Jumping Feet First

by Melissa Stevens

  Curiosity and impatience won. After briefly considering waiting until she got home to open the package, she realized there was no way she would wait, not with it sitting there, taunting her. With the survival can opener she kept on her keyring she split the tape and opened the box, eager to see what was inside.

  Ally peeled the lid back and found a folded piece of paper laying on top of tissue paper and sheet plastic. She frowned and picked up the paper, hoping it might give her an idea where this had come from.

  She opened the note and found an unfamiliar scrawl that took her a moment to decipher.

  Lambchop,

  I’ve been trying to come up with something just to let you know I’m thinking of you. It took longer than I wanted, and I had to ask Mom for her advice. It’s nothing big but I hope you’ll enjoy these things. Hopefully soon you can show me exactly what they’re used for, as I really have no clue. I’m trusting Mom on these.

  It was signed, James, but she didn’t need a last name to know who it was. Happiness raced through her in a way that surprised her. She talked to him on the phone every couple days and they texted at least once a day, but somehow this meant more than any of that. Knowing where the package came from only made Ally more impatient to see what was inside. She folded the note and slid it under her phone to put back in the box later then dug into the box, pushing aside the paper and plastic until she found something firmer. She pulled it out to see what it was and stared at it a moment before her brain figured out what it was. At first, she stared at the three pieces of turned wood, uncomprehending, then she realized how they fit together and what that meant. He’d sent her a niddy noddy. A warm feeling filled her chest and she couldn’t help but smile as she dug in the box again and pulled out another item. Another niddy noddy, this one a few inches smaller than the first. She had a couple already, but with her spinning and dying, more would be handy. They were used to wind yarn into different size hanks for dying and skeining to show off the colors of hand dying. She’d felt something else in the box so she dug in again and pulled out not one but two long, narrow zipper bags. She held one in each hand as she stared at them not believing what she was seeing for a moment, one was a beautiful hand carved wooden drop spindle the other was just as beautiful, but made of some kind of green stone.

  She sat staring at them for several minutes, wondering how James had managed to find something, or several things actually, so perfect for her. As she packed everything carefully into the box, she tried to remember the last time someone had gotten her a gift so perfect, so right it showed how much thought and care they’d put into finding the right thing for her.

  She couldn’t think of anything, not ever, that had been as perfect.

  After putting everything, even the letter, back into the box, she buckled her seatbelt and started the truck before finally picking up her phone.

  Alli: Received your package today. Blown away. Thank you so much. Miss you tons. Call when you can.

  After sending James the text she turned the truck toward her little farm and went home. She made it through her evening chores and was sitting on the edge of the sofa, playing with some wool and her new spindles, getting used to them and their feel when her phone rang.

  She knew without checking it was James.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Hey, lambchop. Did you like it?”

  “I don’t know how you managed it, but everything you got is perfect. Thank you. You didn’t have to, but thanks.”

  “I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to.” He paused for a moment. “I was trying to find a way to show you just how much I’ve been thinking about you.”

  “You’ve been more than thinking from the looks of it.” Ally ran her fingers along the smooth stone of the spindle she’d been using when the phone rang. “From your note it sounds like you’ve been talking too. How are your folks?”

  “They’re good. They’ve decided they want to meet you.”

  Ally’s heartrate spiked. Were they really to the meet the parents stage? Already? How would James react to hers? More importantly, how badly would they embarrass her in front of him? Could she get away with skipping the meet her parents’ part? At least for a little while yet? The things that raced through her mind made her miss what James said next.

  “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  “I told them to hold on, I didn’t know if you were ready for that.” He chuckled. “Dad’s told me the thing between cattlemen and sheepherders is an old and outdated feud and we should really be past that now. He’s talking about getting Michelle to take care of the ranch for a few days so they can come meet you when I come down.”

  “Wh—” she had to take a deep breath. This was all too much too soon. “Why would they do that?”

  “Dad’s impressed that you’ve talked me into giving up my apartment in Cheyenne.”

  “I just pointed out how much you’re spending for somewhere you almost never stay.”

  “I know.” James sounded embarrassed. “It might not have been that big of deal, but they’ve been trying to get me to give it up for years. I’ve been stubborn about not wanting to move home, even if I’m never here.”

  Ally didn’t know what to say. Was it that she wasn’t his parents or had she said something differently to make him realize he should change something?

  “What are you planning to do?”

  “I’m not entirely sure yet. I asked my folks if there’s room to store some of my things here. I’ll get rid of most of it and store what I want to keep, then figure it out later.”

  “Where will you stay when you’re not on one job or another?” Now she worried that she’d made him homeless.

  “I’ll find a place. I can spend my down time in a hotel, and not a cheap one, for less than I was spending a year on rent. Though, I don’t think I’ll need to do that for a while.”

  “Why not?”

  “I thought, well, if you don’t mind that is, that I’d come see you in my down time.”

