“Sure.”
“Water or wine?”
"Just water."
I pass her one of the water bottles and take the other one for myself. She takes a long drink and I watch her swallow.
“Sorry. I think I ruined the romantic vibe,” she says with an apologetic smile.
“You didn’t ruin anything,” I assure her.
"Tell me more about this spot."
"Well, that tree right there? Remy fell and broke his arm from it when we were nine. I think that's when he knew that he wanted to be a bull rider."
“Really?” she asks, looking over to the tree that I’m pointing at.
"Yeah. He spent the whole summer with his hand in a cast and he had to start riding with one arm. As soon as the cast came off, he told our parents that he wanted to train for his first competition."
"And they were okay with that?"
"They were scared, but Remy was, well, still is, so pig-headed and stubborn. Once he gets an idea in his head, he sticks with it."
"Huh, sounds like someone else I know," she says as she side-eyes me. I chuckle, loving her playful side.
“Yeah, okay, I admit that I might take after my big brother in that respect.”
“Did you always want to stay and work on the farm?” she asks and I nod.
“Yeah, well, not the Dude Ranch part. That I didn’t decide on until I was a teenager, but I’ve always loved it here. It’s nice being close to my brothers and I love the horses and the town.”
“Even though they call you the Stud Farm?” she asks with a giggle, making me grin.
“Yeah, even then.”
“It is a nice town. Louisville is so big,” she says with a tired sigh.
"Have you ever thought about moving to a smaller town?"
"No, but the stables are there. It would be hard to move all of that."
I nod, trying not to let her answer disappoint me.
We start to eat and watch the sky turn from blue to a kaleidoscope of oranges and pinks as the sun starts to make its descent. I know Kennedy wants to ride back before it gets too dark, so I hurry to clean up and pack everything once we’re done eating.
“Are you ready to head back now?”
“Yeah,” she says and I give her a boost up onto Tin before I grab my horse, Kirby, and climb into the saddle.
I let her go first down the path so I can keep an eye on her. She seems relaxed in the saddle and I’m glad she’s not so afraid of horses anymore.
We’re silent as we ride back to the barn, and I know Kennedy must be thinking about facing her fears of horses, but all that I can think about is how much I love her.
I think I fell in love with her the second I saw her. I knew she was meant to be mine from that very first day. I’ve only fallen more in love with her since then, and now I can’t imagine my life without her in it.
And that’s where I have a problem.
Kennedy is leaving in a few weeks and I can’t let that happen. I know I can’t force her to stay though, so I’ve been trying to prepare for potentially moving to Kentucky. I don’t want to leave the Dude Ranch, and I can’t imagine not seeing my brothers every day or being just an hour away from my sister, but I can’t picture not having Kennedy by my side even more.