“Just finished.” Summer replies, standing, and she begins cleaning up.
“Daddy, today I get to go fishing, right?” Jonah asks, jumping up and down.
“You sure do, Mr. Arlington should be here soon,” Victor explains at Summer's look of confusion.
“He has a son Jonah's age, and they are going fishing in the pond on his property. You better get moving if you are going to change before they get here. Miss Tarrah is waiting to help.”
“Yes, sir, bye!” Jonah runs from the room and Summer laughs.
“It will be good for him to be outside.”
“How about you, would you care to go on a ride with me? I have something I would like to show you?” Victor asks with a small smile.
“I'd love to. I haven't ridden in ages. Just let me change.” She rushes out of the room, and he laughs at her excitement.
“Meet me by the stables,” Victor yells as she passes through the doors.
Summer has been riding since she was a little girl. She wears a split skirt with a cape over her shirt and her riding boots. She doesn’t bother to tie her hair back, November is cold and windy. A quick check in her mirror to make sure everything is in place and she nearly runs out the door while pulling on her gloves on. As she reaches the front door, she can see Victor leaving the stables with two horses in tow. He has already saddled them and is waiting as she walks up from the short walk from the house.
Victor looks at her with a smile and hands her the reins of one of the horses. “You look beautiful my love. You do realize you didn't have to run. We have all afternoon, and honestly, I would wait an eternity for you.” He looks at her flushed face and leans in slowly wrapping his free arm around her waist. His face and mouth drag a slow path down the side of her neck, and he inhales deeply smelling her hair and skin. A light bite on her ear lobe has chills running all along her body, and he feels her pull him in tight to her embrace. As he steps back, he looks into her eyes, “Although, I do enjoy seeing your cheeks flushed with excitement.” A light kiss to her lips, and he turns pulling himself onto his horse, smiling as he looks down at her.
Flustered, she laughs at him swinging herself onto the horses back. “I think that should be enough of that or we won’t ever get out of the stables. My heavens you make me weak in the knees!”
Victor laughs, he turns his horse around to head to the back of his property at a slow trot. Summer kicks her horse and follows him. They cross the land behind Victor’s house towards a distant patch of trees.
“Victor where are you taking me?” She asks as she pulls her horse up beside him.
“I find that I'm in need of some private time with you. I have missed your touch. Follow me.” He rides slowly through some weeping willows, and soon he stops completely dropping off his horse. It is quickly tied to a tree and Summer follows his lead.
A smile hovers on her lips. “I’ve missed you too, Victor.”
“Good, then you won't mind if I can't wait any longer.” He hugs her close, and the heat from his body envelops her. She looks up and watches as his mouth descends slowly towards her. When they are but a breath apart, he stops and nips at her bottom lip. Summer jumps and her smile fades replaced by hunger.
He sucks her bottom lip softly into his mouth, and his hands slip under her cape trailing up the sides of her body. His thumbs stroke around brushing the bottom of her breasts. Her gasp heats his desire. The kiss deepens, and this time she takes the lead. Her hand grasps the back of his neck, and her fingers thread through his black hair finally fisting a hand full tightly as she ravishes his mouth.
Heat matches heat and hunger for hunger. Victor spins around with her and backs her into the rough texture of a tree. Summer doesn’t care, her laughter has him slowing down. “You are driving me to distraction,” he growls and pulls away.
“That makes two of us,” she says, reaching for him.
“No, that’s not why I brought you here. I have a gift for you.” He takes her hand and tucks it into his arm.
“Victor, you do not need to give me anything else.”
“I know that, Summer. I wanted to do this for you. For us. It's just past the trees.” Slowly they walk through the trees, and she notices a path that has been cleared of leaves. It leads to an opening in a clearing, with a wrought iron fence and gate surrounding a small family cemetery.
Victor stops walking and opens the latch on the gate. “This is the Yates family cemetery. My grandparents are buried here.” He gestures to two headstones sitting close together. “My wife, Mary is buried here.” Slowly he walks through the stones to the corner under a weeping willow tree. “She loved these trees.”
Summer loops her arm through his and stares down at the stone, reading, ‘Beloved wife and mother. Mary Yates.’ “She was lucky to be loved by you,” she whispers. Victor kisses her head and turns to her.
“I’m glad you think so. That is not why I brought you here.” He turns and walks away, dropping her arm. He stops at the corner where a stone bench sits overlooking the cemetery. In front of the bench are three new stones. The large center stone
