IN MY WILDEST DREAMS

Here's a peek at one of Lynzi's dreams, her first glimpse of Layne's world. This is a country girl's dream come true.

An incredibly blue sky filled with big, fluffy marshmallow clouds framed the bright, warm sun. I drew in a breath and filled my lungs with fresh, country air.

To my left, a barn sat on the edge of a grove of mature pecan trees, their branches heavy with the new crop. Painted a rustic red, the barn had weathered well. Two oversized doors trimmed in white with braces creating the letter ‘X’ on the top and bottom halves were open but no one appeared to be around.

A small flock of gray geese scouted the grassy areas around the barn for bugs and grass seed. A big white rooster stood guard over his flock of hens and chicks while they scratched and pecked the ground, picking up bits of corn and wheat.

For miles around the barn in every direction, the pastureland was covered with thick, lush grass. A herd of beautiful horses grazed lazily.

Sunlight glinted off the pond to the right of the barn. A family of mallards swam and played in the edge of the water. I wandered closer to the pond to watch the baby ducks play in the water as if they were expert swimmers. The mother duck and her five newly hatched ducklings swam and dunked their heads under water in search of tiny, wiggly, water creatures for their supper. Cute and fluffy, I guessed the ducklings were only a few days old.

Moving closer to the pond for a drink was a black mare and her newborn baby. The sight of the foal, unsure and clumsy afoot, learning to run brought a smile to my face. After their drink, the mare, solid black with a white star on her forehead edged carefully toward me. Amazed that she didn’t seem to be the least bit frightened, I held up my hand slowly to let her become aware of my scent. She sniffed the air and seemed comfortable enough to allow me to scratch her ears.

“Aw, you like that, don’t you, big girl?” I asked. “What a sweetheart you are.” To my amazement she nodded as if she understood everything I said and leaned in for even more attention.

Behind me, the barn door banged against the wall. I caught sight of a tall man dressed in jeans and a plaid western shirt leaning against the door, one leg crossed over the other and his arms folded over his chest. His hair, trimmed above his ears, was raven black and combed to the side.

There was something familiar about his stance, but the shade from the pecan tree near the barn door made it difficult for me to make out his identity.

A strange sensation washed over me and compelled me to walk toward the barn, my gaze locked on the man by the door. He uncrossed his arms and legs to stand straight as if to walk out to meet me but then he turned and stepped inside the barn.

I continued until I reached the entrance. I hesitated. I realized for safety’s sake I probably shouldn’t go inside.

Pausing in the doorway while my eyes adjusted to the darkness inside, I took one cautious step.

All the windows were closed. I could only see a few feet in front of me. Afraid to go too far into the unknown, I had decided to go outside when the creak of a rusty hinge caught my attention. Propped against the first stall was the tall, dark-haired man I had seen earlier.

“Hey,” I said. No response. “I was with horses out at the pond. They’re beautiful. Are they yours?”

“Sorta. I have a partner,” he said.

“I’m Lynzi.”

“It’s good to see you again, Lynzi.”

“Again? I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

Does she?

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