by Dawn McClure
Why fight the way she felt about him because of what the town would say? Because of social norms? So what if she’d just broken up with Brandon? That’s what people did when they realized they were with the wrong person. Was she supposed to take a timeout from men just because that’s what Becky Mae Sorenson would have done back in the sixties?
“Do you remember senior prom?” she asked.
He leaned against the door to the barn and folded his arms across his chest. If he was surprised by her question, he didn't show it. “Wasn't that the first time you ever had a beer?”
She smiled at the memory. She'd had one beer and the whole world had spun in a delicious way. “Yeah. But I wasn't referring to the beer you and Matt confiscated from my parents’ stash. Do you remember how you asked me to prom?”
David looked down at the floor of the barn for a few seconds, and then looked up at her with a smile. “I asked you what time you wanted me to pick you up.”
“Exactly. You never really asked me, you just assumed we would go together. There was a time we were that close—and that far apart. We were hiding things from each other, and yet we knew just about everything there was to know about one another. I’d like to change that.”
He straightened and made his way to the ladder. He didn't say a word until he was sitting next to her, shoulder to shoulder, with his legs dangling over the side like hers. Innocent. Familiar.
He clasped his hands in his lap. “You were such an important part of my life, I just didn't want to mess anything up. I watched our group of friends hookup and breakup all throughout high school. I guess on some subconscious level I didn't want that to be us.”
“I'll never understand why you up and left, but I'm ready to forgive you.” Trust was another matter. She assumed that would be the slow part. If she allowed herself to trust him once again—a boy she'd grown up with, a boy she thought would never intentionally hurt her—what would he do? Like Brandon had said, the first time had been a mistake, but the next would be a choice. Forgiveness she could give. Trust would have to be earned.
“I know what I want,” he said.
She held her breath and waited for him to tell her.
“I want a second chance. A solid second chance. I know you're leaving soon. I know your brother thinks you should take some time for yourself after your breakup. I agree, but I don't see anything wrong with dating. With getting to know each other again. We just need to take it slow.”
She took her time in responding. Her chest felt as though someone had lit a Fourth of July sparkler and placed it just above her stomach. The feeling sure as hell didn’t feel like butterflies. It felt more like a firecracker. An omen. Bad or good, she wasn’t quite sure yet. But for David, she was willing to be vulnerable. Abby always talked about the self-help books she was reading, and one of them stated that in order to really live life and be bold, you had to be willing to put yourself out there in the most vulnerable way.
This was as vulnerable as she’d ever allowed herself to be. “What do you think the town will think?” she asked.
“I don't give a damn. Do you?”
Not really. “Will you talk to Matt?” She didn't quite understand what had come over her brother this morning, but it had thrown her into a tailspin. She’d already tried to talk to him, but he wasn’t listening to anything she had to say.
“Consider it done.”
They sat there for a few minutes, both seeming to stand on the edge of a deep pool, waiting to jump in, wondering how cold it was. She felt like she'd waited her whole life for this moment, and in a crazy way, she had. “So just to keep this straight in my mind, we would be...a couple? Or do you think we should just date and not add some status to it? I mean, I guess I just want to set the parameters.” She was beginning to ramble, but she couldn’t quite stop herself. “I'm going to Rapid, and if we do this, I don't want to hear that you've been out with other girls.”
“A couple. One boy, one girl,” he said, quoting her favorite country song. He turned serious before she could say anything. “If you knew how long I've wanted this, it would probably scare you.”
She really needed to get used to the bump in heart rate whenever he was around. Especially if they were going to set aside all the bullshit and go after what they’d both wanted for so long. He thought he’d wanted this for a long time? Ha! She could hardly tie her shoes when she’d come to realize she like liked the boy next door.
Wanting a little of what they’d shared last night, she leaned up to seal the deal, responding to him without words. He sure as hell didn't hit the brakes. His palm framed the side of her face just as their lips met. The kiss was even sweeter than the one they'd shared at his makeshift shooting range. A lazy, explorative kiss. She had to slow herself down because she wanted to toss propriety aside and roll around in the hay. And just what would Becky Mae Sorenson think about that?
But she also didn't want this to move too quickly.
She wanted to savor every small step they'd take.
David felt better than he had in years as he walked into the hospital with his hand wrapped around Misty’s. Call it a Neanderthal reaction, but he wanted to tell every man that passed by, “She's mine.” Wanted to thump his chest like the happy, possessive jackass that he was.
Toxic masculinity, table for two please. Emphasis on the two.
He and Misty were going to take it slow, and that was fine with him, as long as they were taking it somewhere. He couldn’t recall when he’d felt this optimistic about his future. It was as though he’d achieved just about everything he’d set his mind to when he’d come back to Garner. His father didn’t seem to hate him any longer. Misty had not only forgiven him; they were a full-fledged couple. And he and Matt were back to hanging out and no one was throwing punches.
He ignored the little voice that told him it was all a mirage. Either that, or it was all going to come crashing down at any minute and he’d be right back at square one.
