Chapter Sixteen

Harper

I was feeling good after the talk with Jillian. She seemed to be in a much better place now that she had let all her feelings out. She had never been very good at keeping things in, and I could see that her mood had visibly improved. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen or how she was going to cope with being without Thomas, but I could tell she was happy to have talked it through. I knew she’d get over the embarrassment with Travis too. I could tell that she didn’t really like the guy. It was just her ego that had gotten bruised, and nobody liked it when that happened.

“Want to go for a walk?” I asked her. We had a lot of free time in between the activities, and I felt like getting some fresh air. It was a beautiful evening, and I didn’t often get to go out for strolls at this time of the day. I was usually stuck on my laptop or out with clients or friends. As a PR executive, my life was a constant hive of activity, and my social life was a busy one. I sometimes looked at my calendar in amazement, surprised at how little time I put aside for my own endeavors. I liked it though, and I had always been good at juggling the activities, but it was nice to take a break from it all.

“Nah, I’m okay. I think I’m just going to read a bit. I brought a stack of magazines along with me, and I haven’t had a chance to read them yet.”

“You sure? I can stay with you if you want?”

She chuckled. “I’m fine. You’re sweet, but I’m actually feeling a lot better after our talk. Thanks, Harper. Say hello the animals for me. I’m sure they’re dying to know how I’m doing,” she said sarcastically, and I laughed.

I walked off chuckling to myself and headed out. I had considered taking a jacket, but I was glad I didn’t now. The air was cool, but it wasn’t cold, and it felt good against my skin. I thought about what Jillian had said about me fitting well into the environment, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. I’d been so adamant that I didn’t want to come on this trip, but perhaps I didn’t know myself as well as I thought I did. I would always be a city girl, but it was good to know that it wasn’t the only thing that I was. I made my way towards the barn and thought about saying hello to the animals. Maybe if I told them how nice Jillian was, they would be nicer to her the next time. I wasn’t sure if Jillian was ever going to get on another horse for the rest of her life. I didn’t blame her either. That fall couldn’t have been fun.

I turned the corner and screamed as someone jumped out in front of me. I was just about to run away when I saw that it was Travis. He was looking at me in confusion.

“Harper?”

“What the hell, Travis? You gave me such a fright. I thought I was being attacked or something.”

“I’m so sorry. I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give you a fright. I thought you were someone else,” he said. He looked like he wanted to say something else but then changed his mind. What the hell was he thinking giving me a fright like that?

I shook my head. “You’re crazy. Are you trying to give me a taste of the city life or something? This is the sort of thing I can expect in NYC, not out here at the ranch.”

He laughed. “I just wanted to make you feel more at home.”

“You’re one crazy dude, man. My heart is beating so fast.”

“So is mine,” he said. “Anyway, what are you doing here? Are you looking for something? Anything I can help you with?”

“No, I was just taking a walk. It’s so nice out here in the evenings. I was coming to say hi to the animals too. Poor Jillian is convinced that they don’t like her so I was going to see if I could get them to change their minds.”

He chuckled. “And how exactly where you going to get them to do that?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Tell them how nice she is.”

“And you call me the crazy one?”

“Well, you are,” I insisted.

“So does that mean you were in the stables?” he asked curiously.

“No, not yet. I wasn’t even sure if it would be open, to be honest. I was just walking around. Why?”

“No reason. I was just curious. So, uh, mind if I walk with you a bit?”

I thought about saying no, but I realized the company would be nice. I also didn’t feel so bad about talking to him now that I knew Jillian wasn’t too fond of him anymore. “Yeah, of course you can. It’s your place after all. You can do whatever you want to do.”

He chuckled, and I wondered what he found so funny. It was like he was sharing an inside joke with himself. “True. So, are you having a nice time? I mean, other than the broken nail when you climbed on the horse.”

“Ha! You mock me. But I’ll have you know that my nails were very pretty before I got here. I’ve now had to resign myself to having to go ‘full country’ for the next while, bad nails and all. Honestly though, nails aside, this is a very cool place. Better than I was expecting it to be, that’s for sure. A few things have really impressed me.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” he asked.

