It's early Saturday morning. I've been laying here, out on the back porch watching the sky lighten with the coming dawn. So far, it promises to be a beautiful day. The stars are vanishing with the brightening heavens. As the sun peeks over the mountains to burn off the morning mists, I smile to myself and go back inside. I had a sweet idea, last night. I'd already fixed up some food and packed up the cooler while I was waiting for the day to break. I rush into the front room, hoping she hadn't had a chance to make plans for the day yet. She smiled as I join her on the couch.
"G'mornin' baby."
"Good mornin' to you too, " she answered.
"Babe, how would you like to go for a ride?"
"When? Now? Right now?" she replied.
"Yes, now. Right this very minute, now!" She gave me one of her looks. This one was her "What kind of crazy shit does he want to go buy this time" look. I laughed.
"C'mon. We can have coffee in the truck. Thermos is on the table. Could you grab it on the way for me? I've got to carry the cooler."
I wink at her as I hefted the cooler and she opens the door for me. I heave it over the tailgate, into the bed.
"Where we going and why so damned early?" she asked.
"It's a surprise, darlin'. Trust me." I get another look from her. Ok, I get them allot. Especially when I throw her off-guard with one of my stunts. I just smile as I turn over the engine. She just shook her head and gave a smirk.
"Whatever." she said. I know exactly where I'm going. I back the truck out onto the road, throw it in gear and we're on our way. I popped a CD into the drive that I'd made the night before. She knew I'd made a few, since we spent half the night dancing to the tunes I was setting up to burn.
Her eyes lit up as the first song started and I mouthed the words, turning to look at her as much as I could and not drive off the road. I turn onto the main drag as the next song starts. By now, she's starting to get into the spirit of it and we're both singing along with the music. The day's starting to warm up and I put on my shades to cut the glare. I hold her hand as much as I can, and still be able to shift gears as we pull off from the main road onto a dirt road.
"Where are we?" she asks. "I don't remember you ever going this way before."
"I'm taking you out into the middle of nowhere so I can molest you."
She just giggled at me and said "Yeah, ok." It's not long before we come to a fork in the road. Left takes us back to where we came in from, right leads up and over the mountain. Making sure there's nobody coming, I only slow down enough to make the turn to the right. The road here is a little rougher and the CD starts to skip.
"Damn, baby, we really are in the middle of nowhere!" she says, as the truck bounces off a good sized rock in the road and splashes thru a large puddle, spraying mud everywhere. "Do you have to go so fast?"
"Hon, I'm barely hitting 30 mph!" BAM! As we hit a trench way I hadn't seen until the last second. "Sorry" I mutter as I slow down a bit. Eventually the road smoothes out as we get into a drier area. We've been gradually climbing in elevation for the last three or four miles now. Up ahead I see the pull off I want and I pull the truck over.
"It's beautiful up here!" she yells as she climbs out of the truck.
"Why haven't we been up here before now?" I point to just in front of where the truck's parked.
"That's why, my love. Wild roses only bloom for a couple weeks every summer. I was waiting until I knew they were out until I brought you up here." Scattered alongside of the road for as far as could be seen, were wild rose bushes.
"I think these were planted or seeded or something, but they've been growing here for as long as I can recall." She smiles as I pick a few for her and strip off the thorns. I placed them in her hair and take her by the hand. I nod my head, indicating to the other side of the road.