Serenity Falls (6 page)

The
sounds of the crickets chirping mix with Brantley Gilbert’s
Kick it in the
Sticks
. The music and sounds of obnoxious laughter fade to a lower decibel
as I leave the party behind me.
I am so not drunk enough for this.
I
take a seat at the creek’s edge. The sound of the rushing water helps soothe
me. I slip off my cowboy boots and slide my feet into the water below, and
welcome the cooling sensation. My once-cold beer is warm now, but I take a
drink anyway. I sit in silence for a while and let the sounds of nature wash
over me—peace takes over. My mind drifts off to thoughts of home—my summer home
that no longer exists. A smile spreads slowly across my face as I close my eyes
and let myself think about how my mom and I used to hang out and read next to a
creek just like this.

“Kenleigh,
why don’t you tell me about this Corey boy?” Mom says to me.

“What
Corey boy?” I ask, feigning innocence. How she knows about him beats me.

“Come
on, I saw your notebook before school got out. His name was scribbled all over
it,” she says with her eyebrows almost meeting her hairline, daring me to prove
her wrong.

A
blush automatically consumes me as I turn to look at her. “Oh my gosh, Mom,
he’s so cute. He has the darkest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. You know, like
chocolate. And when he smiles, his dimples appear.” I laugh at how ridiculous I
sound.

“And
does he know you like him?”

“I
don’t know. Maybe?” I answer coyly.

“Well,
have you told him?” she asks.

“Mom!
No! I can’t do that,” I answer, covering my face from embarrassment. I can’t
believe she actually asked that.

“Why
not? You like him don’t you?”

“I
do, but what if he doesn’t like me? I would be so embarrassed. That type of
embarrassment sticks with you, and follows you all the way to high school, you
know.”

A
boisterous laugh escapes her as she tries to speak, but she can’t because she’s
laughing too hard. I join in with her because her laughter is just too
contagious not to. “Honey, you’ll never find out if you don’t ask,” she says,
patting my leg.

“Isn’t
it the boy’s job to chase after the girl, anyway?” I ask childishly.

“No.
I chased after your father. I annoyed him to no end, and look where it got me.
A happy marriage with my best friend and the most beautiful daughter in the
world. If you don’t go after what you want, you might miss out on something
good,” she says with a solemn look on her face.

“I
can’t believe you chased after Daddy, but at least you got one thing right. I
am beautiful,” I reply, tossing my hair over my shoulder.

My
reprieve ends when I feel a tear trickle down my face. I drain the remaining
contents of my cup to help with the pain of how much I miss my mother.

“Here,
let me get that for you.” I jump at the sound of Wes’ voice.

He’s
sitting next to me on the soft grass, his long legs stretched out in front of
him as he leans back on his elbows. I wonder how long he’s been here. He leans
on one elbow, reaches his hand up, and the calloused pad of his thumb grazes my
cheek as he swipes away the stray tear. “How did you know where I was?” I ask,
completely shamed by my crying.

“I
didn’t. I went looking for you, and this is where I found you. Why were you
crying?” His eyes search my face, waiting to see if more tears will fall.

“I
was remembering,” I whisper, turning back to look at the creek.

“Remembering
what?” He honestly wants to know, and I have no clue why.

“So
you’re a bull rider, huh?” I ask, shifting the subject away from me.

“That
was a nice move, but yeah, I’m part of the PBR.”

“Professional
Bull Riders,” we say in unison.

I
ignore his ‘nice move’ comment. “I know what it is,” I say, smiling at him.
“So, are you like big time or something? You must be really good to have gone
pro.”

“I
don’t suck, if that’s what you’re asking,” he answers with a playful smile.

“I
didn’t… I didn’t mean… I didn’t mean it like that.” I turn away from him,
trying to hide my embarrassment.

He
laughs and nudges my shoulder with his, urging me to look at him. “I was just
kidding with you. I know you didn’t mean it like that. But to answer your
question, I’m not the best, but I’m pretty good.”

Wes’
reply sets me at ease, knowing that I didn’t offend him. “Don’t you ever get
scared?” I ask, fascinated by his career choice.

