Chapter 16

Sara

After Ryan had left the night before, I sat alone in the kitchen sipping a cup of tea. I knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to go with him. I just had to get there. The next morning after getting off the phone with him, I stood in the hallway packed and ready to go, excited about the decision I was making. I woke up early that morning and rescheduled all my Monday appointments knowing we wouldn’t be back in time. I was really looking forward to an extra day off, something I never did. Even when the practice was closed, I was usually slaving away in the stables taking care of the horses and helping Alison with whatever maintenance needed to take place. This was going to be two full days of doing whatever I wanted to do, and I didn’t have to answer one phone call or go on any house calls during that time.

I was pretty sure the last time I took a weekday off from work was when my parents were moving, and I helped drive them up to Phoenix and then came straight back. Even that wasn’t really a vacation, so this one was extra special. I might even go wild and have a little too much to drink that night, knowing I wouldn’t have to wake up early for anyone, and I also would be right there at the winery. I had never gotten to go to a winery before, and the idea of it seemed fancy and luxurious to me. I knew Ryan felt differently about it, but he wasn’t going for the luxury. He was going for me. He wanted to be alone with me, spend some time, just the two of us without worrying about work, other people, or what people might say about it.

Janson was going to figure I was home since my car would stay parked out front, and unless he was still following me, there was a really good chance he wouldn’t find out about it. The winery was in the next county over, a place where he had no jurisdiction and didn’t have the kind of manpower in Bonanza to send someone to find me. I didn’t care at that moment, anyway. I was too excited about getting away with Ryan and really getting to know him better. Just at that thought, I looked out the window and saw Ryan pulling into the driveway. He got out of the car and smiled as I opened the front door. He walked straight up to me and took me in his arms, hugging me excitedly.

“You ready to get out of here for a while?”

“You don’t even know how ready I am.” I laughed.

“Let’s get your bags.” He smiled, reaching down and picking up my suitcase.

I grabbed my bookbag, slinging it over my shoulder and locking the door behind me. I looked around quickly but saw no sign of anyone around. I tossed my bag in the backseat and smiled as Ryan opened the door for me. We hit the road, the radio on and the windows cracked. I could already tell it was going to be an amazing day. I smiled, riding out of the city and into the open country. It was one of the most beautiful days it had been in a long time, with bright sun shining down on us and not a cloud in the sky. It was like the weather was reflecting my feelings, and I didn’t know how it could get much better than this. Then, Ryan reached down and took my hand, looking over at me and smiling.

“I’m really glad you agreed to come away with me,” he said.

I smiled at him, showing him how happy I was that I decided to come away too. For a moment, it looked like I’d knocked him off-kilter, like he didn’t know how to respond. He looked almost lost, staring into my eyes, watching me in the sunshine. He made me feel that way, too, so many times, but it was the first time I’d caught that look on his face. A look like I was the only girl in the world, and he had just figured it out, right there in the middle of the highway on a beautiful sunny day. I laughed and turned, looking out at the road ahead of us. Butterflies blew through my stomach, and I glanced back over him, watching him smile to himself as he drove. I loved that I had that effect on him, that he couldn’t keep his feelings off his face anymore. I had never had that kind of effect on a man before, and I didn’t think I ever would.

I had seen that look before, though, when I used to watch my mom sitting at the table and my father walk up behind her with flowers he picked from the field. She would smile, closing her eyes and sniffing the flowers. My father would have that same exact look on his face like he had realized all over again how special she was to him.

I looked around me and realized I was familiar with where we were. Bonanza was on one side of the county, and we had to drive all the way through to get to the next one where the winery was. My parents used to take me to this little, hidden beach to swim when I was a kid. I smiled and bit my lip, wondering if he would be up for a little adventure on our way to the bed and breakfast. I looked over and patted his leg.

“You up for a little detour?”

“Hell, yeah,” he said, smiling.

“Take the next exit and turn right.” I smiled.