He hit the elevator button, and as they stood waiting for the elevator to arrive, he thought about his dad coming home in a few days. Talk about raining on someone’s parade. Between the negative thoughts about his new relationship with Misty and the thought of Big Mike coming home, his mood plummeted as though it had been sucked into a black hole.
David didn't know what to expect. Would Big Mike be happy with the way David had been running the ranch? Would his dad be pleased that the house was finished and that he wouldn’t have to worry about it, or pissed that David had overstepped his bounds? Likely the latter. What would his father say when David told him he'd hired Tucker Montgomery part-time or that he’d replaced the roof without so much as asking? He’d told Big Mike of some of the things going on around the ranch, but certainly not all of it. Some things had to get done, and David hadn’t wanted to load his father down with erroneous details while he was trying to heal. The roof needed re-shingled and David couldn’t run the ranch on his own, so he’d handled the problems himself.
Tucker was one of the things he’d kept to himself that he was sure his father wouldn’t approve. Tucker was working out perfectly, though, and it had taken a load off David. Tucker came in, got the job done, and headed out. If Big Mike could hold on to that temper of his, and didn’t kick Tucker off his ranch the second he returned, then he’d see what a hard worker Tucker was, and how essential he could be to the ranch.
Knowing his dad the way he did, he doubted Big Mike would be happy with any of it, but with Misty's hand in his, David felt like his world was finally starting to right itself after being cockeyed for the last several years. For some reason he felt stronger. More in control of the shitstorm he'd made out of his life.
He was smiling when the elevator doors dinged open and they stepped inside. But it only took another thought of what his dad’s mood could possibly be after being in the hospital for almost a month to wipe the smile off his face.
When the doors closed Misty looked up at him. “Why are you so tense?”
He shrugged, then leaned over to push the button for the third floor. He’d told her about his dad kicking him out years ago, but he still hadn’t told her just how bad his home life had become during high school. David watched the elevator’s digital number go from one to three before he answered. “I'm nervous about Dad coming home tomorrow,” he answered honestly. Might as well start somewhere.
“Why? He couldn't have asked anything more from you. You got the house fixed. The flooring and the roof are all done. You've kept up with the cattle and the equipment.” She squeezed his hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”
She didn't know his dad like he did. Instead of letting her in on what his dad was truly like, he squeezed her hand back, glad he could even do that with her. “You're probably right.”
Hell, common sense said she couldn’t be more right. But his father rarely made sense. She was a woman who always saw the glass as half full. He had learned differently while growing up. The way he saw it, the glass wasn’t only half empty. It was chipped and cracked and losing water fast. And there was rarely a way to replenish it.
The elevator bounced when they arrived on Big Mike’s floor, and his stomach did a little somersault with it. He tried to remind himself that he wasn’t a kid anymore. Tried to dismiss the stress that had settled on his shoulders.
As they stepped out into the hallway, she said, “David, you're going to learn very soon that I'm always right.”
“Oh, is that how it is?” The easy, teasing tone of the conversation brought him back to the time they’d spent together as teens, and it lifted his mood slightly. That morning he’d been so wrapped around the thought of Matt disapproving of their relationship, Brandon throwing cold water on their kiss, and Misty giving him the silent treatment on the way home after their date, that he hadn’t focused on the positive: Misty no longer hated him.
When they’d talked in the loft, and they finally came out with what they wanted of each other, a weight had lifted off the center of his chest. She was giving him the chance to prove himself, and he damned sure wasn’t going to fail.
They stopped at the nurse’s station and asked which room his dad was in.
Seconds later, he and Misty were headed toward Big Mike’s room. He had to be going stir-crazy. The man had never laid around so much in his life. David had to school his features when he walked into his dad’s room and caught sight of his old man in the hospital bed. Only a few weeks had passed since the last time he’d seen Big Mike, and yet his dad looked as though he’d been in a concentration camp the whole time, and not in the hospital. He was much more pale. Much thinner. Jesus, the man looked like he was dying.
Misty let go of David’s hand and walked right up to his dad's bedside, something David wished he had the liberty to do. Instead he stayed just inside the door as his new girlfriend leaned over to give his father a hug. For the first time since David had come home, he saw his father give another human a genuine smile. As Big Mike’s only child, David found it ironic that he didn't have the same ease with his father to do what Misty had done. David would never walk up to a bear and try to hug it, and it'd be about the same end result if he'd tried that shit with his dad.
She pulled back and stood by the bed, resting her hands lightly on the bed railing. “How are you feeling?”
“Good enough to get the hell out of here. How are your folks?”
Misty shrugged. “Mom still cries. Dad is doing better. They're going to rebuild in the same spot as the last house. The insurance paid for them to set up a mobile trailer on their property while their house is getting built. They're already moved in, so when you come home you and Nora will have the whole house to yourself.”
“They could’ve stayed with us as long as they wanted.”
This was the reason David had kept his broken relationship with his dad to himself, unloading on Caroline only when needed. When David had been young, he and his father had gotten along just fine. Somewhere in high school, Big Mike had only tolerated his son, but his relationship with Misty had never faltered. To Big Mike she seemed like the daughter he never had. Strange how his dad hadn’t had the best things to say about Misty when she’d been with Brandon, though. David couldn’t quite register what it was about Harry, or his son Brandon, that his dad disliked so much.
