Page 87 of The Meeting
“I wouldn’t want to hold you back from something you want,” she said.
“I don’t want to move back here. You aren’t holding me back. I’m sorry if it came across that way. It certainly wasn’t what I meant. My family knows that.”
“Okay.” Embarrassment flooded through her. She should have known Chase would never use her as an excuse for anything. He had proven himself to be loyal and kind. “I’m sorry.”
He hugged her to his chest as the horse continued along the path.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Please talk to me about things as soon as they happen. I don’t like the cold shoulder.”
“I’ll try. Sometimes I need to think about it, though. I’m not trying to be mean.”
“I understand. I just don’t want something silly to come between us, especially if it’s something we can clear up easily just by talking.”
She nodded. “I agree.”
The path took a turn and went through a patch of trees. The babbling water she heard was now beside them. It was a smaller creek, barely five feet wide and couldn’t have been more than a foot deep, but it was beautiful.
“It’s mountain runoff,” Chase said. “It gets bigger right after the winter when it warms up, but slows down eventually.”
“Does it ever disappear?”
“Not normally. Only if we have a mild winter, which is rare.”
The path turned again out of the patch of trees and into another field. A house came into view.
“That’s my parents’ house.”
Kailynn looked at the small white farmhouse with a picturesque background. Fields surrounded them, but they had planted a patch of trees around their property to add some greenery.
Rob stood outside near a large barn on the far side of the house. He was tending to some cows, but spotted them and waved.
Buttercup led them past the house, over to where the barn was, and Kailynn marveled that she wasn’t even steering her.
“It’s like she knows where she’s going,” Kailynn said.
Chase laughed. “That shows you how often Derek rides over here. Horses memorize paths if it’s one they take often. You probably wouldn’t have to hold the reins at all and she’d bring you right here.”
“That’s impressive!”
“Very.”
When Buttercup walked up along the barn, Rob approached.
“Well, hello!”
“Hey Papa!” Chase said.
Kailynn gave a wave. Between Jane and all the guests at the party wanting to talk to her the night before, she wasn’t able to have a conversation with him. But he hadn’t attempted to come talk to her either.
“Your mother is inside. She’ll be excited to see you two.”
Chase got off Buttercup and helped Kailynn down before tying the horse to the fence.
The three of them walked into the house. It was cozy, with a brown couch and wood coffee table. Two recliners were in the corners of the room, and she suspected they were the pieces of furniture that were used the most.
“Jane, Chase and Kailynn are here,” Rob called.
Jane came rushing in from the other room, which Kailynn suspected was the kitchen because of the swinging doors after she walked out and since she donned an apron.
