Kate focused what was left of her energy upon her driving and keeping herself conscious and alert. She pulled off the main highway and onto the small road Tray had described.
Just as he'd told her, five miles up the road she came upon a large home built of massive golden logs. It had a long front porch with flower baskets hanging from it. The door and trim around the windows were painted forest green. Majestic mountains stood behind the house that sat on a couple acres of neatly mowed grass that ran into a thick forest.
"Wake up Tray, you're home," she informed him, impressed by the exterior of his home.
"Yeah, I'm awake," he replied as they both stiffly emerged from the truck.
She followed him, "I need to call for a ride back."
"The phone's in the kitchen. You're welcome to stay and rest if you want, or wash up. I'm taking a shower, I can't stand the stench any longer. There's another shower in the guest room up the stairs and to the left, old jeans and tee shirts are in the dressers."
He slowly walked up the staircase that was fashioned from logs, went into his room and shut the door. Kate was left there standing in the kitchen. She gazed about the home, uncomfortable being inside the gorgeous place while covered with dirt and blood. She was careful not to touch or rub against anything as she took off her shoes and socks, placing them outside on the porch.
The smell of her wet feet was not pleasant, she imagined the rest of her was probably worse. Her eyes drifted high upwards to the fully exposed hallway where she caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a clean and bright guest room. It was too good to resist. She ran upstairs, walked through the beautifully decorated room and into it's adjoining bathroom.
Showering always felt like heaven at the end of a long day of farm work, but it felt even better at this moment after going forty-eight hours without bathing. The soothing water was so warm and relaxing...
Tray came out of his bedroom after drying off and throwing on a clean pair of Levi's as he went looking for Kate. He stood against the railing and peered downstairs, not seeing her in the great room or the kitchen, the dining room was the only place that wasn't fully visible from that vantage point.
"Kate," he called her name as he took a few steps down, then called again to no reply.
He didn't have the motivation to walk downstairs and search for her, as he assumed she probably wasn't there anyway. He turned around and headed back up when he noticed the guest room door slightly open. He tapped on it softly and waited, still no response. He quietly walked in. There on the bed, clad in one of his old shirts that was obviously too big for her, Kate lay fast asleep on the bed. Her long auburn hair waved all over the crisp white pillow. She looked perfectly comfortable, too comfortable to wake up.
He walked over to where she lay and softly kissed her cheek.
She stirred slightly and whispered, "sleep," in her dream state.
Too tired for logic, he lay down next her, his arm draped over her. He fell asleep before his next breath, basking in the closeness and warmth of her.
Kate couldn't come out of the warm fog she was emerged in, feeling so warm and secure and loved? She sensed a body behind her, pressed against hers. She sat up with a start.
"Where am I," she said aloud, then recalled the previous events of the day.
Tray continued to sleep peacefully as she gently slipped out from under his arm. Gathering her soiled clothing, she went downstairs and glanced at the kitchen clock that read three in the afternoon; she'd been sleeping there for hours. Out of sorts, she called Marge, apologized for being late and explained that she'd fallen asleep. Marge didn't care in the least and told her to settle down, that she'd send Eddie over to pick her up in a few minutes.
That wasn't soon enough for Kate, she put her dirty boots back on and left. Eddie found her walking along the side of the road in the direction of the ranch.
"You couldn't wait ten minutes 'til I got there?" he called out as he stopped the truck.
"I felt like walking," she replied, climbing in.
"Uh-huh. Were you gonna walk the ten miles back?"
"Maybe."
He was quiet for a few moments, obviously annoyed with her.
"Why didn't Tray bring you home?" he asked suddenly.
"We both fell asleep. He's still sleeping and I didn't want to wake him."
"Why not, it's the least he could do."
"What does that mean?" she shot back.
"Nothing," he stated.
"We didn't have sex, if that's what you're getting at."
"Whatever, it ain't no business of mine."
"Nope, it's not" she agreed.
They drove in silence the rest of the way.
When they got to Red Oak, Eddie jumped out of the truck and went on his way without looking back at her once.
"What do these people want from me," Kate said aloud, staring after him before heading for the hay barn.
Kate kept to herself the rest of the week. She was embarrassed and wondered if people were talking about her, speculating about herself and Tray. The town was very small and the gossip very big. Her unexplained time alone with Tray could be the biggest happening in Colton since the town's barber came to work drunk and cut a bald spot on Mrs. McKinley's head.
She threw herself into her work and spent more time alone with the animals rather than going into town or joking around with Eddie. He clearly disapproved of whatever he perceived her relationship with Tray to be. She was content being with the animals anyway, she loved the new calves and they'd already grown to trust her. She was stroking one of them, as he stood by his mother in the barn, when she heard footsteps scratching the dirt.
"He's a beauty isn't he," Tray remarked.
"Yes, he is."
"You really have a way with the animals."
"I don't know about that, but thanks."
"No, you do," he insisted.
"Well, I appreciate their qualities, like their honesty. They let you know what they want or need."
"If that's the quality you admire, maybe you could share it with me. Why did you leave without saying anything?" he asked her directly.
