“Yes,” she said as she lightly trailed her fingers along my back.

I loved to feel her touch. I loved to touch her. I ran my fingertip along the side of her face, down her chest, around her nipple, down her stomach, and found my way to heaven. As I slipped my fingers inside her, I let out a low moan. I sat up and ripped open the package before sliding the condom down my shaft.

“Garrett, I need to feel you so badly. Please go slow,” Emma whispered.

I began pushing myself in. I moved in and out slowly. Emma’s hands were all over my body as I kissed her neck and chest. I picked up the pace just a little.

“Feels. So. Good,” she said.

I moved myself in a way that I knew she loved, and before I knew it, I was kissing her to muffle out the sounds of her moans of pleasure. When she finally came down, I began moving in and out gradually again.

Emma caught her breath and pulled my head closer to her. She put her lips up next to my ear. “I want you to fuck me harder.”

Oh, holy shit. After two pumps, I was coming. “Ah…oh shit…I’m coming, Em…oh God,” I whispered.

She smiled from ear to ear. I collapsed on her, and she continued to trail her fingers up and down my back.

“I like it when you just lie here, still inside me. It feels like we are one.”

I lifted myself and smiled at her. “We are one, Em.”

“This evening couldn’t get any better,” Emma said. She leaned up and kissed me.

I was just about to agree when I heard Margie and Billy.

Emma’s eyes grew in horror as we heard Margie calling out, “Yes! Harder…go faster!”

I jumped up and covered my ears. “Mother of all things good! Oh God, my ears. I’ll never recover from that mental image…ever!” I shouted.

Emma jumped up and quickly began looking for her clothes. She soon gave up and opened one of my drawers. She threw on a pair of my sweatpants that I usually wore to football practice. She reached for a T-shirt and slipped it on. I stumbled back when she turned around.

She just looked at me. “What’s wrong? Oh God, did you hurt yourself or something?”

“Yes! Yes!” Margie called out again.

“No! No!” I yelled as I quickly got dressed. “Jesus, you look amazing in my clothes. Grab the quilt, and let’s go!”

Emma chuckled as she skipped over and grabbed the quilt. She followed me out the door.

As I walked by the bedroom where Margie and Billy were staying, I banged on the door. “Not cool, y’all. So not cool.”

I practically pulled Emma down the stairs and dragged her to the barn. After feeding the horses, we spread the quilt down in the foreman’s office.

We spent the rest of the night talking about all the plans we had for our future together.

It was the best night of my life. Nothing would ever top this night.

May 1961

Garrett spun me around on the dance floor to Elvis’s “Stuck on You.” We both laughed and enjoyed not having to go back to our dorms and study. We’d finally graduated, and we were ready to start our lives together.

He pulled me into his arms and shouted, “Tell me you love me!”

I smiled and shouted back, “I love you, Garrett Mathews!”

“Marry me!”

I threw my head back and laughed. Then, I held my ring up and said, “I do believe I already said yes.”

“Too Much” started playing, and Garrett yelled out, “It’s an Elvis marathon!”

He spun me around, and by the time the song ended, I was exhausted.

“Garrett, I need to take a quick rest and have a drink.”

He nodded his head as he took my hand and led me off the dance floor. I scanned the room, trying to find Margie and Billy. When I finally found Margie, she was talking to some guy I’d never seen before. I watched them as Garrett got us something to drink.

When he handed me my drink, I asked him, “Do you know who Marg is talking to?”

Garrett looked to where I was pointing, and he shook his head. “I’ve never seen him before.” He looked around. “Where is Billy?”

I watched as Margie batted her eyes, and she kept putting her hand on this guy’s arm.

What in the hell is she doing?

“I don’t have a very good feeling about this, Garrett.” I turned and looked at him. “Maybe we should go before she does something she regrets.”

He nodded his head in agreement. “You go get Marg, and I’ll go find Billy.” He leaned down and kissed me. “I love you, Buttercup.”

I smiled. “I love you more.”

I watched as he made his way to the other side of the dance hall. I turned back around and started walking toward Margie.

I knew the last two months had been hard on her and Billy. She had been hoping he would ask her to marry him before we all graduated, but graduation had come and gone three days ago. She had no idea he had planned on asking her this coming weekend. Margie had been offered a teaching position in Austin, but Billy was torn. He wanted to go back to Mason and help Garrett run the ranch, but he also wanted to move to Austin.

As I got closer, the guy leaned down and whispered something into Margie’s ear. She nodded, and he took her by the arm. He started to lead her toward the door. My heart started beating faster, and I began pushing people out of my way.

I ran through the door and screamed out, “Margie!”

Margie and the stranger stopped, and she spun around. “Emma Rose, what are you doing out here without your knight in shining armor?”

“What?”

Margie shook her head. “Never mind.”

She turned to keep walking, but I grabbed her arm.

“Where are you going? And who is this guy?”

“Just go back inside, Emma, to your perfect fiancé and your perfect little world. Don’t worry about me,” Margie said, slurring her words and pulling her arm from my hand.

“Oh my God, are you drunk? Did you get her drunk?” I took a step closer and grabbed her arm.

The guy came closer to me and pushed me. I lost my balance and fell backward. I landed so hard that I screamed. Then, I saw someone run by me.

“You motherfucker!” Garrett said.

Billy reached down and picked me up as he yelled out, “Garrett!”

Everything was happening so fast, and I couldn’t think straight.

“Emma, grab Margie,” Billy said as he ran toward Garrett and the guy.

It took me a few seconds to see that Garrett was punching the guy over and over. I threw my hands up to my mouth. Please stop. Oh God, please stop.