First Love, A Second Time Around

Sunshine and Sweet Kisses

Ally

Ally woke on Sunday morning around 7am to let her dogs out. Wearing her yoga pants and a tank top, she sat outside in the early morning sun watching the dogs run around her yard. She sipped a cup of coffee and thought about the events of the previous night. Ally had not been that free, that bold, or felt that alive in a very long time. It was a purposful decision to break out of her shell. Once she made it, there was no going back and she could not be happier. It was fun, exciting, and liberating. Ally hadn't felt this way since...no, thoughts are not going in that direction. She was not moving backwards anymore.

Ally wandered inside and grabbed her phone off the charger. She noticed she had a text from Jason that read "Good morning to the beautiful woman I danced the night away with. Give me a call when you can this morning.-Just Jason. Ally realized she had the biggest, goofiest smile reading that and she did not care.

"Good morning Just Jason," she said when he picked up, "How's your morning?"

"Much better now that I am talking to you," Jason said, "Aren't you up a little early for summer vacation?"

"Well dogs don't exactly know what summer vacation is. They just know they need to pee, and thankfully they never go anywhere but outside. So I'm up with them, enjoying the morning sun with some coffee, and you of course. Why are you up so early?" Ally asked as she walked back outside.

"I'm always up early. We are looking into a possible bear poacher in the state park not far from here. At first we thought it was wolves, or even hikers who came across one who was threatening them and they shot in self defense. All signs are now pointing to poachers." He said, and Ally noted some static in the line.

"That's awful! Why would anyone do that? Bears usually keep to themselves unless a momma feels her cubs are threatened or someone provokes them."

"Well there is a market for the fur, along with the meat believe it or not. These poachers are smart. They seem to hunt early morning or late evening, so wildlife, mostly wolves and coyotes, will tear the body apart before we can find it and they leave no real evidence. We've found some shell casing that were left behind though. " Jason said.

"I had a great night last night Jason. It was the first time in a while I really felt myself again. Thank you for that." Ally said.

" I had a great time too, which is why I wanted to talk to you this morning. Any chance you are free this evening? I would love to take you to dinner." Jason said as the connection started to sound distant.

"I would love that," Ally said, "What time?"

"Hey Ally I'm losing connection in the park. Let me call you when I get out of the park and we'll set..." And the connection went dead.

Ally hung up the phone smiling. Then she started to panic. Oh s**t she had a date! Like a real date. She had not gone on one in at least a year. Feeling panicked she called Gemma.

"OMG Gem I have a date tonight!" she practically yelled into the phone "What the hell am I going to do? Or wear?"

"Well good morning to you too," Gemma said, "I am almost irritated with you for waking me up at this time, but I will let it slide because this is big news! I assume it is with that handsome cowboy you spent half the night with?"

"Yes! His name is Jason. He is a fishing and wildlife officer. I just talked to him. He wants to have dinner." Ally said. "I'm excited and nervous. I know we just went shopping, but that was for fun clothes. I don't have any date clothes. I think I need to go shopping again!"

"Well Hallelujah my best friend has FINALLY rose from the dead! I have a little work I need to do and we can go around noon?"

"That sounds great!"Ally said. "OMG Gemma I'm excited for a date. Like really excited. I love this feeling!"

"Good. You are young, hot and available, this is how it is supposed to be. Promise me no walking down the road to the past today." Gemma said as she yawned.

"I promise! I really don't even want to honestly. I feel like I am starting to close that door, and it feels right."

"That's good Ally. Now let me start working and I will give you a call around 11 to figure out where we are going."

Gemma is a web designer, free lance, which means she can make her own hours and generally works from home. Occasionally she has to travel to a client to really get a feel of what direction they want to go to, sign contracts, things like that. She can work from anywhere which is why she decided to move with Ally to Montana. Her parents were not the best people. Drug addicts and Gemma was pretty sure her mom was selling herself to feed her habit. She wanted to help, but they did not want it. Gemma did not want to watch them kill themselves, so once she graduated college, she moved out to Montana to start over. Ally was so grateful to have her there.