"I was uncomfortable, I wasn't sure how to react."
"So you ran out."
"I walked out. And what did you want me to do, stay there all day with you, talk about our having slept together, act like nothing happened?"
He didn't reply.
"That's why."
She bent over to pick up her work gloves and turned to go.
"Wait a minute, I don't want you to be angry with me, that always seems to happen."
"I'm tired of this little game, Tray. Somehow we've gotten to be close without being close. Does that make sense to you? I don't know what we are. What do you want from me?"
"I don't know."
"Then I'll decide for you, we'll just be friends because this other thing we do isn't working for me."
He wanted to say something but he didn't. Instead, he just stood there and watched her leave.
Marge walked slightly behind Tray as he examined all the new calves and inoculated the newest ones.
"You ain't been to supper much these last couple of weeks, especially this past week when I was making your favorite beef stew. You know Burt likes to try and out-eat you on stew days."
"I've had a lot to do, making rounds on all the ranches this time of year, you know how it is."
"True, but it never stopped you from coming around before. I was thinking maybe you were avoiding us, or should I say, one of us," she hinted.
"That's ridiculous."
"It's all right to like her, there's nothing not to like."
"I don't like her that way."
"Yes you do, you're trying to go through life alone Tray, anyone can see that and there's nothing special about it. Love is work, it's a gamble, just like this ranch life we've all gotten ourselves into. But it's the best thing around when it does work."
"And what if it doesn't."
"Then it hurts, but things don't alway
s turn out bad. Don't miss out on something great, somebody you could be spending the rest of your days with because of your fears."
"I understand what you're saying, Marge; it's just—hard."
"I know, believe me, I know 'cause I loved her too. But it's over and in the past."
"Yet, it still lives in me," he said gravely.
"You gotta let go Tray, everyone has to at one time or another," she told him as she walked ahead to meet her husband at the stables.
Kate felt like a part of this town she'd somehow dropped into. She was comfortably at ease driving into Colton and visiting its places. She liked the small library, knew the people at the post office, the grocery store, the diner, the ice cream parlor, the feed store, the bank and the gas station. There was even a lady's boutique, though it didn't offer much that was to Kate's liking, she purposely bought a few things like earrings and underwear there to give the owner some business. She cared about Colton and when she walked around the streets, people would said hello to her and stopped for a little conversation about the ranch and how things were going there. She found out that Marge and Burt were well liked by everyone. They were hardworking, fair people, there was an integrity about them. Kate discovered most of the people she met in Colton and Mare's Creek were the same way. They didn't appear corrupted by the voracity of city life and its competitiveness. The longer she was away from the rat race of the East, the less she could picture herself returning to it. The anger and anxiety that permeated the eastern lifestyle just didn't exist out here and it was wonderful to live without that burden.
After her experience with Devon, Kate wanted no more of the bar or club scene. Whether Kate was beautiful or ugly had not made much difference, it ended up in one sort of a humiliation or another. She'd rather drink beer at the old bar in Colton or on her front stoop with Eddie than go into the city. She'd rather listen to the hands talk while they drank beer than meet up with anymore dancing cowboys. So her weekends became what she wanted them to be, not anyone else's idea of what fun was.
Kate was enjoying her figure and wearing things other than work clothes on the weekends. She couldn't find the kind of clothing she liked in Colton, so she sent away for an Eddie Bauer catalogue. Besides the nice apparel, it was enjoyable reading the catalogue. She purchased a shirt that was on sale. Soon after, it seemed her name was on every catalogue's mailing list as she received a pile of them. On Saturday nights, she'd gather up all her catalogues and peruse them on the porch swing at the farmhouse while sipping coffee or Marge's fabulous pink lemonade. It didn't take long before Molly noticed what Kate was doing and joined her. Then Marge came out one night and did the same. Marge received her own catalogues with country furniture and bedding, adding them to their stack. So while the men were inside playing their usual Saturday night game of cards, the girls looked at the stylish catalogue layouts and discussed clothing and fun stuff—stuff the men would never want to hear about. One night, a couple of the wives of the men playing cards dropped by, then some of the neighbors, then some local kin, and a few gals from town. They all brought their catalogues, occasionally subscribed to new ones and it became a shared thing. They traded them and scoured them for the best deals; sales, buyouts, bargains or slightly irregulars. Sometimes they would order items and sometimes they wouldn't, the buying wasn't important, it was the socialization. They were having fun and this kind of fun necessitated food, so the women always brought a cake, pie or some cookies along with them.
Kate didn't mean to, but she started a tradition, it was like a party most Saturdays and anyone who came by had to contribute something. Burt put picnic tables out in the front yard, Molly strung up pretty lights through low branches of the trees and outdoor torches kept the bugs away. When everything was lit, it was a spectacular sight. The farming community that had been close to begin with was now a little closer.
"Coffee's ready," Marge called out as everyone moved down to the tables in the front yard for their fruit, cookies, cake and beverages.
Kate remained where she was on the porch swing, she liked to watch the scene from up there. To her, it looked like a movie.
