"Clay, thank you for bringing me here tonight." Misty smiled, holding Clay's hand as they walked down Main Street, window shopping. Because of how busy she had been working on the ranch, Misty couldn't remember the last time that she had walked down Main Street. It was out of the way of the freeway, so it wasn't very often that Misty had to come down this street. 

        "You're very welcome, Mist." Clay returned the smile. "Sorry that we got here so late. We will have to come back some other day so we can grab supper before all the good hole in the walls close." 

        "It's okay. I'm havin' fun just window shopping with you. Plus, I think that the ice cream shop on the end of the street is still open for a few more hours." Glancing at Clay, Misty gave him a mischievous grin. 

        "I'm sure we could work that in." Clay teased, gently swinging their hands back and forth as they walked. 

        Taking their time, Clay and Misty eventually reached the end of Main Street, and walked towards the bright neon sign, telling them that Harder's Ice Cream was still open. "Look at the line! This is insane." Misty chuckled as they filed into the back of the long line. Every one of the outdoor seats were occupied.

       "I know. It's Friday night, so there had to have been a high school football game." Clay replied, looking around at the obscene number of teenagers. 

       "I think it's crazy how many people come to the games. Seriously, I think that there are more teenagers here than there are people who live in this town!" Misty exclaimed. 

       A chuckle coming from beside her warmed the nippy air around Misty. "Doesn't it seem like so long ago?" Clay asked, wrapping an arm around Misty's waist, able to tell that she was getting chilly.  

       "So long ago for what?" Misty asked, looking up at Clay. 

       "That we were in high school. I mean, it's only been a year for you, but it's been almost four for me. Sure, I went to college for two years, but that's still so much different than high school." 

       "Yeah, you're right. It does seem like a long time ago. By the way, I'm proud of you for goin' to college. I really wish that I had gone right out of high school." Misty verbalized for the first time. 

        "It's not too late to go." Clay replied, walking forward after two cheerleaders placed their orders, stepping out of the long line. 

         "I know, but now I'm already a year older than all the normal aged freshman; I just think it would be kind of awkward is all." Misty folded her arms over her stomach, wishing she had worn a thicker jacket. In her defense, though, it was not supposed to get this chilly tonight. Based on the temperature change, and the gusty winds, Misty figured that a storm was on it's way. 

        "May I ask why you didn't go right out of high school?" Clay looked down Misty.

       "I really wanted to focus on the family business. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to own my own mustang rescue ranch, and I know enough stuff about the business, that I don't feel that I need to go to college. But, for the future, it would be good to have at least an associates degree." 

        "I understand that. Ultimately, it's your decision, but if you ever decide that you want to get your degree, I would love to help you get that started. For me it was more of a given that I went to college. My parents both went to very well known universities, but I was more like you. I wanted to stay home with the family business, but my parents didn't really give me a choice. They just told me that I was going to college, and where I was going. It was my decision to just go for two years and get my associates. But, I just want you to know that I would be willing to help you if you decide you want to get a degree." Clay said, walking forward a couple more steps. Behind them, a group of jocks peeled out of the parking lot, screaming and hollering at the cheerleaders as they drove away. 

         "Thank you, Clay, I really appreciate that, and I will certainly take you up on it if I ever change my mind." Misty smiled up at him. 

        "You're welcome." Clay smiled, landing a kiss on Misty's head.

        Misty looked around at her surroundings. The line was getting shorter and shorter as some of the high schoolers went and sat with their friends. A few groups went to their friend's trucks, popping the tailgate to sit in the bed. To their right, Misty saw a young couple sharing a cup of ice cream. They were clearly still newly dating, Misty could tell by the blush on the girl's cheeks as her boyfriend fed her some ice cream. With a smile at the young couple, Misty asked Clay, "Did you ever have a sweetheart in high school?" She knew the question was random, but they had never really talked about Clay's exes before, but Misty was sure that he had dated other girls. 

        "I mean I took a couple girls out on a few dates, but we were never voted 'cutest couple' or anything like that. And I wouldn't really consider any of the girls my 'sweetheart.'" 

        "Part of me wishes that I had a high school sweetheart, but then again, high school relationships are just so complicated." She rested her head back in the small under Clay's arm.

       "What if we pretend to be high school sweethearts tonight?" Clay gave Misty a sideways grin, a sparkle in his eyes.

        "Wait, are you being serious?" Misty let out a chuckle, lifting her head. 

         "Yeah. I mean, I don't have a varsity jacket or a class ring to give you or anything, but we could at least sit down at a table and make fun of the jocks trying to flirt with the cheerleaders." Clay smiled.

       "You really are the best aren't you?" Misty asked, resting her hands on top of Clay's around her waist. 

        "I try. Are you cold?" Clay asked when he felt Misty's cold hands on his.

       "It's just a little chilly out is all." Misty smiled, knowing if she admitted to being cold that Clay would tease her and she'd never hear the end.

        "Well, we can fix that." Clay replied, pulling back from Misty, his arm falling off her waist, making her even colder. Shrugging off his light jacket, he held it out for Misty to slip her arms into the sleeves. 

       With a chuckle, Misty put on Clay's jacket. Once her arms were inside the jacket, Clay stood behind Misty, wrapping both of his arms tightly around her. "There, is that better?" He placed a kiss on the side of her temple.