Ally threw a tank top and shorts on. She decided to take the dogs to the lake and walk one of the trails to exercise them and herself. Ally had a small home gym in her basement that she used during the winter but when the weather is nice she liked to get as much outdoor exercise as she could. Her dogs were still young, 2 and 3, and she noticed the more exercise and mental stimulation they got, they were much happier.

At the lake Ally took a trail that would lead them around the lake for a bit then had some hills to climb which was great exercise for her calves, and the dogs loved to climb! The trail went up and down a couple of hills before it lead back to the lake trail where they would head home. Ally let the dogs go off trail a bit when they caught a scent, or just wanted to sniff around, knowing this helped their mental stimulation as well.

Up over the last hill and at the end of this trail and where the next trail started Ally slipped off her backpack and took out the dogs' portable water dishes and gave them a drink before heading back toward where they first started the hike. Ally herself took a waterbottle out and took a long drink. The total miles for the hike was roughly 5 miles, which is a good hike for all three of them.

Finishing up the rest of the hike, she loaded the dogs up, rolled down the windows and headed home. The air was warming up and the breeze felt so good. The drive home was short, and once there she brought the dogs inside where they promptly took a long drink and passed out in the living room.

Ally went upstairs and started the shower while she pulled something out to wear shopping with Gemma. It was another long flowy maxi dress that Ally loved. She was about to hop in the shower and she heard her phone ring.

"Hey Ally it's Jason. I thought I would call and get our plans firmed up for tonight." Jason said when she answered the phone.

"Hi! Yes lets definitely do that. Are you thinking of somewhere in particular?" Ally asked.

"Well actually yes, unless of course you want to choose, I'm more than happy with that too."

Ally smiled. He was so thoughtful. "What did you have in mind?"

"There is a restaurant no too far from Whitefish called 6'oclock. It has an ecclectic menu but not in a bad way. A little American food, a little Italian, some French...and they make the best desserts. There is some dancing, not like last night of course." Jason said.

"You had me at dessert," she chuckled.

"Do you want to meet there, or would you like me to pick you up?" Jason asked.

"You can pick me up if you would like. Is 7 ok?"Ally asked.

"I would love to pick you up. Seven is perfect."

Ally gave him directions to her house and they said good-bye.

As soon as Ally hung up with Jason, Gemma called.

"Alright do we know the plan for tonight? Where are you going, or did Jason say how to dress if he's surprising you?" Gemma asked.

"He said he would like to take me to a place called "6'oclock", Ally answered. "Have you been there?"

"Yeah Jack and I have been there a couple of times. Nice place, and they have the best desserts."

"That's what Jason said," Ally replied, "What's the dress code?"

"It's not formal at all. Not a jeans and tshirt place, but not a cocktail dress either. When we go shopping, I will point out some clothes that will fit the bill."

"So what time do you want to leave? Ally asked. There was plenty of time before she had to get ready to go out.

"Can I pick you up in about a half hour?" Gemma asked.

"Sure. I'll just take a quick shower to wash my hike off me and I'll be ready."

Ally jumped in the shower really quick, knowing she would take a longer shower later for her date. She put on a pretty flowy dress that hit just below her knees, and she threw on a pair of comfy Sperry's. She let the dogs out one more time and made sure they had water. Ally grabbed her purse just in time as Gemma pulled in her driveway.

"So where are we going this time?" Ally asked as she got in the car.

"I think we'll stay in town. The mall is a hike from here, and I like making sure the small businesses in our town are supported,"Gemma said as she pulled out of the driveway. Ally agreed. Big box stores and mall stores may have the sales but there is something about the attention a boutique owner gives you that just cant be duplicated anywhere.

They pulled into a parking spot just off Main St. in front of one of the shops they went in yesterday. Ally really liked the shop. The employees were so helpful, and their recommendations yesterday were spot on with what Ally wanted.

They were greeted by the same two girls who were in the shop yesterday.

"Back for more I see," the pretty brunette named Hillary said, "what kind of clothes are we looking for now?"

