She vividly remembered standing in his arms, hoping she was doing it right. They’d been skinny little pre-teens, pretending they were older, she supposed. Near the end of the song they had both heard other kids walking around the corner of the house, talking, so they’d hurriedly broken apart.
She looked at him now as he walked over and held out his hand. Apparently he remembered that evening as clearly as she did. Feeling her eyes tearing up—despite her best efforts—she put her hand in his and stood. He pulled her against him and wrapped an arm around her waist. They began swaying to the 80s tune.
Halfway through the song, Cory lifted her head with a thumb under her chin so they were looking at each other. His hazel eyes were filled with blazing emotion. She wasn’t surprised when he kissed her this time, but she was surprised at the intensity, the passion, the need there.
This was completely new. They were pressed together, wrapped up in each other, kissing like they’d waited years for this. The song faded away, and he lifted his head, leaving her dizzy and floating.
“That’s what I wanted to do so long ago.”
Really?
A different song started, something slow and romantic and current. Autumn followed his lead in swaying to the new song, her head on his shoulder. Her heartbeat pounded through every inch of her, wanting more of Cory. The way he held her close, caressing her back, bunching her hair in his hand, made her think his body was reacting the same as hers. He had to know it too: it’d be so easy to step inside and head toward the bed.
But like her, something was holding him back. She tried to clear her head and remember her life. Where did this fit in? She couldn’t imagine herself living here again. Well, honestly, in this moment she definitely could imagine staying here and being with Cory. But what about tomorrow?
9.
Cory wanted the night to go on forever. They danced, talked, and laughed, and he kept reminding himself it was real. She was here, and he was touching her. It felt so natural and right to hold her in his arms and turn to the music, to hear her contented sigh and feel her hand flatten out to rub his back.
This wild woman lived life in a way others didn’t even try. She threw her head back when she laughed, not caring about making a fool of herself. She’d left everything to start something of her own, and she’d made it work too. From what he could tell, people all over the world read her blog. Places all over the US asked her to come stay on their ranch or at their resort and then write about it. Lily had said she didn’t have to pay for any of those vacations—they comped everything for the exposure.
And she snuggled against him, curing on arm around him to put her hand on his shoulder as they swayed and turned. She was a world traveler but down to earth.
Finally, after the sun set in a fiery blaze and the crescent moon hung low in the sky, he played the last song on his playlist, Just a Kiss in the Moonlight, and kissed her goodnight. He kept it slow and tender, hoping to show her how he felt.
The song beautifully captured everything he wanted to say to her: that he didn’t want to rush this special thing between them. That a kiss was more than enough for now because he believed they had a future together. That he had been waiting his whole life for her. This was more right than anything, ever.
When the song ended, he told her, “I’ve been listening to this song for at least two years, thinking about you.”
When she lifted her head to look at him, tears were rolling down her face. Without thinking, he kissed them away.
After that, he couldn’t leave her. Instead he held her in the wicker love seat on the porch, watching the moon reflect on the river. It was the best night of his life.
10.
Autumn set the next day aside to spend with Lily, after sleeping in. They made pancakes for breakfast and sat around sipping coffee and tea, then took a walk, and now they were in Lily’s room. Sitting on the bed with her knees bent, Autumn listened to Lily talk about her life while she painted Autumn’s toenails bright red.
“I just wish I could have come on some of your trips. Like when you went to the dude ranch in California. I’ve been dying to go to California. Or that little bed and breakfast in Vermont.”
There’d been times when she’d been somewhere and thought about how much Lily would love it there.
Autumn was glad Lily was looking at her feet and not her face. “I’m sorry.”
Lily’s face jerked up. She clearly hadn’t expected a simple apology.
Autumn shrugged. “You never asked outright, but I guess I knew you wanted to do something together. When I left, I felt like I had to make a clean break or I wouldn’t make it.”
“Because of Cory?” Lily stared at Autumn’s pinkie toe as she applied the last coat.
Was it? “Maybe a little…”
Lily glanced up, eyes narrowed. “Or you just wanted to get away from me?”
“No!” She felt horrible. “I’m going to be honest. I just had a lot of growing up to do. I was thinking about myself and my dreams, and getting away from here. I always wanted to travel. We grew up listening to stories from the visitors, and I caught the travel bug from them. I guess I was so focused on that, I didn’t think… Well, I’m sorry. Maybe we can change that.”
A small smile started on Lily’s face and spread in a grin before she tried to tap it down. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Now, about Cory…” Lily giggled and waited.
Yes, about Cory. He was out on the river today, guiding a dad and his son on their first fishing trip in Oregon. It’d been hard to say goodnight last night. She woke up early this morning without an alarm and thought about him, picturing him rising and getting ready to fish…and thinking about her. That made her smile now, giving her away.
11.
Late that afternoon she caught sight of Cory leaving the lodge, wearing jeans and a gray T-shirt, his shades hooked in the front. He’d just come back from fishing, she knew, because she’d asked about him.
She felt shy and laughed at herself as she walked his way. Seeing her, he pulled off his hat and waited for her on the porch, where they could be in the shade.
