"I'm glad that you're happy. And I don't feel guilty."
"Well, I am happy. Her name's Lisa, she's sweet and pretty and smart as a whip too, kinda reminds me of you—but better and younger," he added.
"I like her already."
A few moments of silence passed, birds singing happily above them.
"So, you and Tray are together now for real?"
"Yeah, but I don't know how real it is."
"What do you mean by that?" he questioned.
"Tray's complicated, I'm not sure what he's thinking half the time."
"He doesn't know what he's thinking half the time," Eddie retorted. "Why are you with him if that's how you feel?"
"It's hard to explain, I've got strong feelings for him."
"Chemistry ain't enough, Kate, takes more than that to make things work."
"I know, and it is more than physical attraction. I'm drawn to him for a lot of reasons, they're difficult to put into words."
"I guess I'll just have to trust your judgment. I hope you don't get hurt."
"I hope so too, but if I do, then I'll be the wiser for it," she made light of the situation.
"Easy to say, not easy to feel if it happens."
She looked at the green mountains against the electric blue sky, contemplating Eddie's words.
"Time to get back, come on girls," he called them out of the water.
As usual, they protested and were sluggish in leaving their refreshing haven.
"Girls, I'm sorry but we can't leave you at the river alone, it's not safe. Get Sue's teenage sister to come back with you," Kate suggested as the children climbed out of the water and headed down the path that led to the farmhouse.
Kate and Eddie quickly devoured their late lunches on the walk back to work.
Perspiration poured down Kate's neck and back as she labored in the massive garden behind the farmhouse. Everything was growing splendidly; the cucumbers were thick and green, the tomatoes ripening from orange to red, the green peppers were shiny and pungent, the lettuce leaves were tender and succulent. Soon the bounty would need to be plucked while in its freshest state. Fat little melons had sprouted on the vines that would nurse them to maturity.
Tray approached Kate, looking just as wet and tired as she did.
"Hey," he said to her just as she stood up, having pulled out another handful of weeds.
"Hi," she replied, wiping her forehead.
"Beautiful melons," he remarked.
She stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was attempting humor, but then realized the honeydew vine lay at her feet.
"Oh, yeah, everything here looks delicious."
"Absolutely," he agreed, a glimmer in his eye.
She made a face at him, was he talking about her now or the fruits and vegetables.
"What's wrong," he asked her.
"Nothing, I can't tell if you're joking with me or not."
He laughed, "I'm too tired to be clever, but it's true, everything I said could apply to you."
"Now I feel like an idiot."
"Don't, you never look like one, even when you're tripping over hay bales or being chased around by a pissed off rooster."
"Really, than what do I look like during those wonderful times?"
"Funny, kinda cute, something like that."
"That's better than asinine."
"Um, tomorrow's Saturday," he began, "Would you like to do something?"
"No."
For once, she caught him off guard and he stood there for a second, unsure of what to say next.
"Just kidding," she let him off the hook.
"I probably deserved that."
"What did you have in mind?"
"I thought we could have dinner at my house."
"Your house, sure, sounds nice," she answered with slight hesitation.
"You don't want to come to my house?"
"No, your house is terrific, that's fine."
"Kate, I don't expect you to spend the night or whatever else you might be thinking."
"I know," she lied, "What can I bring?"
"How about one of those great pies Marge taught you how to make."
"Maybe you should invite Marge instead," she teased him.
"Can you come by at seven?"
"Sure," she smiled, bending over to pet Molly's dog that trotted past.
"Great, see you then."
He strode away into the sun. Kate rubbed her sore back as she watched his handsome figure grow smaller before squatting down and returning to work.
"Catalogue night just ain't gonna be the same without you," Marge remarked as Kate helped her tear down old wallpaper in an upstairs bathroom.
"I'll miss it too, but I'll be back next weekend."
"Are you gonna tell me why you won't be there?" Marge asked her directly.
"I have a date."
"With Tray?"
"Yup."
"It's about time."
"Why does everyone say that?" Kate exclaimed.
"From the first time that man laid eyes on you, I could tell he liked you, that he felt something special."
"Really, how could you tell?"
"I know him well enough to be able to tell."
"How do you get to know someone like Tray?" Kate joked.
"What do you mean?"
"He's unpredictable; sometimes he's so blunt and honest that it takes your breath away and at other times, he's totally withholding."
"He didn't always used to be like that," commented Marge.
"What happened?"
"It's not my place to say, but I can tell you that he's a good man. He's the kind worth waiting for. The feelings he has for you will bring him around."
"I don't want to be anyone's therapist and I'm definitely not going to try and change him, I've already been through that routine in my life."
"He doesn't need major changes or a shrink, just love," Marge reassured her as they sprayed another coating of the water and vinegar mixture onto the wallpaper.
Kate thought about Marge's words as they scraped away, she'd never misled her before.
Light cotton pants felt too warm, even her shorts clung to her and the sun wouldn't be down for another hour or so.
The best choice was a pretty cotton sundress she'd ordered from a catalogue, of course. It was a washed terra cotta color that enhanced her golden skin.
