Strawberry Wine ✓

Chapter 7

"What's this?" I ask when I see Jimmy exiting the back of the house with a basket the next day.

"Well, we didn't really get to celebrate your birthday so I figured this could be something." He says shyly.

"I think that's really sweet. Let's go." I say and we mount up and take off.

"I wanna show you one of my favorite places on the land." I say after we'd been riding for a while. I lead him up an embankment and we start up the mountain. We come to a break in the trees and can see over the entire town.

"It's beautiful up here." Jimmy comments.

I nod. "I found this place one summer when I had 'run away'. Mother had been trying to get me out of the barn and to a society thing with the other little heathens in town. Out here, in a fancy dress, and I felt like I was free." He nods.

We spend the rest of the morning up on that hill, eating the lunch he had Cook prepare for us. Before it gets too late, we head back to the house, once again racing. We're right before the finish line when I see we have company. "Shit." I say lowly.

"Why'd you stop? I don't want to win if it's not fair." Jimmy says as he trots back to me. He follows my line of sight. "Who're they?"

"Those high society heathens I told you about."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Let me see what they want and get them gone." I say as I swing my leg out of the stirrup and dismount. I go to lead my horse back to the barn but Jimmy grabs the reins and leads her inside. "I didn't need you to do that for me!" I yell after him.

"Oh my gosh Dallas!" Cressida yells as I approach them. "We missed you for the rest of the night at the party. You never did get a chance to introduce us to your lovely guest." She says, eyeing Jimmy.

"You're right. I didn't." They all look excited but I just head inside. They all groan before following me inside.

...

It was late before they all finally decided it was time to go. I had been held hostage all day, no escape in sight. "Now Dallas, before we go, we simply must see that new horse your daddy was sayin' he was givin' you for your birthday." I groan. The only reason they wanted to go to the barn was to try and catch a glimpse of Jimmy and I wasn't ready for him to meet Society Barbie and her gaggle of phonies.

But I turn around and plaster a big (fake) smile on my face. "Of course. Follow me." I say before leading them out to the barn. I take them down to the yearling's stall and show her off.

"Oh she is gorgeous." Cressida says before our attention is drawn away by Jimmy coming into the barn. "Dallas, who is this hunk of a man?" I roll my eyes as they run over to Jimmy, with me leading up the rear.

"Jimmy, this is Cressida, Juniper, Willow, and Mabel. Ladies, this is Jimmy..."

"Her boyfriend." He finishes, causing my cheeks to turn bright red. I smile as I look down at the ground.

"Dallas, I always said you had the best taste in men." Cressida says, raking her eyes up and down Jimmy's form.

"Actually, no you haven't. Now if y'all don't mind, it's getting late and some of us have chores we need to see to in the morning." I say, pushing them out of the barn. They all load up into Cressida's dad's town car and leave, screaming bye to Jimmy out the window as he walked out to stand beside me. "Boyfriend huh?" I ask as we walk back to into the barn and I grab Starlight, taking her out to brush her down for the night.

"Well, uh..." he tries to explain.

"It was nice. I liked it." I say, looking at him over Starlight's back.

He looks up. "Well we never had the conversation but I'm hoping I could take you out on Thursday, on a real date? It's my early night. We could go into town and grab dinner. Maybe see a movie. I hear this one, Titanic, is supposed to be really good."

I smile at him. "That sounds great." He places a kiss on my cheek before heading to the bunk house and I head to the house, excited for what Thursday would bring.