The light in his eyes danced. “The first moment she ever looked at me, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I knew right then.”

I thought back to yesterday when I’d walked into the drugstore, and my reaction had been the very same when Emma looked at me. I cleared my throat and got the nerve to ask the next question. “How old were you and Mom when you first met?”

He chuckled and winked at me. “I was fifteen years old.”

“Fifteen? You knew you were going to be with Mom for the rest of your life at the age of fifteen?”

He nodded his head and stood up. “Garrett, love doesn’t know age.” He turned and walked out of the barn.

I sat there for a few minutes and thought about Emma. She was so sweet and innocent, such a firecracker. I smiled and shook my head, remembering how she’d reacted when she thought I had kissed another girl.

Next time I see Emma Rose Birk, I’m asking her out to eat.

I heard a car pulling up, so I stood up and walked over to Mary Lou—my paint horse I’d gotten for Christmas from my parents. I gave her a good scratch before heading out to meet the new doctor. I turned the corner and started making my way back to our white clapboard house, and then I stopped in my tracks.

Emma?

What is Emma doing on our ranch? Oh shit. She’s fixin’ to eat dinner in my house…at my kitchen table!

I just stood there, unable to move. She was dressed in a purple poodle skirt and white collared shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail with a purple-and-white piece of fabric tied in her hair. She was smiling as our parents were greeting each other. My father looked up, and when his eyes met mine, I was almost one hundred percent sure he saw the fear in my eyes.

He smiled and shook his head. “Garrett? Come on over and make the proper introductions.”

Emma turned and looked at me. Her smile instantly faded. My heart dropped. I was beginning to think that Emma Birk didn’t feel the same way about me as I did her. Maybe Billy had been right. Maybe he was the better guy for her. I flashed her a smile and started to walk toward everyone.

I put out my hand as I introduced myself to Emma’s father. “Hello, sir. I’m Garrett Mathews. It’s a pleasure to have you here in Mason.” Looking at Emma’s mother, I took her hand in mine and kissed the back of it. “Mrs. Birk, it’s an honor to meet you.”

She let out a little laugh. “My goodness, you have certainly raised him right, Thomas and Julia.”

My parents both chuckled. I turned to Emma and held out my hand for hers, but she didn’t move.

I dropped my hand to my side. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Emma.”

She gave me a tight smile and looked away.

Yep, I don’t need any more signs. Emma Birk is clearly not interested in me one bit.

Fall 1956

I walked off the football field and let out a curse. I was sick of chasing after someone who couldn’t care less about me. When I glanced up into the stands after the game, I couldn’t help but notice that Michael Draft was sitting next to Emma, talking to her. She was laughing and seemed to be having fun.

I walked up and asked her out—again. And she turned me down—yet again.

I threw my helmet down and slammed my locker. Someone hit me on the shoulder, and I turned to see Billy standing there.

“She say no again?”

I nodded my head. “Yes. I’m about ready to just give up. I’ve never chased after a girl as hard as I have with her.”

Billy let out a laugh. “That’s why I moved on weeks ago.”

I smiled as I sat down, and then I looked up at him. “Margie, huh?”

His face turned red. “Don’t even start with me, Mathews. It’s just one date to see how it goes.”

I nodded my head and laughed. “If you say so, but I’m pretty sure the two of you have had a thing for each other for some time now.”

After I changed, I made my way out of the locker room and to the parking lot. I saw Emma leaning against Margie’s car, and Michael was still talking to her. When she looked over at me, I didn’t give her my normal smile. Her smile faded a bit, and I turned my head as I walked toward my truck. I didn’t have the energy today to deal with any more rejection from Emma.

Reaching my truck, I threw my stuff in the bed and opened the door. One quick look behind me showed that Emma was watching me. When she lifted up her hand and waved good-bye, I ignored her and jumped in.

I slammed my head back against my seat and let out a curse word. “Now? Now, she decides to give me some sort of response.” I shook my head and closed my eyes as I thought back to the Halloween dance when I asked her out.

“Emma, you look darling as a ghost!” Margie said with a laugh.

I smiled as I watched Emma come skipping out of her house. She was dressed up as a ghost for a Halloween party we were all going to.

“Thanks! My mother helped me with it,” Emma said as I held the door open for her.

The whole way to Peggy’s house, Margie and Emma talked about school.

I rolled my eyes and said, “Can y’all, for once, not talk about school?”

Margie laughed. “Who are you going to ask to dance with first, Garrett?”

I smiled. “Emma.”

Emma let out a laugh. “I think I’m going to sit out dancing today since I would have a hard time dancing in this outfit.”

I shook my head and said, “We’ll see.”

Three hours later and after ten attempts to get Emma to dance with me, she finally gave in. “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” by Elvis Presley began playing, and I walked up and took Emma’s hand in mine. I brought her out to the makeshift dance floor. She didn’t say a word, so neither did I. When the song ended, I pulled back and looked into her eyes.

She smiled slightly. “Thank you for the dance, but I really need to get back home. I have a test I need to study for.”

I closed my eyes and quickly opened them. “Emma—”

“Garrett, please. I’m not interested in dating anyone. I like you, but—”

“But what? Emma, I really like you…a lot, and I’m not going to stop asking you out until you say yes.”

Her smile faded. “Garrett, you’re wasting your time.”

She turned and walked away, and I stood there gutted—again.

Someone knocking on my window snapped me out of my memory. I looked over to see Billy standing there.

I rolled the window down. “What’s up?”