They rode toward the setting sun with her arms wrapped around his waist. The measured cadence of Magnolia’s steps had Kennedy’s front rubbing against Maverick’s back, a wonderful friction she’d gladly endure anytime.
Tandem horseback riding definitely had its perks.
“Are we headed to a special camping spot?” she asked.
He didn’t answer right away, and she wondered if he’d heard her. “It’s a spot on the property I really like.”
“You mean there’s spots you don’t like?” she asked playfully.
“No, there’s spots I just like more than others, Miss Nitpicker.”
“So I’m not getting the spot you love.” She huffed out a dramatic sigh. “Seems unfair, since I’m here for only three more nights, and one of those is the wedding.”
“I can turn this horse around if you want, Shortcake.” He did something with the reins to make Magnolia begin to circle.
“No! Don’t be silly.”
Maverick made a clicking sound and Magnolia resumed course. “Good, because we’re here.”
She leaned out to the side to see around Maverick’s broad shoulders, and the sight before her nearly took her breath away. His setup had layer upon layer of butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
“Mav, this is amazing.”
The grassy area included two Adirondack chairs, a blow-up mattress with a sleeping bag and pillow on top, an unlit campfire inside a medium-size brass bin, a red-checked blanket and picnic basket, and several battery-operated tiki torches lit up in a circle around the site.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it,” she corrected. She did. It looked like a picture out of Sunset magazine. That Maverick went to so much trouble to make her first camping experience special meant a lot to her.
He dismounted first, then helped her down. She moseyed around their cozy campsite while he tied Magnolia to a tree. There was a second sleeping bag rolled up tight, a couple of flashlights, and a pair of binoculars. He’d thought of everything.
Without a word, he lit a match and started a fire, stoking the twigs and wood until it blazed brightly.
Kennedy sat in one of the chairs to watch him. The final wisps of daylight painted the sky a dark orange, the shapes of the trees around them fading into darkness. “Have you always camped?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He took the chair beside her. “Par for the course when you live on a ranch. Mother Nature has a way of capturing your attention and keeping it, especially when you have the chance to unwind from the daily grind.”
“I never realized how much I’m indoors until this week. I’d work at the hospital, go home to my apartment to sleep, eat, and read, then go back to the hospital.”
“Well, hopefully when you’re in Boston, you’ll take a little more time to enjoy the outdoors.”
“I’m definitely going to make a point of doing that.” She brought one knee up, wrapped her arms around her leg.
“You know, you fit in here, just like you do in the city.”
“Don’t let what I’m about to say go to your head, but I think you’re right.”
He smiled. “Usually am.”
She rolled her eyes. “You got along well in the city, too. I may have bugged you relentlessly about being a country boy, but you had more friends than I ever did, and you took everything in stride.”
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes zeroed in on her. “I didn’t know you paid that close attention to me.”
“I pay close attention to everything,” she launched back, lest he think himself special or something.
His smirk told her he knew she thought highly of him. And okay, fine—she did. But he didn’t need to have confirmation.
“You hungry?” he asked.
“I could eat.” She’d snuck in a doughnut an hour ago, needing to get her fill of the best glazed doughnuts ever before going home. She’d splurged way too much this week, but that’s what vacations were for.
They sat on the blanket, close but not too close. Maverick pulled large ready-made turkey sandwiches loaded with everything out of the picnic basket. She took hers and unwrapped the cellophane. “Thank you.”
Next came napkins, cans of soda, and bags of chips. Barbecue potato chips—her favorite. They chatted about the ranch while they ate.
“Wow, so George is named after George Washington?” she asked. “I had no idea our first president bred mules.”
“It started when he received a gift of large Spanish jack from King Carlos the third of Spain in 1775, then a couple others from French General Lafayette in 1786. From there he started breeding mares and created America’s first quality mules, prized for their mixed breed.”
“Is there special meaning behind Magnolia’s name?”
“I guess you could say so. My mom named her after one of her favorite flowers on the property.”
“Your whole family rides?”
“Yes.” He took a sip of his drink.
“It’s nice that you work together and have fun together. That’s what Reed and I have—or had. I miss it.” She took a bite of her sandwich. “Have you given any more thought to going to the wedding with me?”
“Not yet.” Maverick’s profile gleamed in the firelight.
“I hope you say yes,” she whispered. Time was running out for them, and she didn’t want any regrets.
He turned his head to look at her. His handsome face and undivided attention did pleasurable things to certain parts of her body. “I am glad you crashed it and landed here.”
“Me too. I feel like if I hadn’t, Elle and Reed might not be walking down the aisle.” She held Maverick’s gaze, the crackle of the fire and the hoot of an owl the only sounds.
Kennedy’s phone rang, disrupting the pleasant vibe they had going on. “Sorry,” she said, pulling it from her pocket and looking at the screen. “It’s Ava, so I need to answer.”
“Go ahead,” he said easily, focusing back on his sandwich.
“Hey,” Kennedy said into the phone, the device at her ear.
“Hi! You are never going to guess what happened. That guy from school I mentioned to you? Derek? He asked me out for coffee! For tomorrow. Tomorrow, Ned. And you’re not here to help me decide what to wear!”
“Your pale yellow sundress you bought at that vintage store on Melrose with a pair of sandals,” rolled off Kennedy’s tongue.