“Not
really. I like the rush it gives me. Like, when I hop on that bull, it’s just
me and him trapped in that pen together. When I tuck my hand under the hard,
worn leather of the bull rope and wait for the cage door to swing open, the
surge of adrenaline that I get makes my career worth it.”

“No
offense, I like the intensity of adrenaline coursing through me as much as the
next person, but you take it to a whole other level.”

“I’ve
heard that before,” he says, nodding at my comment. “But have you ever seen
bull riding in person?”

“Are
you kidding? I am from Texas, you know. I’ve been going to rodeos since I could
walk,” I reply incredulously.

“All
right, smartass.” He chuckles. “I like how you diverted my original question,
by the way.”

“You
caught that, huh?”

“So,
are you going to tell me why you were crying?”

“Not
tonight. I just wanna sit here and listen to the water,” I answer, nudging his
shoulder with an easy smile and a look in my eyes that say ‘please don’t ask
again’.

“Okay,
but if some drunk fucker over there is the reason, just let me know and I’ll
kick his ass,” he says with a wink.

A
laugh escapes me as he poses his arms to show off his biceps. “Okay, cowboy.
You can put the guns away now.” My laughter eases as I push his arms back down
to his sides.

He
chuckles, too. “I’m glad that I was able to make you laugh.”

“Me,
too. Thanks,” I reply, catching his eyes. The depths of them suck me in,
holding me captive.

Silently,
we sit there and look at each other, while the sounds of the frogs croaking mix
with the melody of the creek singing its own song. “You wanna get out of here?”
He stands and reaches his hand out to me.

“Sure.”
I lay my hand in his, letting him pull me up off the ground. Before I can pick
up my boots, he does it for me, and leads us away from our private moment and
back to my Jeep.

“Will
you go somewhere with me?” Wes asks, parking the Jeep in front of the barn.

“Didn’t
I already go somewhere with you?” I counter, laughing at his hopeful
expression.

“You
did, but I want to show you something. Please?” The sincere look he gives me
makes it impossible for me to refuse.

I
give him a shy smile and nod at his question. As he shuts off the Jeep, I ask,
“We don’t have to drive to this place you wanna show me?”

“We
could, but I thought it’d be nice to walk.” He leaps out of the Jeep. “Unless
you don’t want to?”

“It’s
nice out tonight. I think a walk sounds perfect.”

We
meet in front of the barn. “Hold on one sec.” He disappears into the wooden
structure, and returns a few minutes later with a lantern and a pack of
matches. I watch as he strikes the tip and places it against the oil-slicked
wick. The soft glow illuminates the ground below us. “Ready?”

“Uh-huh.”
We take off side-by-side behind the barn and the open fields of the property
come into view. “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere
I used to go a lot when I was a kid.”

We
walk in silence with nothing but the sound of the wind and the howl of coyotes
off in the distance breaking through. It’s nice. There’s no forced
conversation, no strain of trying to find something to talk about—just us,
walking in the still of the night. The sound of flowing water breaks through
the quiet as large boulders come into view. I follow Wes to a set of stairs
made out of large pieces of limestone that snake up behind three massive
boulders. Wes starts the climb, but as I look up, my heart drops into my
stomach. This probably isn’t the safest thing to do. While I just stand,
watching him, he finally stops about four steps up and looks back at me still
on the bottom step. “What are you doin’?”

“Um…
I’m not going up there.” I stand stock still, not moving from my position.

“Why
not?” By the smirk on his face, I can tell that he’s enjoying this. Only a
person horrified of heights would look as terrified as I do.

“I
don’t know. Maybe because I don’t want to die.” I point at the steps, the
boulders, and the night sky to prove that my reason sounds logical.

Traveling
back down the steps, he offers his hand to me. “I won’t let anything happen to
you, I promise.” His earnest voice is what propels my hand into his. This time,
when he holds my hand, it’s different. Our fingers intertwine and he holds them
close to his body, letting me feel his warmth through his shirt.

I
take a deep breath and follow behind him. My heart feels like it’s going to
jump out of my body at any moment. Sweat begins to bead on my forehead as I
continue to climb higher and higher. After ten steps, I ask with a quivering
voice, “How much further?”

“Not
much. We’re almost to the top. Actually, it’s only one more step.” He steps
onto the top of the boulder, and pulls me up beside him.

