Page 29 of The Stars in the Sky
Eating Dinosaur
I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM you in days because by now you're sleeping with Will, right?
Upon reading this text, I immediately picked up my phone and dialed Amelia. I needed girlfriend time and I needed it now. Between sex, politics, and my new job, let alone Will's statement that we were dating, I had a lot to cover with her and I wanted advice.
After talking with Will's parents, who were incredibly nice, his mom outgoing, his dad friendly, but less talkative, just like Will, we excused ourselves. He walked me to the bunkhouse, telling me that because his dad took care of his mom, he was rarely out of the house. His mom would go out to see the animals and loved the life on the ranch. And Will ate there on weekends and stopped in often. He told me he’d take me back if I wanted to go. I absolutely wanted to see them again.
He followed me inside the bunkhouse, all the way to my room, and when we got to it, he closed the door and kissed me hard. Then he said that he had to go check on things around the ranch and left. I heard him whistling for Trixie once he got outside.
I changed clothes into jeans and my vegan boots and went into the bunkhouse office to finalize my plans for the upcoming week, a group of thirty twelve- and thirteen-year-olds from Oakland.
Then I remembered that I hadn't checked my phone in a long time. Funny, now that I was enmeshed in life at Headlands, I didn't seem to check it very much, unlike how I spent every waking hour on it at home. There was just too much to do here—horses and fresh air and taking care of kids and spending time with Will, among my favorites.
Amelia answered immediately.
"How did you know we fucked?" I asked, without preamble.
"Ha! Lucky guess."
"That's not all that's lucky," I said, and she laughed. "Listen, though. It's an emergency. I need Amelia time. Can you come up?"
"Sure. When?"
"Uh, today?"
"I can leave in an hour and be there in two. Should I bring Ryan so that we can all go out to dinner?"
There was a reason why Amelia was my best friend and this was it. I told her to bring boots and jeans in case she wanted to ride a horse, and stuff to stay overnight and go out to dinner.
Two hours later, she and Ryan pulled up in Ryan's SUV, a surfboard tied to the top.
"I totally have to pee!" exclaimed Amelia, as she burst from the car and gave me a rushed hug.
I laughed. "I know the feeling. Go into that ranch house, down the hallway, two doors down on the left, and don't forget to knock first."
As she ran off, Ryan stepped out of the car.
I mentioned it before, but Ryan was so hot. Tall and lanky, but muscular, dressed in jeans—Levi's, thank you very much, that hung down nicely on his hips—and a plaid shirt over a white t-shirt. He had wild, curly blond hair and tanned skin, and when he smiled he had dimples.
He was Amelia’s, but I had eyes.
"Hey, Marie," he said, in his low, sexy surfer voice, and pulled me into a tight hug.
Just then, Will walked around the barn, wearing a fitted, but faded black t-shirt that showed off his chest, a trucker hat squashing his waves, and his usual Wranglers and boots. Even from this distance, he affected me in the worst way. He saw us, and a strange look came over his face as he strolled over.
I called out to him, waving, excited, "Will, this is Ryan Fielding, my best friend Amelia's fiancé. She's using your bathroom." Will looked at me, and I could read a bunch of emotions that passed over his face—apparent relief that Ryan was not with me, surprise that my friends were visiting, and humor at Amelia being just like me.
The guys shook hands, gripping firmly. "Will Thrash."
"Ryan. Nice to meet you. This ranch is great. I work with coffee growers in Kona," and with that Ryan was off chatting with Will as if they’d known each other forever. Ryan was the type of guy who would be equally comfortable talking with drunkards at a demolition derby or at a formal dinner with the Queen of England, just a cool guy. So perfect for my girl, and he’d really helped her through her personal issues. I also knew from Amelia that he was dynamite in bed, so I was happy that she’d finally found her partner for life. They really were meant to be together.
The ranch house door opened and Amelia walked down, got a glimpse of Will, her violet eyes wide, and mouthed "Holy shit" to me.
"I know," I mouthed. Then I turned to Will. "I invited my best friend up to visit and I thought we could all go out to dinner. Would you like to come?"
"Sure, darlin'," he drawled, and Amelia got a look on her face that wasn't hard to figure out. She liked him.
"I'd like to take them horseback riding too, if I can find Jimmy or one of the wranglers."