She applied a smidge of makeup; coral cheek and lip color, mascara, then slipped on small gold earrings and a few of those popular beaded bracelets. Simple but pretty.
Tray had a neighbor lady who cleaned for him, he worked too many hours to be able to keep his spacious spread neat by himself, but he did do all his own yard work and gardening. He inspected the house, it was sparkling clean and a generous vase of fresh flowers stood on the dining room table, with a smaller arrangement on the coffee table in the great room. Knowing Kate, he thought she'd appreciate their beauty. Her place was very small, but she kept it nice and even managed to add creative personal touches of warmth and interest.
Kate was nervous driving over to Tray's, a million things ran through her mind. She felt tinges of insecurity and fear, not caring for either emotion. They'd be on a real date; she'd never been in love before or in a relationship of substance or intensity, her main experience had been a brief sexual encounter that proved to be stupid and humiliating. What was she thinking? This man was older than her, much more experienced, completely out of her league and to make matters worse, he didn't seem like he was ready for any type of commitment. Panicked, she wanted to turn around and run home, back to the safety of her little bungalow or Marge's front porch. But she was there already, his road lay right in front of her. Something told her to go ahead and make the turn, to summon her courage and just proceed. Kate often thought it was Katherine who guided her as her personal guardian angel, pointing her in the right direction.
Kate pulled into the long driveway and slowly got out of the truck. She walked onto the front porch, notic
ing its wooden adirondack chairs and clay pots brimming with flowers, as she shyly knocked on the door.
"Wow," Tray remarked without thinking as he appeared behind the screen, "I mean, hello," he held it open for her to enter.
"Hi," she replied, taking a deep breath.
She noticed how incredible the house looked, open and airy by design, decorated in strong colors and tasteful comfortable furnishings of an arts and crafts style. She followed him to the kitchen where fantastic scents were circulating.
"Smells heavenly, what are you cooking?" she inquired, sitting on a barstool at the island.
"Beef stew, my recipe, I think mine might be better than Marge's. You'll have to judge."
"I can't betray Marge or her stew," she warned him.
He smiled at her as he stirred the bubbling pot. A fancy salad sat out, along with loaves of soft Italian bread that had been warmed to crispness in the oven.
"Your talents are amazing," Kate exclaimed.
"Thank you, I hope you feel the same way after you actually eat it."
She helped him place the food on the dining room table as he lit the tall tapered candles. They sat down in the stunning room positioned toward the rear of the house, its back wall being comprised mainly of expansive glass windows that revealed the woods behind them.
"How much of that land is yours?" Kate asked as she placed the cloth napkin in her lap.
"A hundred acres, enough to keep the developers away."
"It's spectacular. Do you ever feel a little uneasy out here alone?"
"No, though at first it took some getting used to, maybe that's why I got the dogs. But after you adjust to it, there's no other way of life that's suitable. I can't stand going into the city; I feel like I can't breathe, so confined and crowded in by other people. I notice the garbage on the streets, the anxiety in people's faces as they're racing about and I can't wait to get back here."
"Did you do all this decorating by yourself, it looks as if there are some expert touches here."
"I had a little help, I briefly dated a decorator from Jackson River City, we remained friends when we decided the relationship wasn't going anywhere and she helped me with the finer accents."
"Oh," was all Kate could think of to say, realizing how little they knew about one another.
"A toast," he held up his crystal wine glass, "here is to us getting to know each other better."
"To us," she repeated, taking a sip.
"Let's pass the food and eat, I'm starving," he admitted, handing the edibles to his guest first.
"Everything is delicious, even the wine," Kate congratulated him after she took her first bite of the meal.
"Thank you, I'm so glad you like it. That wine's from a local vineyard, I try to support whatever local businesses I can. Most of us here do."
"That's terrific, keeps the community spirit going," she agreed.
"It also keeps the economy of the town going. I know that may seem odd in comparison to where you were from..."
"Um, Brandsville, a small city in central Pennsylvania."
"What was Brandsville like," he asked.
"It was a little town that became a large city overnight when everyone from New York and New Jersey discovered it. The mayor thought it would be a smart idea to advertise the benefits of living there in the New York papers, I hold him responsible for ruining it. Anyway, it was a very nice place to live at one time; safe, neat and clean, slow paced, but all that quickly changed as the bad from those areas came along with the families who were looking for small town life. The crime rate, traffic and filth went through the roof. Everyone moved out of all the in-town areas and into these massive developments that sprung up everywhere. Then everything started deteriorating, there was extreme overcrowding, too much traffic for the smaller roads, all the schools were bursting at the seams and the temperament of people living there changed too; it seemed like everyone was so angry, road rage incidents were happening constantly. Basically everything changed, for the worse..."
"I saw that same thing happen to my hometown near Detroit, I had the money and the kind of career that enabled me to have a decent lifestyle out here, so I decided to go for it and never be in that kind of environment again. No matter what happens out there in the world, I've got my place here, a place I can count on to be wild, unexploited, free and peaceful."
Kate smiled at him.
"What?"
