15. Ava
Iclimb into bed with Travis and fall asleep before I can even appreciate it. The next time I open my eyes, the sun is beaming through the window. I look away from the sun and see Travis sleeping next to me.
Wow. That's a sight I wouldn't mind waking up to each morning. He's got just a bit of stubble growing in. It's the same dark brown as his hair but with just a bit of gray hair peppered in.
He has one arm above his head and the other resting on his chest. He's not wearing a shirt, so I can see the little hairs on his chest.
I watch his chest rise up and down, and up and down. It's so serene that I'm tempted to lay my head on it. Just watching the movement is enough to lull me back to sleep–almost. It's not every day I'm in bed with a half-naked man. I want to take it all in. He's got the perfect body. He's muscular but not too chiseled. You can tell he's strong from living, not because he's pumping iron all day. He's got some meat on his bones.
He starts to stir. I'd better stop staring at him. I don't want to be the weird girl who watches people sleep. I close my eyes and pretend to be waking up. I hope this isn't awkward. I look over at Travis, and he looks over at me. No smile. No good morning. No nothing. Maybe he's not a morning person.
"Morning," I mumble to him.
"Good morning. Did you get some sleep?"
"I slept like a log. Thanks for letting me sleep in here."
"No problem." Travis sits up on the side of the bed with his back toward me. He stretches his arms above his head, highlighting his back and shoulder muscles. Wow. He picks up a white T-shirt and pulls it over his head.
I get up, stretch my legs, and go to the couch. I don't want Mia to see me coming out of her dad's room and get the wrong idea. It's the weekend, so hopefully, she's still sleeping.
I get dressed, brush my hair, and put some de-puffing eye cream under my eyes before going to the kitchen for coffee.
"Good morning, dear! I heard it was quite an eventful night?"
"Good morning! And yes, it was pretty scary for a while. Hopefully, Travis can get to the bottom of it today."
"Kenny's already gone to see if the neighbor saw anything."
"Good. That was creepy!"
"Yeah, it's been an eventful few days for you." Roberta hands me a cup of coffee. Sit and enjoy the coffee. Breakfast is almost ready."
"Thanks, Roberta. Let me know if I can help!"
I take my coffee into the dining room and sit at a table. I open my laptop and let the words pour out of me. I want to get everything out. Maybe then I can make sense of it all.
"Ava! There you are!" Mia sits down in the chair across from me. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"Hey! What's up?"
"The other day, you said you'd been on a horse, right?"
"Yes, once as a kid, but it's been a while."
"Great. It's like riding a bike."
"Why do you ask?"
"Dad said you and I could take the horses on the small trail while the ladies get their lesson. If you don't need another lesson, want to go? Come on, it'll be super fun! I can show you everything you need to know. I'll make sure Manny gives you Earl, our most super gentle horse."
"I don't know." Why did I have to admit to sitting on a horse all those years ago? I don't remember anything about actually riding a horse.
"Oh, come on, it'll be so much fun. And it's way more peaceful and enjoyable without the ladies. I've been on a trail with groups like them before. They stop and complain every five feet and find something to scream about every ten steps. It's a totally different experience. You have to do it! For your story!"
"OK, sure. It sounds like fun. I'm just a little nervous about riding a horse."
"Yay! Come on, I'll take you to the stable right now and introduce you to Earl. You can ride him around the circle a few times before the ladies have their lesson. You'll be good to go."
"OK, if you say so. But I'm waiting for breakfast. I have to eat this morning. I skipped breakfast yesterday and thought I might die from hunger."
"Ugh, fine! I'll go see what Roberta has ready for you."
As Mia disappears into the kitchen, Travis appears at my table.
"Hey," he says and sits down.
"Hey. Did you really give the ok for Mia and me to take the horses on the trail?"
"Yeah, as long as you"re comfortable with it, I am."
"Ok."
"Are you comfortable with it? Mia has lived here her whole life. She knows all the trails."
"Sure."
"You don't sound sure."
"No, it'll be fun. It's just I've never really been on a horse for any length of time."
"You've never–"
"Come on! I'll show you all you need to know. It"s easy!" Mia gives me a breakfast sandwich, grabs my hand, and pulls me toward the stable before Travis can finish his sentence.
"Don't forget to take a walkie-talkie!" Travis yells to us.
It turns out she's right. It is easy. Maybe it's because Mia and Manny put me on Earl, their sweetest, most gentle horse. Or perhaps I'm just a natural. Only time will tell.
Mia leads us to one of the easy trails. It's peaceful and gorgeous, quiet except for the sound of our horses. To the left is the meadow that appears to go on forever. To the right is a more dense forest. I can't get over how fresh it smells out here! It's like flowers mixed with sweetness. It"s almost like laundry detergent but without the artificial smell.
As we trot along, the path widens, and Mia slows down to ride next to me.
"So, what do you think?"
"It's amazing! And you were right–so easy."
"I know, right?!"
"I get what all you ‘horse people' are fussing about."
Mia laughs. "Shadow has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. She's a great listener. I've told her all my secrets. She never betrays me! Even if she could talk, I know she wouldn't tell."
"What kind of secrets?" I ask, wanting to make sure nothing serious is going on.
"Oh, nothing bad. I tell her about how I'm going to live here forever, even if Dad doesn't want me to. And Daniel, my friend at school. I think I might have a crush on him. And now I think he might like me back!"
"Oh really? What makes you think that?"
"Well, a big group of us went to the movies last weekend. When we were walking into the theater, Daniel ran up, grabbed my hand, and held it for a whole minute! Then we sat beside each other for the movie, and his leg kept touching mine!"
"Wow, that does sound promising. What's Daniel like?"
"He's gorgeous. He's got these honey-brown eyes and blondish hair that swoops around like this." Mia gestures her hand around her head. "I think he"s the same height as me. And his skin is so smooth and soft. When you look closely, he's got a few freckles on his nose. He's just so cute!"
"Sounds like it!"
"Yeah, and the good thing is that he's really good at history, and I'm good at math. We made plans to stay after school next week to study together!"
"That's so sweet!"
"I know. Do you have a crush?"
"No, not at the moment." I can't tell her I have a crush on her dad!
"That's too bad. Maybe you and Dad should hook up? I think a girlfriend would make him happier. Oh, the path narrows here, so Shadow and I are going to get back in front of you," Mia says, leading Shadow ahead. My heart is pounding; my cheeks are burning–did she say I should get together with her dad?
Mia looks back at me. I can tell she's looking at something. I look back to see what she sees but don't notice anything. She looked back again, and I saw concern in her eyes.
"Mia, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just–I thought I saw someone. But no one would be out here!"
"You thought you saw someone? Like a person?"
"Yes, a man. Let me go look." She turns around with Shadow.
"Mia, you're freaking me out."
"There's definitely someone back there. Follow me." She and Shadow head back in the direction we came from. I think I see movement in the woods. I can sense someone there.
"Run!" Mia yells, and Shadow takes off.