by Kim Smart
“Of course not. It’s on the way. Bye Mrs. Braun. I’ll have her home by one.” Ever the gentleman, Jesse would follow through on this promise; that would not be a concern. While Susan was grateful that she could go to bed without a worry when Kerry was out, she worried that her daughter was settling. Taking the easy way out.
Jesse opened the door to his new pearl-white F150 so Kerry could climb into the seat next to him. Once saddled in the truck he threw his arm around Kerry and gently kissed her on the lips. “I have a going away gift for you but I’m saving it for later,” he teased.
Kerry drew her lower lip in and nibbled it. She leaned away from Jesse slightly as a familiar knot appeared in her stomach. She had been expecting Jesse to propose to her since Christmas. When he didn’t propose at Christmas, Valentine’s Day, her birthday in April or graduation, she thought she had skated through safely. Becoming a vet came before making any big commitment like marriage. Jesse would be a great husband. She just wasn’t ready for the pressure.
“Sweet! Let’s get this party started.” She didn’t want to appear ungrateful, but felt a little empty in her response.
Couples crowded the dance floor. “Shall we?” Jesse took Kerry’s hands and soon they were boot-scooting the floor under the big tent. They knew this band and enjoyed the music. The Denim Rebels played at many of the events in the area. They were high energy and belted out popular country music, throwing in a few older tunes to keep the more mature crowd engaged. The female singer was a beacon to the cowboys in the crowd with her short leather hot pants, muscled legs, boots with bling, and leather vest. She tossed her hair as she threw herself across the stage, grinding to the beat of the bass guitar and drum. Cowboys flocked to her like moths to a flame. Jesse was not immune.
Jesse and Kerry had a great evening, dancing and hanging with their friends, promising to get together at Christmas when everyone would be back home from school or taking time away from their work to be with family.
Exhausted from long days of working at The Buffalo Diner, doing her chores around the ranch and packing for her big adventure, Kerry fell asleep with the sparkly tank top and makeup on, and jeans in a pile by her bed. Her alarm sounded at 4:30 the next morning. It wasn’t until that moment that she realized Jesse had not given her the present he promised. “Phew! I dodged that one again,” she thought to herself, feeling slightly embarrassed at her lack of gratitude.
She slipped her jeans back on. That was a distinct advantage she had over her friends who smoked. Her clothes were free of that offensive smell. She changed into a subtler t-shirt and headed toward the barn to see her horses, Gypsy, a Strawberry roan, and Prince, a handsome quarter horse and powerhouse who carried her through to many barrel racing wins. She would miss these two while away.
“My handsome Prince.” Kerry curled her arm around the muzzle that breathed into her ear, getting as close as he could. Prince loved to snuggle, but only with her. She had thought about letting her cousin ride him since she was in the rodeo club and had a mediocre horse, but on the trial runs Prince would not respond to Sam. He only had eyes for Kerry. Gypsy stuck her head through the opening of her stall to greet Kerry. The first horse of her very own, Gypsy would always have a special place in Kerry’s heart.
Gypsy was too spunky to be a reliable trail horse. She came to Kerry on her eighth birthday. “Every little girl needs a horse of her own, to ride in the fields and forget her troubles.”
Kerry’s dad loved her so much. Kerry never doubted that, even though there were times she felt like she hardly saw him. Ranching was hard for him. He didn’t have the luck of his peers and most years he needed a second job to make ends meet. Her mom worked too. Theirs was not a charmed life, but there was never a doubt in Kerry’s mind that they loved each other, and her, without fail.
And ride they did. Gypsy was Kerry’s therapy for all disappointments, failures, and losses over the years. When her grandfather died from injuries suffered in a horrific farm accident, Kerry moved in with Gypsy for two weeks, emerging only for an occasional meal and to use the facilities. She changed her clothes once during the weeks they were together. They rode during the day, staying within sight of the house, or at least the road leading to the house, and sleeping in the barn at night. Kerry put up a cot next to Gypsy in the stall, and when she lay sobbing Gypsy nuzzled her to ease her sorrow.
