Page 40 of Chasin' Cole

"It's a long way off," Cole smiles at me. "We'll figure things out when the time comes. Can you…can you think about going with me?"

Ifthe times comes, Cole.If.That’s the big word.

"Do you remember the video you took for your Senior project?" I change the subject.

Cole groans. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

I laugh and the feeling loosens the tight knot in my stomach. "What was it called again?"

"Bovine Reproduction: A Cow's Journey From Conception To Birth," Cole answers.

"The fact that you knew it off the top of your head is scary," I tease him. “Also, kind of endearin’.”

"I filmed hours of Della Ray's cows being impregnated by the McBride's steer," he shakes his head in disbelief. "Should have spent my time doing pretty much anything else."

"I remember sittin' next to you while you replayed the footage," I smirk. "I kept askin' you why the bull was attackin' the poor cows."

Cole kisses my cheek. "You were only 8. And I wasn't about to tell you what was really going on."

"No," I blush as I run my hand over the quilted comforter. "But you showed me this afternoon."

"That I did," he grins.

"I'm glad it's you."

"I'm glad it's me, too."

“When I was younger, I had a crush on Kip Boone.”

Cole groans. “No, not one of the Boones.”

“Hush,” I playfully swat at him. “I had a crush on him. One day in 7thgrade, I asked him if he wanted to ride horses with me. He told me that he’d be over after school. I was so excited. I told Mama to drive as fast as she could home so I could get the horses ready. Well, the hours came and went, and Kip never showed. The next day at school, I asked him why he didn’t come over. I told him I had waited for him. He laughed, and so did most of the class. Since that day, I think I’ve been focused on horses more than anythin’ else. The humiliation was…it was hard to deal with. The kids started callin’ me Horse Girl after that. So, I became Horse Girl. Horses can hurt you, but not like boys can.”

“I didn’t know he did that to you,” Cole frowns, his fingers sweeping the blond hair off my shoulder.

I shrug. “I didn’t tell anyone. I kept my head down after that and focused on myself. I think that might be why I don’t really have friends.”

“You’re afraid of getting hurt?” Cole raises an eyebrow.

“No,” I shake my head, “I think I get along better with horses. I understand them. The need to run, hooves diggin’ into the hard earth. I feel that way a lot. Like I want to run as fast as I can until I’m out of breath.”

Cole shifts slightly beside me. “I feel that way, too.”

“You do?”

“I do,” he smiles. “You run through pastures. I run through countries.”

“You have grand adventures,” I exhale. “I wouldn’t call what you do runnin’.”

“Isn’t it, though?”

“I run through pastures, you runtoyour passions.”

“I’m getting too old to keep running.”

My fingers tighten around his. “The work you do is important. So important. You share glimpses of the world with people who can’t or are too afraid to travel. You fill TV screens with vibrant landscapes and majestic animals. I…I’m in awe of the work you do.”

“I’m in awe of the work you do, too,” he replies. “You care for animals.”

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