She had forgotten that he was there and that made it easy to observe her in unguarded moments such as this. Her face was tilted up towards the sun, eyes closed, a private smile upon her lips as the gentle breeze teased her chestnut hair. ‘How could anyone not fall in love with her?’ Ike asked himself shaking his head. ‘She doesn’t know she’s beautiful, even dressed as a man. Oh, Lou! You caught my eye from the start that I can’t deny. You’ve touched my heart unknowingly tearing my world apart. I have no words to tell you how I feel. All I have to offer is silence, and my heart’. He was aware that her affections lay elsewhere, but it he couldn’t help the longing in his heart and the way his breath caught when she entered a room. Her voice was like music to his ears and it thrilled him to hear her sing when she thought no one was around. To him, she sang like what he imagined an angel must have sounded like. ‘I’d be in heaven if she ever looked at me the way she does Kid or even the way I’ve seen her look at Jimmy sometimes.’ He sighed and twirled the piece of grass in his hands wishing that just once he could be the one Lou loved. A slight noise caught his attention and drew his gaze back to the object of his thoughts. “Sure is a beautiful day, ain’t it Ike?” Lou asked as she stood up stretching. “Rider coming!” echoed across the yard to them from the barn and she turned to go before he could reply. Ike watched as Lou rode away in a cloud of dust taking his heart with her as she went. Email Lisa L. HOME