A Forever Love

  “No! Not at all.”

  We got into Margie’s car and drove to the screen. By the time we ordered drinks, I was feeling somewhat better. Garrett and Margie got out of her car, and they climbed up to lie on top of the hood, leaning against the glass. There was plenty of room for all of us. When I went to climb on, Margie moved to the middle. She kept talking to Garrett about the football team this year and how good they were going to be. My heart sank when it dawned on me that if I had just kept my mouth shut about being alone with Garrett, I would be next to Garrett and not Margie.

  I couldn’t even enjoy the movie. The whole time, I was daydreaming about what Garrett smelled like, the feel of his touch, and what his favorite movie, favorite song, and favorite thing to eat was. When Margie and Garrett both let out a laugh, I was snapped out of my daydreams.

  I glanced over at the two of them. Garrett was honestly trying to watch the movie, but Margie wouldn’t shut up. She’d said she didn’t have feelings for Garrett, but it sure seemed like she did to me. I couldn’t even concentrate on the movie with all her talking. Leaning up, Garrett looked over at me and smiled. I wasn’t sure why, but I turned away.

  I just want to go home. “I’m not feeling so well, Margie. I hate to ask, but do you think you could take me home?”

  Garrett slid off the hood and walked over to me. “What’s wrong? Do feel like you’re going to be sick? Should I get you some water?”

  I tried to smile and thank him, but all that came out was, “No. I just want to go home.”

  “Really, Em? It’s still so early, and I hate heading home so early.”

  I looked over at my cousin as she took a sip of her soda. “Yes, Margie, really! I feel sick.”

  Garrett lightly touched my arm, and I jerked away, surprised by the strange feeling running through me.

  He quickly held up his hands and took a step back. “I was just going to help you down.”

  My heart was beating so hard in my chest that I was sure he could hear it. I held out my hand, and then he took it and helped me down. I had the strangest sensation that I just wanted to walk right into his arms.

  Then, Margie walked in between us. “Come on, Emma. I’ll take you home.”

  I smiled slightly at Garrett, and he gave me a smile that about dropped me to my knees.

  I really need to stay away from him—far, far away from him.

  “Did you get all the chores done, Garrett?” my father asked as he walked into the kitchen.

  I was sitting down, drinking a glass of tea, after I’d spent most of the morning mending a fence. “Yes, sir, I did.”

  My father smiled and nodded his head. “You taking care of your heifer? Treating her good and loving her more?”

  I let out a chuckle. My father had a way with words, and for him to use the same advice for a female cow as he did with a female girl made me laugh. He would always tell me, Son, when you find the right girl, treat her good and love her more.

  “Yes, sir, I am. I’m treating her like a princess.”

  My mother rolled her eyes and continued cutting up apples.

  My father laughed. “Good. Now, help your mother here with the fruit while I go clean up. Our guests will be here soon.”

  I walked over to where my mother was. I grabbed an apple and began cutting it up. “So, who is coming over again?”

  My mother smiled. “The new doctor in town. We wanted to welcome him and his family to Mason. Your father and I know the doctor’s wife. She went to school with us. It will be good to see her again.”

  I nodded my head and cut up a few more apples before my father walked up next to me.

  “Garrett, we need to talk.”

  He motioned for me to head outside. I set the knife down next to the apple and followed my father down to the barn. We walked in, and he pointed for me to have a seat.

  “So, what is this I hear about you running around with Anna King?”

  I looked up at my father. “Excuse me, sir?”

  “Garrett, I’m not stupid. I was your age, and I did the same things you’re doing. I’m not going to sit here and preach to you about how you can’t have sex until you’re married. Hell, I was fourteen when I lost my virginity to my sister’s best friend.”

  I rolled my eyes and looked away. “Dad, did I really need to know that?”

