Page 14 of Million Dollar Ride

"Oh, I see," he said quietly with a nod.

"Maybe an evening ride, then?" He asked and she shook her head.

"See, I have aches in parts of my body I didn't even know existed so on top of a horse is the last place I want to be right now, but I would like to hike though. I'll do it if you promise to bring your guitar," she said with a smile on her face. She liked the way his own face unfurled like a blooming flower then he nodded.

"Sure thing," he said, and she laughed a little.

"Yeah," she said to him then turned and left with a smile on her face. It was after she walked for a while that she realized that she was indeed smiling and it was one that lingered, not one of the fakes that she showed the world many times. This was the kind that she really meant. She turned around to see Hayden still standing there and he was looking at her. She walked into the house and to the comforts of the room they had given her.

†

Hayden was sitting on one of the chairs he enjoyed sitting in as a child when he watched the police take Austin away. This was the only way that this could be resolved and hopefully, the man would go away without any problems once he was released, but something told him that he was wrong. He shrugged it off. This was enough strain for one day, He said and went to find his guitar, noting that it was indeed evening, and it was time. He felt excited about going to see her and if he was still a child, he would have been hopping from one foot to the other. He was walking to his car when he saw his father riding upto him. The last thing Hayden wanted to do at the moment was talk about anything, but whenever Ike wanted to talk, there was no stopping it so he stood there and turned to face the man who rode up to him and squinted out at the horizon.

"How are you, son? You've not been out much today," he said. It was true that Hayden had not been out but that was because he didn't want to be. There was no reason and there was no logic to it. The only thing he wanted to do was to lie down silently and do absolutely nothing for the rest of the day, maybe for the rest of his life, but there was something he wanted to do and it was to hike with Lenanee.

"I wasn't just…feeling up to it," he said, placing his guitars in the car then walking around to open the other door.

"Where are you headed?" He asked and Hayden shrugged.

"I'll…be back soon," he said. He knew that was not the answer to the question his father asked but he somehow didn't want his father's nose in his business. Ike stared at him for a long while then nodded but Hayden was already in his car and driving away.

Lee was sitting on the front porch with a book between her knees and her hands supporting her head, underneath her jaw, when she heard the car and looked up to see that it was indeed his car. She was excited in a way she had not expected to be, and she had a smile on her face that she didn't wipe away, but she dulled down a little.

The car stopped right in front of the house, and she saw him get out of the car. He stood there, towering over everything beside him, then he started walking to her and she stood then went inand put on a fresh pair of shoes, then she hurried down to meet him.

"You came with your guitar, didn't you?" She asked him and he nodded.

"Yeah, I did and more snacks than you can feed a whole army with," he said, and she nodded.

"That's good for you, Hayden," she said, leaning backwards. He burst into laughter, shaking his head.

"Alright, we'll drive to the foot of that hill down there then we can walk the rest of the way," she said, pointing.

"I sure wish I had your eyes. I mean, you can see all the things you're pointing at?" He asked.

"Nope. Imagination," she replied, and he nodded like she had just said the most profound nothing since the world began.

†

The weather was quiet and there was a soft breeze in the air carrying the smell of trash and Flowers as they hiked up the side of the hill. Lenanee soon was slightly annoyed by how sturdy his legs were. She didn't expect someone so tall to be so compact while she who was merely 5'8" felt like her leg wanted to fall off as she walked beside him.

"You know, you could come out here and make a painting. I mean, you'd look everywhere and everything you see is actually worthy of being a painting," he said. She smiled and shook her head.

"I think a sketch would be much better, don't you think? I mean sketching this thing would be the way to go in my opinion since I am good with pencils. Paints confuse me," she said.

"You're good with pencils?" He asked with a half-smile, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I used to be obsessed about drawing anything I saw back when I was a teenager. I'd draw birds and people, but I liked drawing landscapes with people in them. I think the world is beautiful," she said, and he nodded slowly.

"Sometimes the world can be a bit harsh," he said to her, and she shook her head.

"There are times like that but those times…those times are worth drawing as well because they are part of the world and the way the world works. It is part of the things that make the world beautiful. I mean, if you see a wolf tearing into prey that would be an excellent subject to paint. You just have to keep your eyes out, you know? That something is harsh doesn't mean it's not beautiful," she said.

Jayden raised an eyebrow with that smile that made his entire face light up, making him look boyish.

"I mean…that was one of the most profound things I've ever heard. You should quote that and put it in a shirt," he said, and she punched his shoulder playfully.

"Aha, I think that's a good spot," he said, and she nodded in agreement.

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