by Ali Spooner
“It sure beats taking the steps,” she said.
Melissa poured glasses of lemonade and handed them to Coal and Gene. “How is it going?”
“We’ve got fifty or so moved and restacked. Gene loaded a dozen bales for me on the truck too. When we finish here, I’ll take them over to my barn and unload them.”
“Do you have room for more?”
“I could probably store another dozen bales. Why?”
“Well, you might as well take more if you can store it,” Melissa said. “By midweek next week there will be a few thousand more to be loaded and stacked.”
“All right, we’ll load another dozen on the truck then,” Coal agreed. “You doing okay down here or do you want to swap up and I’ll stack for a while?” she asked Gene.
“Nope, I’m good,” he said. “Besides, I can carry two at a time, so it should go quicker.”
“Showoff,” she repeated with a grin.
Gene flexed his arms and struck a pose for the two laughing women. “I got guns,” he said with a grin.
“You have started filling out nicely,” Coal said, making him blush. “I know a few young ladies in town who can’t keep their eyes off you.”
“Oh please, Coal,” he groaned.
“I’m serious, Gene, if you’d pay attention you would see it too, but don’t go getting the big head on us,” she warned.
Blushing furiously now, Gene could only nod his head in agreement. He downed the rest of his drink and started carrying bales to the truck.
“Now I know how to make him go quiet,” Coal said to Melissa, who chuckled at her comment.
“Are you nervous about your appointment?”
“I’m trying to stay busy, and not think about it,” she said.
“Enough said then,” Melissa answered, placing the pitcher and empty glasses on a workbench. “Just give me a holler if you need anything else.”
“Thanks, boss,” Coal said and watched her exit the barn before she climbed back up to the loft.
†
It took two more hours to finish moving the hay, and after downing another glass of lemonade, she turned to Gene. “I’ll carry this back to the house, and if you’ll meet me there with the truck we can deliver the bales to my barn.”
“Let me make a pit stop at the bunkhouse, and I’ll meet you there,” Gene answered.
Coal gathered the glasses and the now empty pitcher and carried them across the yard to Melissa’s house. As she stepped onto the front porch, she could hear Melissa singing as she toiled in the kitchen preparing lunch, and wearing a smile she entered the house.
“You should go to town with us one Friday night and do karaoke,” she said as Melissa turned at the sound of her approach, the song lyrics dying on her lips.
“I could definitely clear out the place with my crooning,” Melissa said.
“No way, you sounded very good,” she said.
Melissa tossed a kitchen towel over her shoulder as she resumed working. “You better have Del check your hearing tonight too,” she teased.
“There’s nothing wrong with my hearing. You have a nice voice, boss.”
Melissa didn’t look up from the bowl of salad she was mixing. “Are you and Gene done moving the hay?”
“Yes, ma’am, we are going to take the truckload over to my barn, and then we will be back to help you deliver lunch.”
Melissa looked up at Coal. “That should be about perfect timing then. I’ll have the coolers filled and ready to go.”
“See you soon then,” she said and left the house as Gene pulled the truck to a stop.
“I am so ready for some of Melissa’s egg salad,” he admitted. “I’m starving.”
“Let’s get to it then so you can feed that beast of yours,” Coal teased.
Shadow eyed the truck as they drove by the small pasture where he was grazing. She was surprised when he lowered his head and continued eating. She had fully expected him to jump the fence and follow her home.
Gene backed the truck up to the barn door and they made quick work of unloading and stacking the bales of hay in her barn. Coal figured she could hold another six bales if they found they needed more room once they began baling the fresh hay.
“Are we ready to eat?” she asked Gene.
Gene grinned back at her. “My stomach’s been growling for a half hour now.”
“Let’s go get the boss and some food in our bellies. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a full stomach, a hot shower, and maybe a nap.”
“Lucas and I are going to practice bulldogging later tonight once it cools down some,” Gene said.
“A long weekend in Dallas is exactly what we are going to need after we finish cutting this round of hay,” she said.
Gene was a young man, but his excitement over the rodeo was like a child at Christmas. Coal was excited too about the competition, but nothing compared to Gene. The prize money for the winners wasn’t that spectacular, but the bragging rights and the pride of winning the events is what made the rodeo so popular with ranch hands.
“Just two more weeks after this one,” she said, making Gene’s smile grow even wider.
†
As she had predicted, Melissa was finished preparing lunch and had coolers filled with the egg salad, bottles of cold water, and a couple pitchers of iced tea. Gene carried those out to the flatbed while she and Melissa carried baskets with paper plates, utensils, plastic cups, napkins, and a huge batch of warm chocolate chip cookies she had baked for them. Gene climbed in behind the wheel as Coal and Melissa took a seat on the back of the truck.
Coal watched as dust stirred in the wake of the truck as Gene drove toward the fields being cut and raked by the rest of the crew. The summer was a typical Texas summer. The lack of rain caused dust to swirl behind any source of movement and there had been some brutally hot days over the past weeks. While rain was needed Coal hoped any rain would hold off until they could get this round of hay into the barns.