“I’m from New York, as you know, so the concept of actually seeing so many stars at night is a little strange to me. And very exciting. It’s the little things that have impressed me the most. Things I wouldn’t have even thought would matter. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen such a clear and beautiful sky. It sort of puts my whole life into perspective in a way that I would never have thought before. It’s… peaceful.”

“Yeah,” Travis agreed. “That’s why I’m out here too. The evening walks are the best. The morning ones too. There’s such a stillness in the air that makes it easier to see things clearly. Like you’re not bogged down with a million different things. It’s just you and the big open sky.”

I smiled at that. Travis was an interesting character. I was surprised that he still spoke so highly of this place even though he lived here. Usually people got bored of a place after being there a while. “So, what was it like growing up here?” I asked. It was so foreign to me. I had grown up in the city and had lived there my whole life. It was all that I knew.

“It was nice. It was… simple. Hard in some ways, wonderful in others. It’s a great place to be as kid, that’s for sure. I mean, where else do you get a place as big as this as your playground? I don’t think I ever realized how lucky I was though. You never do as a kid, but that’s the beauty of it. It was nice growing up in a more rural area. Less of the concrete jungle and all that. Actually living here and being surrounding by all of this makes you appreciate nature in a whole different way. It’s completely different to going to some fancy zoo or watching a nature documentary. Here you live and breathe it.”

“Yeah, I totally get that actually. I know it’s nothing major, but even just being up on that horse made me appreciate animals more. I never realized it would be like that. I felt such an instant connection to the horse. I thought I would be so scared, but I wasn’t. You were right about the whole respect thing. I felt like he was giving me respect because I was giving it to him.”

“It also helped that you were a natural up there. Thunder really liked you.”

I chuckled. “I’ll never get tired of hearing that. I had no idea I’d be so comfortable on such a big creature. Thunder is gorgeous. I’m actually really looking forward to another horse ride. It’s been the best part of the experience so far for me. So, Travis, I know you love it out here, but have you ever been out to New York at all?” I was curious to know about his life. It all just seemed so strange to me. I couldn’t ever imagine living out here for the rest of my life, no matter how beautiful it was. Although I was sure he felt the same way about me. We were from different worlds.

“Of course I have. I’ve been there as well as several other large cities. Numerous times.”

“You have?” I was expecting him to say that he had been here his whole life. I got the impression that people from here weren’t all that interested in visiting the bigger cities. Clearly, I was very wrong.

“You sound surprised by that.”

“I guess I am,” I admitted.

He chuckled. Again, it seemed like he was part of a joke I knew nothing about. “Well, I know my way around a city too. And I have to admit that they do have their charms. There’s something exciting about city life that you will never get in a place like this. It’s fast-paced and crazy in all the best ways. Although I definitely don’t regret having grown up in the country. Especially when I come out for evening walks and see the stars in the sky. It was a good childhood, and I sure was lucky to have it.” There was a nostalgia in his voice that seemed to be steeped in emotion. He seemed to be realizing these facts for the first time. I felt like he was holding something back from me, but I didn’t want to press him about it. I didn’t know him, and he had the right to his emotions, no matter how curious I was about them.

“Yeah, it’s absolutely gorgeous here. I can’t deny that. Well, you should still come and visit New York sometime. Don’t just come as a tourist from Texas. Come and see the real NYC. I’ll show you around and take you to all the places that the tourists have no clue about. I can show you the heart of the city.”

The moment the words were out of my mouth, I regretted saying them. Was I really asking him to come and see me back home? I felt mortified at how forward I was being. I felt like I was just pulling a Jillian on him and coming across too strong. He was going to think that Jillian and I were just after one thing. I tried not to groan out loud.

“Sounds great,” he said. He said it in a strange way, and I wondered if it was because he thought I was flirting with him. I was though, wasn’t I?

“Well, uh, I think I’m going to head off. I’m exhausted and want to get an early night. It was nice seeing you again. Even if you did almost give me a heart attack.” I didn’t bother letting him reply and quickly scurried off before he had the chance to say anything. I could feel my cheeks burning as I walked. Why was I acting this way around him? I wasn’t interested in Travis. Of course I was. I just didn’t know what to do about it.