Page 78 of Fixing to Be Mine

She takes the turns sharper than I would, but she’s not reckless, just fearless. Her hands grip the wheel like she’s in complete control, even if her laughter says otherwise. Every bounce sends her giggling and adjusting in her seat like she’s trying to prove she belongs in the dirt as much as she ever did in stilettos.

She catches a bump, and we lift off the ground for half a second. When we land, her hair flies around her face, and her mouth opens in a squeal that turns into a breathless, unfiltered laugh.

“Okay,” she gasps, slowing as we round the final curve. “We were airborne.”

I pretend to clutch the dashboard. “Glad you’re enjoying yourself, darlin’. Can’t feel my spine anymore, but go on.”

She nudges me with her elbow and eases the side-by-side to a stop near the overlook. Dust settles around us in a golden cloud.

With a flick of her wrist, she kills the engine, then yanks the parking brake. “You survived.”

“Barely.” I reach out, brushing a windblown strand of hair behind her ear. “Will I survive you?”

“That’s still to be determined,” she says, then leans in and kisses me like she knows exactly what she wants.

“Come on, cowboy,” she says, climbing out. “The night is ours.”

And like that, I’m following her again. Like I always will.

The firepit is stacked and ready, with a box of matches tucked into a coffee tin beside it. I’ll have to thank Emmett for helping me with this. A thick blanket is already spread out near the water, close enough to see the reflections ripple across the surface. There’s a light breeze coming off the pond, and the whole place smells like pine and earth and fading sunlight.

She takes it all in.

“Colt,” she says, barely above a whisper. “This is stunning.”

I grab the basket and follow her. She glances back at me, her face softer now, eyes wide with something I can’t quite name.

“You did all this?”

“I did,” I admit. “I want tonight to be special, quiet, just us and the big, open sky.”

She kneels on the blanket and opens the basket. I settle beside her as she removes the wine bottle from inside, turning it slowly between her palms.

“I’ve never had anyone do anything like this for me.”

“I’m not anyone, darlin’,” I admit.

“That’s true.” She smiles, and it touches something in me I didn’t know was still aching.

As I uncork the bottle and pour each of us a plastic glass full, the sun dips low enough to paint everything in gold and shadow. The breeze rustles the trees, and a pair of dragonflies skates across the surface of the water.

This is what I wanted for her. Nothing fancy and full of flattery, but space to breathe and live free. Money can’t buy this experience.

We sit back on the blanket, legs stretched out, shoulders almost touching.

She takes a sip, eyes still on the pond. “It’s so quiet.”

“Yeah,” I say. “It’s one of the reasons I love living here.”

Stormy turns toward me then, tucking one leg beneath her. Her face is still pink from the ride, hair a little tangled from the wind, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look more alive.

I nod toward the pond. “I used to come out here when I needed to think. Back when everything felt like a plan I hadn’t quite earned yet. But now? I’m not thinking about what’s next. I’m here, living in the moment with you, drinking wine out of a plastic cup like we’re fancy.”

That earns me a laugh, and she tips her head back as it spills out.

“You knew exactly what I needed,” she says, scooting closer.

I reach out and rest a hand on her knee. “You don’t notice it, but your whole face changes when you’re with me. You just … are.”

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