Page 130 of A Moment In Time

“No. Tastes like soap.” He set it down and picked up the truck. “Uncle Rand had a red pickup. We thought this looked like it, and Seth wanted one just like it when he was old enough to drive.” Next, Gage picked up the marble. “And this was his favorite tonk.”

“Tonk?”

“An oversized marble. This is a galaxy tonk.”

“Because it looks like the planet?”

“Yeah. Remy taught us to play marbles, and we started collecting them. We had a ton of them. I suppose Mom still has them around somewhere. She doesn’t get rid of anything. This meant a lot to him. And he gave it to me.”

Sydney moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder. “What are you going to do with this?”

He thought for a moment. “Take it home.” He closed the box, but didn’t lock it, then he returned it to the lunchbox. “It’s time the buried treasure found a new home.”

They moved to where they had more headroom, and Sydney looked around. “Did you ever bring a girl up here?”

Gage laughed. “No. I’m sure Cooper did, though.” They went down the ladder, and once at the bottom, Gage took Sydney’s hand. “Thank you for doing that with me.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you for wanting me to.”

“I don’t think there is much I want to do without you anymore. Can you handle that?”

“I think I can.”

“Have you met all the horses?”

“I haven’t met any of the horses.”

“It’s about damn time you did, then.”

They spent thirty minutes in the barn with the horses. Then, after putting the lunchbox in the Mustang, Gage showed her theother animals. When they finished with that, they took a walk across the pasture. When they got to the trees, they turned back.

“This place is so beautiful.”

“Yeah. Nothing else quite compares. Although my little nook comes close.”

“Your little nook is wonderful.”

When they got back to the house, they went inside to say goodbye to Delaney.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner? Or I can make you some lunch.”

“Thank you, Mom. But we’re going to go. I have some serious grocery shopping to do.”

“I don’t want to keep you from that.” She looked at Sydney. “Try to convince him to buy something besides beer and cereal.”

“I’ll do my best.”

They left the ranch and headed for town. Gage went directly to the grocery store and parked in the lot. He turned to Sydney. “Get whatever you think we’ll need between now and Monday morning. Once we go home, I don’t want to leave again.”

“I will set us up.”

For the first time in his life, Gage went to the cashier with a half-full cart. He was surprised to see Hadley behind one of the registers, and he went to her line. There were only two people in front of him.

Sydney looked at Hadley. “That’s your youngest cousin, right?”

“Yeah.”

“How long has she been working here?”

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