Free Love Takes Hold: The Helena's Grove Series Book 3 by Ivy Alexander Page B

and I have to see him, I have to tell him…”
    “Don’t bother filling me in on details!” Aunt Gabby interrupted her. “He’s over at the Hansen farm herding up the cattle. Take my truck, keys are hanging up. Hurry now! Hurry up!”
    Jen kissed her quickly and bolted, grabbing the keys on the way out and jumping in the truck. She shook her head in amazement at how incredibly fantastic her Aunt Gabby was. She made a mental note to tell her so once she got back.
    It was a twenty minute drive to the Hansen farm. Jen turned on the radio twice, hoping to make the time go by faster. Twice she turned it back off when all the songs reminded her of Zack. She was nervous enough as it was and the memories those songs brought up didn’t help. Jen glanced at the clock in the truck, 7:40. She hoped they were still there; she had no idea what they were doing with the cattle or how long it was supposed to take. It would be just her luck to get there and have them tell her Zack had already gone home. She silently prayed he would be there. I’m coming Zack, I’m coming. Wait for me, just wait!
    The truck left a cloud of dust as Jen came to a sudden stop on the gravel driveway. She jumped out and ran to a group of three men standing around a pen that was holding a large black bull.
    “Does anyone know where Zack LaFaye is?” Jen asked, trying not to seem too crazy.
    Two of the men shook their heads, but the third spoke up, “Zack is out in the corral.” He pointed and Jen thanked him as she made her way in that direction. There were so many cows it was hard to see anything. Jen’s thoughts went back to her first experience at this farm over a year ago, when she had ruined her yellow outfit in the mud. She had been mad at Zack for laughing at her, not being able to see the humor in it then but she did now. That was one more thing Zack had taught her, how to laugh at herself.
    There were several men on the farm and Jen searched their faces trying to find Zack. Shaking her head in frustration, she kept walking, looking for something that would indicate she’d found him. It wasn’t until she saw a specific horse that she stopped dead in her tracks.
    “Stallion!” she said out loud but only to herself. She would recognize his big, beautiful, brown body anywhere. When she looked at his rider, her heart stopped. Zack was expertly perched on the majestic animal and was herding some of the smaller cows into a pen. Jen took a moment to marvel at him. He was in a blue t-shirt that clung to his body. His arm muscles, tan in the setting sun were taut and strong. Jen felt butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to call out to him but was momentarily struck silent by her feelings. She couldn’t believe how much she loved him, how much she had missed him.
    She got to the fence and climbed it, flinging a leg on each side and bracing her feet so she could stand. She cupped her hands and yelled loudly, “Hey Stallion!”
    It worked; Zack instantly looked in her direction. The look on his face was one of utter surprise. He kicked Stallion once and they were instantly galloping in her direction. He stopped a couple feet from her; still seeming shocked to see her there.
    “Jen? What are you doing here?” he asked.
    “I need to talk to you,” she told him as she climbed down off the fence.
    “Right now?”
    “Right now.”
    Zack nodded and called to one of the guys to come get Stallion from him. Jen cooed at the big horse until the other man climbed on him and rode away. Zack hopped the fence and was soon standing face to face with her. Jen suddenly didn’t know how to start. She had come so far, had practiced over and over the words she wanted to convey but now, with him standing so close to her, she felt she would burst into tears before anything coherent could leave her lips. She looked down at her hands, hoping it would be easier to speak if she wasn’t distracted by his eyes and mouth and muscles. Focus Jen, she scolded herself.
    “I