       Smiling, Misty melted in his arms, "Much better. Thank you. You didn't have to give me your jacket, though." 

        "Sure I did. I didn't want you to be cold anymore. Even though you getting cold seems to be like a habitual problem." Misty could tell that Clay was smiling. 

        Misty jerked her elbow backwards, hitting Clay's stomach. "That's not very nice." She had a teasing smile. 

       "Maybe, maybe not, but I don't mind you being cold because then I get to warm you up, whatever it takes." Clay said with a smile against Misty's neck.

        "Stop, that tickles." Misty giggled, shrugging her shoulders against her head, inwardly not wanting him to stop.

        "Stop what?" Clay moved some hair off of her neck, smiling into the kiss as he placed his lips softly against the spot right behind her ear. Moving his hands to the side of her waist, Clay began tickling her sides, laughing as he did so. 

       The only way that Misty knew she would be able to get him to stop tickling her was if she broke free from his arms. Although she loved their little times like this, Misty didn't really enjoy being tickled in public because she was self-conscious of her laugh when Clay would terrorize her with his tickling fingers.

        Able to wiggle free from Clay's hands, Misty turned around to face him, pointing a finger at him. "I win." 

       "Aw, come back. Now I'm cold." Clay teased, opening his arms. 

      "Only if you promise to not tickle me anymore." Misty gave Clay a pouty face. 

      "I promise." He smiled.

       Misty walked forward, folding her arms over her chest as she leaned against Clay. Lifting her head, Misty placed a long kiss on Clay's jawline.

      "Now you better stop that, young miss. We are in public." Clay's voice was quiet as he smiled down at Misty, his eyes a starry constellation. 

      Misty pulled back from the kisses she was dropping on his chin. With a smile she asked, "Why should I stop? I want everyone here to know that you're my boyfriend." Misty beamed. With a smile, Clay replied by dropping a kiss on her forehead. "Wait, isn't this the same jacket that you gave me to wear on the roundup?" Misty asked randomly after she looked down at the jacket. 

        With a chuckle, Clay nodded. "Yeah, it is. I think it looks better on you than it does on me, though. Plus, it's practically yours since you wear it all the dadgum time since you're always cold." 

       "I am not always cold!" Misty defended.

       "Okay, then give me my jacket back." Clay smiled, not actually wanting it back.

       "No." She said a little too quickly. "Because you said it's practically mine and that it looks better on me than it looks on you." Misty smiled, defending herself.

        Before Clay could reply, the cashier at the window called the next person in line. "Hi, what can I get y'all today?"

       Misty turned, walking up to the window to order. Unsure which ice cream flavor she wanted to try, Misty told Clay to go first. "Hi, I'll take a large cookies and cream milkshake, please." 

       "And I'll take two scoops of the black cherry ice cream, please." Misty ordered.

        "Alright, that'll be $6.65." The cashier said after ringing up their order. 

       Clay handed her his credit card. As they waited for the receipt to print, the teenage cashier smiled at Clay and Misty. "Y'all are awful brave to be getting ice cream when it's this cold out." 

       "Yeah, I know, but it's worth it if it means getting to spend time with my boyfriend." Misty smiled up at Clay, remembering their talk earlier about how it hurt his feelings that she had never called him her boyfriend in public. 

       Clay smiled down at Misty, glad he was just over reacting instead of being right about her being ashamed to be seen with him. 

       "Y'all are cute." The cashier smiled at the couple. "Sir, if you could please sign here, then head to the window around the corner and we will have your ice cream out in just a bit." 

       Clay broke his gaze free from Misty to sign the receipt, thanking the cashier by dropping a couple dollars into their tip jar. The couple made their way over to the other window. Once their ice cream was ready, Clay grabbed them some napkins and headed over to the only open table in the yard. It was a dimly lit picnic table right against the side of the ice cream shop building. 

        Setting their ice cream down, Clay let Misty slip onto the bench first. Once she was seated, Clay slid in right beside her, handing her her ice cream. Misty scooped up some ice cream onto her spoon, lifting it to her lips to taste. "Mmm. I forgot how good their ice cream is. I haven't been here for ages. Here, try some." Misty told Clay, feeding him a spoonful of the cherry flavored frozen dessert. 

       "That is really good. I'm not a huge fan of cherry flavored things though. But that ice cream is really good." Clay replied, taking a sip of his milkshake. "Here, try something really really good." Clay smiled, handing Misty his drink.

       After Misty took a sip, she commented on how good it was. Even after Misty and Clay's ice cream was gone, they still sat at the table, watching the crowd of high schoolers thin out. Some of the cheerleaders left with their jock boyfriends, a group of band kids all piled into a van, but there were two people leaving that Clay and Misty particularly paid attention to. It was the young, newly dating couple. The girl's mom had just pulled up to pick her up, and hesitantly, the coupled stood up from their spot at the table. Hand in hand, they slowly walked to the girl's car. After giving her a hug, the boy held his girlfriend's face in his hands, slowly leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips before giving her one more hug. Opening the passenger side door for his girlfriend, the boy waved goodbye to the girl's mom before walking to his own vehicle. Even in the dark night, Misty could still see the boy smile a huge grin illuminated by the cab lights once he was in the solace of his truck. In her heart, that was the type of crush that Misty had always dreamed of. Looking to her left at Clay, Misty smiled when she realized just how blessed she was that she did have that type of crush.