"I need date clothes. Anything from casual to cocktail. I want to make sure I am prepared for anything." Ally said.

"OOOH, someone has a hot date and is looking forward to more I see!" the other employee who's name badge said Alexa.

Ally blushed. And smiled another big goofy smile. "I met someone last night, who I think I might have more than one date with. And even if we don't I want to make sure I have a good selection of clothes in case I'm asked out again. I've been out of the game for a while." Ally confessed.

Gemma spoke up, "Hey there is nothing wrong with being a late bloomer! We've got you! Time to turn you into a twenty eight year old instead of a middle age woman!"

Gemma and the employees worked hard for the next couple of hours. Ally tried on so many clothes. In the end, she wound up with several pretty date worthy dresses that were casual, and some semi dressy. She bought a few nice designer jeans and pretty blouses to pair with them. She also got a couple of cocktail dresses, just in case. Gemma and the girls helped her pick out matching shoes, jewelry and even some pretty hair accessories. Ally also found some very nice perfume.

Ally and Gemma thanked Hillary and Alexa profusely as they all loaded up Ally's purchases into the car. Both Gemma and Ally were tired from their outing.

"I'm hungry, do you want to go to lunch?" Ally asked.

"I wish I could, but I have a zoom meeting in an hour with my newest client. I'll help you haul all this into the house but then I have to jet." Gemma replied.

Back at Ally's, they carried all of the bags upstairs to her room. The cocktail dresses were on hangers in dress bags, but the rest of the clothing would need to be hung up. Ally searched her closet and found she was short A LOT of hangers.

"Ok girl, I have to get going," Gemma said, "Have a great night and call me in the more and spill everything!"

"I will, thank you for your help! I definitely owe you one!" Ally said,, looking around in disbelief of how much she's bought.

After Gemma left, Ally went downstairs and made herself some lunch. She was a little nervous and excited so she kept it light. She decided to sit outside and get some more sunshine while the dogs ran around. Feeling the sunshine on her face made her happy. The thought then hit her; she WAS happy! Not the happy you have when you hang out with friends, accomplish something at work, or curl up with your dogs at the end of a very long day. This happiness was almost selfish, because it was all about her. Ally felt special. She felt young again. Hopefully she would finally feel whole again soon.

It wasn't because of Jason that she felt this way. Ok, maybe it was a little because of him. It was mostly because going out last night, having fun and opening herself up to new experiences again made her remember who she was. She thought she was happy before last night, and she was, but this was different. She was finding herself after being lost for so long. Now that she'd made that discovery there was no going back. Coming out of her little daze, Ally checked the time, and it was just after 5. She called the dogs inside, fed them and headed upstairs to get ready.

Upstairs, Ally went through her new outfits, looking for the one she bought especially for this date. It was a pretty pink and light blue flowered short sleeved blouse. It was button down and the sleeves were gauzy and flowy. She paired it with a pair of ankle length white pencil slacks, and a pair of white sandals. She jumped in the shower, washing, conditioning and shaving as fast as she could. She moisturized her skin, put on her skin products and brushed her teeth. Wrapping another towel around her wet hair she went to the bedroom and sat at her vanity.

Ally plugged in her curling iron and dug out her round brush for blow drying her hair. She found her hair products and worked them into her hair, taking a wide toothed comb through her hair to break up clumps. She quickly blow dryed her hair and used a hair band to hold it back while she did her make up. Ally did her make up lightly, only using bit of eyeshadow, mascara and lip gloss. She fixed a couple of chips in her toenail and finger nail polish, got dressed and curled her hair so it fell in pretty beachy waves. She threw her phone, lipgloss, keys and her ID and credit card into a small clutch and went downstairs.

It was 6:45, and Ally wondered if she should sit on the porch in one of the rocking chairs to wait. The dogs were asleep, and the rest of the house was locked up. She was anxious, and the view from her front porch was part of the lake and the mountains and it always made her relax in the evenings to see it. She did a sweep of the downstairs one last time, double-checked she had everything and walked out on the porch, locking up behind her.

