Page 20 of Switch!
Ashley nudges me. “Come on. Really? You have frat boy written all over you.”
“Yeah.” I glance over, reminded of my outward appearance when noticing how much smaller she now appears to me. “I guess I do.”
I can tell she regrets her words. “You can be whoever you want. It’s never too late. You’ll have a fresh start soon. That should make it easy.”
I’m not sure what she means. Caleb is feeling nervous. Ashleylooksnervous at whatever she sees outside the windshield.
“Nobody said anything about leaving town,” she says.
“Oh! We aren’t going far.” I decide that surprising her isn’t as important as setting her at ease. “I thought it would be fun to drive out to Curt Gowdy.” A state park full of gorgeous scenery, some of it visible from the road.
Ashely laughs. “I haven’t been there since I was a kid. I think it was a school field trip.”
“Fourth grade,” I say. “I remember.”
“Were you on that trip?”
I don’t know about Caleb, but Travis was there, and he loved it. “I’ve definitely been there on a school outing of some sort,” I say. “Maybe not the same one. Are you up for it? I figure we could take Happy Jack Road instead of the interstate.”
“How come?”
“It’s prettier. My dad used to drive along that route when I was younger.” Before he disappeared, we used to go on hikes together, but I don’t tell her this. I’m not sure if Caleb’s father is still around.
Air force major.
I guess that’s a yes, considering that the F. E. Warren base is located in Cheyenne.
“Pretty?” Ashley says, sounding amused by the word choice.
“Scenic,” I amend. I really need to start talking like Caleb!
“I like pretty,” Ashley replies, relaxing into the seat and looking out the window.
Or maybe I should just be myself. I’ll never have another chance like this. I won’t enjoy it if I’m pretending to be a caveman, or if I’m constantly worried about my next strategic move. I focus instead on how amazing it is to simply talk to her without the fear of someone interrupting us to make fun of me. When she notices a field full of bison and says she wants to pet one, I pull over to make it happen. The walk to the fence isn’t far, but even this puts a strain on the silver cord. Totally worth it, especially when one of the bison ambles over to be touched by her and she laughs happily.
When we pass a wind farm—giant white propellers twirling high above us—I bore her with all the facts I know about environmental energy. I wrote a paper about it earlier in the year and became deeply invested in the subject. To my surprise, Ashley doesn’t even yawn. She’s hanging on my every word!
My elation is tempered with frustration when we reach Curt Gowdy State Park. If only we could go for a hike. I’d show her the stunning views up on the hills. I settle instead for parking next to one of the reservoirs. Wyoming doesn’t have many lakes, and they’re usually small, so getting to see this much water is a rare treat.
“Nice,” Ashley says when she gets out of the truck.
I agree, but I’m also worried. If she suggests we go for even a small walk, I’ll need to find an excuse not to, because I forgot to limp during our other pitstops. She’ll never believe I have a leg injury. Time to improvise.
“Just a second,” I say.
I hop back into the truck and drive in reverse, bringing the rear as close to the water as possible. Before I get out, I grab the quilt covering Travis.Me.I’m doing okay with that so far. I don’t feel like I’m losing myself in Caleb, even though this is the longest I’ve possessed him. Maybe because we’re working in unison. We both want this date. I check on my body, making sure it’s still breathing and doesn’t feel too hot. Then I hop out of the truck. I open the tailgate and arrange the quilt, leaving it folded in half so it’ll be cushioned and comfortable to sit on.
I offer my hand to Ashley. “May I?”
“I’m perfectly capable on my own,” she replies.
I smile while keeping my hand outstretched. “I know that, but my mother raised me to be polite, and it would be a shame if all those good manners went to waste.”
Ashley laughs. After shaking her head, she places her hand in mine. I’m surprised by how dainty it feels. She puts a foot on the open tailgate and I provide the counterweight so she can pull herself up. I don’t want to let go of her hand, but I have to so we can sit next to each other. The sky is blue and full of lazy clouds that provide breaks from the sun’s heat.
“This is nice,” Ashley says as a light breeze blows across the reservoir to cool our skin.
“It is,” I agree.