Tray was the last of the many men plodding out of the house, he saw Kate and sat down next to her.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi."
"You started something good here, I don't know what everybody'll do in the winter."
"Your place is big enough, maybe everyone can fit in there," she teased him.
"I don't know if I'm ready for that."
"Maybe not."
"You like this kind of thing, don't you?" he spoke up after a few moments of silence.
"What kind of thing."
"People all around, laughing and talking, feeling like family, being out in the country like this."
"Yeah, I do. I'm not missing anything by living out here, not at all."
He looked into her eyes when she said that and saw that she meant it. Those words gave him the last bit of courage he needed.
"I don't want to be friends with you anymore," he interjected rather suddenly.
She gave him a perplexed look.
"I want more than that, I can't help but feel more than friendship for you."
"Why, are you finally trusting me, did I pass some kind of test?" she inquired sarcastically.
"Don't put it like that, it seems like you're settled here, that you're satisfied."
"You thought I might run off and leave you broken-hearted, that kind of thing?"
"Kind of," he conceded.
"People don't have to run away to break your heart, there are still risks."
"You sound like the relationship therapist from Oprah," he joked.
"Not hardly, though I've acquired a little wisdom from my experiences and what I've observed. I'm sure you've been in more relationships than I have," she remarked.
"A few serious ones, I'm carrying some baggage from one in particular."
"No kidding," she teased him. "I don't have any baggage from past romances."
"That's great, how many times have you been in love?"
She didn't exactly want him to know that she'd never been in a relationship of any consequence, let alone in love, so she replied, "I'm not sure if I ever was."
"Oh, that surprises me in a way, not that love is easy to find. You're just—," he couldn't find the right adjectives to adequately describe her.
"Tray, I have my concerns about caring for you too, but I'm not going to shut myself down. I've done that before and it's lonely, it hardens you even though you may not realize it. The less you let people get close to you, the less you need them."
"I know, I figured we could just take it slow."
"You're presuming that I want to be involved with you," she retorted.
"Yes, I guess I did presume that, because someone like you wouldn't kiss me like you did that stormy night or lie next to me in my bed unless you had feelings for me," he whispered to her as he moved closer.
"You lay next to me, but yes, a woman needs more in her life than cows," she said softly, just before he kissed her.
Marge and a few other ladies happened to glance up to see Tray kissing Kate, they nudged whoever was next to them and soon the entire crowd was staring at the couple. To their dismay, as their languorous kiss drew to a close, they noticed the dead silence and looked out to see everybody gazing at them. A few claps rang out, then some whoops and whistles as Burt yelled loudly, "What took you so long?" which was followed by a roar of laughter.
"I guess everyone knows we've started something," Tray remarked, waving to the onlookers.
"Yes, everyone definitely knows," Kate smiled, her face beet red.
It was humid that late afternoon in the middle of May, and the heat was still rising. The sleeves had been torn from Kate's old work shirt and she wore cut-off jeans with her work boots. She didn't care if her legs would get scratched up, it was too damn hot to wear long pants.
This temperature would be considered mild compared to t
he sweltering heat that would engulf them in the summer. The bungalow was warm inside too, even though a canopy of trees protected it. Kate had fans in every corner of her place. Instead of taking lunch, she'd meet Molly at the waterhole around four and would go there as often as she could to swim on scorching days.
The river was wide and rolling, sparkling under the sun as it poured over rocks and large boulders, causing graceful waterfalls. The water was crystal clear, you could see right to the bottom. They swam in an area that was calm and placid, it formed a pool in the middle that was about six feet deep. This was their own natural outdoor swimming pool.
Eddie usually joined them on their excursions, having seen Kate return to work soaking wet but happy one stifling afternoon. So Eddie, Molly, Sue and Kate met up at their special waterhole that steamy Friday.
"Damn, it's got to be ninety degrees," Eddie remarked as he peeled off the clothing that stuck to him by his own perspiration.
Molly and Sue were already in their bathing suits and were the first ones to jump in, they squealed with laughter as their bodies hit the cold water.
Eddie wore shorts under his jeans to swim in while Kate was clad in her cut-offs and a sports bra, they were comfortable enough with each other to not give it a second thought. Besides, it was too darn hot to care what someone was or wasn't wearing.
"Come on Eddie, get in, we don't have that much time," Kate urged him.
"Nope, we don't," he agreed as he pushed her in.
Kate gasped as she came up from under the water because despite the hot air, the coolness of the river was somewhat shocking.
Kate and the girls began splashing at Eddie ferociously and soon he was so wet that there was no use in his staying on land, he jumped in to join them. They all swam about, played some games, Molly and Sue demanding piggyback rides and chicken fights. Then they'd beg Eddie to throw them from his shoulders. Kate and Eddie always gave out before the kids did, so they'd wade up onto the soft bank and dry off for a few minutes while watching the girls.
"I've met somebody nice," Eddie suddenly remarked.
"Really, that's great," Kate replied, smiling at him.
"Yeah, now you don't have to feel guilty anymore," he teased her.
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