Page 40 of Pretty Relentless

“Trust me, Ava.”

She holds my gaze once more before turning around and having a seat on my leg. The moment she sits, I reach around herand grab the fuzzy blanket. Opening it up, I place it over her legs to help keep her warm.

“You may have to hold on to the basket. It’ll bounce around if we don’t. I can try to bungie strap it in place if needed.”

“I got it,” she insists, sliding the basket and her blanket a little closer so it’s positioned better between the seat and the fender.

“Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” There’s no missing the hint of nervousness in her voice, but she doesn’t say a word as I fire up the old tractor and slowly back out of the barn.

I gently maneuver the machinery, trying not to jolt or scare her, as I head for the clearing not too far from here. The pasture is rough, but not too terrible, and eventually, we make it down to the creek. It’s frozen over, but I keep the tractor on the path running along the water. Driving about two hundred yards, I turn away from the water’s edge and into the large clearing where we should have a great view of the night sky.

Steering the tractor toward the tree line, I park it out of the way, yet close enough we don’t have to hike too far to get to our destination. When the engine is shut off, I ask, “This okay?”

Ava looks around, the entire area dimly lit by the stars and the moon in the sky. “It’s beautiful.”

“Come on,” I say, helping her stand so I can dismount the tractor. Once I get two feet on the ground, I extend my hands and hold her waist while she climbs down.

When we’re laden with the blankets, bags, and picnic basket, we set off toward the spot I had in mind when I asked Norman if I could come back here. The trees are to the south, and we have a perfect unobstructed view of the north sky. We stop at the huge bolder in the middle of the clearing. No one knows how it got here, but it’s large and flat and can easily fit two people comfortably.

If you consider sitting on a rock as comfortable.

I wipe off what little snow is there and spread out the large, fluffy blanket. “Have a seat.”

She does, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders. “We should have a spectacular view,” she states, looking up.

“Should.” I hope, anyway. She likely knows more about the aurora borealis than I do, since she has been discussing it in class. The extent of my knowledge is the tips I found on the internet Tuesday night.

I open the picnic basket, which admittedly, I had to borrow from my mom, and retrieve the thermos of hot cocoa. I fill two of the insulated tumblers I had in my cabinet with the warm liquid and pass the first one her way.

“Is this cocoa?”

“It is,” I confirm, replacing the thermos in the basket and pulling out the container of snacks. “I also have cheese sticks wrapped in meat, as well as a fruit and nut mix.”

“Yum. I wasn’t expecting snacks with the show.”

I give her a wink and a slow grin. “This is a full-service non-date date.”

“Non-date date, huh?”

I shrug and hold out the container of meat and cheese. “We can call it whatever you want, Ava. You said it wasn’t a date, but it feels a little like one, so we’ll go with a non-date date.” I pop a cashew in my mouth and give her a big, cheesy grin.

Her beautiful eyes narrow just a bit as she brings the cocoa to her lips. “It feels like a date because you’ve made it one.”

Lifting my shoulders, I reply, “A man has to use every tool in his arsenal to achieve his goals.”

She looks at me from beneath her lashes as she asks, “And what are your goals?”

“To get to know you, and maybe, someday, take you on a date date.”

Her brown eyes watch me, assessing my seriousness and intent. After what feels like forever, she finally rewards me with a little grin. “You’re relentless.”

It’s not the first time she’s called me that, but the fact there’s a sparkle in her eyes and she’s wearing a smile while she says it lets me know she’s not completely put off by my persistence.

“That I am. Now, sit back and relax. We’ll enjoy some snacks and cocoa and wait for the show to begin.”

Reaching for a piece of cheese wrapped in ham, she takes a bite and leans back in contentment. I take my own piece of salami wrapped in mozzarella and join her on the rock. There’s plenty of room for two people, but I don’t shy away from sitting nice and close. If she makes a comment, I’ll insist it’s for warmth. You know, sharing body heat and all.

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