by J. W. Ashley
“I guess. For now.”
She hands me a coffee mug with the words Messy Bun Getting Things Done painted on the front. If ever there was a saying that matched my mother—I drink and smile when I taste the whiskey. “Little additive, huh?”
“Nothing wrong with a little afternoon drink.”
“True.”
“You don’t own a car, so I know you’re not driving.”
“There’s no point when I can Uber or borrow Lena’s car.”
She chuckles. “I suppose that’s true. So are you excited about going to Montana?”
“I am. I think it’ll do me some good to get out of the city for a while.”
“A change of scenery is always nice,” she agrees. “Maybe you can find yourself a country boy.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “Doubtful. I’m not looking for anything serious.” Lena’s words from last night pop into my head, but I shake them off. She’s wrong, I’ll get my mojo back, or I’ll just stock up on batteries.
“I hope you two have some fun while you’re there. Don’t let Lena be too serious. Make her go out.”
“I will. She is in desperate need of some unwinding.”
“Single motherhood will do that to you,” my mom says, and I wrap an arm around her shoulders.
“Thanks for always being there, Mom. You’re the best.”
“Love you too, honey. Have a safe trip. Will you call me when you get there?”
“You know I will.” I pull out my phone and order a car before finishing up my tea. I head for the stairs again, ready to head home and pack for the long ride that we’ll be taking tomorrow.
“Honey?”
“Yeah?” I turn back to my mom.
“Try to relax some yourself. Sometimes you find what you’re looking for when you least expect it.”
Beer Me
Leo
Sun beating down on me, I down the rest of the cool water in my canteen before tossing it into the back of the work truck. Turning, I study the work we did today, happy with the number of trees we were able to plant, replacing the ones we took down a few months back.
It’s the cycle here at our facility.
Cut, prep, plant. Only taking what’s needed and replacing what we do. My father worked here before me, his father before him. A long line of Hayeses working alongside the Meyers.
“You good for a beer?”
I glance over at Graham as he pulls a bright red bandana from his pocket and wipes the sweat from his forehead.
“Is that even a question?” I ask with a grin before walking around to the passenger side and climbing in.
Graham gets behind the wheel and cranks the AC on full blast, and we sit for a moment, letting the cool air bring our temps back down to normal range.
The rest of our crew took off about thirty minutes ago when it was time to clock out, but Graham and I stayed behind to make sure all the saplings got into the ground. Not like we had anywhere to be.
He lived alone, and my horses wouldn’t need to eat for another few hours.
Pulling away from the worksite, we head back toward the office as some old country song croons in the background. I can already taste the beer—cool and carbonated. I’ll have a few then head home to take care of a couple of things before showering and hitting the sack.
I’m damn exhausted.
Graham puts his truck in Park on the backside of our office building. Climbing out, I head around back and retrieve my lunchbox and canteen from the bed of the truck before following him into the main office building.
Midge is just coming down the stairs leading up to her office as we step inside. Grey hair pulled back into a tight braid, Graham’s ball-buster aunt makes her way down to the main floor. And I mean ball-buster in the best possible way. Midge is like family to me, stepping up and taking me in when I got out of the service.
“What are you two still doing here? I thought you’d have gone already.”
“We wanted to make sure all the trees made it into the ground. It’s supposed to rain tonight,” Graham replies.
Midge nods appreciatively. “I suppose it’s good that you’re here, I just had an interesting visitor.” Her eyes light up, and she grins widely.
“Who?” I ask, curiously.
Midge turns to Graham and folds both arms. “A cute blonde woman by the name of Lena.”
Graham stills completely, his body going rigid. “How long ago?”
“She just walked outside.”
I chuckle as Graham races for the front door. He was like a character on those old Saturday morning cartoons. Leaving so quickly he left behind a cloud of dust shaped like him.
“Think he’s excited?” Midge asks with a grin as she gestures to the door.
“I’d say so.” Lena was the one who got away. A woman who managed to capture Graham’s attention and hold it for the last five years. I still remember getting back around the same time he lost his mom.
He’d been heartbroken over losing the woman who’d raised him and depressed over leaving Lena back in Idaho. One drunken night, he’d confessed to me that he’d even asked her to come with him, and when she’d refused, he’d considered staying behind or, at the very least, traveling between the two states so he could keep their two-week relationship going.
“I’m going to go see if he still wants to grab a beer,” I say as I head for the door. “See you tomorrow, Midge.”
“See you. Get some good rest and feel free to come in a little late to compensate for the extra time you worked today.”
“See you bright and early,” I call back. She knows good and damn well I’ll be here on time no matter how late I work. Family helps family. And if it means putting in extra hours, I have no problem doing so.
I step out into the bright sun. My gaze travels over the lot until I see Graham talking to a blonde bombshell. Seriously, if that’s the woman he left in Idaho, I can see why he’d been so into her.
She’s short, not quite reaching his shoulders, her slender body curvy in all the right places. With her blonde hair pulled up in a bun, I can make out a sharp jaw as she looks up at him.
“Hey, Graham! You coming tonight?” I call after him, part of me hoping he turns me down so I can head home a bit early.
Raising a hand, he turns to me. “Yeah! Give me just a bit. I’ll see you later.”
Chuckling, I make my way to my truck as he continues his conversation. Before I can get my truck started though, the blonde’s Traverse practically peels out of the parking lot, leaving Graham standing alone, looking fairly confused.
I climb back out and walk down the drive toward him. “You good, man?”
“I honestly have no idea what in the hell just happened.”
“What do you mean?”
Brow furrowed, he faces me and rubs a hand on the back of his neck. “I mean, one minute we’re talking, and the next she’s telling me I’m going to hate her and taking off.”
“Weird. She tell you where she’s staying?”
“Shit. No.”
“Janice’s rental!” Midge says.
“Shit, Midge. I didn’t even see you come out.”
She grins at me. “Bonus of raising a bunch of boys. I can be stealthy if I need to be.”
“You said she’s staying at Janice’s place?” Graham asks, looking pretty damn confused. Not that I blame him. I sure as hell would be too.
A fling from the past shows up talking about how she’s got something to say but you’re going to hate her for it? I’d say that’s worthy of some red flags.
“I’m assuming so. Janice and I had coffee this morning, and she said she’d rented the place to a woman and her daughter. She said two women and a little girl were set to arrive today.”
Daughter. I turn to Graham to see if he’s caught on to the giant bomb Midge just dropped, but if he has, he’s not showing it. My guess is he’s too focused on Lena popping back up, and I’m sure as hell not going to bring attention to it and give him someth
ing else to freak out about.
But five years? If she kept a child a secret for that long, that would sure as hell give reason behind her concern that Graham would hate her.
“I’m going to head over there, you good for a rain check?”
“Yeah, man, do what you need to do. Give me a call later.”
“Sounds good.” Graham heads toward his truck, and I turn my attention to Midge.
“Daughter?”
Midge shrugs. “Let’s not make any rash judgments until we know more.”
Leo
I’m just wrapping up in my garden when my phone rings. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I look down and check the screen.
“What’s up, man?”
“I have a fucking kid,” Graham practically yells into the phone. “She shows up here after five years with a little girl in tow and bails before telling me? What kind of horseshit is that?”
I shake my head and head back toward the barn. “That’s some pretty serious bullshit,” I agree.
“I’m headed to the Wood Splitter. You up for a drink? Pretty sure I could use about a case of whiskey after this shit afternoon.”
“Sounds good. I’ll head that way.” I shove my phone back into my pocket. “Come on, Lila,” I call to my pup, who’s taken up residence beneath the shade of one of my fruit trees.
She jumps to her feet and bounds after me on paws she’s yet to grow into.
After getting into the barn, I put her in the horse stall that’s served as her space for the month I’ve had her, and head out to my truck, not bothering to shower or change.
The drive to town doesn't take but ten minutes, and I’m pulling in about the same time Graham is getting out of his truck.
He looks pissed, his jaw hard, shoulders set, and I can’t blame him one single bit. “Let’s get you that drink,” I say, clasping a hand on his shoulder as we make our way into the packed bar.
We take our seats at the bar, and I order us both whiskeys, neat. Graham has yet to say a single thing, so I don’t bring it up, and soon, Hector is sitting drinks down in front of us. Graham grabs his and downs it before setting the glass back on the counter.
“A fucking kid.”
“You sure she’s yours?” I ask, taking a drink.
“I’m going to get a paternity test, but, dude, I’d be willing to bet she’s mine.”
“Five years is a long ass time to keep a secret like that,” I say, and he nods.
“Five years.”
“You good?”
“I have no damn clue, to be honest.”
We sit in silence a few more minutes before my phone rings. I check it, and seeing Rex’s name pop up, I go ahead and answer. “What’s up?”
“Think you can spare a bit and come help me out? I need to move this crib back into the nursery.”
“I’m actually—”
“Go, man. If you don't, Megan's just going to try. I doubt I’m leaving anytime soon. I’ll be here when you get back.”
Sighing, I lift my phone back to my ear. “Be there in a few.” I end the call and pull out my wallet, tossing some bills on the counter beside my barely touched drink. “I’ll swing back by when I’m done.”
“Sounds good.”
I head out of the bar, totally understanding how he’s feeling and incredibly pissed off that someone would do something like this to my friend.
Five years of keeping his kid from him. It’s total bullshit. I think of my brother, who's barely banking his excitement over being a new father, and hate that Graham was robbed of that.
Lumberjacks Are All You Need
Claudia
Paper bag carrying a paternity test in my hand, I shove my way into The Wood Splitter Bar & Grill. After a long-ass drive here from Idaho, I’m more than ready for a hot shower and a crap ton of alcohol. Instead, what am I doing? Delivering a freaking paternity kit.
I can’t blame Graham though. He and my best friend Lena only dated for two weeks before he took off. And since she waited five years to come clean about the kid—well, let’s just say that, logically, I can see his hesitation.
It doesn’t make me any less irritated that I’m not downing a bottle of Jameson while lounging in a sudsy bathtub though.
The smells of beer and fried food greet me as I head for the bar. Nearly running into an older woman who flashes me a quick smile before ducking outside. As I move through the bar, I take stock of the local talent. While I don’t see anyone that makes me want to drop my panties just yet, it’s promising.
It doesn’t take me long to recognize Graham. A wall of muscle, it looks like he’s only bulked up in the last five years he’s been in Montana. I can only see him from the back, but the colorful tattoos snaking down both arms is a dead giveaway that he’s the guy I’m here to see.
“Graham,” I say his name, and he stiffens, hesitating only a moment before turning and looking at me. I smile, a way to show him I’m not here to hand him his balls for what he said to Lena, and after a moment, he returns it.
“Hey, Claudia. Good to see you.” He pushes off his stool, and I offer him a hug. We may not have known each other long—but I’ve always liked Graham. I know he wouldn’t have left Lena if not for his mom getting sick, and I’m seriously hoping he does the right thing when it comes to Becca so I don’t have to kick his ass.
“You look good, Graham. I didn’t get the chance to tell you earlier.”
“Thanks, you do too. Want a drink?” He gestures for the bar, but I shake my head.
“I’m driving.” I slip onto the wooden barstool beside him and set the paper bag down on the counter. Lena picked up the paternity test when we were back in Idaho, knowing he would probably want proof before moving forward.
I can’t decide if I’m happy or not that he asked for proof before meeting Becca.
“What’s that?” he asks, gesturing to the bag.
“A home paternity test. You just need to swab your cheek and then send it off.” I hand it over to him, and he takes it, holding it away from his body like the bag holds a venomous snake rather than a medical test.
After a moment, he sets the bag down and shakes his head. “How could she keep this from me?”
The brokenness of his tone makes my heart ache for him. I hate that Lena is going through this, but I can’t forget that Graham is too. And for him, it’s worse because when he finds out Becca is his, I know he’s going to hate that he missed out on so much of her life.
I sigh. “I don’t think even she knows the answer to that. She’s been beating herself up over it ever since she found out she was pregnant.”
“She waited almost five years to tell me. Hell, over five if you count the pregnancy.”
I may not agree with Lena’s choice, but she’d been so scared—terrified that telling him would force him to choose between his dying mother and unborn child. To be put in that kind of predicament—I wouldn’t have wanted to have to make that choice.
“I know she did, and I’m not against you here. I agree that she should have told you, and she knows it. But you need to look at it from her point of view. You dated for two weeks before you took off.”
“Took off? Fucking seriously?” His face reddens. “I asked her to come with me.”
My mouth falls open slightly at his confession. Something Lena failed to mention over the last half-decade. “You asked her to move to Montana?”
He nods, and I can’t help but be irritated at the lack of facts I was provided over this whole thing.
“I told her my mom needed me but that I didn’t want to leave her. I begged her to come with me, but she said she couldn’t leave.”
“Well, that’s news to me.” I fold my arms and study his profile. With his shoulders slumped, I can see the pain as clearly as I could if it were tattooed on his handsome face. “I’m sure she had her reasons. That’s for the two of you to talk about. Just don’t hate her for too long, Becca is amazing.”
Graham looks up at me, and I offer him
a smile. “She is?” he asks.
“Oh yeah, she’s the best kid in the world. She’s adorable, smart, sassy, and doesn’t let anyone get away with anything.”
He smiles almost wistfully and looks away. “She sounds great.”
“She is. Take the test so you can get to know her.”
“Does she know about me?”
I take a deep breath and shake my head. “Lena didn’t want to tell her anything until she knew you wanted to see her.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to see her?”
I sigh. “Between you and me, I think Lena was worried you would hate her too much to want to see your daughter.”
Graham angrily shakes his head. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I agree, and I told her so, multiple times.”
Graham lets out a breath and runs a hand through his short hair. This whole thing is a damned mess, and I’m hoping they can iron things out for Becca’s sake. She deserves to have a relationship with both parents. And as much as I hope it works out for her, I hope Lena and Graham can find a way, too.
My friend just hasn’t been the same since he left.
“Thanks for coming out here. It really is good to see you again.”
“You too,” I say with a smile. “By the way, if you have any single lumberjack friends, let them know you know someone who would be more than happy to rock their worlds for the month she’s here.” I push to my feet as Graham laughs.
“Same old Claudia.”
I shrug and throw a wink at him. “Why change when I’m already awesome?” I turn away, ready to fight my way back through the crowd, when I catch the back of a hunky guy heading toward the back. Muscled and clad in tight dark jeans, he makes my mouth water, and I haven’t even gotten a glimpse of the front.
That’s a lumberjack for ya. I step out into the fading sun and make my way over to Lena’s car. Whitefish is a cute little town, and even the city girl in me finds herself in love with the snow-capped mountains in the distance. And people here look you in the eye when they say hello. Not anything like the city Lena and I are from where if you so much as make eye contact, it’s taken as a challenge.
