked.
“Well, you never know who you’re going to find wandering around baggage claim.” He kissed her and then said, “Come on. Let’s set this up. We have twenty minutes before we get one of the best shows on earth.”
She followed him to the benches and helped him unpack a loaf of homemade sourdough, a hunk of cheese, slices of prosciutto, and a bottle of red wine from the basket.
“I’m starving,” Mary said, pulling a piece of bread from the loaf and popping it into her mouth.
“I’ve learned that’s a constant with you. I never want to see you hangry.”
“It’s not a pretty sight.”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s pretty. Pretty dangerous.”
They snacked for a while as the sky turned a deeper shade of pink. The sun was making its way down.
“Come over here. This is the best view.” He took her hand and walked to a double tree swing. “My grandfather put this up for my grandmother when they got married. They used to bring us out here and we’d fish, skip rocks, and eat the cookies Grandma made for us. They loved to watch the sunset.”
He sat down on the seat and patted the spot next to him. There was enough room, but Mary decided to sit on his lap instead.
“I’ll sit here.” She reached up to grab the ropes in each hand.
“Oh, okay. I’ll allow it.” He put one arm around her waist. “Hold on tight.” He got the swing started and together they kept it moving, pumping their legs in and out.
The sky turned light pink, then orange, then a deep red, and finally, an unreal shade of violet. After a while, they stopped the swing. Then Mary turned her torso around, reached her hands around Jake’s neck, and he pulled her in for a kiss. He held her with one arm, and with his other hand he reached for her hair and undid her updo. By the time they came up for air, the stars were out.
Mary texted The Crew. “Don’t wait up. Catch up tomorrow? Dinner at the Sin Bin. On me.”
She added a kiss emoji and two hearts and pressed send. Then she silenced her phone. She wouldn’t be needing it for the rest of the night.
Chapter 44
Hey, Shakespeare, any plans this afternoon?” Tommy texted Harper one sizzling summer Monday in late June.
Harper had been stuck on a scene in her book when she felt her phone buzz. She perked up when she saw it was from Tommy.
“No plans. Trying not to melt. What’s up?” she asked. Play it cool, she told herself. Don’t be too eager.
“The Sin Bin is super quiet. Hamilton said he’d watch the bar for me. Good day for fishing. Want to come?”
She was thinking through her reply when she saw his three dots flashing.
“You don’t have any ethical concerns about fishing, right?”
“Fishing’s fine. Not as cute as Bambi.”