Ford
I spend two weeks helping at Alona’s Nigerian dwarf dairy goat farm, primarily fixing various things on the ranch that her great aunt let go.
Being near her again stirs up decades’ old feelings, which I am not sure how to handle.
While Alona continues to be standoffish, we have had moments where it was like the good times way back when.
I make her laugh with some dumb joke. She gives me that rare golden smile that curls my toes.
She even hugged me when the vet informed us that one of her goats is pregnant.
Last week I helped her interview ranch hands, two who start tomorrow. I will show them around on their first day, but then I am back working at my actual job. Amos has managed without me, but it’s pretty obvious he’s ready for a second set of hands to lighten the load.
A creak at the door pulls me out of my head.
“Hey. I brought you an iced tea.”
Alona stands in the doorway, her auburn and gray hair lit up by the setting sun behind her. She looks like an angel. A sexy-as-hell angel, that is.
“Thanks.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” she says as she walks up, placing the cool glass in my hand. “You have done so much for me, Ford, these last couple of weeks. I don’t know how to properly thank you.”
I can think of one way, but keep my dumb mouth shut.
I take a sip of the cold drink while noticing that she isn’t looking away from me. Or moving away. Alona is so close that I can smell her coconut shampoo.
“Al?” My voice sounds husky.
Alona hesitates in front of me. Her eyes are bouncing back and forth between my own and my mouth. The chilly garage suddenly feels like a hot, humid day. I reach out to touch her arm when she steps back.
“Thank you, um, Ford. For everything. I will see you in the morning.”
Within seconds, I am standing alone in the garage, holding a tall, cool one.
At the end of my first day back on the dude ranch, Beau pulls me aside.
“So, how did it go with Alona?”
“You mean her farm? I fixed a lot. Her aunt definitely let the place go during her last few years.”
“No, dude, I mean with Alona? You didn’t think I just sent you over there to help, did you? I saw the way your face lit up when you saw her in our kitchen that night.”
I can't help but laugh. I was suspicious that Beau’s intentions weren’t 100% altruistic.
“Well, yeah. Al is amazing. But she has zero interest in me. She's made that clear.”
The end of April threatens rain, so I spend my morning-off buying materials for patching up the roof of my shed. Waiting in line to pay, I spot a familiar, gorgeous auburn-haired woman at the customer service desk.
Alona looks up and our eyes meet. I give her a wave.
She first returns it with a tight grin, but then gives a quick wave back.
Next thing I know, she spins on her heel and walks out of the store.
I allow a long sigh to tumble out and, when I look up, I see the cashier is waiting impatiently for me to move up in the line.
In the parking lot, I load up my truck when I’m interrupted by a teasing voice behind me.
“Don’t tell me you’re doing more manual labor on your day off.”
I turn to find Beau and his wife, Scarlett, walking toward me.
“Hey. Hi Scar. Yeah, I have to. Rain is in the forecast and my shed’s roof leaked the last time we had a storm.”
Beau helps me load the rest of my purchases into the truck, when Scarlett pipes in with a singsong voice.
“I hear that your high school sweetheart is back in town, Ford.”
I give her husband a look, who shrugs sheepishly at me.
“She is, yeah. But she wants nothing to do with me. I actually just saw her inside. She gave me a half wave, that's it.”
Beau frowns at this story, but Scarlett gives my arm a squeeze.
“Well, my husband seems to think you two are getting back together.”
I interrupt her with a snort, and she continues.
“Maybe he’s right. Give her time. You never know.”
As they walk into the store, I realize I should suggest to Beau that he introduces Alona to Scarlett. I don’t know if Scar considers herself a witch, but she definitely works with magic when she reads people’s auras.
The next day, when I arrive at work in the morning, I can hear voices through the open farmhouse windows. Beau’s voice sounds peeved.
“Clem, what is up with your friend, anyway?”
“I have more than one friend, brother. Be more specific.”
“Alona. She basically ignored Ford when he bumped into her yesterday. What’s that about? He spent all of that time helping her on her goat ranch.”
Walking up the porch steps, I want to make my entrance so that they know I am around. I feel weird eavesdropping on them. I reach the door when Clem’s voice floats out the window with words I never expected to hear.
“I think she’s struggling with her feelings for him. She told me the other day that she can’t stop thinking about him. But she sees him as a risk and doesn’t want a repeat of what she went through with him last time.”
I don’t know what Beau says in reply, because I open the front door as loudly as possible to announce my arrival.