  Warmth spread through her and she found herself looking forward to the next time he was between jobs.

  “When’s that going to be?”

  “I’ve got another week, maybe two here, then nothing for a bit, I thought I’d come down and stay while I looked, I can stay in town if you’d rather. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. And a motel room in Garrett is a lot cheaper than my rent was.”

  Ally didn’t want him staying in town, she didn’t want him staying in the guest room. If she had her way, he’d be spending the nights in her room from now on.

  “You’re welcome here, you know that.” She frowned even though she knew he couldn’t see it. “There won’t be any motel. Not as long as I’m here. If you want to stay in the guest room, you can do that, but I’m hoping you might be ready for more?”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Heat rushed through her entire body. If she’d been standing her, knees might have gone weak. A slow smile spread across her face and she couldn’t keep her voice from turning low and honeyed. “So, you’ll be here in what? About ten days?”

  “Something like that, I’m not sure exactly. The job here will take a couple days, then I’m going into Cheyenne to deal with my apartment. If I’m lucky, that won’t take more than a few days. If I’m not it could take a week or longer. I’ll let you know how things go.”

  They talked about a few more details, and confirmed that he’d be coming here when he got the break, then rang off.

  Ally sat her phone back on the coffee table and picked up the spindle she’d set down a little bit earlier to keep from dropping it when her hands had begun to tremble when James had said he wanted to share her room. Her bed. She let her hands stay busy with the familiar actions of drafting, spinning and caring for the fiber as she made a mental list of things she needed to do before James arrived.

  Chapter 25

  James hung up and fell backwards onto his borrowed bed. Staring up at the popcorn ceiling he cou
ldn’t help but be pleased with how that had gone. He’d hinted at staying in a motel, hoping she’d invite him to stay at her place again, and gotten exactly what he’d hoped for. She’d told him to stay at her place, and once more, invited him to her bed. He’d held back before, but he had no intentions of doing so again. He had no doubt how he felt about her now.

  The last week and half seemed to take ten years. Now, the sun sat low on the horizon and James needed to take a leak after sitting in the truck for nearly twelve hours. But he was impatient to see Ally. He was ready to take things to the next level but even if she wasn’t ready or if something happened to prevent them becoming more intimate just yet, he was okay with it. It was about being with her, not being with her.

  He’d made it about a quarter mile down her driveway when he couldn’t take it anymore. The rattle and vibration of the dirt road made his need to go more urgent. He pulled off the side of the road and relieved himself into the brush on the side of the road. He couldn’t help the rush of satisfaction as he was back in the truck and moving again less than two minutes after he’d pulled off.

  A few minutes later he eased the truck to a stop in the driveway and sat for a moment trying to decide where to look for her first. It was late afternoon and he wasn’t sure where Ally would be. Most likely the barn.

  He stepped down and wondered if he should have told her today was the day he’d finally make it. But he’d wanted to surprise her, so he’d not told her he’d finished closing out his apartment and was free to hit the road. His heart had been thundering in his chest all day as he counted down the hours till he got to see her again. As he got closer to the barn that heartbeat got even louder in his ears as he remembered how she’d thrown herself in his arms the last time he’d surprised her and how much he’d liked it. A repeat would be nice.

  He rounded the corner of the building, going for the small door to go inside, and found she’d set up tables on the grass outside the barn, and covered them with sheets of plastic. There were several large loops of yarn laid out and Ally was busy with a squeeze bottle, adding color to sections. He stopped without saying anything and leaned against the corner of the building to watch. She was busy and he didn’t want to interrupt her. Besides, he liked watching her. She enjoyed her work so much, and it was plain in her every movement. The way she danced and sang along to the music coming from a small speaker on one of the tables.

  He didn’t know how long he watched, she finished with one batch of yarn and moved onto another she’d already had laid out, then a third, and he continued to watch, wondering when she’d notice him there. Though it worried him, anyone could walk up and do anything to her, and she’d never notice them until it was too late.

  He frowned as the thought occurred to him, though it didn’t last long as he continued to watch her dance and flit between the tables as she worked. The sun was almost below the horizon and he wondered if she’d ever see him there or if he’d have to say something. It wasn’t until she stood, peeled off the gloves she wore and stretched that she noticed him standing there.

  Ally stood still for a moment, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide with shock.

  “You’re here!” She erupted into movement like a rocket launched, all at once. “How long have you been here? Why didn’t you tell me you were on your way?”

  James pushed himself away from the barn and braced himself for the impact as she reached him and threw her arms around him. He caught her, holding her close as he gave in to the urge to bend low and taste her lips.

  Mmm. Coffee and chocolate. She must have had some after lunch.

  Too soon she broke the kiss and pulled away. He wanted to hold on to her forever. It wasn’t realistic, still he wanted to pull her against him again and just hold her there.

  “I’m so happy to see you.” She stretched up and kissed his cheek, just a quick peck before she hurried away. “I’ve got a few things I’ve got to finish here, and the milking then we can go up to the house and I’ll see about dinner.”

