Page 51 of Beautiful Trauma

“What do you have in mind then?”

“Want to check out some trails?” I asked.

“On horseback?” he sounded excited by the idea.

“I thought we’d save that for our next visit when the clock isn’t counting down toward dinner. How does an ATV sound? Four wheels instead of four legs?”

Henry laughed. “Sure.”

I led him to the equipment barn where Dad stored his beloved Wolverine.

“This looks pretty badass,” Henry said, gaping at the silver and black utility vehicle. “I’ve never seen one like it before. It looks much fancier than the one Kip took Clarissa for a ride on.”

I laughed. “It’s called a side-by-side. It’s safer than a regular ATV because it has a roll cage, seats with seat belts, and a windshield to keep the bugs out of our teeth.”

“It looks fast.”

I chuckled. “Very. Want to drive it?”

“Um, not yet, but maybe someday.”

I grabbed some helmets off the pegs hanging above a workbench. “Roll cage or not, helmets are a must, or Mom will have our asses.” After checking to make sure Henry’s helmet was snug, we climbed into the Wolverine and took off toward the woods surrounding the property. “My parents own a lot of acreage,” I yelled over the engine. “Most of it’s wooded, but there are some tillable acres. My parents don’t know anything about farming, so they hired someone to plant and harvest the hay she needs for her horses. I’ll take you up to the ridge so you can see the fields below.”

Henry gave me a thumbs-up.

I drove fast on the straight parts of the trails, making Henry whoop in excitement, but took it slower on the curvy or hilly trails to avoid tipping us over. Henry laughed and pointed out the various wildlife he spotted along the way, and I decided to bring him back soon for a horseback ride and picnic.

I stopped the side-by-side just beneath the ridge. We took off our helmets and walked the rest of the way. None of the nervousness Henry exhibited earlier was present. His hand was relaxed in mine, and his stride was loose and happy instead of rigid. Henry had hidden his tension from my parents for the most part, but maybe Mom still sensed it, and that’s why she suggested I give Henry the tour, to help ease his anxiousness.

Henry gasped in delight when we crested the hill and could see the hay fields stretching below us. “This is heaven on earth,” he said.

I pulled him into my arms. Pressing a kiss to Henry’s forehead, I said, “I agree because you’re here with me.”

“Ezra,” he whispered. “You make me feel so cherished.”

“Good. The next time I bring you up here, I’m going to bring a picnic basket and a blanket so I can lay you down and cherish you properly.”

Henry tightened his arms around my waist and looked at me with adoration. “I want to believe I deserve this—you.”

“Then believe it,” I said firmly.

I knew it wasn’t that simple for Henry to cast off the rejection he’d experienced the previous year, but deciding he wanted something was the first step to believing he could have it. I’d take it and use it as a base to work from.

Standing together on top of the ridge, our problems seemed far away. It felt like we were the only two people in the world, and I wasn’t eager to leave the solitude or Henry’s arms. The realization that I was in love with Henry washed over me, heating my skin like the sun bathing the fields below us in vibrant light. I couldn’t think of a more picturesque setting to tell Henry how I felt, but he wasn’t ready to believe me.

“Kiss me, Professor Higgins,” Henry said in the worst cockney accent I’d ever heard.

Cupping the back of his head, I said, “‘You impudent hussy!’” It was one of the few lines I remembered fromMy Fair Lady.

Henry’s laughter bounced off the trees and echoed in the valley at our feet. “I guess that’s slightly better than a gold-digging hussy.”

I began nibbling a path up his neck. “I like you in all your hussy forms,” I said, stopping to suck his earlobe into my mouth. I kissed along his jaw until I reached his lips. “Maybe you can sleep over tonight, and you can tell me more about Clarissa and Kip’s antics.”

Henry frowned. “It’s Sunday.”

“What better way to start your week than by waking up next to me?” I asked him.

“The only thing better would be to start the week with you inside me,” Henry countered.