“Nothing like your parents riding up on horseback to kill the mood,” Luke said as he got up and held out his hand to help me up.
I started wiping grass off myself when Jeff laughed. “Jesus, I swear I’m looking at you and me, Ari.”
Ari giggled. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
I bit my lip and looked away. Jeff and Ari were like second parents to me. I was internally fist pumping Luke and I hadn’t made it any further than kissing.
Ari jumped off her horse and walked over to me. She held out her arm and I accepted it as she began walking me away from Luke and Jeff.
“Wow, what we rode up on was some pretty hot and heavy kissing.”
Smiling, I looked down at the ground. “Yeah.”
“I have to tell you, Libby. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my son walking on cloud nine like he has ever since y’all came back from the beach. I’ve never seen him so happy.”
My eyes snapped over to Ari. “Really?” I asked.
She chuckled. “Really. I’ve also never seen such a glow on your face.”
My heart stopped. The practical joke. Oh Shit. Did Luke ever tell Jeff he was kidding?
“I’m not pregnant, Ari. I swear. It was a joke Luke wanted to play on Jeff and I went along with it. I swear to you that we always use protection when we have sex.” My hand went up to my mouth as I gasped. “Oh God. I just told you we have sex all the time.”
The corner of Ari’s mouth rose. “You didn’t say all the time.”
I moaned. “Um … well no it’s not like we’re having sex all the time.” I giggled nervously. “Just whenever we can make it happen and—” Oh God shut up, Libby. Stop talking.
I stopped walking and placed my hands on my knees as I bent over and inhaled a deep breath. “Where is the closest rock?”
Ari leaned over and looked up at me. “Libby, take a deep breath and stand back up, sweetheart.”
I did as she said. “Ari, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to say all that. It’s just. Well, to be honest with you, sometimes this just feels like a dream.” I wrapped my arms around myself as I thought about the last few weeks with Luke. The romantic picnics, the passionate lovemaking in the bed of his truck, the long walks along the river just talking. “I never thought in my wildest dreams love would be so, amazing!”
Ari chuckled. “It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Ari motioned for me to sit down on a rock next to her.
“To be in love with your best friend, and to share such—” I looked over at Luke’s mother and blushed.
She smiled and said, “Go on.”
“Well, to share such passionate moments with him where he just sweeps me off my feet. I don’t want it to ever end. Please tell me it never stops being this way.”
Ari pulled back and made a funny face. “My son sweeps you off your feet, huh?”
Smiling, I nodded my head. “All the time.”
“Really? He must have learned that from me!”
We both giggled as Ari took my hand. “It never ends, darling. Sure, that new love phase wears off, but the key is to keep it alive. Even after all these years when, Jeff walks up behind me and wraps his arms around me, my stomach just drops.”
I sighed as I listened to Ari talk about her and Jeff’s love. “And the smile. Oh lord, Jeff has this smile that I swear about drops me to my knees.”
“Yes! Luke does, too. I feel butterflies when he smiles at me like that. It’s like I’m his …”
“Everything.”
Ari and I both threw our heads back and laughed when we spoke at the same time.