Ally sat in one of the rocking chairs on the porch. It was an older chair, part of a set, that Ally painted and put out front. The chair creaked while she rocked. It soothed her, and she gazed at the horizon while she waited for Jason. Ally realized she was actually looking forward to the date and not going through the motions as she had with other dates. Jason was a fun guy, he made her laugh and she liked how she felt when she was in his presence. Plus he was pretty cute which defnitely helped.

At 7pm exactly Jason pulled into her driveway. She smiled as he opened the door to his truck and got out.

"Points for being on time," Ally said as he approached. He looked so handsome in a pair of dark blue jeans and a crisp white short sleeved shirt.

"I never keep a lady waiting," Jason replied, "Especially one as beautiful as you." He then produced a bouquet of wildflowers from behind his back.

"These are beautiful! Thank you so much, Jason!" Ally said. "I have to go back inside and put them in a vase," she said heading back to the porch.

"No, they'll keep in the back seat of my truck", Jason said. "Here, let me help you up on your side."

Jason's truck was a little higher than others she was used to, but it had step sides. With Jason's help she was able to climb up into the cab with no problem.

"You look really great Jason. Thank you for asking me to go out tonight." Ally said as she buckled her seat belt..

"You look beautiful Ally. I'm so glad you said yes." Jason said while he back out of her driveway.

They chatted amicably on their way to the restaurant. Ally asked about the poachers Jason talked about this morning. He told her they had some men going out tonight to see if they could spot them They were spreading them out all over the the areas where the last carcasses were found, and out further from those radiuses.

"Isn't it dangerous being out in park, in the forest at night? You're hunting people who are illegally hunting wild animals that may also be hunting you!" Ally said.

"Well yeah, when you put it that way, I guess you're right. Our guys are well trained, and we have GPS trackers on their gear so if anything were to happen, no matter what we could get to them." Jason said, "We're here!"

Jason pulled into the parking lot on the side of a trendy looking storefront restaurant that said "6'oclock" . It had pretty windows in the front with fairy lights twinkling. The inside was warm and romantic, decorated in rich browns and beautiful reds. The tables had a single flameless candle on them and more fairy lights hung from the ceiling beams. There was indeed a dance floor, but small, and the music being played was soft and sweet.

The server seated us almost immediately. The restaurant was full but not packed. Waiters and waitresses busily took orders and brought food out around them. Their table was near a fireplace in the back of the restaurant. Flameless candles glowed inside the fireplace, but it also looked as if it was actually lit at times, likely during the cold winter months.

Jason pulled Ally's chair out for her to sit down, and after he was seated, the server put the menu's down.

"Everything looks so good!" Ally said as she looked through the menu. Jason had been right. There was a nice ecclectic mix of dishes. There was an assortment of wines, beers, cocktails, as well as non-alcoholic drinks.

"You've never been here?" Jason asked as he looked through the menu.

"I don't exactly get out much," Ally said, "Last night was me breaking that bad habit."

"Well thank God for that! I'm so glad I was there to meet you on your night of 'no more getting out' nights." Jason said, smiling warmly at her.

The waitress came over at that time, told them their specials and asked for their drink order. Ally ordered a glass of riesling wine, Jason a locally bottled beer.

"So last night you told me you were a kindergarten teacher at Whitefish, right? Turns out you had my nephew this year. I only knew you as Ms. Stevens though when he talked about you. When I got up this morning I connected the dots." Jason said.

"Who is your nephew?"

"Micah Lewis. He's the first grandbaby. He's going to be a big brother soon though! My sister is due any time with her second, a girl."

Ally studied Jason for a moment. Micah definitely resembled his uncle. Both with the same caramel colored skin, same light eyes. Micah was going to be a heartbreaker for sure.

"Yes, I remember Micah. He was such a good boy. So sweet. Always the first to offer help."Ally said.

"Um, I'm not sure we are talking about the same kid! My nephew is full steam all day every day. He is a sweet boy but definitely a stinker. My brother in law is a rancher, they raise cows, so he is in the fields from sun up to past sundown. With my sister being ready to have a baby anytime, she can't keep up with him. I go over after work and on my days off to help out for a while so she can get some rest."

