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Authors: Darcie Chan
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eventually?”
Kyle shrugged. “I dunno. I suppose when we’re ready to buy something, we can check out everything that’s available.”
“Cool. Until then, we can snuggle up in
our
little house together.”
Kyle grinned as he reached over and squeezed her hand. After another few miles, they turned onto a small paved road that headed up into the hills. There were small houses and farms along the roads, and several times, they came upon particularly stunning views. The trees were every color—flaming reds and oranges, golds and yellows so bright that they seemed to have an ethereal glow, and the deep dark green of evergreens scattered among the other hues. Kyle slowed the Jeep as they came to a large private pond, where they admired how the brilliant thicket of trees behind it was reflected perfectly on its still surface.
“Look how beautiful,” Claudia breathed. “It’s like a postcard.”
“Yeah,” Kyle agreed. “Scenery like this actually makes me look forward to fall patrols.”
The road grew more narrow and curved again, passing by more houses and breathtaking scenery until it opened up into a straightaway. After a few moments, Kyle turned right onto a smaller road. A new split-rail fence appeared, running for several hundred feet until it formed a corner at an asphalt driveway and a large wooden sign that read HAYES MEMORIAL PARK AND RECREATION AREA. There were a few other cars in the newly paved parking area. Kyle pulled into a space next to a minivan. A small hatchback was parked on the other side of the lot.
“I haven’t been here since the dedication in September,” Claudia said as she exited the Jeep. “It’s even more gorgeous now that the trees have turned.”
On one side of the park, picnic tables and metal charcoal grill boxes were placed strategically among a group of bright red sugar maples. There was a large open field beyond the tables where a man was throwing a football with a gangly teenager. On the opposite side, a swing set and two configurations of shiny playground equipment reflected the sunlight. A woman sat on a bench watching two young children climbing up a ladder to a slide. Beyond the playground area were tennis and basketball courts and a baseball field, as well as a fenced-in area where dogs could be exercised off-leash. A wide walking path ringed the entire park.
“Let’s go sit down,” Kyle said. He had the brown bag and coffee cup, and together they walked to one of the picnic tables. As Kyle ate, Claudia put her elbows on the table and leaned back with her eyes closed. Every few minutes, a burst of cool autumn breeze rushed over her face and caused a surge of colored leaves to rain down around them. Soon the weather would turn frigid, and it would be months before the sun’s warmth returned. But this winter would be warm in other ways. She stole a glance at Kyle and smiled.
“I wonder what this place looked like when Samuel Hayes was alive,” Kyle said. “Father O’Brien said it was a Morgan horse farm back then. There used to be a big barn right where we’re sitting.”
“And a farmhouse up on that little hill past the ball field, I remember him saying,” Claudia said. She looked in the direction of the hill. An elegant monument of a mare and a young woman now stood on top of it, along with an engraved plaque describing Mary McAllister’s gift of the land for the new park. “It’s great what they’ve done with the property, though. I’ll bet there are towns ten times the size of Mill River that don’t have a park as nice as this.” The sound of voices in the distance caught her attention. She squinted toward the parking lot, where the woman from the playground was shepherding her children into the minivan. A few minutes later, the two people who had been tossing the football climbed into the hatchback and drove away.
She and Kyle were alone…with the Jeep.
He had just finished his sandwich and pie and had taken the lid off the coffee. She
Kyle shrugged. “I dunno. I suppose when we’re ready to buy something, we can check out everything that’s available.”
“Cool. Until then, we can snuggle up in
our
little house together.”
Kyle grinned as he reached over and squeezed her hand. After another few miles, they turned onto a small paved road that headed up into the hills. There were small houses and farms along the roads, and several times, they came upon particularly stunning views. The trees were every color—flaming reds and oranges, golds and yellows so bright that they seemed to have an ethereal glow, and the deep dark green of evergreens scattered among the other hues. Kyle slowed the Jeep as they came to a large private pond, where they admired how the brilliant thicket of trees behind it was reflected perfectly on its still surface.
“Look how beautiful,” Claudia breathed. “It’s like a postcard.”
“Yeah,” Kyle agreed. “Scenery like this actually makes me look forward to fall patrols.”
The road grew more narrow and curved again, passing by more houses and breathtaking scenery until it opened up into a straightaway. After a few moments, Kyle turned right onto a smaller road. A new split-rail fence appeared, running for several hundred feet until it formed a corner at an asphalt driveway and a large wooden sign that read HAYES MEMORIAL PARK AND RECREATION AREA. There were a few other cars in the newly paved parking area. Kyle pulled into a space next to a minivan. A small hatchback was parked on the other side of the lot.
“I haven’t been here since the dedication in September,” Claudia said as she exited the Jeep. “It’s even more gorgeous now that the trees have turned.”
On one side of the park, picnic tables and metal charcoal grill boxes were placed strategically among a group of bright red sugar maples. There was a large open field beyond the tables where a man was throwing a football with a gangly teenager. On the opposite side, a swing set and two configurations of shiny playground equipment reflected the sunlight. A woman sat on a bench watching two young children climbing up a ladder to a slide. Beyond the playground area were tennis and basketball courts and a baseball field, as well as a fenced-in area where dogs could be exercised off-leash. A wide walking path ringed the entire park.
“Let’s go sit down,” Kyle said. He had the brown bag and coffee cup, and together they walked to one of the picnic tables. As Kyle ate, Claudia put her elbows on the table and leaned back with her eyes closed. Every few minutes, a burst of cool autumn breeze rushed over her face and caused a surge of colored leaves to rain down around them. Soon the weather would turn frigid, and it would be months before the sun’s warmth returned. But this winter would be warm in other ways. She stole a glance at Kyle and smiled.
“I wonder what this place looked like when Samuel Hayes was alive,” Kyle said. “Father O’Brien said it was a Morgan horse farm back then. There used to be a big barn right where we’re sitting.”
“And a farmhouse up on that little hill past the ball field, I remember him saying,” Claudia said. She looked in the direction of the hill. An elegant monument of a mare and a young woman now stood on top of it, along with an engraved plaque describing Mary McAllister’s gift of the land for the new park. “It’s great what they’ve done with the property, though. I’ll bet there are towns ten times the size of Mill River that don’t have a park as nice as this.” The sound of voices in the distance caught her attention. She squinted toward the parking lot, where the woman from the playground was shepherding her children into the minivan. A few minutes later, the two people who had been tossing the football climbed into the hatchback and drove away.
She and Kyle were alone…with the Jeep.
He had just finished his sandwich and pie and had taken the lid off the coffee. She
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