The Longest Ride

be incredible, a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It’ll be held at the Greensboro Convention Center and it’s being run by one of the big auction houses from New York. Supposedly, some obscure guy from North Carolina accumulated a world-class collection of modern art. People are flying in from all over the world to bid. Some of the artwork is supposed to be worth a fortune.”

“And you want to go?”

“Hello? It’s art? Do you know the last time an auction of this caliber occurred around here? Never.”

“How long’s it going to last?”

“I have no idea. I’ve never been to an auction before, but just so you know, I’m going. And it would be nice if you came along. Otherwise, I’m going to have to sit with my adviser, and I know for a fact that he’s bringing along another professor from the department, which means they’ll spend the whole time talking to each other. And let’s just say if that happens, I’ll probably be in a bad mood and might have to stay at the sorority house all weekend just to recover.”

“If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were threatening me.”

“It’s not a threat. It’s just… something to keep in mind.”

“And if I keep it in mind and still say no?”

“Then you’re going to be in trouble, too.”

He smiled. “If it’s important to you, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
     

     
    Luke wasn’t sure why he hadn’t noticed before, but it struck him at some point that getting started on the day’s work had become more and more difficult as time passed. The maintenance work on the ranch had begun to suffer, not because it wasn’t important, he realized, but because he had little motivation. Why replace the sagging porch railings at his mom’s place? Why fill in the sinkhole that had formed near the irrigation pump? Why fill in the potholes in the long gravel drive that had grown deeper over the winter? Why do anything when they weren’t going to be living here much longer?

He’d supposed that his mom had been immune to those sorts of feelings, that she had a strength he hadn’t inherited, but as he’d ridden out to check the cattle that morning, something about his mom’s property had caught his attention, and he had pulled Horse to a stop.

His mother’s garden had always been a source of pride to her. Even as a toddler, he could remember watching as she readied it for the spring planting or weeded it with painstaking care during the summer, harvesting the vegetables at the end of a long day. But now, as he looked out at what should have been straight, neat rows, he realized that the plot was overrun by weeds.
     

     
    “Okay, so about this Friday.” Sophia rolled over in bed to face him. “Keep in mind that it’s an art auction.” It was only two days away, and he tried to come across as properly attentive.

“Yes. You told me.”

“Lots of rich people there. Important people.”

“Okay.”

“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t planning to wear your hat and boots.”

“I figured.”

“You’re going to need a suit.”

“I have a suit,” he said. “A nice one, in fact.”

“You have a suit?” Her eyebrows shot up.

“Why do you so sound so surprised?”

“Because I can’t imagine you in a suit. I’ve only ever seen you in jeans.”

“Not true.” He winked. “I’m not wearing any jeans now.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” she said, not wanting even to acknowledge his comment. “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.”

He laughed. “I bought a suit two years ago. And a tie and a shirt and shoes, if you must know. I had to go to a wedding.”

“And let me guess. That’s the only time you’ve ever worn it, right?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I wore it again.”

“Another wedding?” she asked.

“A funeral,” he said. “A friend of my mom’s.”

“That was my second guess,” she said, hopping out of bed. She grabbed the throw blanket, wound it around herself, and tucked in the corner like a towel. “I want to see it. Is it in your closet?”

“Hanging on the right…” He pointed, admiring her shape in the makeshift toga.

She opened the closet door and pulled out the hanger, taking a moment to inspect it. “You’re right,” she said. “It’s a nice suit.”

“There you go, sounding all surprised again.”

Still holding the suit, she looked over at him. “Wouldn’t you be?”
     

     
    In the morning, Sophia returned to campus