"If she needs any help at all I am happy to give it. I have two dogs and a big backyard and they don't quit either. I also go out to the lake a lot with them to hike and burn energy, he could always be my helper again." Ally smiled.

"She would probably take you up on that. My mom and dad are coming next week to be here when the baby is born and Mom is staying for a month to help out, but he's a little boy who has a lot of energy and everyone would always appreciate the extra hands, especially me. I could hang out with you both together." Jason said, then realized what he said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be presumptuous."

"I would love that Jason," Ally said, reaching across the table and squeezing his hand with a smile.

The waitress brought their drinks out, and they gave their dinner orders. Chicken French for Ally, a medium rare steak for Jason.

"So its not honky tonk music at all but would you care to dance a little while we wait for our meal?" Jason asked as they each took a sip of their drinks.

"Absolutely." Ally said. Jason pulled out her chair and lead her by the hand to the small dance floor.

The songs were slow and sweet. Jason knew exactly how to hold her and dance softly around the floor. She felt him press his head softly into hers which made her smile. This, she knew, was what she was missing out on for so long.

Too soon, their dance ended and their meals came. They ate slowly, talking a little more about one another, laughing at silly jokes and just having a good time with each other. Ally sipped her wine and loved the warmth it gave her cheeks.

The waitress appeared again and asked if they wanted dessert. The decided to share a "death by chocolate" slice of cake.

While waiting for their dessert, Ally and Jason decided to go back to the dance floor. This time, Ally rested her head on Jason't shoulder and he rested his on top of her head. Ally felt comfortable and safe, and maybe even beautiful in the twinkling lights. Ally saw the waitress bring out their dessert, and she glanced up to tell Jason they should go back to the table. As she looked up, Jason caught her eye and with a quick unspoken request for permission, he lowered his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. He smiled down at her.

"I hope that was ok. I've wanted to do that since the end of last night."he confessed.

"Perfectly ok. I was hoping you would too." Ally said shyly.

Back at their table, they dug into the rich chocolate cake. Ally softly moaned.

"This has to be the best chocolate cake I've ever had!" she said.

"I told you the desserts were good." Jason said, taking another forkful.

Before long, the cake was finished off, and it was time to go. Jason paid the check when it came, refusing to let Ally contribute.

"This is a date, I asked you out, but even if you ask me out I'm still buying," Jason said.

They walked to his truck hand in hand, and this time as he helped her to her seat, his hand lingered slightly at the small of her back.

The ride back was comfortably quiet, a local country station playing. Ally was surprised to see it was almost 11. It felt like the date had only started.

Jason helped her out of the truck after he pulled into her driveway. He handed her the flowers he got her, and walked her to her front door.

"I had a really great time tonight Ally," he said.

"So did I. Thank you so much for dinner." Ally replied.

"Is it too soon to ask if you would like to go out again?" Jason asked, "I'm off from work tomorrow and we could maybe plan a day date at the lake?"

"That sounds great."Ally said.

"Can I kiss you good night Ally?" Jason asked as he lowered his head down.

"Yes you definitely can,"Ally replied.

Their kiss was longer this time but still very sweet. Ally smiled as they broke apart.

"Call me in the morning and we can figure out our plans for tomorrow," she said. She opened her clutch to get her keys.

Ever the gentleman, Jason waited while she unlocked her door and flipped the light on just inside. One more sweet kiss, and he jogged to his truck, while she went inside and locked the door behind her.

Ally felt herself smiling like a teenager when she dug her phone out. She missed 2 calls from Gemma and she texted her that she better call when she got home.

Gemma picked up on the first ring.

"Ok girl I want to hear everything!" she said.

Ally talked as she headed upstairs, dogs in tow. She took off her sandals, pausing the conversation long enough to pull her pj's on and then sat in the middle of the bed cross legged like a child. She couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't stop thinking about Jason, about their kiss, about seeing him tomorrow.

Twenty four hours after deciding to take back her life Ally found herself happier than she's been in years.