  My father let out a chuckle as he sat down on a barrel and looked at me. “Garrett, don’t be running around with the town whore. She’s gonna end up getting pregnant, and the poor schmuck who ends up marrying that girl will be struggling for the rest of his life because she is like her mother. They come from money, and Anna’s gonna want the world on a silver platter.”

  My father was sitting here, talking to me about our school tramp, and all I could think of was how in the hell he knew I’d had sex with Anna.

  “Dad, how did you know?”

  My father smiled. “Billy’s daddy saw you and Anna sneaking off. He followed y’all and saw you going into her house. He knew her parents were gone for the weekend.”

  I instantly felt my face go red.

  “It took me so long to talk to you about it because…well, honestly, son, I just didn’t know how to talk to you about it. I do want you to be careful. Son, someday, you’re going to meet a girl who will change everything. She’ll make you want to be a better man.”

  My father shook his head and smiled. I knew he was thinking about my mother.

  “She’ll be the reason you wake up every morning and push through another day. She’ll be your everything.”

  I nodded my head and kicked the dirt. “How will I know it’s her, Dad?”

  He smiled so big. “Trust me, you’ll know. You won’t be able to think clearly when she is anywhere near you. You’ll find yourself having a hard time breathing when she walks into a room. You’ll think about her all the time, and you’ll want to do nothing but make her happy for the rest of your lives.”

  “When did you know Mom was the one?” I asked.

  The light in his eyes danced. “The first moment she ever looked at me, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I knew right then.”

  I thought back to yesterday when I’d walked into the drugstore, and my reaction had been the very same when Emma looked at me. I cleared my throat and got the nerve to ask the next question. “How old were you and Mom when you first met?”

  He chuckled and winked at me. “I was fifteen years old.”

  “Fifteen? You knew you were going to be with Mom for the rest of your life at the age of fifteen?”

  He nodded his head and stood up. “Garrett, love doesn’t know age.” He turned and walked out of the barn.

  I sat there for a few minutes and thought about Emma. She was so sweet and innocent, such a firecracker. I smiled and shook my head, remembering how she’d reacted when she thought I had kissed another girl.

  Next time I see Emma Rose Birk, I’m asking her out to eat.

  I heard a car pulling up, so I stood up and walked over to Mary Lou—my paint horse I’d gotten for Christmas from my parents. I gave her a good scratch before heading out to meet the new doctor. I turned the corner and started making my way back to our white clapboard house, and then I stopped in my tracks.

  Emma?

  What is Emma doing on our ranch? Oh shit. She’s fixin’ to eat dinner in my house…at my kitchen table!

  I just stood there, unable to move. She was dressed in a purple poodle skirt and white collared shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail with a purple-and-white piece of fabric tied in her hair. She was smiling as our parents were greeting each other. My father looked up, and when his eyes met mine, I was almost one hundred percent sure he saw the fear in my eyes.

  He smiled and shook his head. “Garrett? Come on over and make the proper introductions.”

  Emma turned and looked at me. Her smile instantly faded. My heart dropped. I was beginning to think that Emma Birk didn’t feel the same way about me as I did her. Maybe Billy had been right.
Maybe he was the better guy for her. I flashed her a smile and started to walk toward everyone.

  I put out my hand as I introduced myself to Emma’s father. “Hello, sir. I’m Garrett Mathews. It’s a pleasure to have you here in Mason.” Looking at Emma’s mother, I took her hand in mine and kissed the back of it. “Mrs. Birk, it’s an honor to meet you.”

  She let out a little laugh. “My goodness, you have certainly raised him right, Thomas and Julia.”

  My parents both chuckled. I turned to Emma and held out my hand for hers, but she didn’t move.

  I dropped my hand to my side. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Emma.”

  She gave me a tight smile and looked away.

  Yep, I don’t need any more signs. Emma Birk is clearly not interested in me one bit.

  Fall 1956

  I walked off the football field and let out a curse. I was sick of chasing after someone who couldn’t care less about me. When I glanced up into the stands after the game, I couldn’t help but notice that Michael Draft was sitting next to Emma, talking to her. She was laughing and seemed to be having fun.

