Chapter Twenty-Six
KIRAN
It’s only Saturday, Kiran thought happily when she opened her eyes at nine in the morning.
She hated when a really wonderful Saturday night was followed by the realization that Sunday would be full of errands and prepping for the week ahead. But today, the day after she and Nash had decided to be together, she had an entire day ahead of her to simply be happy.
To ignore the jab in her stomach and simply bask in having a boyfriend.
“I have a boyfriend,” she whispered to herself as she lay in bed and did a happy wiggle under the covers. Her phone already had an unread message from him.
Nash: Morning, beautiful.
She blushed. It was like high school. She was the nerd fawning over the jock.
Kiran: Hey, you. What are you up to?
Nash: I was hoping I could take you out today, actually.
Kiran: Two days in a row. I’m a lucky girl.
Nash: I’ll grab the Zipcar and pick you up again around noon. Deal?
Kiran: Are you driving me into the woods to kill me?
Nash: One of those two things is correct.
Kiran laughed to herself. I’ll be here.
Nash: Oh, and wear pants. And an old shirt. And maybe sneakers.
She frowned, unsure what he was getting at, but curiosity overtook her.
She bounded out of bed, full of energy and thrilled at the prospect of a few hours of being with Nash.
By eleven thirty, she’d showered, dressed in a pair of faded wash jeans and a teal-and-blue-plaid button-down shirt, rolled up to her elbows. She’d thrown her long black hair into a ponytail with some longer bangs framing her face and smoothed some sunscreen over her skin before putting on some eyeliner and mascara.
She pulled up her texts again, wanting to tell the CMC all about last night.
Kiran: Okay, are you ready? We’re dating.
Payal, as usual, was the first to respond. Kiran knew she had her phone glued to her hand from the second she woke up.
Payal: YES I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN GOOD JOB KIRAN!!!
For the typically grammar-obedient Payal, the excess punctuation was a big deal.
Sonam: Proud of you for making a choice that works for you. Can’t wait to meet him!
Akash: Good job, K. Back to bed now.
Payal: Akash may go to bed but I want details. How did this happen?!
Kiran: We went to Bryant Park last night. Did a little chocolate roulette. Confessed how we felt. We even talked about my parents a little bit.
Payal: OMG! How do you feel?
Kiran: Today, I feel amazing. He is amazing.
Payal: Ahhh, this is so exciting! I’m thrilled for you. When are you going out on your first official couple date?
Kiran looked at the clock before texting back, Literally in ten minutes.
Sonam: So happy to hear that. Be careful and have fun!
Payal: Use protection!
Kiran rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the goofy grin from stretching across her face as she stowed her phone in her bag—and the knock at the door made her jump.
Nash was dressed in a pair of jeans and a thin, black hoodie that had the Vanderbilt University logo in yellow lettering across the front. Despite being thirty, he could have passed for a college student in his casual gear and sneakers, like he’d just rolled out of bed and decided to go to the commons for breakfast.
The sight of him and knowing he was hers took Kiran’s breath away.
“Hi,” she whispered.
He grinned, flashing his big smile, and took a step toward her, his hands immediately traveling to her waist. His lips pressed against hers gently before he pulled away.
“Hi,” he said, his face only inches from hers. “Ready to go?”
She slipped her Keds on and pulled the door shut behind her.
Nash took her hand before they reached the stairs. His strong fingers wove through hers, and Kiran couldn’t remember the last time she’d done this with someone, relishing the safety and calmness it brought to her.
Nash had double-parked and left his blinkers on.
“I am ninety-two percent sure this is twenty kinds of illegal,” Kiran commented.
“I thought my rebellious nature would impress you,” Nash replied.
As they set off, their hands joined over the gear shift, and light music playing in the background—was that Lewis Capaldi?—served as a soundtrack.
Little butterflies cruised in Kiran’s stomach, and they drove in comfortable silence up FDR Drive as she stared out the window at the skyline of Brooklyn, Roosevelt Island, and Queens as they passed her.
“So where are we going?” Kiran asked after a few minutes.
“We are crossing one more thing off your list.”
“Oh, really? And what’s that?” Kiran asked.
“You’ll see.”
“I don’t remember putting anything on my list that involved a car.”
“I told you… You’ll see. Patience is a virtue.”
“That’s what people say when they want to keep secrets.” Kiran pouted.
Nash laughed but didn’t give in.
Buildings, tightly packed in the heart of Manhattan, began spacing out, and greenery appeared as they exited and merged on highways leading farther and farther north and away from home. Kiran stared, wide-eyed, at all the colors that had begun to appear on trees as a result of the September air.
“I need to get out here more often,” Kiran murmured.
“It’s beautiful,” Nash agreed. “I guess we never know what’s outside of the bubble. The city offers everything you could possibly need, and it’s so easy to forget that this—nature—is the one thing it lacks.”
An hour later, they had reached their destination. Nash pulled into a dirt parking area, and the smell of manure hit Kiran’s nose, causing her to wrinkle it.
Nash put the car in park and turned it off.
Kiran climbed out of the car, stepping onto muddy grass and gently pushing the door shut behind her. She gazed around in surprise.
“A farm?”
“Horses,” Nash replied, leaning against the driver’s side door. He pointed behind her.
When Kiran turned around, a beautiful chestnut-colored horse strolled alongside a fence. When it lifted its head, Kiran swore it gave her a wink, though it probably blinked.
She gasped. “We’re going horseback riding?”
