Leaping from the Cliff
It wasn't a long ride out to the rock cliff that Jessica had found inviting. She had remembered the day the photo was taken. They had gone there to enjoy a picnic, a bit of frolicking and eventually the plan had been to make love, but someone had other plans. She giggled, remembering how terrible Bailey felt for showing up at the "wrong" time. She'd come up to spend sometime alone, depressed over her lack of landing a date for the upcoming dance. In the end though Tom had volunteered, granted he'd done it with a lot of bravado and pretended it was a big bother for him, but Tom sure wasn't having problems with Bucktooth Bailey now, was he.
Her giggle brought a rise from Mitch's brow. "What's so funny?" he asked.
"I was just remembering the last time we were up there."
"I don't remember anything funny about that day," he sighed. "Bailey came at the wrong time."
"Aww. You poor baby," she said and leaned up just enough to kiss his neck. "Did you know she's back in town? I can call her up ask her to relieve the memory with us." She pretended to go for her cell phone and Mitch grabbed her arm.
"I don't think so," he told her, tucking her hand on his lap. "Mister O' told me she was back. She'll be over at our place Wednesday night for supper. You're coming too, as is Tom and the O's."
Jessica laughed and left her palm where he had placed it. "That'll be fun. I haven't had a chance to see your mom and dad yet."
"Well, if you'd let me have my way, you could see them every day."
She sighed and moved away from him. "I told you I'm not staying here. All that stuff you said at the house was sweet. I don't expect you to do all that for me. I'm not your wife."
"No, you're not my wife," he answered back, pulling up the rocky path that led to the top of the cliff. One word was left off his sentence . . . yet. He wasn't about to pop the question in the cab of a pick up truck. There was a place and a time for everything and he be damned if Jessica was going to rush him. She'd made him wait years. She could wait a few minutes.
She blew out a puff of air, making her lips wiggle as she did. Jessica said nothing else. He'd not taken the bait and the fact that she was even hoping he would was enough to tell her she was being silly. Just because he wanted her to stay didn't mean he wanted her to STAY. Besides, she told herself, it was better for her to get him out of her system and then go home. After all, she had a great job, her own place and a bit of savings that kept her looking like a million bucks.
When he killed the engine on the truck, she opened the door. He cursed to himself, disappointed that the strong headed female hadn't let him open the door for her. He shrugged his shoulders, refusing to let her know it irked him. Walking around the front of the truck he took her hand and slipped his other into the bed of the truck.
Jessica watched him pull a picnic basket and a blanket out and she chuckled. "Courtesy of your mom or did you fix whatever poison is in there?"
He let go of her hand and swatted her ass. "You ate my muffins didn't you?"
She jumped, rubbed the tender spot and giggled. "Yes. Were those homemade?"
"I made them at home."
Her laughter filled the air and she took the blanket. "Come on Betty Crocker, let's have supper. Though it's a bit early."
They walked together up the remaining few feet that kept the view of his ranch hidden. When they reached the top a small gasp of shock escaped her lips and she scanned the land below her. "Wow," she whispered. "It's beautiful. I mean, it's always been beautiful, but... I guess I've forgotten. Who bought it?"
"I did." He made the proclamation quietly, not letting his pride show through, though inside he was grinning. He knew she'd love it. How could she not? She was Dry Valley. Weren't they all? He set the basket down and took the blanket from her hands. He spread it out on a patch of land that was relatively clean of rocks.
By the time he was done he noticed she hadn't moved from her spot on the cliff. He walked up behind her hand wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder and proceeded to tell her all about his dream. "I plan on starting up my own ranch full of the finest horse flesh available to man. The house is small, but that's all I need right now. Mom and Dad are keeping my stud and when I can I'll move him over here."
He turned her body and his, pointing out where he planned on pasturing the mares and then he showed her where he imagined a great stable as well as other odds and ends that would eventually fill only a small section of the land he purchased.
"It's amazing."
The colors of the land were brilliantly displayed on a canvas of blue and white. Clouds were fluffy and floating in the sky and a soft breeze ran over the untamed wilderness. Mitch took a deep breath. His fingers pressed against her hips and he turned her toward him. "I bought it a long time ago, or so it seems like I did. Everything seems to drag around here."
"Oh? You don't like the Valley? I find that hard to believe."
"Everyday has dragged since the day you left." He saw her teeth come up and saw her face pale slightly. He heard her intake of breath and he witnessed the tears that threatened to spill from her beautiful eyes. His finger came up and ran over her cheek, down her jaw and then across her lips. "Jessica, I know you're leaving in six days. You've been adamant about that and I'll not stop you."
His hand moved from her lips to her neck and he pushed his fingers through her hair. His other hand slid behind her back. "I bought this place with the idea of bringing one woman to it and making her my wife, but I didn't know how I was going to do it. I just felt I had to. Jessica, I'll beg. I'll plead. I'll sell everything I have right now if you ask me to, but I need to know one thing."
She watched him swallow and she felt her lips start to shake. She wanted to tell him no. She wanted to give all the excuses known to man, but she couldn't. She was frozen as she watched him slip his hand into his pocket and slid down her body. "Oh God," she whimpered.