  “I can do dinner.” James watched her gather several things into a box. “I’m not much help here, and we already know my helping with the milking only makes it take longer, but if you don’t mind me in your kitchen unsupervised, I can cook.”

  Ally stopped and watched him for the space of several seconds. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure I can cook. It’s not that big of deal.”

  “It is to me. It would be a lot of help.”

  “What were you planning for dinner?”

  She glanced around at the mess then toward the swiftly disappearing sun and gave him a wry smile. “Probably a frozen dinner.”

  James resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose and make a face. Frozen dinners and his dislike for them were why he’d learned to cook after he’d moved out on his own. When he had time for it, he wanted real food. He had enough packaged, prepared stuff when he was out in the field and had to bolt down an MRE and get back to work.

  “You mind if I look in the freezer and see what I can put together?”

  “Not at all.” She glanced around. “I’ll be another hour down here, maybe a little more. Help yourself to anything you find.”

  “Will do.” James closed the distance between them, he couldn’t walk away without a kiss, not after going so long without. He hooked an arm around her waist and tugged her close. Ally stretched up as if she knew what he was after. It was a quick, hard kiss, just enough to let her know how much he wanted her, then he let her go.

  “Maybe that’ll get you to hurry,” he said over his shoulder as he turned and went to the house.

  Chapter 26

  Ally hurried through her clean up, taking care to hang everything up to dry and to put all her tools away properly so she could find them next time. She didn’t have to call the animals in, as they were used to coming back as it got close to dark, and it was a little later than she usually fed them now, so they were bleating and loudly demanding their dinner. Practice made short work of the milking and before the hour was up, she’d taken care of all her evening chores and was headed for the house. She shook her head as she climbed the back stairs. The right motivation made things go much faster, it also made it seem to take forever. She kicked off her grimy shoes next to the mat before opening the door. The heavenly scent of chicken and some kind of tomato sauce assailed her as she stepped inside, making her knees weaken and her mouth water.

  “That smells heavenly.” Ally padded to the sink to wash her hands then went to the stove to see what was cooking. Water steamed in a large pot on the back of the stove, but before she could get a good look at what was simmering in the stew pot James waved her away.

  “Go. Sit. It’s almost done.”

  She smiled and went to sit on one of the stools at the bar. “You never did tell me why you didn’t say you were coming.”

  He smiled. “I wanted to surprise you.” He looked up at her with a smile she’d missed. “I like the way you react when I surprise you.”

  Ally gave her head a slow shake. She had to admit, if only to herself, she liked his surprises. Showing up when she didn’t expect him, sending her packages that showed how well he knew her.

  “I take it you got everything wrapped up?”

  “I did. It took longer than I wanted, but not as long as I was afraid it would.”

  “That’s good. When’s your next job? Or have you not found one yet?”

  “I’ve applied for a couple, but haven’t heard back from anyone yet. It shouldn’t be too long, but say something if you want me to go. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

  She’d missed him so badly, even after just a few days together, that at this moment she wanted to say he could stay forever.

  Forever.

  Did she really want him to stay forever? Did she like having him around that much? Was it more than like?

  “You look like you’re deep in thought there. You ready to eat?” James’s voice brought her back to the present. He stood watchi
ng her, a plate in each hand.

  “I am.” She slid off the stool where she’d been watching him. “Why don’t we eat at the table?”

  “Sure, if that’s what you want.”

  She pulled out a chair at the table and let him serve her. After the earlier admonishment she knew better than to try and help. He sat across from her and she couldn’t help but think how nice it was to be able to watch him while they ate and talked.

  “How was your trip?”

  “Long.” James chuckled, “but I’m glad it’s behind me. I’ve been looking for jobs closer to here, Though I’ll go pretty much anywhere for work.”

  “What do you normally do in between jobs?”

  “I used to party a lot. Go out drinking with my friends, dancing till the wee hours, that kind of thing.”

  She gave him a half-smile. “That’s going to be a little difficult here, there’s only one bar, they’ll serve anyone over twenty-one, but they play fifties and sixties era country music. Once in a while we get a live band… They play that newfangled stuff from the eighties and nineties.” She couldn’t help but laugh at her own joke.

  “I’d given up the partying some time ago. Just got old and boring. These days I usually end up reading or watching tv... I make time to hit the gym, so I don’t lose my tone and strength, but I don’t do the party hard scene like I used to.” They fell quiet for a few minutes after that. Each keeping the company of their own thoughts while they ate.

  Ally enjoyed the meal far more than the frozen dinner she would have had on her own.

  “That was really good. Thank you.” She leaned back in her seat a moment. She’d get up and took care of the kitchen once James finished with his food. “I’ve kind of gotten used to quick, easy things I can throw in the oven or microwave and not have to spend too much time or energy on. It was really nice to have a real meal that I didn’t have to spend an hour making after working outside all day.”