house to change, leaving Chris with his mouth hanging open.
She smiled as she ran to her room, setting a new record for how quickly she could change, adding in a sexy new purple polka dotted thong and bra she hadn’t gotten to wear yet.
A small throw blanket resting on the back of the couch snagged her attention as she ran through the living room. Backtracking, she grabbed it. It would be perfect if they found a place for a picnic or something else while they were out riding. It was always good to be prepared.
They headed east out of Lubbock and stopped when they came to an abandoned old stone restaurant on the side of the road. Chris pulled off into the gravel parking lot.
It was a beautiful building with the cut stonework that had been so popular in Texas centuries before. It had obviously been abandoned for a long time. The windows were mostly broken and gone, the brush around the place overgrown, but with the dry climate the painted ‘Restaurant’ was still visible on the sign. Chris got off his motorcycle and drew off his helmet, so Julie did the same.
“I’ve noticed the photography in your house. A lot of it looks like this place. Do you have your camera?”
She looked at him curiously. She’d never told anyone that any of those photos were hers. It was a private hobby. Anyone who’d ever visited just assumed she’d bought them herself, but most of them were her photos. “How did you know?”
He ducked his head. “I didn’t for sure, but I’ve seen some of your equipment around your house, so I guessed.”
She reached into her saddlebag. “Well, it just so happens that I do have my camera and I’m going to take advantage of this. Thanks, Chris.”
After spending about twenty minutes taking various shots of the property, the motorcycles, and even sneaking in a few shots of Chris, she was through. She slid the camera back into the saddlebag and then grabbed the blanket out of the other. Chris had watched her work. He had a black leather jacket on, but underneath it, the muscles of his chest strained against the thin fabric of his t-shirt. His worn jeans cupped his thighs. His legs crossed at his boots where he leaned up against his motorcycle looking incredibly sexy. A shiver of arousal and awareness snaked through her belly. She was ready to do something about that.
When he saw the blanket, he raised his eyebrows. “Hmm, I do like a girl who comes prepared.”
“Oh, I promise, you’re definitely going to like this. Come on. I’m pretty sure there’s a stream running behind this place.” They strolled slowly through the overgrown brush behind the restaurant. But it quickly became obvious that Julie had been correct as the sound of gurgling water began to get louder.
Along the creek, the cottonwood trees were huge. They had to be a couple of hundred years old. The tufts of cotton flew off them and filtered through the air just like they had when she’d seen Aaron and Nalia. Her breath caught and she became mesmerized by the beauty of them in the air. It was a sign. She’d never be able to see cottonwood tufts again without thinking about their little girl.
Suddenly Chris was at her side, wiping the tears off her face. She’d been crying? She gave him a watery smile. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
He frowned as he glanced up into the air and then back to her, obviously concerned about why she cried. She rose up on tip toe and kissed him softly. He pressed her down to the ground where he’d already spread the blanket out. She laid flat on her back and he leaned down beside her, raised up on one arm and looking thoughtfully into her eyes. A cotton tuft drifted through the air to land on lightly on top of his head.
He looked at her with such love. It was time to tell him. He deserved to know. Everything. Her hands clenched with the need to make a list, but that wasn’t the solution. Facing her emotions and honesty was. If they were going to make this work, they had to have full honesty between them. That’s why she’d gone to the therapist, because she wanted that. That didn’t stop the panic zinging through her system at the prospect, though.
Chris still looked concerned as he studied her. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly.