by Nicky Fox
"Since I just brought my clothes with me and put all my furniture in storage, I'm already unpacked." She smiles triumphantly. Her type A personality doesn't let anything go for too long. I'm not surprised she's already moved in. "Celebrating sounds great. We could go into town, get our nails done. Make it a spa day. I saw this cute little salon on Main Street called Shear-Lock Combs."
I nod my head. "Yeah, I've heard of that place. It looks real nice. Let's do it." We grab our purses and head out the door. I love that we can just be spontaneous and make plans. Living with your best friend is awesome.
They tend to us right away at the salon. Maggie owns the place. From the name of the salon, you can tell she's fun. She tells us dirty pick-up lines, talks about all her ex-boyfriends and her dog Watson. Maggie's a Sherlock Holmes Fangirl. She also mentions about a book club where she's a member. She's trying to get Evie and I to join.
"We're called The Bookends. I know, it's lame." Maggie rolls her eyes. "If it were up to me, we'd be called "Boner Honers" or "Steam Reads." They're a bunch of old biddies. Mrs. Lock always tries to push for the romance books without sex in it. Where's the fun in that? If you girls joined, we could pull rank, take over and conquer."
"I don't think I want to be known as a "Boner Honer." Evie laughs.
"It's a work in progress, girl." Maggie smiles at us and moves to the back of the store. "Are you girls comfortable?" Maggie puts some supplies away on a shelf as she looks over at us.
Evie and I both sigh a yes. We're in pedicure chairs soaking our feet in warm water and getting a back massage from our chairs. It's pure heaven. Another client is getting her hair cut by a stylist in the back of the salon, but other than that we're alone.
"Next time, we should invite my mom. She would love this."
"Yeah, have you been able to spend much time with her since you've moved?" Evie slowly turns her head to me as the manicurist moves on to her other foot.
"Not as much as I'd like to. I've been spending a lot of time with a certain cowboy." I wink at her. She just nods her head knowingly. When we finish getting our nails done, we thank Maggie and head out to a few shops. Evie still hasn't gone to all the prime spots. I show her around to a few stores I know she would like. I'm not sure if she plans on staying here or relocating closer to the Dallas area, where her firm is. It sure is nice having a friend to pal around with. It was lonely with just me and Buttercup.
After a long afternoon of shopping and girl fun, we arrive back to our place. We barrel through the front door, loaded with shopping bags. She's not a positive influence on the budget I’ve made for myself. She promises me I need all these purchases for my house. I have to admit; she's the professional. She knows what I like. A lot of the ideas she had were about revamping my studio. I know she has the bug to get her hands on my house. I decided to give her free reign.
While Evie gets to work on placing the new items in my home, I choose to take a ride on Buttercup to stay out of her way. Surprisingly, I've missed riding him over the past few weeks. He's in his stall which gives me an idea. I get him saddled up and swing one leg over. I'm already becoming a professional cowgirl. I'm riding high as they say.
As Buttercup and I walk along the trail, I think about how much this has become home. My mother lives here and drops by unexpectedly. My best friend has moved in with me. I have a boyfriend here and a trusty horse. I smile at all the happiness I've acquired out in the country. I see Hunter's farmhouse in the distance. His truck is full of boxes. Carlos is sitting on the truck bed. His shirt is soaked through with sweat. He's nursing a beer.
I frown that Carlos looks so exhausted. Hunter should have let me help. At that moment, Hunter steps out of the front of the house with another guy. The man is a similar build to Hunter. He might be a little younger and has darker hair, but the same blue eyes. They seem to be arguing about something. Both of their hands are waving around. Their necks strain with veins exposed. The other man is in a dress shirt and slacks. His sleeves are rolled up, and shirt unbuttoned a little at the top. He runs his hand through his hair and places his hands on his hips. Hunter mimics his stance.
I dismount off Buttercup and tie his lead to the fence. I saunter over toward Carlos, not wanting to intrude. Hunter catches me in the corner of his eye. He gives me a small smile and looks down to shake his head. Their conversation seems to have concluded after a few minutes. The other man shakes his head at Hunter and walks away. It looks like trouble. I sit next to Carlos on the truck bed.
