Moments that define us

Chapter Two

Jameson

There was something about a rainstorm in the summer that had me giddy. I couldn't tell you if it was the way it felt against my heated skin, or the memories it brought back from splashin' in the puddles it made in my maw's yard. Either way, todays had me giddy for an entirely different reason.

"You daydreamin' about that pretty little thing you were talkin' to?" Mac, my best friend asked from the passenger seat of my truck. He was 6'1 with short blonde hair and brown eyes, and he loved to have a good time no matter where he was at.

My grin was slow and wide, and I couldn't bite it back if I tried. That pretty little thing was definitely the reason for my smile. Emily was shorter than girls I had dated in the past, about 5'3, with light brown hair down to her waist, and eyes the prettiest emerald I have ever seen.

"I see that grin over there. You get her number or what?" Mac was relentless when it came to getting answers from me.

"Yeah I got her number, and a date for this Saturday night. We're going to the drive inn, out in Judy, in Montgomery County." I couldn't wait to see her again, even though I never knew how long I would be in one place. That downside to my job. We were always traveling.

"I see you thinkin' too hard over there. Just go have some fun. You ain't done that in a while. Heck maybe I should tag along and teach you a little about fun." I gave him a sidelong look and the guy just smirked. "I'm just messin' with ya, but seriously don't overthink it. You will be fine." He was a good guy with a good head on his shoulders even if life wasn't the easiest on him. He went into the army right after we graduated while I went to trade school. His high school girlfriend decided to leave him after a year for another guy, and he was honorably discharged after two years, after being under attack and sustaining injuries that took a while to heal. After he got all healed up he went to trade school and followed me on the road. After 8 years of being home, he still had nightmares that I didn't know how he handled. By the grace of God is the only thing I can imagine.

"I know. You're right. Just haven't been good since Mandy." He knew what I meant. That girl had been my best friend since we were growing up running in that red dirt in Alabama. She was my life at one point. Then she just decided she couldn't be with a man who traveled all the time. It had been two years since she left me, and that ring I had given to her the summer I was eighteen is now somewhere in the Atlantic.

"It's time to get back on the horse, and leave the past where it belongs. That girl was awful pretty today. Just focus on the good, and getting a fresh start. It's time we both get on with our lives." He was right. We both needed to move forward.

Emily's beautiful face flashed before my eyes, and all of a sudden I was excited to see where the future lead me. Maybe Kentucky is where I was meant to be.