Speechless,
I look around me. The stars and full moon are the only things lighting up the
night sky. I’ve never seen them look close enough to touch. So big. So bright.
The glow from the stars casts down on the soft aquamarine color of the creek
below. The beauty of this spot has me thoroughly enchanted. My nerves disappear
and my heart rate begins to slow to normal.

“What
do you think?” Wes asks from behind me.

“It’s
absolutely stunning,” I reply, breathlessly.

“Come
here.” He pulls me down beside him.

I
smooth my dress beneath me, trying to be as graceful as possible when I sit.
With my legs outstretched and my boot-covered ankles crossed, I lean back on my
hands and look straight up at the bewitching, Texas, night sky. With the lantern
perched in front of us, our silhouettes mirror our postures against the soft
rock. “I’ve never seen the stars look so big or so close.” I peek at him out of
the corners of my eyes. Wes sits next to me with his knees bent, his arms
resting on top of them.

“I
haven’t been here in a while.” He looks off in the distance.

“Well,
thank you for letting me come with you.” I inhale deeply. The wind carries the
sweet scents of Muscadine and honeysuckle. It permeates my senses and reminds
me why I love summer and the country so much.

“So,
you and Leslie, huh?” I ask nonchalantly.

“You
saw that?”

“How
could I not? She plastered herself all over you as soon as she saw you.”

“We
dated in high school. She wasn’t happy when I left for Dallas.”

I’ve
found out all that I need to know about Leslie. They dated, past tense, past
being the only word I’m choosing to focus on. “How old are you? No offense or
anything, but you must be at least thirty to be in the PBR.” My curiosity has
gotten the best of me, and I can’t help but ask. “Sorry. I didn’t intend for
that to come out so rude.”

“It’s
all right. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked my age so straightforward like
that, but if you must know, I’m twenty-five.” He looks at me as he answers. My
wide eyes and jaw hitting the ground are just the expressions he’d been waiting
to see. Wes reaches over, and with his finger, he lifts my bottom jaw, slowly,
softly closing my mouth. “Don’t seem so shocked, Kenleigh. I’m really good at
what I do.” He lets his finger linger under my chin before dropping his hand
and placing his arm back on his knee.

Before
I make a bigger ass of myself, I think before I speak this time. “How long have
you been riding?”

“Since
I was twelve. So, about thirteen years now. How about you?”

“How
about me what?” I know he wants to ask my age, but I wonder if he’ll actually
do it.

“I’m
not gonna ask you. My momma didn’t raise a fool,” he replies with a burst of
laughter.

“Wise
man you are,” I reply, pointing at my temple. “I’m nineteen, but I’ll be twenty
soon.”

“So,
that would make you a sophomore in college?”

“I’m
starting my sophomore year after summer break. I took a year off after high
school. I decided to work and save up some money.”

“What
did you do? Work in a clothing store?” He laughs at me and bumps his shoulder
into mine.

“No,
ass.” I bump his shoulder right back. Because my butt is going numb, I lay back
on the rock and cross my arms over my stomach. “I worked on a farm, helping
break in new horses, and mucking stalls. You know, all that fun stuff. On the
weekends, I volunteered for the Red Cross, accepting donations and distributing
them where ever they needed to go.”

“Don’t
take offense, but did you even enjoy your year off? Because, by the sounds of
it, it seems like all you did was work.”

I
turn to meet his eyes. “I did. Yes, I worked a lot, but I chose to. Sometimes,
I’d get a day off during the week to do whatever, but I like to work.”

“Well,
you’re the first woman I’ve ever met that actually admits liking to work.”

I
can’t tear my gaze away from his anymore than he can mine. “I’m not like most
girls, Wesley. I’m just me.”

“I’m
beginning to see that.” His eyes hold an intensity that I’ve never seen before
in anyone.

“How
did you find this spot?” I steer the conversation in a different direction.

“Before
my cousin died, we would ride out together to this exact spot. Colt loved it
out here, especially at night. He knew he wasn’t gonna live to really grow up.
We would sit on this rock, and he would tell me how he felt he could reach
Heaven from this place. We were close. More like brothers rather than cousins. I
was older than him, by two years, so we practically grew up together.” I can
tell by the somberness in his tone that this is extremely hard for him to talk
about.

