good; he hadn’t touched it since the night before he’d left. Kimmy asked him to play her a lullaby so he played John Denver’s “For Baby.” It made her cry.
He then grabbed his capo and strapped it on, two frets down. He knew what he wanted to play.
Two years before, the week after graduation, John Denver played Red Rocks in Colorado. Half the senior class was there, including Scott and Roni. The two of them were standing there together when John played “My Sweet Lady,” harmonizing. So he sang it to her again.
Roni leaned across and hugged him as he finished. Scott had never felt more alive. He climbed off the bed and put the guitar away, then climbed back on. He had a question for her.
“Tell me about two years ago,” he said.
“Right after Christmas when we were seniors, I found out about a contest for architectural art that one of the big design firms in Denver was sponsoring,” she said. “It was a big deal; the winner won a $2,500 scholarship to any school in the state.
“So I spent the next three-and-a-half months at my drawing table. I did up this 5,000 square-foot house in the foothills,” she said. “There were 12 rooms, three different views of each one. The deadline was April 15. I worked right up until the last day, then I actually drove to Denver to drop it off at their office; I wasn’t about to trust it in the mail.
“I finally received my rejection letter the day after the John Denver concert at Red Rocks,” she said. “They hated it; said it was ‘amateurish, even for a high school student.’
“So I was done. I dumped my plans to go to Boulder, and decided to go to Greeley. I was done with design.
“But since everything has happened with us and talking about the future and stuff, I decided I really wanted to try it again,” she said. “So I started applying at a few places.”
“And, Manhattan?” Scott asked.
Roni took a deep breath. “I’ve been accepted at five places for design school; Nebraska and Kansas State are my favorites. I’d never been to Kansas State, so that’s why I planned the trip that way. I walked around campus and around Aggieville and I really love it, Footer. I even talked to an advisor.
“I haven’t said anything because I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to push anything, Scott,” she said. “When I applied there, I didn’t even realize it was just 10 miles from Fort Riley.
“If you want more room, I’ll go to Nebraska; we’ll go slower. I want you to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of in life; I want you to get you chance to play again, I want you to be happy. You always say I saved you – twice – and someday you have to return the favor.
Her left hand reached across the pizza box to touch his face. “You already have, Footer. You saved me when you held me that night and you saved me when you wrote back and you saved me when you kept living through this and you saved me when you called me collect from the hospital. No matter what you say next, I couldn’t love you more and I can’t believe you love me this much.”
Scott put his hand over hers. He smiled and looked deeply into those baby blue eyes.
“I can’t think of anything in the world I would love more than to have you spend the next few years with me in the middle of Kansas, Miss Roni Rae McIntyre,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. “I can’t believe you love me this much.”
It was 2000 hours. She set the wine glasses next to the Styrofoam ice bucket and tossed the pizza box on the other table. She climbed off the bed and as she did, with her back to Scott, she lifted the jersey off of her body and turned to face him.
He’d dreamt of this moment, since what, forever? She stood before him naked. Her long hair cascaded down over her shoulders and hung to her beautiful breasts. She had a soft smile on her face, and she was trembling at the same time.
“Make love to me, Scott,” she said. “Make love to me forever.”
He
He then grabbed his capo and strapped it on, two frets down. He knew what he wanted to play.
Two years before, the week after graduation, John Denver played Red Rocks in Colorado. Half the senior class was there, including Scott and Roni. The two of them were standing there together when John played “My Sweet Lady,” harmonizing. So he sang it to her again.
Roni leaned across and hugged him as he finished. Scott had never felt more alive. He climbed off the bed and put the guitar away, then climbed back on. He had a question for her.
“Tell me about two years ago,” he said.
“Right after Christmas when we were seniors, I found out about a contest for architectural art that one of the big design firms in Denver was sponsoring,” she said. “It was a big deal; the winner won a $2,500 scholarship to any school in the state.
“So I spent the next three-and-a-half months at my drawing table. I did up this 5,000 square-foot house in the foothills,” she said. “There were 12 rooms, three different views of each one. The deadline was April 15. I worked right up until the last day, then I actually drove to Denver to drop it off at their office; I wasn’t about to trust it in the mail.
“I finally received my rejection letter the day after the John Denver concert at Red Rocks,” she said. “They hated it; said it was ‘amateurish, even for a high school student.’
“So I was done. I dumped my plans to go to Boulder, and decided to go to Greeley. I was done with design.
“But since everything has happened with us and talking about the future and stuff, I decided I really wanted to try it again,” she said. “So I started applying at a few places.”
“And, Manhattan?” Scott asked.
Roni took a deep breath. “I’ve been accepted at five places for design school; Nebraska and Kansas State are my favorites. I’d never been to Kansas State, so that’s why I planned the trip that way. I walked around campus and around Aggieville and I really love it, Footer. I even talked to an advisor.
“I haven’t said anything because I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to push anything, Scott,” she said. “When I applied there, I didn’t even realize it was just 10 miles from Fort Riley.
“If you want more room, I’ll go to Nebraska; we’ll go slower. I want you to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of in life; I want you to get you chance to play again, I want you to be happy. You always say I saved you – twice – and someday you have to return the favor.
Her left hand reached across the pizza box to touch his face. “You already have, Footer. You saved me when you held me that night and you saved me when you wrote back and you saved me when you kept living through this and you saved me when you called me collect from the hospital. No matter what you say next, I couldn’t love you more and I can’t believe you love me this much.”
Scott put his hand over hers. He smiled and looked deeply into those baby blue eyes.
“I can’t think of anything in the world I would love more than to have you spend the next few years with me in the middle of Kansas, Miss Roni Rae McIntyre,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. “I can’t believe you love me this much.”
It was 2000 hours. She set the wine glasses next to the Styrofoam ice bucket and tossed the pizza box on the other table. She climbed off the bed and as she did, with her back to Scott, she lifted the jersey off of her body and turned to face him.
He’d dreamt of this moment, since what, forever? She stood before him naked. Her long hair cascaded down over her shoulders and hung to her beautiful breasts. She had a soft smile on her face, and she was trembling at the same time.
“Make love to me, Scott,” she said. “Make love to me forever.”
He
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