When we got off the exit, we drove slowly through a little town, looking around at all the people coming out of church and heading to the same ice cream parlor my parents would take me to after a day of swimming. I led him down a dirt road that ended at a shallow river beach. It was vacant and beautiful with the water splashing up on the shore and the birds flying high overhead. Ryan got out of the car and smiled over at me, looking around at the beautiful landscape. It was the perfect place to stretch our legs, and I wished I had thought of packing a lunch for a picnic. It was a little early for lunch anyway. It was a relatively warm day, just coming out of the break of the frost on that side of Oregon. He took my hand and led me down the small embankment onto the sand. I sat down and took off my shoes and socks and rolled up my pant legs. Ryan was on the same page and reached down to help me up. We walked out into the water, wading in up to our calves and feeling the cold river water rush over our feet. I laughed loudly, watching Ryan waver, almost falling over as he stepped on a rock. I closed my eyes and looked up toward the sun, feeling the beauty of the day wash over my entire body.

Suddenly, water sprayed over my face, and I smiled, slowly opening my eyes and looking over at him. He had a playful grin on his face, and his hand was dripping water. We both moved at the same time, splashing water in each other’s direction. I screamed out laughing, running from him as he swiped his hand through the water in my direction. He took off after me, grabbing me around the waist from behind and bending me toward the water. I laughed out, begging for him not to do it.

“I’ll do it,” he said, laughing. “I’ll dip you right over into that cold water.”

“I’ll take you right along with me,” I yelled out between laughs.

“Is that right?” He laughed, struggling to bend and then picking me up, cradling me in his arms. “I think I might have the upper hand here.”

“I don’t think so,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding on for dear life. “If I’m going in, you’re going to have one hell of a fight on your hands. You don’t know how hard I can hold onto someone. You’ll topple right over headfirst into the water.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he said, pretending to let go and smiling at my scream.

He turned and walked back toward the shore, laughing loudly as he carried me. I still clung to his neck tightly, not trusting him until I saw sand beneath us. Slowly, I uncrossed my arms and leaned back, looking deeply into his eyes. Both of our smiles faded into passion, and I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. I could taste the water on his lips, and he breathed heavily into my mouth, both out of breath from the swim and out of breath from the lust bubbling up between us. He dropped to his knees and laid me down on the beach, leaning over me and kissing me passionately. I moved my hands through his hair as he swirled his tongue around my mouth, tasting me, having me. Between the fresh air, the excitement, and the attraction between us, I was beside myself. He leaned into me, kissing me harder, making out with me like we were teenagers hiding from our parents.

The thrill of it was invigorating, and I could feel the heat of need simmering deep down in my stomach. He ran his hand up under my shirt and grabbed my breast, pushing a light moan from my throat. The sound aroused him further, and he groaned, kissing me feverishly. He pulled his hand back out and just as he was about to go for the button on my jeans, another car pulled up. He pulled back and looked into my eyes with a smile.

“They’re here to get you,” I laughed, pulling myself up and helping him to his feet.

He took my hand, and we ran toward the SUV, laughing loudly like children. He nodded at the family getting out of the car next to us and opened my door, giving me his hand and bowing as I climbed inside. I giggled, watching him close the door and almost skip around to the driver’s side.

“I say we grab an ice cream cone and head out toward the winery,” he said.

“That sounds like a perfect idea.”

We pulled out of the drive and down the dirt road, listening to the music and dancing around. Suddenly, I wished there weren’t so many miles left to the winery. I was on fire for Ryan. I could feel it all over my body. I couldn’t wait to get him alone, to let him take me in our little hideaway vacation spot. I breathed deeply trying to get myself under control, but from the look of the bulge in Ryan’s pants, he was struggling through the same thing.

We grabbed an ice cream cone and headed out toward the winery, covered in sand and water. It was the best day I’d ever had with a man, and I knew it would always be part of my memories after he was gone. I didn’t want to think about that, though. I wanted to think about that passionate kiss and how every turn of the wheel brought me closer to ecstasy.