“Oh, somewhere in Europe. Anywhere in Europe, really. I’d love to see all the museums, art galleries, churches and castles that are thousands of years old, be surrounded by all that history. Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

As someone who hadn’t even been out of the state, Ryan couldn’t begin to comprehend the idea of traveling to such faraway places.

“Sure would,” he said.

For the next few minutes, he rode in silence and listened to her talk about towns and places he’d never heard of, exotic parts of the world he’d never imagined he would get to see. He had known this girl for only a short amount of time, but it was amazing how relaxed he felt around her. They chatted as though they were long lost friends. Ryan had never experienced such an instant connection with anyone like this before.

His good mood, however, was short-lived. When they reached the outermost field of the ranch, he heard a clamorous sound coming from inside the barn. Amy could hear it too, a chorus of impatient nickering and neighing.

“Oh no,” he said.

Amy looked across at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Me being forgetful is what’s wrong. I didn’t think we’d be gone so long.”

It was all Ryan’s fault. He had been so distracted with Amy that he had forgotten about his other horses—horses who had just spent the entire afternoon confined to their stalls, bored, hot, and no doubt very hungry.

“Would you mind waiting a few minutes before I drove you back?”

“No problem. Is everything okay?”

“I need to let the horses out into the field, give them a chance to stretch their legs.” With dusk settling over the valley, Ryan figured there might only be thirty minutes of light left—just enough time for a short wander and graze. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

“Of course,” Amy said. “Do what you need to do.”

Turning the horses out didn’t take long. After the last one entered the field, Ryan swung the gate shut and pointed Amy toward his truck, which was housed in a rickety carport beside one of the sheds.

“It’s unlocked,” he said. “Hop in and I’ll grab my keys.”

“Sure.”

As Amy headed over, she couldn’t help but notice that the truck’s best days were behind it. Its mudguards were caked in dirt, chassis pockmarked with dents, and the paintwork had faded to the point that it was impossible to be sure of its original color. Once seated inside, however, she found the interior surprisingly comfortable. She settled into the cozy vinyl seat, which was peeling along the edges, then rolled down the window and waited for Ryan’s return.