Page 56 of Sunshine

“Let me make it up to you?”

He pushes off the locker. “How?”

“I was thinking we could all go for a ride on Saturday? Jason even said he’d love to go, and you know how he feels about horses.”

Wells gives me an incredulous look. “You think Jason getting on a horse is somehow the key to falling back in my good graces?”

I swallow. “Yes?”

He shakes his head as a low chuckle escapes him. “For the record, I’m not mad at you.Orhim. I really have been busy, and I guess maybe I needed a little space from everything?” He scratches at his brow. “If you guys want to come to the ranch on Saturday, you’re more than welcome. Can’t say I’m thrilled with the idea of Jason getting on a horse, though.”

I roll my eyes. “He’s a big boy. He’ll be fine.”

Wells looks right at me. “I’m not worried about Jason. I’m worried about the horse.”

I laugh at that, a smile spreading wide on my face. “Thank you, Wells,” I say. And I mean it.

On Saturday morning,Jason picks me up about an hour after I finish eating homemade waffles and peaches forbreakfast with Annie. He comes to the door with flowers for her and my mom again, and I think he’s a little nervous about my family’s feelings about him after breaking up with me. But all things considered, he has nothing to worry about—at least not in my house.

Annie is nearly eight now, and she’s convinced that Jason is my Prince Charming. Barry has only formally met Jason a handful of times and I’m not sure he even knew we’d broken up in the first place. And Mom . . . well, she’s just happy to see us back on track for our “ten-year plan” which includes marriage after college and a litter of babies for me to tend to while he becomes an NFL superstar.

I really do love Jason, and I’m happy he’s giving our relationship an honest shot even with so much going on in his life. But sometimes as I lie in bed at night and will myself to sleep, I can’t help the thoughts that race through my mind, wondering if I’ve fallen into a Jason-shaped honey trap, just like Mom did with her first love. Granted, she fell for a transcontinental hippie who was always going to leave, and Jason is a good person who’s simply chasing his dreams. But sometimes I feel like I have to remind myself of the independence I’ve always craved.

It doesn’t help that I don’t know what that looks like. I love the Bennetts’ ranch and the rescue horses, and I hope I can keep exploring the joy it brings. I’m also still enjoying photography, having signed up for the more advanced class this year. It may not lead to anything lucrative in the future, but Mrs. Barajas says I have a natural talent and it bolsters a sense of pride within me.

I’m just not sure an entire lifetime as Jason’s wife could ever be enough.

When we pull up to the ranch, the sun is high in the sky and there isn’t a cloud in sight—thankfully I remembered to put sunscreen on my face after my shower this morning. We find Wells outside the stalls with three horses turned out and tacked up for our ride, and when he sees us coming, he waves.

Wellswaves.

I’ve never seen him perform such an act . . . so casual and friendly despite the stiff and awkward rocking of his wrist. He’s making an effort to reverse his grumpiness, and though it feels forced and unnatural, there’s no denying the immediate effect it has on Jason.

“Bennett!” Jason shouts over the distance as we trudge toward the collected horses. “Is this where you’ve been hiding?”

Wells flashes a look at me before responding. “You know I’m always here, Moore. Family duties and all that.”

I brace myself for Jason to call him out, but he doesn’t. His eyes track along the horses; Wells has pulled his favorite, a beautiful brown mare named Lady. Next to her is Champ, who I’ve been on every time I ride, and Ghost stands tall beside him, his white coat glowing in the sun.

Jason tucks his red SFHS hat down his forehead, shielding his face from the sun. “Which one of these lucky beasts is with me today?”

Wells’s smile falters. “Uh . . . Ghost. I was going to put you on Ace, but he needs new shoes and the farrier doesn’t come until Tuesday.”

Jason nods and walks up to Ghost, running a hand along his back. “Let’s show ’em how it’s done, huh, buddy?”

Wells scoffs. I walk up to Champ, careful to approach him where he can see me like Wells taught me last year. It’s beenalmost a month since I’ve seen him, and he affectionately pushes his nose into the hand I hold out. “Hi, Champ,” I laugh.

“Here,” Wells says from behind me, and I turn to find him holding out his cowboy hat. “For your face.”

“Oh,” I say. “You don’t have to do that.”

“We’re going on a longer ride and the morning sun will be beating down on us almost the whole way,” he explains. “Trust me, you’ll thank me later.”

I take the black hat from him and stare at it as he shuffles away to mount Lady. Wells usually wears his dirty ball cap when he’s on a horse and saves his cowboy hat for special occasions. I’m surprised he wants me wearing it knowing it’ll get dusty.

But Idon’twant to get burned, so I fit the hat on top of my head and look at Jason. “Does this look okay?” I ask.

He looks at the hat and then at me, something dark passing through his eyes, there and gone in a breath. “Looks great,” he says, and then he lifts a foot into a stirrup.

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