“Two hours of trails.” He stepped up next to her.
“Nash, oh my gosh…”
She threw her arms around his neck, nearly causing him to lose balance on the uneven grass.
“I figured we could do something new as a couple.”
As a couple. The words brought a smile to Kiran’s face, and her heart gave a flutter.
Kiran followed Nash into the main cabin where they met the man who owned the farm, signed some liability papers, and exited out of the back side of the ranch into a holding area between fenced fields.
The farmer, a man named John, had a handlebar mustache and a beard that Nash muttered, “impressive,” in reaction to. He would serve as their guide, quietly following.
“Tug right on the reins to go right. Left to go left. If you pull back, the horse will stop. Gently knock your heels against their sides a few times to get them to go faster. And be nice. They are tamed and trained, but they are still animals. Respect them. Any questions?”
Nash and Kiran shook their heads.
“Well, you’re about knee high to a grasshopper, so I’ll give you Lightning,” he said to Kiran, pointing at a black horse with a white marking on his muzzle.
“Oh, I get the Harry Potter of horses!” Kiran exclaimed.
“And you, since you’re her sidekick, will get Thunder. He’s a little wilder and a little bigger since you’re taller.”
“He gave him to me because I’ve got thunder down under,” Nash leaned over and whispered to Kiran.
Kiran burst out laughing. “Behave.”
But she had to wonder…
John brought the horses around, leading Kiran and Nash up to a step stool and directing them as they threw their legs over the sides of their horses.
“Now, I’ll keep quiet and let you guys enjoy your ride. I’ll follow the two of you, and your horses know where to go. But give me a shout if you need anything. That’s what I’m here for,” John said.
“So,” Nash started once the horses took their first steps toward the trail. “Did I ever mention that I grew up terrified of horses?”
“What?” Kiran whipped around. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You were excited, and I wanted to be there when you got to experience it.”
“Why are you scared?”
“I’m not anymore,” he said, but as his horse moved, he grabbed the reins.
“Liar. But for the sake of protecting your ego, I’ll pretend I believe you. Why were you scared?”
“So when I was little, I went to a birthday party at a friend’s. I must have been five or six. And they had pony rides. What kid isn’t going to be excited, you know? But this little horse reared when I sat on it, and I fell right off, onto my ass, in front of the entire party.”
“Well, I hope your ass feels comfortable on that horse now,” Kiran responded, fighting a laugh.
Nash chuckled behind her.
The three set off, their horses gently leading them on a path of grass that had been run down and dried out, where countless other riders had trod before them. The path was enveloped by trees, occasionally opening up into fields of grass. The fall colors and the leaves on the ground made Kiran think she was surrounded by red, orange, and yellow confetti.
Occasionally, she turned around to check on Nash, who was sitting awfully straight and alert on the back of his horse for someone who claimed to be fine when Kiran asked.
But Kiran was at peace with the side-to-side sway as they roamed the countryside. Her horse was a gentle giant that seemed to know its way around, unbothered by who it was carrying on its back.
About halfway into their two-hour ride, they came to a clearing.
“I’ll leave you two to your surprise,” John said as he climbed off his horse.
Kiran gave Nash a questioning look.
He shrugged in response, with a smile.
John helped both of them off their horses and grabbed their reins, leading them to a nearby tree.
“What are we doing?” asked Kiran.
“I figured we could have some s’mores. I know it’s a little less magical when it’s not night outside, but I did my best.”
Nash pointed at a firepit fifty feet away, with logs to serve as seats surrounding it.
“And,” Nash added, “I asked for vegan marshmallows for you.”
Kiran could have kissed him then and there. The thoughtfulness of this entire operation was staggering.
“Thank you,” she managed. “Seriously. This is more than enough.”
She hoped the look on her face could convey what her heart was screaming, that this man was amazing and that she adored him.
John lit a fire, adding kindling to it from a pile by the tree before going off to take care of the horses. They stuck their choice of marshmallows, vegan or nonvegan, on the ends of their roasting sticks and dangled them over the flame, watching the outside brown and crisp.
“This reminds me of fall back home,” Nash said.
“Why’s that?”
“I’ve told you I spent a lot of time at Brandon’s house growing up. His family had a firepit in their backyard. We used to go to football games on Friday nights and then roast marshmallows and hang out with all our friends around a fire until midnight, or whenever we had curfew.”
“Did you have a curfew?”
“Nah…my mom didn’t lay down the law about that, but I think she knew I was always safe at the McGuires’ anyway.”
“My parents were really strict,” Kiran remembered. “They were protective over Kirti, but it went to level-ten overprotection with me. But then they let me go to boarding school. I guess it was a balance of what they could control versus what they saw for me.”
“Did you ever have a rebellious phase?”
Maybe now.
“No, not really,” Kiran said instead, pushing the thought out of her mind. “Did you?”
“Nope. I mean…weed once or twice in high school. Typical stuff. But I’m pretty boring.”
Kiran laughed. “I’d hardly call you boring.”
Nash’s cheeks tinged pink, and Kiran was endeared by his humility.
“Thank you, by the way.”
“For what?” He peeled the marshmallow off the end of his stick.
“For being thrown off a pony and still giving me this experience.”
“It was on your list…and I want to encourage you to keep crossing things off. You’ve done the same for me.” He shrugged before murmuring, “And you mean a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to me too, Nash.”
And his smile, it occurred to Kiran, burned brighter than any flame in front of them.