I
sit up and reach out to rub his shoulder in sympathy. “You don’t have to tell
me anything else if you don’t want to.”

He
tilts his head toward me and his eyes find mine. “I want to, though. It helps
me remember him.”

When
I want to remember, I just look back into the past. I don’t talk about my
parents; it’s too hard, but I nod for him to continue. A few unspoken minutes
pass by as I wait for him to finish his story. “A week before he died, we came
out here. We talked about football, and this girl named Carli that he had a
crush on. And out of nowhere, he said, ‘Wes, when I die, don’t be upset. When
you’re missing me, or you wanna talk, just come out to this spot and I’ll be
here with you.’ He said it was the closest to Heaven I’d get ‘til I made it up
there myself. It’s like he knew his time was limited. So every time I wanna
talk to him, or feel close to him, this is where I come.”

“He’d
be proud of you,” I whisper.

“I
don’t know about that, but thanks.”

“I
do. That’s what I’d like to believe my parents would think about me anyway.”

“Your
parents?” he asks with an inquisitive look.

“They
died when I was twelve.” I don’t look at him. Instead, I let my eyes wander
over the landscape below me.

“How?”
His voice is soft and for some reason I want to tell him, but not right now.

I
shake my head before looking at him. “I don’t really like to talk about it, but
thank you for sharing this piece of Heaven with me.”

 He
nods, letting the subject of my parents go. We sit for a while longer as the
silence and the heaviness of our confessions swirl around us. It’s not
stifling, like I have an itch to get away, but it’s content.

“You
ready to head back?” Wes asks, pulling me out of my daze.

“Yeah.”
I look up at him with a smile as he stands in front of me with his hand
outstretched. As he takes my hand in his, a rumble of thunder cracks through
the sky above us. The loud sound brings a wide smile to my face. I take a deep
breath, my eyes flutter close, and I breathe in the smell of the rain that’s
coming as it wraps all around me. Wes gently guides me down the stairs from the
top of the boulder.

As
soon my feet hit the grass, I yank my hand free from his grasp.

He
turns to look at me with an incredulous look. “Come on, Kenleigh. It’s about to
rain.” Wes interrupts my moment of quiet.

“I
know.”

“Well,
don’t just stand there. Let’s go. The thunder’s getting louder,” he yells over
another loud crack.

“Is
the big, bad bull rider afraid of a little rain and thunder?”

His
eyebrows lift and a look of challenge glitters in his eyes. Slowly, he lifts
the lantern between our faces, opens the door that protects the wick, and says,
“Last chance.”

“Don’t
need it.” I cross my arms across my chest, and pop my hip out, with a look of
defiance on my face. I lean in to look up at him through my eyelashes and take
a deep breath before blowing out the fire. As soon as darkness cocoons us,
thunder bursts loudly and lightning brightens the sky above like a strobe
light. I turn to make a run for it, when, suddenly, I’m lifted off my feet and
flung over Wes’ shoulder. Laughter erupts from me with each bounce of his step
as he takes off running in the direction we came from.

“You
think this is funny?” He shouts above the thunder. His question only makes me
laugh harder when the bottom falls out. Raindrops the size of nickels instantly
soak us to the bone. The lace of my cream-colored dress sticks to my back and
thighs. Parts of my hair lay plastered to my face as I hang upside down. I push
up with the heels of my hands, and dig into his lower back as I shout, “Let me
down! I can run you know!”

“I
know you can, but we’ll get there much faster if I carry you.” The muscles in
his body cringe and tense under me with every bang of thunder.

“Come
on, please, put me down?”

“Fine.”
He sets me on my feet. I can see the house not too far away. When he notices
that I’m not going to move, he asks, “What are you doing, Kenleigh? It’s not
safe out here.”

“Haven’t
you ever just played in the rain?” I ignore his beseeching tone. Instead, I
look up at the sky, tip my head back, and let the coolness of the raindrops
crash upon my face. My arms spread like an eagle’s wings as I spin around. My
hair slaps me in the face, sticking to my lips, my cheeks, and my forehead. I’m
sopping wet, but I don’t care because I feel free. I spin, laugh, and enjoy the
moment. The sensation of holes being burned into me by Wes’ eyes is a feeling
that I’m starting to become accustomed to.