It wasn’t too far out of the way, but we’d be late to the lesson regardless. 

A few minutes later, I pulled up our driveway and got out at the same time as Avery. I was getting the key ready when she let out a little shriek. I followed her line of sight to the front porch, where Pudding was sitting like she’d been waiting this whole time.

“Pudding!” Avery squealed, running up the steps. The cat unfolded her tail, standing with the anticipation of being pet. She scooped her up, hugging her tight. “Mama, do you see her?”

“I do. She looks so happy.” Really, the cat’s face was squished against Avery’s cheek and she squirmed slightly. “Let’s get her inside before she takes off again.”

I unlocked the door, letting Avery in first, and made sure to shut it fully before Avery set her down. Pudding instantly rolled to her back with her tail swishing. 

“I didn’t think she would come back!” Avery exclaimed, bending to pet her belly.

I could hear the cat’s purring from here. “Do you still want to go to your lesson?” She looked too excited to leave the cat so soon.

“Yeah, I wanna go! Pudding will be here when we get back, won’t you?” She looked down at the cat for an answer, giving her a rub on her cheek. 

“Alright, then. Get your boots or we’re going to be late.” Even though we already were with our little detour.

Avery bent to kiss Pudding on the top of her head, then jumped up and ran to her bedroom. Seconds later, she reappeared, pink boots in hand.

“Anything else you need to grab?” I asked.

She shook her head. “All good.”

I ushered her out the door, making sure that Pudding stayed put. Locking the door, we hurried back to the car, and I waited to pull out until Avery was buckled in.

She swapped her shoes for the boots on our way there, humming along to the song on the radio. The sky was slightly overcast, but as far as I was aware, the forecast hadn’t called for rain. If it did, I just hoped it held off until Avery’s lesson was over.

As we pulled up, Callan was coming out of the barn with a black box in his hands. He wore a casual smile under his dirt-stained cowboy hat, and in that moment, I wanted to forget about everything else and soak him in. He looked like the sunshine peeking through the clouds that had hovered over me for far too long.

“Sage, Avery,” he greeted as we got out.

“Guess what!” Avery squealed as she approached him.

“What?” he questioned with a small chuckle at her excitement. 

“Pudding came home today!”

He seemed a bit shocked at first, but quickly wiped it away with a bigger grin. “I told you our little trick would work. Which flavor food drew her in?”

Avery scrunched her face. “Salmon.”

“Ah. Typical fish to lure in a cat.”

Avery’s eyes fell to the box, like she hadn’t seen it at first. “What’s that?”

“It’s for you.” He knelt down so she had a better angle to open the lid on the box.

“For me?”

“Yep. It’s a gift.”

Avery swiveled her head to look at me. “Can I open it?”  

“Of course.”

She turned back around and gently slid off the lid, then peeled away a piece of plastic wrapping. I peered over her shoulder, seeing something pink in the middle.

Avery reached in and pulled out a helmet, all pink with black straps. I didn’t have to look to know she had the biggest smile on her face.

“A pink helmet!” she exclaimed with a little jump.

“Now you don’t have to borrow any of the ones here,” Callan said, setting the lid back on the box.

“It’s all mine?” she asked.

Callan nodded. “All yours, Aves.”

I was already smiling, but it grew with the use of the nickname. Something about it felt more personal. I called her that all the time, along with a few other people, but Callan saying it felt different. It felt like another step into whatever this was between us.

“Can you help me move the strap thingies?” she asked.

He nodded. “Put it on.” 

She did, then he reached up under her chin and adjusted the straps so it fit her nice and snug. “How’s that?”

She tossed her head back and forth to be sure. “It’s perfect,” she replied, and then threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck with such force that he almost fell back on his ass.

He looked at me, a few pieces of her hair clinging to the stubble on his jaw. He was…beaming.

“Thank you,” she murmured into his shoulder.

“You deserved to have one of your own,” he said.

She let him go and stepped back as he rose. “Can we ride now?” 

He nodded, and fuck, I could truly watch the two of them interact all damn day.

“We can ride.”

***

Rain didn’t come for the entirety of Avery’s lesson, the looming storm having mercy on us before it decided to strike. I’d watched the entire time, only taking my eyes off of Avery to check the driveway behind me. Though no cars drove up it, my mind was playing tricks on me, making me imagine the sound of tires on gravel when there was none.

He hasn’t found me. We’re okay.

And even if he had somehow managed to figure out where Avery and I were, I had to believe that Callan wouldn’t let anything happen to us. I needed to tell him what was going on, but I was scared that it would make him run the other way. 

The last thing I wanted to do was put all my baggage on his shoulders when we’d just started getting to know each other.