  I walked up and asked her out—again. And she turned me down—yet again.

  I threw my helmet down and slammed my locker. Someone hit me on the shoulder, and I turned to see Billy standing there.

  “She say no again?”

  I nodded my head. “Yes. I’m about ready to just give up. I’ve never chased after a girl as hard as I have with her.”

  Billy let out a laugh. “That’s why I moved on weeks ago.”

  I smiled as I sat down, and then I looked up at him. “Margie, huh?”

  His face turned red. “Don’t even start with me, Mathews. It’s just one date to see how it goes.”

  I nodded my head and laughed. “If you say so, but I’m pretty sure the two of you have had a thing for each other for some time now.”

  After I changed, I made my way out of the locker room and to the parking lot. I saw Emma leaning against Margie’s car, and Michael was still talking to her. When she looked over at me, I didn’t give her my normal smile. Her smile faded a bit, and I turned my head as I walked toward my truck. I didn’t have the energy today to deal with any more rejection from Emma.

  Reaching my truck, I threw my stuff in the bed and opened the door. One quick look behind me showed that Emma was watching me. When she lifted up her hand and waved good-bye, I ignored her and jumped in.

  I slammed my head back against my seat and let out a curse word. “Now? Now, she decides to give me some sort of response.” I shook my head and closed my eyes as I thought back to the Halloween dance when I asked her out.

  “Emma, you look darling as a ghost!” Margie said with a laugh.

  I smiled as I watched Emma come skipping out of her house. She was dressed up as a ghost for a Halloween party we were all going to.

  “Thanks! My mother helped me with it,” Emma said as I held the door open for her.

  The whole way to Peggy’s house, Margie and Emma talked about school.

  I rolled my eyes and said, “Can y’all, for once, not talk about school?”

  Margie laughed. “Who are you going to ask to dance with first, Garrett?”

  I smiled. “Emma.”

  Emma let out a laugh. “I think I’m going to sit out dancing today since I would have a hard time dancing in this outfit.”

  I shook my head and said, “We’ll see.”

  Three hours later and after ten attempts to get Emma to dance with me, she finally gave in. “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” by Elvis Presley began playing, and I walked up and took Emma’s hand in mine. I brought her out to the makeshift dance floor. She didn’t say a word, so neither did I. When the song ended, I pulled back and looked into her eyes.

  She smiled slightly. “Thank you for the dance, but I really need to get back home. I have a test I need to study for.”

  I closed my eyes and quickly opened them. “Emma—”

  “Garrett, please. I’m not interested in dating anyone. I like you, but—”

  “But what? Emma, I really like you…a lot, and I’m not going to stop asking you out until you say yes.”

  Her smile faded. “Garrett, you’re wasting your time.”

  She turned and walked away, and I stood there gutted—again.

  Someone knocking on my window snapped me out of my memory. I looked over to see Billy standing there.

  I rolled the window down. “What’s up?”

  “Party down at the wall tonight. You coming?” Billy asked with a smile.

  I glanced back at Emma, and she was no longer looking in my direction.

  “Who’s all going?” I asked, not looking at Billy.

  “Everyone! Raymond scored some alcohol.”

  I looked back to Emma as Michael was reaching down, saying something in Emma’s ear. Emma nodded her head, and as he turned and walked away, she looked over toward my truck.

  What game is she playing?

  “Is Emma going?” I asked as I watched her get into Margie’s car.

  Margie called out for Billy.

  Billy glanced back and yelled, “Give me two seconds, and I’ll be right there.” He turned back and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Garrett, don’t stop fighting for her. Margie said she knows for a fact that Emma likes you.”

  I gave him a weak smile. “Yeah, I don’t think so, but whatever. I’ll go tonight.”

  He said, “Yes! By the way, Emma will be there.”

  I started up my truck and put it in drive. “I’m sure she will. Looks like her and Michael just made plans.”