Gypsy was special for many reasons. When friends came from town to visit, they rode Gypsy. She was well mannered with the kids. Kerry and her parents, on the rare day her dad had some time to kill, would ride the Badlands together, exploring the caves, digging in the hills for garnets and making up stories about how life was when the dinosaurs lived there. Sometimes, Kerry wished she could enjoy those days again, when adulting was not looming over her and her parents were young.
She pulled a carrot from her pocket for Gypsy as she passed to get the tack. One last ride on Prince and she would be ready to drive across the state to start the next chapter. To the far end of the first pasture they rode, Kerry’s free flowing hair trailing behind her, her slim, strong, thighs hugging the saddle. They rushed up to the barbed wire fence and halted.
Kerry lingered there, the reins loose in her lap as she watched the glorious sun rise over the landscape casting the pinnacles and buttes in a warm glow. Subtle shades of red, ochre, buff and lavender grey ombre emerged across the baby Badlands, the miniature version of the clay and rock monuments that planted themselves in the plains amongst the vast grasslands, a playground to squirrels and chipmunks.
She would miss the hills she spent her youth exploring, on foot, horseback and dirt bike. Mostly alone. Kerry’s parents were not fortunate enough to have other children, so she was not only their daughter but also the son they never had. Her father didn’t have a ready-made hand to help at the ranch, a sad reality to her. Kerry offered to stay and work for him instead of going to school but he would not have it. He knew of her aspirations and supported her completely, but Kerry knew that he paid a price for that support. Her father seemed to age faster than her friends’ fathers. He had little time for fun and was always working. He never complained, and he always took her mom in his arms when he cleaned up after a day’s work, telling her how much he loved her. Someday, Kerry thought, I will have this everlasting love too, one day.
Chapter 3
With the radio blaring, drowning out the cheap tires rolling on the hot pavement, Kerry made the trek across the state. Her excitement distorted time, so the trip was quicker than she thought it would be. A million things passed through her mind as she covered the nearly 300 miles. Her old Chevy Sonic was nothing special to look at but sure was reliable. It was a gift from her parents when she was sixteen. No big deal in their world, all the farm kids had cars. If they didn’t, their parents would have to drive them to town for school and the many activities they had before and after school.
Kerry’s dad taught her the basics of car care, like how to change the oil, replace a blown tire, and change out wiper blades. It was a crash course she went through before she could get the car. Yes, she was the son he never had. She didn’t mind. Kerry enjoyed being independent and capable. She also found that guys respected her more when she shared mechanical knowledge with them.
She pulled onto the campus early mid-afternoon. There were upperclassmen wearing school colors with big carts helping the students unload their cars. Kerry was happy to have the help, although she was confident she could have managed herself. She opened the car doors and the trunk, and soon everything was on its way to her room. Kerry drove to the designated student parking, parked the car, and joined her belongings.
She took her mother’s advice about getting organized and set herself up for success. She built a nest in and around her bed. Being an only child, Kerry never had a roommate before. Her mother bought and pre-washed some luxury cotton sheets in her favorite pink color. Putting them on her dorm mattress felt like claiming her new territory. She covered and fluffed two matching pillows i
n the same pink color. A boho-themed colorful comforter topped with some small, fun pillows with inspirational messages like ‘today’s the day’ and ‘you’ve got this’ feathered the nest. Her childhood quilt, a gift from her late grandmother, hung safely in the closet for later use, if needed.
Kerry spent about an hour unpacking and organizing her belongings. She neatly folded new towels and washcloths and stored them on their designated shelf. Winter clothes were tucked in an under-bed storage container until needed, and other clothes were hung on the plush hangers her mother insisted she splurge on to personalize the closet.
As she expected to spend most of her time at the desk, Kerry took extra care to organize it well. She left behind the knick-knacks that decorated her childhood room and opted for a more minimalist desk with good lighting. She set up the phone-charging cube and placed her phone on the charger. With highlighters standing in penholders and sticky notes tucked neatly in the desk drawer, she gave the room a nod and found the college orientation materials.