"Hey, cowgirl. How's that horse of yours?"
"Hi, Carlos. Buttercup seems to be obeying lately, so that's something. How are you doing? You look like you need a rest." I pat him on the back, and he smiles then takes another sip of his beer.
"You telling me I'm getting old, Lenora?" He winks, to let me know he's teasing me. "I forgot how hard it is to move. I'm glad I'm settled in my forever home. You know I was looking on Pinterest just the other day, and there was this fantastic kitchen on there with all-natural wood cabinets. Gorgeous."
My eyes must bug out of my head, because Carlos laughs at my reaction. "You're on Pinterest, Carlos? Wow, you are one in a million. I don't think I've heard of any guys checking out that site. I'm impressed." He just nods, like it’s normal. I see him watch the other man leave in his car. "Who's that?"
He looks over to Hunter, still on the porch. Hunter's gaze is intense as he watches the car leave. "That's Hunter's brother, Jake. They don't see eye to eye very often." He drops down off the truck and chucks his beer in the trash. "Well, better get back to those boxes. Nice to see you, Lenora." He grabs a box from the truck and heads inside. I follow him with another box.
Hunter is quiet, watching me from the porch. "Hi! I thought you could use some help. Where do you want this?" I raise the box up slightly. He gives me a small smile and points to the black Sharpie lettering on the cardboard. It reads "kitchen." I shuffle past him and drop it on the counter in the "kitchen". He stays out on the porch. I glance over to Carlos, but he seems busy arranging boxes. I head out to speak to my man. He must be upset with whatever he and his brother talked about. I hope it wasn't bad news.
"Hey." I rub his back. He turns and wraps his arms around me. "Are you okay?"
Hunter sighs and kisses my forehead. "Yeah. I'm just thinking through some things."
"What were you and your brother talking about?"
"How did you know that was my brother?" He backs away from me a little bit.
"I asked Carlos who you were talking to. You seemed upset."
Hunter rubs his head. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I have a lot of things I need to do before I'm finished with this move. I'll call you later, okay?"
I know Hunter is going through a lot right now. He's moving, expanding his ranch and running it at the same time. He has so much on his plate. I don't want to add to it. I guess if he isn't ready to talk about it right now, then I'll support him.
"Okay." I stretch up and give him a sweet kiss. "Let me know if you need anything. I'm great at unpacking." I give him a wink. He smiles and gives me a long kiss.
"I'll let you know. See you, Lenora." I wave to him as I leave. I get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Hunter's been brushing me off lately. He won't tell me what's going on. It feels like he's pushing me away. I'd like to help him. I know Carlos is there for him, but I'm his girlfriend. He's my love. I just wish he would talk me.
I'm in the stable brushing Buttercup's gorgeous coat. I think he's finally taken to me. It just took him some time to come around. I pat his nose as my phone rings "Lights Down Low" by Jessie James, in my back pocket. I put the brush down and answer.
"Hello?"
"Lenora?" I smile.
"Hi, Dad. How are you?" He sighs over the phone. I get the feeling something is wrong. I can feel it in my gut. Just from the way he said my name.
"I've been better. I'm a little sick." He sounds horrible. His voice is raspy, and his breathing is heavy.
>
"A little sick?" I hope it's not the flu. That's not fun. He doesn't have anyone down there to take care of him either. I need to make a point to come and visit.
"Yeah. I'm at the hospital. I just got a little spell." He's mumbling other things, but I can't understand what he's saying. Hospital?
"What do you mean a spell, Dad? Are you in the hospital? What does the doctor say is wrong with you?" My heart is racing. My father has always been in optimum health. What's he doing in the hospital? I make my way inside the house.
"It's a stroke, Lenora." Oh, my God. "It's okay. I haven't lost any function. They're monitoring me for a few days." He sounds like he's trying to placate me.
