Summer had just begun and already it didn't feel long enough to Cather Avery. She sat on the lawn of her backyard with Levi. Well, Levi sat with his back against the lilac tree with Cath sprawled across his lap. She liked to be on top and his lap was a comfortable spot with sunbeams blinding her eyes. Her face was pleasantly warm, a nice alternative to the unusually long winter they'd had. A fly buzzed past her ear, off to find some crumbs from the burritos they'd eaten.
In the sky, clouds dotted the horizon like little specs, but they knew better than to hope for rain. It was going to be a dry summer, which was bad news for farmers. Luckily Levi's family and their ranch would be safe with all the snowmelt coming down the river systems, keeping the land alive like an IV drip, feeding fluids into a dried out body.
"Does your sister need a place to stay through sophomore?" Levi inquired, breaking the silence between them. It wasn't actually silent with the buzzing of flies and crickets. The sound of cars passing in front of the house also drifted into Cath's backyard, reminding Levi he was in the city, not home on the ranch miles from the nearest neighbour.
He'd agreed to stay with Cath for a few days before his youngest sister went on holidays from school. Then he'd be expected to help out at the ranch. The prospect of spending time with Cath was all Levi needed to draw him to the city. He had well and truly fallen in love.
"What?" Cath asked, not sure she'd heard him correctly.
"Wren, will she be needing a place to stay during term? A room has opened up where I rent," Levi explained. Instead of living in university accommodation, he lived in a large house with a group of students. He'd taken the room at the very top, exposed to all the elements. Freezing in winter, scorching in summer, only large enough for a bed and sofa, but Cath loved it anyway because it meant she could have time alone with Levi.
"I think she's already organised a room in Pound," Cath said. "I can ask her if you want. Are you really sure you want to be living under the same roof as my twin sister for a year?"
"Sophomore years go faster than freshman," Levi grinned. His teeth were as gorgeous as the rest of him. When he smiled, it felt like it was especially for Cath. In those moments she was sure she was the luckiest girl on Earth.
"Yeah, but you're in senior year," she reminded him, teasing slightly. Levi ran his fingers through his blonde hair, which flopped back down over his face. Unable to resist the temptation, Cath reached up, brushing her fingers over it.
"That year goes fastest of all," he flashed that charming grin at her again, melting her stomach into a pool of contentment.
"I'm going to miss you," Cath told him. "When you leave tomorrow." His grin softened as he stroked her hair back with gentle, large hands.
"I'll just have to organise with my mother when you're coming over," Levi remarked, his blue eyes shining. In his family, everything went through his mother. Nothing happened without her knowledge or permission. From what she'd heard of the woman, the idea of meeting her brought knots to Cath's stomach, tying themselves up into tangled masses of worry. He linked his long fingers with hers, entwining them together. "Don't worry, she'll like you. You'll be lucky if you can leave before school starts."