Gene pulled the truck under two large trees that provided the only shade for thousands of acres as the men began moving toward them. He took the cooler of drinks and placed it near one of them as she and Melissa began making sandwiches for the crew. Gene opened several bags of chips and removed the plastic from the large tray of cookies, filling the air with their sweetness. When he reached to grab one, Melissa’s glare stopped him in his tracks.
“You can wait two more minutes until the others get here,” she chastised.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said and began opening the plates, handing one to each of the men as they arrived.
“How’s the cutting going?” Melissa asked Stan as she placed two sandwiches on his plate.
“Good. This is going to be a great summer for hay if it stays this hot and dry,” he answered.
“I don’t think we have to worry about the heat going away anytime soon,” Melissa said.
“Me either, boss,” he said, taking a seat on the ground to eat his lunch.
The rest of the crew began eating while Coal and Melissa made a plate of food and joined them under the shade.
“These are great sandwiches,” Harley said to Melissa.
“There is plenty, so eat all you can,” she said.
“No problem,” Lucas said as he stood to get more sandwiches.
“Since Coal and I have the afternoon off, I thought I’d cook dinner,” Gene announced. “What would y’all like to eat?”
“I have some chicken thawed out that I think would be nice for you to grill,” Melissa said. “I’ll make some potato salad and you can boil some corn and toss a salad.”
“You have my mouth watering already,” Harley said.
Coal passed around the tray of cookies and the men finished off their meal, eager to get the afternoon’s work done so they could rinse the dust from their bodies and relax until dinner. When everyone had finished and returned to the equipment, Coal, Gene, and Melissa packed up the remnants of lunch and drove back to the
house.
“If you’ll help Melissa carry everything inside, I’ll saddle up Shadow for you,” Gene volunteered.
“You have a deal,” Coal said as she carried the coolers into the kitchen and helped Melissa tend to the scarce leftovers.
“I hope tonight goes well for you,” Melissa said as they worked together.
“Me too,” she answered. “I’ve got to get relief from this somehow.”
“Del is a great doctor. I have faith she will be able to help you through this, Coal.”
“I hope so,” she answered. She looked up to see Gene leading Shadow across the yard. “My ride has arrived,” she said with a grin.
“See you tomorrow. Give my regards to Del.”
“I will, boss,” she said and left the kitchen.
She stepped out onto the porch and Gene stood holding Shadow’s reins. He scuffed his boots in the dry grass kicking up dust then looked up at Coal. “I’m no doctor, but if you ever just need someone to talk to, I’m your man,” he said sweetly.
She stepped off the porch and wrapped her arms around the young man and kissed him on the cheek. “That means a lot to me, Gene. Thank you for being my friend.”
Blushing furiously when she let him go, he said, “You mean a lot to me, and you have been a good friend to all of us.”
“You’re my family now,” Coal said and smiled when she saw tears fill his eyes.
“Be careful tonight, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he handed her the reins.
“Don’t eat too much dirt tonight,” she said as she swung up into the saddle.
“I’ll save you plenty,” he yelled back as she and Shadow cantered away.
She raised her hand in a wave as she headed for home and a hot shower.
†
Shadow pranced, eager for a hard run and Coal gave him his head as they raced back home. Her adrenaline pumping through her veins, she urged the willing horse past the turn to their home and they ran for another mile, Shadow barely breathing hard when she brought him to a halt. She reached down and patted his neck. “We both needed that, didn’t we boy?”
She and Shadow trotted back to the barn. After removing his tack and rubbing him down, Coal fed her faithful steed and walked to the house for a shower and a nap. Her mind was racing with anxiety over the appointment with Del as she climbed between the cool sheets and she feared she wouldn’t be able to nap, but her full stomach and the hot shower worked its magic.
†
Mary Leah finished her work at the pharmacy and arrived home just as Coal was waking from her nap. She walked into their bedroom to find Coal sitting on the side of the bed, stretching.
“Did you nap well?” Mary Leah asked.
“Yes, I actually feel refreshed,” she answered as Mary Leah slipped into her lap. She kissed her lover deeply as she held her close. “I missed you today,” she whispered when the kiss ended.
“I can tell,” Mary Leah said, nearly breathless from the kiss. “We could skip dinner.”
Coal chuckled. “No way, you promised me brisket, but I’ll save plenty of room for dessert when we get home.”
“I’ll look forward to that,” Mary Leah said. “I’m going to take a quick shower while you get dressed.”
Coal watched with pride as Mary Leah undressed in front of her. It had taken several months for Mary Leah to become comfortable undressing in front of her in the light because of the scarring from the surgery to remove her breasts. Her ex had used the disfiguration as the excuse for abandoning Mary Leah when she needed a lover’s support the most, and the emotional trauma had devastated her self-esteem.
Mary Leah sensed Coal’s eyes watching her and turned to find Coal smiling at her. “What?” she asked.
“I was giving a second thought to skipping dinner,” she confessed.
Chuckling, Mary Leah said, “You better eat a hearty meal, because you’re going to need the energy tonight,” she said. She sashayed into the bathroom, leaving Coal grinning on the bed.