"Okay, I'm coming to see you."
"No, you don't need to do that, sweetie. I'm fine." If he were fine, he wouldn't be in the hospital. I head straight to my bedroom to begin packing.
"I've been wanting to come and visit you and this is the perfect excuse. I'll head down there tomorrow. I should be there by lunch." He finally agrees. I start chucking clothes in a bag. I tell Evie the situation. She says she'll man the house and make sure Buttercup is cared for while I'm gone. Now, I just have one more thing to do.
"I don't know, Carlos. Did Grandad ever mention this to you?" We're in my finished kitchen. I've spent a few thousand dollars on the upgrades. All I can think of is what if I had that money back.
"No. Honestly, we never talked about money. I'm sorry, Hunter. I don't know what to tell you. Just calm down, we'll work this out. You just need to cancel that contract on the other property. Vivian can handle the paperwork on your end. Jake can help you with the lien." I shake my head at Carlos. I know it's not my brother's fault. Jake's a CPA and head of all my finances. He's top notch. I just feel like something like this should have been caught. Figures, when you're dealing with a neighborhood credit union.
Apparently, there was a lien put on the property. I don't think Grandpa was aware of it, something about back taxes. It should have been brought to my attention when I took ownership of the farm, but it slipped through the cracks. Until now. When I put that paperwork through to get the expansion, red flags started popping up. Luckily, the contract with the other property isn't final yet. So, I can back out of that. I just don't know how I'm going to pay off this lien. I've spent a ton of my savings fixing up the farmhouse.
I'm frustrated. I could lose this farm. Grandad's legacy could slip through my fingers. This farm means everything to me. Jake is working hard, trying to find a loophole. I'm not very confident. It's not looking good. I've been in a foul mood. I haven't had much time with Lenora either. I've been too busy dealing with all this shit. Honestly, I've needed some time alone. If I lose this farm, I lose everything. I'd be a broken person. Who wants to be with a broken person anyway?
There's a light knock on the door. Peering from the kitchen, I see Lenora on the other side of the screen door. She waves sadly at me. She looks worried. I wave her in and meet her in the entry.
"Hi." Her voice sounds small.
"Hey." I hug her and ask what's wrong.
"My dad's in the hospital. He had a stroke." She barely gets the words out before she's crying in my arms. Shit. I hold her tighter against my chest and stroke her hair.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. What's the prognosis?"
"I don't know. He's down playing it. I'm heading there tomorrow. It would mean a lot if you came with me?" She looks up at me with watery eyes. This is the worst time to ask me to leave my farm. I have too much going on. I don't know what to tell her. I need to be here to sign paperwork or visit the credit union. I can't leave this to chance. Jake is doing all he can, but I can't leave. I need to stay and see this through. I'm not losing this farm.
"I wish I could, Lenora. I can't. I have a lot to deal with here. There are some problems here I need to work through."
"You can't leave for just a few days? I'm sure he'll be dismissed soon. I could use a shoulder to lean on while I'm down there. And I would like to introduce you to him."
"That's probably not the best idea, honey. I'm sure he wants to be back on his feet before I see him. I wish I could drop everything and go with you, but I can't."
She just nods and steps away. Lenora wipes at her face and smiles.
"I better finish packing. Bye, Hunter." She turns and heads toward the door before I can say anything. Damn. I'll call her later. I'll make this right. Maybe all this crap with the bank will be settled soon. I can drive out there when all this blows over.
I grab my cell phone and call Jake. "Tell me good news, man."
There's no good news. Jake just tells me we should wait this out. He has some lawyer buddy looking at the paperwork, and he's supposed to get back with him by the end of the week. Now, it's just a waiting game. Great. I decided to immerse myself in the farm. I need to concentrate on something else besides losing this place. Vivian calls me later to let me know that I need to sign some paperwork to cancel the contract on the other property. We make a time to meet. At least that's something I can settle now.