What would she say to him after that romantic evening? Her heart went rat-a-tat-tap and her tongue got stuck to the roof of her mouth. Maybe she could write a blog and send it to him instead of speaking. She looked down as she walked up the steps and to him.
When she paused a few steps away, he reached for her and pulled her to him, planting his mouth on hers before she could say a word. At first they just pressed their lips together, but then he moved and kissed her breathless. When her entire world began to spin, he pulled back and gazed into her eyes.
“I gotta run down to the store, but I wanted to leave you with something to think about.” He burst into a bit grin and hopped down the steps.
She watched him, mouth open and ready to say something sassy… Instead she watched him pull out and send a last wave her way. It reminded her of the day she left, leaving him behind.
Maybe she should have stayed or at least stayed in better contact with him, but it was hard to imagine who she would be now if she hadn’t left. You can’t do things over, she knew, but she was very happy she’d come home.
What about now? Changing things now? She sat down on the front porch and watched the countryside for a while, listening to the breeze and birds chirping. Then their parents’ voices floated out from the house, interspersed with laughter. She was happy and relieved that her parents were both healthy and happy… After her mama’s emails, she had been bracing for something bad.
She rose and went inside, thinking it was time for a talk. But the words that came out surprised even her.
“Mama… Would you and Daddy be really upset if Cory left?” Autumn stood in the entryway to the kitchen. Her mom was cooking lunch for the guests that day. “Could you guys make it without him?” Autumn couldn’t look at her mom as she asked, not until she heard a faint laugh.
Mama sobered when Autumn looked at her. “Well, yes, we’d be okay. We’re not that bad off here.”
Autumn tilted her head and raised her eyebrows as if saying, tell me the rest.
“We’re pretty busy, actually.” Her mom suddenly became busy straightening canisters on the counter and wiping around them.
“That’s funny,” Autumn said, walking over to stand next to her. “Because you made it sound like you really needed to get more business to stay afloat.”
Her mom lifted her shoulders. “Oh, you know how it is. More business is always better. Right?”
It occurred to Autumn this morning that it was awfully convenient how Cory wanted to make things happen between them—and how her mom had talked her into coming home for a couple weeks. She wasn’t sure what the heck was going on.
“Mama!” She felt her eyes narrow; she couldn’t help it. Even after Cory had swept her off her feet last night—if that’s what she was calling it—she felt like she’d been caboodled into coming out here.
“The important thing is that you and Cory got a chance to reconnect.” Her mom walked in the other direction so Autumn hurried to catch up with her.
“Are you telling me this was a big matchmaking scheme?” She stepped in front of her mom. “What if I had had an important assignment or something?”
Her mom straightened and looked her in the eye. “What’s more important than love?” She tossed her dish towel over her shoulder and sauntered away.
What’s more important than love? Some people would say your livelihood, your career, your life… You couldn’t just up and abandon your responsibilities if you thought you had the hots for someone. Even though she’d asked her mom about Cory leaving, there was no reason for her to think he wanted to, or that he would leave here for her.
Love? Was that a part of this thing, whatever it was?
And what about Cory? She wasn’t sure what he saw for the future, but he had a life here. She had a life out there. Maybe it wasn’t so much her mom’s orchestration that bothered her; it was all the related choices and complications. A part of her wondered why she had to fight against her feelings so hard, but another part of her was running on fear.
Full of hot frustration, she flew out the front door and marched down to her rental car, planning to drive over to Cory’s place. Just as she shoved the key into the ignition, she saw him pull up next to her.
He opened his car door with a smile that quickly fell off his face at seeing her mood. “Hey, Autumn.”
She hopped out and slammed her door. “Did you know my mom tricked me into coming out here? She thought you and I might get something going!” She crossed her arms and waited for his indignation to boil over. He just stared at her, his mouth open but his brain not producing any words. “Cory? Don’t you have something to say about that?”
His gaze flicked to the house, then back to her.
“Well, I… I’m sorry.”
It was her turn to give the empty, shocked stare. “What do you mean, you’re sorry? For what? Did you know?” She watched the color creep up his neck. She let her jaw drop and eyebrows shoot up, making sure he knew just how horrified she was.
“Don’t be too mad at your mom and dad.”
Her dad too? Wait. “Are you saying…?”
“It was my idea.” Looking down, he continued, “I didn’t think it’d work out too well to call you up and say, ‘Hey, Summer, wanna come visit and let me sweep you off your feet?’ So I thought your parents could convince you to come back for a little while.”
She couldn’t believe it! He’d plotted this whole thing out for her? To win her heart?
“Hmm-hmm. And how did that work out?” She crossed her arms and tapped her toe. It wasn’t easy keeping a straight face, though. He was squirming, and she loved it.
But she also didn’t know what to think about him masterminding this scheme.
Suddenly he was in front of her, pulling her to him and planting his mouth on hers. Startled, she pushed him away at first. Then she relaxed a little. His mouth was hard on hers, demanding, but then his lips grew soft. The kiss grew tender.