Eager to be outside, she set aside a laundry basket of miscellaneous things to be put away later. She took the campus map from the folder and oriented herself. The campus was beautiful, with old trees and thick green, manicured grass, not like the wild sprawling grass of home. She walked around and familiarized herself with her classrooms. Securing a front-row seat brought some calm to Kerry, an anxious over-achiever. Her mother told her that professors noted those students who showed they were eager to learn.
As she walked around the campus with its stoic brick and limestone buildings, she nodded to the few other students she saw. Groups of upperclassmen dotted the campus as they fist-bumped, exchanged high-fives, hugged or otherwise greeted one another. It was comforting to see that friendships survived the summer break. She looked forward to making some of them herself. Only one other Buffalo Ridge student was attending Brookstone. He was not someone she would invite to a study group. He was a real party boy. But if she found herself in a bind, being from Buffalo Ridge, she was sure he would help her out, as she would him.
When she returned to her room, Kerry started organizing the last things left behind in the laundry basket. She spotted a pink package with a silver bow in the basket. She assumed it was something her mother had tucked in when she was packing the car. As she reached for the package, the phone on her desk sounded. She picked it up and noticed several missed messages.
Hi, honey. Just checking in to make sure you got there okay. Let us know. M&D. Her mother always signed her messages, even after Kerry explained to her, and showed her, that she had saved her number in her contacts and always knew when it was ‘Mom’ sending a message.
Hi M&D! Made it here just fine and am moved in. Love u both! Will call you after dinner. Ker She couldn’t help herself. She added the Ker to keep with her mother’s tradition.
She returned to the messages and saw one from Brandon. Hey, beautiful. Thinking bout u. (wink emoji inserted). Kerry didn’t respond. She did not want to encourage the fool and hoped he would stay far away in Wyoming. She didn’t need the intense distraction he could become. Tall, dark and handsome with too much time on his hands. Why on earth would she even have such thoughts? She loved Jesse.
The third message was from Jesse AKA ‘Babe’ in her contacts. Hope u got my present. Forgot to give it to u. Slipped it in ur car. Luv u (heart emojis inserted).
Kerry looked down at the package on the bed. “Well,” she thought to herself. “It isn’t a ring.”
The door flew open and a petite dark-haired beauty walked in. She was a tiny package of bubbly carrying a laundry basket filled with clothes and hangers, followed by a male version of herself, and what was obviously their parents, each carrying a bundle they deposited on the empty dorm room bed. Kerry immediately recognized Gracie from her Facebook page.
“Hey, Ker! So great to meet you in real life!” Gracie grabbed Kerry and gave her a big hug against her tiny body. Kerry was average height but towered over this sweet girl. “This is my twin brother Gabe and our parents, Amy and Bill.”
Without pausing for a response, Gracie moved right into giving everyone instructions.
“Mom, hang these up for me, please. Dad, there is another box in the car. Can you please bring it up? Hey Gabe, be a good brother and make my bed, will ya?” Gabe looked at her with disgust written all over his face. “It’s ok, Ker will help you.”
Kerry moved right into action, helping Gabe cover the bare mattress with hot pink sheets and a boho comforter. Since she did not have siblings, Kerry wondered if all brothers were as accommodating as Gabe was.
“Hey, it’s nice to meet you, Kerry. Don’t mind Gracie. She’s not always so bossy, are you Grace?” Amy looked at Gracie with a ‘you did it again’ glance.
“Oh Ker, I’m sorry. I spent all summer, like the last four summers, teaching swimming lessons to a bunch of littles that, if they weren’t always getting instructions, would have drowned one another, I swear. My apologies.” Gracie smiled all the while she made her apology.
“Ah, that’s ok. I’m a waitress. I’m used to taking orders.” The group chuckled at this.
“Kerry, did you have your heart set on eating the slop in the cafeteria here? If not, we’re going out for pizza. Would you like to join us?” Bill stood in the doorway holding the last box from the car. Kerry had only just met this fierce squad, but she already knew that she loved them. Hanging with them sounded like fun.
