"Yes, but I don't play in it."
"Why not?" His irresistible, childish grin forced Megan to look away.
"It's for kids," she muttered, half-heartedly.
"Have you ever taken a leisure stroll in the rain? Have you ever splashed in puddles?" Colby asked and then jumped off the porch into a puddle while shouting, "Yee-haw."
Megan shook her head while trying not to laugh. His child-like enthusiasm left her contemplating the idea. "How does he unlock the barriers to my soul?" she asked herself.
"Come with me." He took her hand and pulled her off the porch.
Standing in the rain, she burrowed her head to keep the drops off her neck and face. Colby laughed. "Let go, Megan."
With a deep breath, she tilted her face to the sky. Rain streamed down her face, but when Megan tried to wipe it off, Colby grabbed her hands. "Let the rain cleanse your mind and soul."
Each breath brought a new level of relaxation. With her eyes closed and rain dripping on her face, she heard the drumbeats. A man passed before her eyes, but kept his back to her. She saw the vest again. When he vanished, she jolted. "Enough. My clothes are soaked. My hair is soaked. Kids, time to change. We'll meet in the Great Room for sandwiches, hot chocolate, music, and games."
Colby tried to stop Megan, but she ignored his incessant pleas. "I'll get you dry clothes," she hollered as she raced in the side door that led to the kitchen. With her back against the door, she sighed. "Until the man in my dream shows his face, what do I do?"
After putting clothes on the table for Colby, Megan headed upstairs again, this time to her bedroom. Never was she more grateful for having kept a few things here. This offered a chance to think and sit alone. As she sat on the edge of the bed, towel-drying her hair, she considered the man in her dream. "Is it Colby?" Her heart beat faster and a smile crept upon her lips.
She brushed her long brown hair and used a headband. After many deep, relaxing breaths, Megan returned to the kitchen. Colby stood by the sink and peered out the window. His muscular upper body filled Brett's shirt and the jeans fit perfectly.
They fell into a rhythm while making sandwiches and hot chocolate. Each glance his way left Megan wondering about the dream. How did one approach the subject and ask questions? "No," she thought. "This is one question I won't ask." Yes, she wanted answers, but the truth scared her. "In time," she reminded herself, "I'll learn the truth. Until then I live life and work with the kids and horses. That I can handle."