The days bleed together. I'm officially out of that other property. I can breathe a little. Vivian was kind about it too. She was a big help in canceling the contract. She was understanding. Jake says his lawyer friend called and seemed optimistic about the lien and that he may have found a solution. He's supposed to call me soon about it.
The phone rings, and I see it's Lenora. I feel like shit for not calling her.
"Hey, honey, how's your father?"
"Hi." She sounds exhausted. "He's okay. No progress. They still don't feel comfortable with releasing him. His blood work is off. They want to monitor him for a while longer."
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm sure it'll turn around, and he'll be out of there soon."
She sighs. "I hope so. Do you think you could make it down here? I just have a feeling Hunter. He doesn't look good. I'm afraid I'm going to lose him." I hear her lightly crying on the other end. It's breaking my heart.
"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sure he's going to be okay. Don't worry he's in a great hospital with great doctors. I'm sure they know what they're doing. I want to be there with you so bad. I just can't. I have some legal stuff I have to deal with, and I have to stay in town." I feel worthless. She needs me right now, and I have to deal with this shit. I should be there with her. I'm sure her father will be okay, and he probably won't want to meet me yet until he's feeling one hundred percent. It's how I rationalize it, anyway.
"Okay. I better go. I think my dad's waking up for a bit. I'll talk to you later." She sniffles.
"Okay, honey. Bye."
"Bye." Click.
I walk outside to the front porch to join Carlos for a beer. This has been such a clusterfuck of a week.
"God, man. I've had so much to deal with. I haven't been able to think about anything else except this farm. I'm a shit boyfriend. I'll buy her some flowers when she gets back." I take a sip from my beer.
"I think it's going to take more than flowers, man. Her father is sick. It's a huge deal. She's going to believe you don't care for her.” He's sitting next to me nursing his beer.
"I know, man. I'll make it right when she gets home."
"That might be too late, amigo." With that, he gets up and makes his way into the house.
The next day, after a long day of work Carlos and I are saying goodbye for the night.
"Call your girl, Hunter. Check on her." I tip my hat to him and wave.
Carlos saunters down the driveway, giving me some privacy. I pull out my phone. I haven't been my usual self. I feel like I've been out of my body for a few days, just going through the motions.
It rings in my hand, and it's Lenora. Wow.
"Hi, Lenora. I was just going to call you."
"Hi, Hunter." She sounds beyond exhausted. Guilt washes over me. I should be with her instead of waiting for my fate on this farm. Once I hear from the lawyer, I'll head out to Austin. It's only a couple hours away.
"How's your dad?" I start pacing.
"Oh, my God. I'm so sorry, Lenora. I'll drive there tonight." I head inside toward my bedroom. She interrupts me.
"Don't bother, Hunter. My aunt is here with me." A sob escapes on that last word. My heart is breaking for her. I've messed up. I put my farm above the needs of my love. She needed me, and I told her no.
"Lenora, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I want to come tonight and help you with everything."
"The funeral is the day after tomorrow. I don't want to see you when I get back. If you come by the house, I'll sic Evie on you. Lose my phone number." I can't leave it like this. She sounds pissed. Fuck.
"Please, Lenora. Let me come to the funeral with you. I'm sorry, baby. I should have been there. I'll make it up to you." I'm pleading.
"You can't make this up, Hunter. Now, I know where I stand with you. I don't mean as much to you as I thought. I don't want to hear from you again." Click.
"Fuck!" I yell.
I immediately dial her number. It goes straight to voicemail. Shit. What the hell do I do?
My phone rings and I pick it up without looking who's calling.
"Lenora?"
"No, this is Brian. Jake asked me to review the lien on your property?" I huff.
"Yes." I rub my eye with the heel of my hand.
"I have some good news." I need some good news. My life just went to shit.
Two Months later…
"Lenora, we're going to be late. I'll start the car and get it warmed up." I hear the front door close. Evie heads outside. I'm trying to find the romance novel for the bookends club that's supposed to meet in thirty minutes. Finally, I look under my bed and find it there. I must have fallen asleep and knocked it off the bed during the night. I grab my purse and jacket to follow her out to the car.