"Nothing, you're cute."
"Oh, I think I'm too old to be cute."
"Forty's the cut off, you've got a few years left to qualify," she informed him.
"Two to be exact, so I guess I should take the cute while I can."
She helped him clear the table and load the dishes into the dishwasher. Some of the quiet moments between them were awkward. They were sharing more than usual and learning more about one another, which was exciting but also threatening.
"That's that," Tray remarked as he closed the dishwasher door and started it.
They stood in the kitchen looking at each other, not sure of what to do next. He was so attracted to this person, why was he almost afraid to touch her, maybe because he wouldn't be able to stop, she made him feel like a gawky teenager again.
"I'd like to take a walk around the property and see your gardens," Kate suggested.
"Sure, and I need to introduce you to my family."
"Your family?" she didn't understand.
He took her hand and led her outside. The sun was setting and dusk was approaching, a few early fireflies were sparking their tails. Two dogs suddenly ran up to them, becoming very excited as they greeted this new person.
"This is Missi and Huck," he said as the dogs stopped short, right in front of them, tails wagging wildly.
"Of course, how are you guys," she smiled as she stroked their soft heads and ears. "I get the Huck but what does Missi stand for?"
"Mississippi."
"I never heard of a dog named Mississippi, I like it."
He walked her around the side yards and then to the back where he had various gardens, one planted with vegetables and the other with flowers, he even had fruit trees and crawling vines whose pumpkins would be ready for fall.
"This is incredible, how did you manage to have such thriving gardens?"
"I picked up knowledge from the farmers and at the agricultural school."
"Someday, I'd love to have a little place of my own where I could have an acre or so, a big old dog and some gardens like this."
"I could see you doing that, I'm sure you could do it well."
"Oh really, how do you know?"
"You don't realize what a big contribution you are to Burt and Marge, you do a lot for them and their ranch. They rely on you, they trust you to be responsible."
"That's a nice compliment, thank you."
She smiled at him, the breeze teasing her hair about her face. She saw the intensity with which he looked at her, and she wasn't sure what to do It was unnerving. He stepped closer, put his warm hands on her arms and kissed her. The dogs didn't seem to like the embrace, they weren't sure what was going on as they started prancing about, walking in circles around them and then finally jumping up on Tray's behind.
"Hey, Huck, what are you doing?" Tray exclaimed, not pleased that the romantic moment was ended by the thud of a dog's paws on his butt.
Kate laughed, "I don't think they want to share you."
"They think we're playing around, they like to wrestle."
"Are you trying to wrestle with me?" she joked.
"No, but the thought has crossed my mind." He took her in his arms again which made the dogs start barking as they figured their master was going to wrestle with the stranger again. Kate laughed and slowly ran away from Tray, telling him he'd better not get near her because of his dogs. The dogs playfully ran after her, barking excitedly, thinking it was time to play.
Tray took off after her, which made her run even faster. The dusk air was fresh and cool, the flowers smelled fantastic,
the fireflies were blinking and she felt as free as a little kid. She made it to the backyard without Tray catching her, there was certainly plenty of room to just run and run. The dogs raced between her and Tray, they leapt and scurried and darted in joy. It wasn't long before he caught up to her and swooped her off the ground with one arm about her waist. They ended up on the grass with the dogs licking their faces.
They laughed hard, without inhibition and it felt good. The dogs took off, chasing each other and a rabbit that scurried through the rear of the yard and into the woods. Tray leaned up over where Kate lay on her back. He kissed her, hands on her face and in her hair. An hour passed without notice, things stirred within her that she wasn't accustomed to. Her brain told her to slow down.
"I'd like to," Kate said as she sat up, "but I'm not quite ready for that..."
He backed off immediately, "that's no problem, I don't expect you to do anything you're not comfortable with..."
"I'm sorry," fell out of her lips though she wasn't sure why she was apologizing.
"There's nothing to be sorry about."
"Yeah, you're right."
"Come on, it's getting cool," he got up, dusted off his jeans and held his hand out for her to take.
They walked up to the porch where they sat on his porch swing. He went inside and brought out two mugs of coffee and a sweater for Kate due to the drop in temperature.
Kate gazed out at the mountains in the distance and rolling hills in front of them. "This view is magnificent Tray. Does your family come to see you much?"
"A couple of times a year, at the most. I usually have to send them the money for the flight and do a lot of prodding. They're not comfortable out here and think it's too far of a distance to travel."
"Oh."
"What are you thinking?"
"It doesn't sound like you're too close."
"No, we're not," he admitted.
"Why?"
"They're very different than me is the best way I can explain it. They're basic, they're not interested in my goals. My dad worked at an assembling plant in the car industry for forty years and my mom was a plant worker also," he expounded.
"Did they expect you to do the same?"
"No, don't misunderstand me, they wanted me to get an education and have it better than they did. But I think my dad was dreaming I'd become a mechanical engineer and design cars, they were hoping I'd settle in Detroit like my brother. They were blown away when I said I wanted to go to vet school, especially when I said I'd be specializing in large animal medicine.
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