Big Mike smiling. Being kind. David wanted to make sure they were in the right room. “Where's Mom?” he asked, stepping closer to the bed but keeping a polite distance. Hard not to miss the bareness of the room. There were no flowers. No cards lying on the table. Just a plastic cup with ice in it, a remote control that was attached to the hospital bed, and his mom’s cardigan draped over a chair. A few machines stood to the side of the bed, cords hanging in the air and disappearing under his dad’s blankets.
The smile on his dad's face slowly faded when he looked at his son. “She went down the hall to get some coffee. You know she drinks coffee like water. How's the ranch?”
Right down to business. “Everything's good.” David didn't want to get into specifics with Misty there. Didn't want her caught in the crossfire of any argument that might arise. “There anything specific you want in the house when you get home? We can run to the store and get it on our way back.”
There was something different in his father's expression. Something David couldn't quite put his finger on.
“Your mother has been looking forward to going grocery shopping, so I'd just let it be. She's been stuck in hospital rooms almost as much as I have these past weeks.” He looked at Misty. “Maybe you and your mom could take her out for lunch sometime soon. She deserves a break from me.”
David took a seat and watched the two carry on an easy conversation. As Misty and his father were wrapping things up, he realized what was different about his father's expression. Big Mike hadn't looked at David in disappointment or anger when they’d spoken. He hadn't barked a word. Whatever meds he was on, David hoped the nurses sent a few extra bottles home with him.
“On second thought, David, do me a favor. Get your mom some flowers on the way home and have them on the dining room table. She always liked fresh flowers on her table. Roses were her favorite.”
“I can do that.” Had coming close to death changed Big Mike? Had he died, seen the light and met Jesus, and now knew the meaning of life? Fresh flowers for the dining room table? When had he ever cared about things like that? When had he ever cared about his wife enough to buy her flowers in the first place? David couldn't remember ever having fresh flowers on their dining room table.
He caught Misty’s eye. She smiled at him before turning her attention back to his dad. “David's been keeping the ranch in tip-top shape. You should see the corn. Knee-high by the Fourth of July for sure. And Tucker started on the ranch just a few days ago. He's a hard worker, as you probably already know.”
Oh, shit. He could feel the blood drain from his face. The fear of disappointing his father rose and smacked him so hard in the chest that David was surprised he hadn’t woken up on the floor. Being older, the feeling wasn’t as debilitating as it had been when he’d been a teenager, but it was still strong.
“Tucker?” his dad asked. He turned his attention to David. His expression hardened. That look brought back unwanted memories. The silence that permeated the room only added to the pressure in David’s chest. Finally his father asked, “You hired Tucker? When? How much you payin’ him?”
David met his father's gaze straight on. He wasn’t that scared teen anymore. He was a grown man. A Marine who’d been deployed to Afghanistan. Hell, he’d lived through a war zone. Two, if he were keeping count. “Me, Matt, Misty, Shane, and a few of Shane's employees spent most the past week fixing up the damage to the house. I hired Tucker part-time, and I think we should keep him on. Like Misty said, he's a hard worker, and we need more than two people working the ranch.”
His dad didn't say a word. Just stared at him. David knew what his dad was thinking. David had ignored Big Mike’s Golden Rule: ask me
before you make any big changes. As David sat there staring at the man who’d put a roof over his head for most of his life, he had to wonder why he didn’t just tell him to go fuck himself and walk out of the hospital. Why didn’t he just leave the ranch and all this shit behind?
Because you only get one set of parents, and David had seen the good side of this man before. The little kid in David might be afraid of him, but the man he’d become wanted to see the father he’d once known.
David further explained. “I didn't want to bother you with the specifics while you were in the hospital. We can talk more about it when you're feeling better.”
Thankfully, his mother chose that moment to walk in with a cup of coffee in her hand. Her jeans looked new and so did the dark navy blouse she wore. She’d probably bought them when she was in Sioux Falls. David got to his feet and hugged her. “Hey Mom, how are you feeling?”
His mom squeezed him and pulled back, looking better than she had the last time he’d seen her. Her short, brown hair was styled and she was wearing makeup. Strange. She was smiling like she’d won the lottery. “Like shit warmed over. We are so ready to get out of here, aren't we, honey?”
“Hell yeah.”
Honey? David looked from his mother to his father and back again. He'd never heard them call each other endearments before. Nothing more than, “hey you” really. Then again, when he’d been much younger, they’d gone camping at the river in that crappy little fifth wheel of theirs, and he remembered the two of them holding hands and laughing together. He remembered them hugging and giving each other kisses. Sometimes Matt and Misty had come with them for the weekend, and he recalled them giggling when Big Mike had picked up his mother and threatened to launch her off the boat, both laughing hysterically.
For some reason he’d forgotten how close his parents had once been.
His mom walked over and gave Misty a hug, then unceremoniously booted her from the seat that she'd pulled close to the bed. His mom sat next to his dad and held out her free hand. His dad took it. David nearly passed out.