She let her mind go blank to blissfully enjoy it for a wonderful second. Then she pushed against him. “Cory, what about our lives? I travel for my work, for my income. And you’re tied into everything here.”
He shrugged. Just shrugged! “Does that mean we can’t explore this?”
She dropped her gaze, trying to picture what he was implying. “Long-distance dating?”
“I can travel with you. Like I said, I’m not tied down here. I fill in for people, but there are plenty of guides in the area. And you don’t have to stay away from here like we all have the plague.”
She wanted to argue that last point, but it was true. She had hardly visited the resort and her family since leaving six years ago. Now she wondered if she had been avoiding him.
She loved it here, so why had she stayed away? Why had she been so afraid of loving Cory? She hadn’t found anyone out there that measured up to him—no one else made her feel fireworks inside, or so alive, or so cared for. Even when he teased her, he had always taken care of her as they grew up. He’d always had her back.
“Cory, it’s all so sudden.”
He didn’t answer for a second. Then he started singing in a quiet voice. She took my sunshine with her, my dandelion is gone... She took my sunshine with her, but I’ve loved her all along…
When she finally looked back up at his face, he asked, “Do you honestly think you have any chance of finding someone else who will love you as much as I do?”
No, she had to admit, probably not. She couldn’t stop her laugh from bubbling out.
“And,” he added, “Do you think you’ll ever love someone as much as me?”
“You like to throw that word around a lot,” she replied.
Could you claim to love someone after a few days? But it wasn’t just a few days. It was a long chain of days, from their childhood to now.
“Be my sunshine?” he asked, taking her face in his hands. She lifted her mouth to his waiting lips, knowing she didn’t need to answer. Apparently he already had her pegged.
He kissed her with fervor, with promises, and she knew Cory was a man of his word. She thought of all her daydreams about him, and what it’d be like to have those fulfilled. To get to know him even better. To make plans.
“Whoo-hoo!” her dad called out from the porch.
Autumn pulled her mouth away from Cory’s to deliver both her parents an outraged look, complete with dropped jaw.
“I told you love conquers all!” her mom said with her hands over her heart.
“Now can I pull out the strawberry shortcake?” Daddy asked Mama. Autumn couldn’t help but love her funny parents. The door swung open behind them, and Lily stepped out.
“About time they kissed and made up,” she said, crossing her arms. “But you two could get a room. We run a pretty good weekly special.”
“Lily!” Mama and Daddy both burst out simultaneously.
Autumn looked back to Cory, to his long cowboy face, his warm hazel eyes and his perpetually hat-shaped hair. Her Cory.
“You guys even planned the celebration cake?!” she asked, laughing so hard her stomach shook.
“I’m a pretty confident guy. Not to mention good looking.” With a sudden flourish, he scooped her up in his arms and swirled her around. The warm afternoon sunshine danced down on them as they twirled. Maybe his cowboy kiss wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
12.
People sat in chairs and on blankets to fill the riverbank under the oak trees. The sun wasn’t yet over the hilltop so the river appeared a deep green in the soft light. All along the opposite river bank, leaves decorated the oak trees in shades of red, pink, burgundy, orange and brown. A few of the colorful leaves had fallen in the water and dotted the river, floating along in the slow current. It was a breathtaking backdrop for a wedding, and even this late into the fall,
it was a warm morning.
Lily sat at a piano, playing, and she faded the song and began with a distinctly familiar wedding processional. Every head turned toward the resort behind them, with some people whispering while others fell into a hushed pause. They were waiting for Cory to appear, of course, since he wasn’t standing up front with Pastor Andy. But no one stepped out of the resort.
The murmurs grew but were overtaken by motor noise. Andy turned to look downriver.
“Look over there!” A little girl squealed and pointed.
A drift boat motored upstream toward the pastor with Cory standing in front with his hands clasped, looking long and trim in his tux. Most people probably wouldn’t notice or remember his tux—except for the pictures of course—because his smile was so radiant, proud and expecting. For once, his hair wasn’t imprinted from his cowboy hat.
A photographer, hidden down by the water, snapped pictures of the tall, handsome cowboy with all of nature’s glory as his backdrop. Ripples fanned out from the boat, giving the reflection of the trees, boat and Cory a nice artistic effect.
His boat slowed and Cory hopped up the stairs. He smiled at the crowd and turned back toward the river.
Now Lily began the wedding march.
A boat came around the bend upstream, gently floating toward them. The crowd gave a collective, “Awwww!”
The bride wore a long, simple white dress that made her look even more beautiful and elegant. A crown of delicate flowers, in fall colors, adorned her curled blond hair. With the river behind her, and such joy in her eyes, she could have easily been the cover for a bridal magazine.
Autumn beamed, her eyes on her fiancé, until the boat glided to the dock. Her father stood at the back, guiding the boat, and then helped her out. Randy took her arm and walked her up front, where she grabbed him in a long hug.
Teresa had walked to the front to hug Autumn too, and then Randy and Teresa sat down together in the front row.
Autumn turned to Cory. He stepped closer and took her hands. A tear plopped onto her cheek and ran down her face. His eyes were shiny too.