  Billy took a few steps back, and I floored the gas, peeling out before making my way home.

  I spent the whole night watching Emma talk to everyone but me. I ran my hand through my hair and took a drink of beer. My father was going to kill me for drinking, but I didn’t care. I needed to let loose once in a while. I had been sitting on the old rock wall, watching everyone dance and talk. I even watched some couples make out before sneaking off to probably have sex in a car or in the woods. Wall parties were rare, but when we did have them, everyone would go all out. Booze, sex, and more booze were usually involved.

  Billy’s truck was pulled up and parked near the wall, and the radio was blasting so loud that it sounded as if it were right by my ear. I jumped off the rock wall and made my way over to Raymond to get another beer.

  “Garrett! Man, awesome playing on the football field tonight,” Wayne called out. He was already on his way to being drunk.

  “You driving, Wayne?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Nope. Anna is driving, and she knows better than to drink anything, or her daddy will take her precious car away.”

  I laughed and nodded my head. I quickly looked around and saw Emma talking to Margie, Peggy, and Billy. I made my way over, and I heard “Love Me Tender” by Elvis starting to play.

  “Emma, would you like to dance?” I asked, expecting her to say no.

  She smiled and nodded her head. She held out her hand, and I took it in mine. I moved us a little bit away from everyone. I brought her into my arms and held her the closest I’d ever had her.

  “Why do you fight me so much, Emma?” I felt her stiffen in my arms.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said as she pulled back and looked into my eyes.

  I smiled and pulled her to me again. As I listened to the song, I prayed she would give in to me.

  The song ended, and Emma pulled back slightly and smiled.

  “Emma…I’ve been in—”

  Then, someone started yelling out, “Fire!”

  I quickly looked up and saw Hank Hunter running toward us.

  He stopped right in front of me. “A wildfire is heading straight toward your family’s cattle ranch.”

  “What?” Emma and I said at the same time.

  I took off running to my truck as I heard Billy yelling at Margie to get home. I didn’t even stop to think about anything or anyone e
lse. I needed to get to the ranch.

  The next six hours were spent fighting the flames to keep them from jumping the river and hitting our ranch. I wasn’t sure how we’d managed to get that fire under control, but we did. I was sitting against a tree when I felt someone kick my boot. I opened my eyes and saw my father standing there.

  “I’m proud of you, Garrett. You showed me today what I’ve always known.”

  I slowly stood up and smiled. His words meant more to me than my father would ever know.

  “I’d rather die than see anything happen to this ranch,” I said.

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Spoken like a true rancher. Now, get your butt home. Get yourself cleaned up, and get some sleep. Your mother is probably worried sick, and when she sees your face, she is probably going to get after me for letting you get hurt.”

  I nodded as I touched my forehead, and I let out a gasp. I brought my hand down and saw that it was covered in blood. “I didn’t even know I was hurt,” I said.

  “Get on home, son,” my father said.

  I was not about to stand there and argue. I was exhausted and more than ready to get some sleep.

  I made it back to the house and climbed out of my truck. I glanced up to see a bunch of women gathered on our porch. I didn’t even bother to scan them all to see who they were. I just needed a hot bath and my bed.

  Then, I heard her laughing. I walked up the stairs and saw Emma doing something to Billy’s arm. I knew he had cut it pretty bad earlier, and my father had told him to head here and have it cleaned up. When I saw Emma place her hand on the side of Billy’s face as she smiled at him, my heart dropped to my stomach. I was frozen, unable to move at all.

  She turned, and her eyes met mine. She was still smiling, but when she saw me, her smile immediately dropped. She brought her hands up to her mouth and shook her head. She walked up to me, and she was about to reach out and touch my face when I took a step back.

  “Don’t touch me,” I whispered.

  She looked confused. “What?”

  I looked back at Billy, who looked at me funny.

  “Garrett, oh my gosh! You’re bleeding,” Emma said as she reached out to me again.