As she looked into his sweet face, seeing a faint light twinkling in his eyes, her heart fluttered. He knows me. He reads my thoughts and speaks what I can't say. Will I ever understand our connection? Do I have to understand it? Can I have both life and school? His warm touch soothed her nerves, but words that needed to be spoken danced around her head like people doing the jitterbug. Now was the time to tell Colby how she felt about him, but everything sounded bland and rehearsed. "Speak from your heart," a voice said.
"This is crazy, Megan." He moved closer and took her hand. "I like you. I have from the first time I saw you."
"Really?"
"Why do you think I hung around?"
"I guess part of me always knew why you were here, but my head refused to listen to my heart."
Colby paused, his eyes scrunched in thought. "Do you believe in dreams, visions?"
"Yes and no. It's confusing." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Why do you ask?"
"Do you know why I came back?" His look turned serious.
"To see your grandparents," she said, her voice faltering.
"Yes, but do you know what prompted me to return?" He now held her arms.
"No."
"I kept having a dream-a circle with the wind. I saw the four seasons together, but separate. In Blackfoot, it's the spirits of the wind that change the seasons, which in turn sustain life." Colby licked his lips and continued.
"The dreams kept occurring more frequently and one day I knew I had to come home." He ran his fingers through his hair. "It scared me. What would I find? Would I realize I didn't belong? Or would I discover this is home making my life in Florida a sham. Which question did I want answered yes?"
Megan's hand went to the beaded necklace. Now she understood its power and the meaning behind Running Doe's words. "Did you find your answer?" she asked, glancing shyly.
His exhale held a hint of laughter. "I never forgot this place no matter how hard I tried to push it away," he said. "The stories and heritage nestled in this ranch and the mountains stay with you forever. My job kept me busy but I never really forgot this place. It has always been in here." He laid his hand over his heart.