Chance Encounters

“I miss it so much.” Caroline glanced up at the blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds and smiled.

Clay grabbed Caroline’s bags and closed the trunk. “I’ll bring these to your room, okay?”

“Thanks, babe,” she said as she followed him into the house. “Mom? Dad?”

“Maybe they’re still shopping for the engagement party.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Do you want me to wait with you until one of them gets back?”

“No, of course not. Go home. Tell your parents I said hi and I’ll see you all tomorrow for the party.”

“All right.” Clay bent down and sweetly kissed her mouth. “I love you,” he said as his eyes twinkled.

“I love you, too.” She watched as Clay headed out the front door and felt relief wash over her.

****

Jackson stroked the dark mane as his horse’s body moved with grace underneath his legs. He loved riding and it was the one thing he missed most on the days he lived in the city. With a gentle tug of the reins, Lily came to a slow stop and Jackson quickly hopped off. He nuzzled into the side of her brown face and gave her a quick pat. “Don’t worry, Lil, I won’t be long,” he said gently as he tied her reins around a large tree.

Shattered boards and splintered pieces of wood littered the ground around him. He knelt in the dirt to get a better look. He scratched his head. “That’s weird. It looks like it was broken right through.”

A dark shadow crossed over him and he tilted his head toward the sky. Ominous charcoal-colored clouds lingered in the sky above him, looking angry and warring. They hardly moved in any direction and Jackson noticed how they increased in size as the color turned even darker. “Get to work before these clouds dump on you, idiot,” he said out loud.

He quickly hammered at the broken boards and replaced the old shattered pieces with new, perfect ones. Subconsciously, his thoughts gravitated toward Caroline. The color of her green eyes drifted into his mind and he smacked the side of his head with his free hand. He winced at the self-inflicted blow. Pieces of conversations replayed until he shouted into the air around him, “Just leave me alone! You didn’t want me! Get out of my head!” He slammed his boots into the dirt and pieces flew in every direction.

He hated that he had allowed himself to feel so much for someone who was never available to him. He also hated how he let himself believe that they could end up together. His heart had definitely convinced his mind that she would leave her boyfriend for him. And when she didn’t—well, everything changed. He stopped believing in love. And even though he allowed himself to date Sally from the bar, he didn’t allow himself to feel a single thing for her.

Rain started to fall lightly as Jackson finished up the final board. He fastened the tools back onto his belt and headed toward the horse that watched his every move. The rain fell harder as each drop crashed into a branch, or leaf, the sounds building to a crescendo all around him. Lily pulled tightly at the reins with a nervous whinny, her tugging only securing the knot further.

Jackson stroked her neck slowly, hoping to reassure her. “Okay, girl, we’re leaving.” He worked at the knot as lightning lit up the sky and thunder rumbled in the distance. Lily refused to keep her large body still, clearly spooked by the storm. Jackson continued to fight with the knot until it loosened. He quickly unwrapped the leather from the tree as lightning blasted through the sky and struck the ground in front of him.

He jumped back as Lily bucked violently and stood on her hind legs, half crazed. Jackson fought fiercely with her, but knew he was no match for a full-sized horse. She was out of control and Jackson did everything in his power to calm her and regain control. He wrapped the reins tightly around his hands.

“It’s okay, Lily. Calm down. Calm down,” he shouted through the battering storm. He held onto her reins as securely as he could. He tried to pull her head down and hold her steady, but she wouldn’t stop bucking. Another bolt of lightning shot out from the now almost black sky and Jackson realized he couldn’t hold on any longer.

He desperately tried to unwrap the reins he had just wrapped so tightly from around his hands. He knew that if he didn’t get them undone quickly, Lily could take off and he would be powerless to do anything except drag along behind her.

Lily continued to buck and kick in fear as Jackson frantically tried to get loose. “Come on! Come on!” he screamed into the pounding rain and wind. “Almost got it,” he thought as Lily kicked one final time with ferocity. He watched helplessly as her back leg came into view. “Lily, N-!” he screamed as his body suddenly slammed violently into the ground below. Blood spilled from the side of his head, mixing with the rain and dirt. Jackson lay there motionless as Lily ran off, dragging the loose reins behind her.

Jackson drifted in and out of consciousness. He tried to move, but didn’t have the strength. The rain fell mercilessly against his face and stung whenever it struck the open wound in his head. He closed his eyes and wondered if anyone would come for him, or if he would die in that field, all alone.

Caroline’s face flashed in his mind and this time he welcomed the image. She smiled as strands of sun-streaked blonde hair fell in front of her eyes. I love you, he heard her voice say. Instinctively, he reached out to touch her, but the image faded. As he drifted between states of awareness, all he could think about was her. His eyes slammed shut and blackness enveloped him.

****

Bailey bounced happily into Caroline’s bedroom wearing a dark blue, knee-length dress. Caroline stopped fussing with her hair and turned. “Wow, Bails, you look stunning!”

Bailey twirled around. “Thanks! Now what’s going on with you?”

“I don’t know what the hell to do with my hair.” Caroline turned back to the mirror.

“I’ll do it for you,” Bailey said as she reached for the hot curling iron.

“Thank God.” Caroline watched as pieces of her long blond hair were twirled delicately around the heated iron.

“It’s the last time I’ll ask, I promise. But have you heard from him?”