Coal climbed from the bed, pulled on fresh Levi’s and a short-sleeved shirt before slipping on socks and her best pair of ropers. She passed Mary Leah in the hallway as she returned to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair. Time for a cut, she thought as she brushed through her shoulder-length hair. Finished, she grinned and followed the scent of Mary Leah’s perfume back into the bedroom where her lover had just pulled a shirt over her head. Coal hugged her from behind and buried her face into the base of her neck, breathing deeply of the alluring scent. Mary Leah’s light brown curls were soft against Coal’s face, smelling sweetly of the shampoo she had used.
“You smell delicious,” she said.
“Thanks, I know this is your favorite.”
“Yes, ma’am, it is. That scent suits you perfectly.” Her hands slipped down to her lover’s waist. “It makes me hungry for dessert.”
“You can have all you want when we get home,” Mary Leah answered, turning in Coal’s arms to kiss her before slipping into a pair of boat shoes. “Are you ready?”
Coal took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the perfume. “I am now,” she answered. “Are you driving or do you want me to?”
“I’ll drive and you can relax,” Mary Leah said.
Mary Leah cranked the car and cold air blasted from the air-conditioning, bathing Coal in coolness. She smiled thinking of the lack of air-conditioning in her old truck. Her only relief was commonly called 460—four windows down and sixty miles an hour. Still, the truck was a fixture in her life and even though she could afford to buy a newer one, she couldn’t part with her old friend, at least not yet. She hoped to get another few years before it breathed its last.
Coal reached inside the glove compartment for a pair of sunglasses to shade her eyes from the setting sun. She froze for a second when her hand landed on a pair of aviator glasses. They had been standard issue in the desert as protection from the intense sunlight and had become a part of her uniform. She hesitated for a moment to shake the memory of the desert from her mind and then pulled the glasses out and put them on. “Ah, that’s better,” she said as she relaxed back in the seat.
Mary Leah glanced over to see Coal’s left knee bouncing up and down, a symptom of her anxiety over the impending appointment. She reached over, took her hand, and brought it to her mouth for a soft kiss and then entwined their fingers. “Are you still planning to get the brisket?”
“It’s a toss-up between that and the baby back ribs,” she answered.
“Why don’t we get one of each and split them,” Mary Leah suggested.
Coal smiled at her lover. “I love the way you think.”
†
Dinner was finished with little conversation. Mary Leah watched as Coal picked through her food, eating half of what was normal for her and she knew Coal was thinking about her appointment. “Do you want to get a doggy bag for later?” Mary Leah asked.
“Sure, if you want. Sorry, my eyes were bigger than my stomach.”
“No worries. These are even better as leftovers,” she said. “I’ll ask the server to box them up for us and pay the bill so we can get out of here.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back,” she said as she left the table to visit the restroom. She washed the barbecue sauce from her hands and stared back at her image in the mirror. “I hope this works,” she spoke aloud, tearing a paper towel from the holder to dry her hands.
“Ready?” Mary Leah asked when she returned to the table.
She nodded. “Let’s do this,” she said and took the carryout bag from Mary Leah.
She followed Mary Leah to the car. Despite the cold air-conditioning, Coal felt her hands begin to grow clammy.
Chapter Twelve
Mary Leah weaved through traffic and made it to Del’s office with ten minutes to spare. The parking lot was empty so she parked in front of the entrance, turned the car off, and looked at Coal. “You are going to be just fine,” she said to reassure her lover.
“Yes, I
am,” she said and climbed out of the car.
†
Del was reviewing the file on Coal when she heard the chime on the front door sound. She had already sent Linda, her receptionist, home, so she walked out to meet Mary Leah and Coal. She smiled when her eyes met Coal’s. “Hi, I’m Del,” she said, offering her hand.
Coal reached out and gave her a firm handshake. “Pleased to meet you, Del.”
Turning to Mary Leah, she said, “Make yourself comfortable and we will see you soon. We are the only ones here so I’m going to lock us in,” she said as she flipped a lock on the front door. “There are cold drinks in the kitchen if you get thirsty.”
“I’m good for now, thanks,” Mary Leah said as she took a seat on a comfortable-looking couch.
“Are you ready to get started?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Coal answered. With a final smile to Mary Leah, she followed Del into her office.
Del closed the door behind them and turned to Coal. “Where would you be more comfortable sitting?” she asked.
“The couch is fine with me,” she answered.
“Make yourself comfortable then while I get my notepad. I usually tape our sessions to refer back to later. Are you all right with that?”
Del looked up to see a smirk on her face. “Did I say something funny?”
Coal realized Del had caught her expression. “I’m sorry, I was just thinking, apparently too loudly.”
“Would you care to share what you find so humorous?”
She felt heat rise to her cheeks. “I thought you would have been taller the way Melissa and Mary Leah talk about you.”
Her smile comforted Coal. “Just remember dynamite comes in small packages.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said as she sat on the couch. Coal watched Del closely, taking in her blond curls and the sparkle in her blue eyes when she looked at her. Her warm smile revealed a grin and a dimple in her left cheek.