The Paralyzed Dream (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty Four

         "Hey, Slade?" Lacey called out into the barn, looking for her boyfriend.

          "Hey, darlin'." Slade greeted with a smile, walking back in the barn from dumping some manure in the spreader outside. 

          "How much more do you have to get done out here?" Lacey asked, following him around the barn.

           "I'm done now. Why? You miss me or something?" Slade teased, leaning closer to Lacey with a smile. 

            "You need a shower, cowboy." Lacey played back, seeing how sweaty and dirty Slade was from working outside all day. "Yes, I did miss you, but that wasn't why I came out here." Pulling out her phone, Lacey read Brooke's text to Slade. Brooke had asked if she and Slade wanted to hang out with her tonight.

            "Sure. What time does she want us to meet her? And where?" Slade wiped a hand over his forehead. 

           "Umm...well, she was wondering if we could pick her up in about forty five minutes? She lives about twenty five minutes from here." 

           "Yeah, that's fine. I'm goin' to run upstairs and change clothes, but then I will be ready to leave." Slade smiled, leaning forward to kiss Lacey's cheek. "You are so beautiful." He was still only centimeters from Lacey; his breath tickling her neck. 

           "You aren't so bad yourself, handsome." Lacey couldn't hide the blush that she knew was evident. Once Slade pulled back, Lacey said after him, "Take a shower while you're up there. You smell horrible." 

         "Maybe I smell horrible, but it's only because I am workin' hard to make money so I can take you out on dates. Or, maybe I don't smell bad; maybe it's my new cologne. I call it 'la scent of la barn.'" Slade pursed his lips and made an "O" with his fingers for emphasis. 

        Slade's goofiness made Lacey laugh. "Go take a shower, you weirdo." Lacey teased, turning to roll out of the barn. Shaking her head at Slade, Lacey realized how much more she had found herself smiling recently. Her smile only grew as she knew it was all thanks to Slade.

                                                     ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        "Make a left at the next street and Brooke's house is the first one on the left." Lacey gave Slade the directions on how to get to her best friend's house. She was only partially surprised that she remembered how to get to Brooke's house without needing directions, considering it had been about six months since she had been to her best friend's house. 

         When Slade pulled into Brooke's driveway, Lacey could already see Brooke sitting on her front porch, clearly excitedly waiting for the couple to pick her up. Sure enough, before Slade's truck could even come to a full stop, Brooke came barreling down the steps, flinging open the passenger side door, and hopping in to the truck. 

          "Hey, how are y'all? I've missed y'all so much!" Brooke said excitedly, giving Lacey a side hug. 

         "We have been good. I'm so happy that you texted me this evening. It's been too long since we have gotten to hang out." Lacey smiled, continuing the conversation with Brooke as Slade drove them into town. 

         "Well, I figured that my parents are out of town for the week and I got all of the chores done, so what better way to spend the weekend than to hang out with my best friend?" Brooke pulled out her phone when it buzzed. It was her mom calling. Excusing herself, Brooke answered the call.

         Lacey smiled at Slade when he grabbed her hand as he drove. She was glad that her dad had let them take one of the newer trucks that wasn't a stick shift; that way, Slade could actually hold Lacey's hand while he drove, instead of needing to shift often. "Thanks for comin' along, and for drivin' us." She smiled up at Slade.