“I would love to join you! I think I will have plenty of opportunities to eat from the campus dining. Thanks!” She would open her package later. She tidied up her area and was ready to go with the Lambert family.
Her roommate came from Iowa City. She had a full-ride gymnastics scholarship and was studying nursing. Her dad was the manager of a big chain grocery store at home. Amy worked at the elementary school and Gabe was also college bound. He was staying in Iowa for school and had a baseball scholarship.
The evening with the Lamberts was a total blast. They laughed and told stories on one another. They learned all about Kerry, and freely passed around warm hugs.
“We’re twins so we have to be close but he’s a real butthead sometimes.” Gracie gave Gabe a shoulder-to-shoulder bump as the family prepared to leave for home.
“We’ll see who the butthead is when I finish my year on the dean’s list and you barely squeak by.” Gabe gave his sister a grin and pointed his finger her way.
“Bet you $50 I beat your GPA by the end of this school year,” Gracie shot back.
“You’re on.” Gabe grabbed his sister in a bear hug. “Now, stay out of trouble and stick those landings.”
“Yeah, yeah. See you guys in a few weeks.” Gracie ushered her family out the door.
“Bye Lambert family. Nice to meet you all.” Kerry enjoyed the evening. It was much more colorful than the evenings she had with her parents. The Lamberts were loud and funny.
“I’m going to shower tonight and hopefully avoid a mad rush in the morning. You need any help with anything?” Gracie looked over Kerry’s side of the room. “Man, how did you get so organized so fast? You’re one of those overachievers, aren’t you?”
“Well, it looks like I’m in good company. I’m calling my folks and then wind down for the day if I can. I’m pretty excited about this whole college thing.” Kerry’s phone vibrated in her back pocket. She pulled it out and looked at it. “And, it looks like I have another call I need to make.”
“Jesse?” Gracie knew about Jesse from Kerry’s relationship status on Facebook: ‘In a relationship with Jesse Davies’.
“Yep. See you in the morning if I’m sleeping by the time you get back here tonight.” Thoughts about Jesse and a new life at school distracted her as she searched for pajamas.
Chapter 4
The storm moved in suddenly from the east, bringing high winds and hail. Jesse ran to mount up. He saddled up his horse, Bandit. They raced to drive the cattle in to the shelter from the south pasture. His trusty dog, Buster,
joined him and helped to keep those white-faced calves from wandering too far away. They were skittish with the change in weather. Every time a calf got out of line, its mother stopped in her tracks, waiting for it to catch up, slowing the whole process down. This was a job for two or three but his dad was taking the vehicles and equipment to the sheds as quickly as he and mother could manage it.
Chance was in Montana cowboying on the rodeo circuit and Steve was busy at his place doing the same thing; trying to beat Mother Nature. Some days this was a thankless job. Jesse got the cattle under the shelter as the dark skies swallowed the prairie and rained down golf-ball-sized hail. He, Bandit, and Buster all stayed under the shelter until the storm passed. It only took about 20 minutes, but during that time the fields took a beating.
Jesse spent the next few hours settling the cattle, surveying the damage and making a plan with his parents. He didn’t realize his phone had died until he headed to bed. He plugged it into the charger but did not see until the next morning that he had a missed call from Kerry. She thanked him for the gift. Jesse couldn’t tell if she liked it or not. Kerry didn’t comment on any of the poems he had written for her. He was almost glad he had forgotten to give it to her in person, where she would have to feign excitement. Feeling stupid now, he stumbled to the breakfast table, his shoulders slumped as he drank his coffee.
“Hey cowboy, what’s eating you?” His mother always seemed to know how he felt, even before he recognized it.
“Ah, nothing really. I missed a call from Kerry last night. Guess I’ll talk to her in a few days.” Jesse hadn’t told his mother about the book of poetry and he wasn’t about to spill his guts to her now. One disappointed woman in his life was enough.
