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I think of the other night at the ball, that weird little ht to dust underoff the tailgate "Let’s go be illicit"

I don’t know if anyone sees us leave, and as we drive away, it occurs toBut by the ti over the hills, the wind blowing hard enough in the open top that we can’t talk

The Highlands spread out before us, rolling fields, snow-capped hills, and I take a deep breath, grinning at the sheer prettiness of it all It’s wide open in a way that makes me want toI don’t know, run around with

The jeep slows as we approach a fence, and I look at Miles, curious

He sate

The jeep ruht and surprise that escapes ly close to a squeal

But there, at the fence, is a shaggy red cow, hishis eyes, and he is the actual cutest

I hop out of the jeep, approaching the fence carefully, but the cow only rass, clearly not that concerned with me

"Ellie said you still hadn’t seen one," Miles calls, and I turn to smile over my shoulder at him "I hadn’t," I say, and I reach out--very cautiously, those are soive the cow a little pat on his head, that long reddish hair rough under h notes now?" Miles asks, and I head back to the jeep, dusting my hands off on the back of , wearing plaid, doing folk dances, seeing lots of kilts"

He’s still sitting in the driver’s seat (and I’ side of the car" thing), s me to see a cohich, okay, not exactly theto do with papers or tabloid stories It was justa nice thing to do

For me

Which is so bizarre I don’t want to think about it tooback in the jeep "I know itfor h, covering his od, I think the da , "Shut up," but I’

Just a little

Miles starts the jeep, and we drive away from the fence, the clouds thicker now, the wind a little chillier as we drive down the bu back to the house, but Milesdown into a shallow valley, hills rising up around us A few thin waterfalls trickle down the rocks, and it’s so beautiful that once again I wish I had a camera

And then I wonder if Miles purposely drove this way to showthat I tuck ine noise, "So as the deal with you and Flora?"

Miles doesn’t say anything, but I see his hands tighten on the steering wheel for just a second

"Me and Flo?" he calls back at last, and I pull a strand of hair out ofrut

"That’s what I said!" I yell, and he frowns, deep lines appearing on either side of his mouth