Thanks

Passing a vehicle and smoothly turning back into their own lane, Hunter listens to the way she felt about riding on the motorcycle. "Yeah..." He knew what it was. It was what had him addicted to the road. Shifting gears, the bike lurches a little before shooting forward at a faster speed. Hunter's eyes remain glued to the road and he leans forward a little bit more, making sure Katie leaned with him. "It's called freedom."

He didn't take the straight shot to the lake tonight. The ride was too nice to waste, and he ends up taking a different road that cost them an extra fifteen minutes before looping back to the highway. Eventually though, they do wind up at the lake, finding the parking lot almost deserted. It wasn't surprising at this hour, although some nights there were parties going on. Not tonight though.

Slowing down to a crawl, Hunter steers his bike between the curbs, driving onto the grass and only stopping once they'd reached the sand. Cutting the engine, he lets the bike rest to the side on the kickstand, and takes off his helmet, running a hand through his hair. Sliding off first, he's careful not to bump Katie, then holds the bike steady so she can dismount as well.

"You've got good balance," he comments as he locks the helmets to the bike. "I didn't have to worry about you pulling me off for a crash landing."

Grinning at her, he nods his head towards the beach before tucking his hands in his pockets and walking forward. His pace is slow... almost thoughtful as he walks through the sand, stopping a short ways from the gently lapping water. The moon shone brightly, reflecting off the small ripples. "I used to come here all the time," he muses, scanning the water. He could still hear the laughter. The voices. Family. Friends.

Feeling the warmth of the evening, he unzips his jacket and sighs deeply. Part of him was enjoying this evening. He was glad he wasn't alone. Katie was nice company. Coming to the lake was always fun, along with the ride. And part of him... part of him was still sitting next to that box in his living room.

Easing down to sit in the sand, he rests his arms on his knees, keeping his eyes on the lake. "Thanks for coming along tonight, Katie." He looks over at her, his expression genuine. "It's... been a while since I've been able to take a girl anywhere without... well, without more expected out of me, I guess." His eyes go back to the water. Katie wasn't that kind of girl. And he was glad of it. 

Eric tips his hat back on his head and grins down at Ashlee. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." 

Watching her head off to her and Stacy's bunkhouse, he shakes his head. She was something else. And... he'd really enjoyed himself today too. It was fun working with Ashlee. She was so easy to work with and she followed his directions well. Maybe... just maybe since Eric hadn't had his own family, he was getting a chance at something else. Maybe he'd never be a father, but maybe this was as close as God could give him. He wouldn't take it for granted. 

Turning back to the barn, he finishes up with Static, then heads to his own bunkhouse. What he'd told Ashlee was true - he did have other stuff to do before tonight. But it wasn't barn work. It was icing his leg and putting it up for a while. He'd already done far too much today than he should have, but he was not going to miss out on going to town. He'd promised and would stick to it... 

...By early evening, Eric was back in the dining hall, waiting for the other three. He wasn't sure who was driving what, so he'd opted just to wait and see. He didn't even know where Stacy had planned to take Ashlee, so he'd wound up in a nice pair of jeans and a casual but nice collared shirt, and his boots that were in better shape than his barn boots. It wasn't his Sunday best, but he didn't want to overdo it if they were going somewhere casual. His hair was still a bit damp from his shower, and he smelled of fresh aftershave. 

Easing down at one of the tables, he sets his good cowboy hat aside to wait. 

Dylan slowly walks from his bunkhouse, feeling a bit awkward. He'd cleaned up some, especially since he'd been working the barn earlier, but he really wasn't so sure about this. He'd told Ashlee he'd go to town with them but... now he wondered if he should have declined. He'd dug up a pair of jeans without holes in them and he'd scrounged around to find a t-shirt that either wasn't stained or offensive. It was the best he could do on short notice. 

"Bright and early. Got it." Jared gives Grace a thumbs up and a smile. He wasn't totally convinced any of this therapy would really work, but he was willing to give it a shot. "I'll be here."

...And he was. After being woken up for the umpteenth time for his medication, it was a boring early-morning show on television that kept him awake. Half his breakfast sat to the side getting cold. It tasted awful today and he just couldn't stomach any more of it. 

Zach grins and shrugs. "I dunno... there's an antique mall down the street... wanna get some ice cream then go there?" He wasn't a big antique fan, but it was something to do, and he did enjoy looking around at all the old stuff. And every once in a while there were good deals too.