It All Started With A Note

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight - Eric

As Ivy and I hiked up Cupid Hill, I told her the story behind how the hill got its name. "It was named after two of the first settlers in Wringer, Kansas. The story said Roland Wringer met Abigail Pollack when he accidently came across her, while she bathed in the spring that flowed through and down Cupid Hill, although at the time the hill had no name. Roland was said to have instantly fallen in love with Abigail, which is how the hill later got its name. The problem was that Roland's family and Abigail's family had been in a deep feud at that time, so they were forbidden from seeing each other. They didn't listen to their families, however, and would meet every afternoon at the top of Cupid Hill."

"Why were their families feuding?" Ivy asked, sounding excitedly interested.

I shrugged, "Something about a stolen cow."

Ivy laughed, "Seriously?"

I nodded, "Supposedly the Pollack's stole a cow from the Wringer's, but the Pollack's said it was the other way around. Stealing a cow was serious business back then."

"So I'm assuming the feud finally ended at some point. What happened to end it?"

I stopped. We'd reached the top of the hill. I turned to face Ivy, "Abigail's horse threw her one day and she fell down into a ravine. It was starting to grow dark and she'd fallen in such a way that nobody going by would notice her. She was hurt pretty bad. Roland found her. The story claims that Roland could since something was wrong and something was telling him to climb the hill. He found Abigail's horse first and then somehow discovered her. He took her back to her family's cottage. They threatened him on sight, thinking he was the one who hurt her, but Abigail's grandmother could see how much Roland cared for her granddaughter. The older woman took charge of the situation and Roland refused to leave Abigail's side. Once she recovered, Abigail's family stopped fighting their relationship and eventually Roland's family could see what everyone else did. They were meant for each other. So this was named Cupid Hill, because the hill is what brought them together."

Ivy wiped at her eyes and wouldn't look at me, clearly embarrassed to be crying. I wanted to comfort her, but wasn't sure how comfortable she was with me touching her, so I simply took her hand and held it. When she gained control of herself and began looking around at the view, a new since of awe came over her. "I've never been up here before. This is beautiful."

"You've really never come up here before?" I asked and stared off into the distance. "The last few years it's become a place for teenagers to come to make out or have sex. Shit, that's not why I brought you here though. I just thought you'd enjoy the hike and the view. Get you out of your element a little. I even threw in a romantic story. I know it can't compete with your romance novels. I mean that scene I read was pretty hot."

Ivy blushed, "You've got to stop bringing that up."

I loved it when she blushed. It made me want to peel her clothes away to see just how far that blush went. Were her breasts pink, just like the cheeks on her face? I groaned and closed my eyes. I needed to cool my thoughts before I scared her. When I opened my eyes, however, Ivy looked so damned beautiful. She didn't wear makeup, but she didn't need it. The wind kept whipping the hair in her ponytail.

"What?" She whispered, clearly uncomfortable with the silence and the way that I was looking at her.

I shook my head, "I wish you would believe me when I tell you that you're beautiful."

Ivy ducked her head, before asking, "So you didn't bring me out here to make out or have sex, huh?"

It took me a minute to swallow passed the sudden lump in my throat, before I answered honestly, "I wouldn't be opposed to either of those things, but no, that's not why I brought you here."