Page 10 of Country Charm

CountryHeart_CityGirl: Great if you consider a hangover the size of Texas a positive.

Points to my dear Lynn. As I read on, she replies only with truths of me, and in ways I would. My love for her grows; the deepness of our bond shows in her ability to personify me.

“Okay Hunter, well I’m sorry to say that is not me. That is my friend Lynn pretending to be me. We have had this weird ritual on our birthdays since college, and we prank each other. I had called her and the girls ‘cows’ recently, so that was the cow reference. Then they glitter-bombed me, hence the sparkle reference. And then this last part here, the date where you opened our conversation by mooing at me was the cherry on top.” He takes another drink and remains quiet. I imagine he’s trying to process it all.

“So, I haven’t talked to you at all, and you weren’t in on the conversation up until right now,” he says carefully.

“Sadly yes, but Lynn personified me in the best way. She answered truthfully for me; it just wasn’t me.” I give him a sad smile.

“So, what’s the goal in the end? Just mess with you and I’m collateral damage?”

Oh no,I can see that this guy seems a little hurt. “Hmmm. I think Lynn was having fun, but also honest in her effort to set me up. I don’t pick up men like you on my own that often.”

“So, it was a win-win for you and Lynn?” He asks, and I bust out laughing.

He startles at my sudden outburst.

“I’m sorry. I’m a child, but that rhymed, and I thought it was funny. Okay, yes. It was a win-win for me and Lynn. But we could also make it a win-win for you and me.” I smile enthusiastically and he warms a bit more to me again.

“You think so?” He raises a brow quizzically.

“I’m a master at salvaging almost anything.” I sit up straighter and toss my hair side to side.

“I’m a little out of my element and I seemed to have fallen into the web of some deep-seated antics. But I’m game for some drinks and getting to know the real you.” He lifts his beer and I hold up my glass.

“To unusual circumstances and getting to know someone.” I smile and then clink my glass to his can. We both take a long drink and I give him a warm smile.

“So, are you really a data analyst?” he starts.

“I am indeed. Just browsing through your conversation, I can guess Lynn didn’t make up a single fact about me. She isn’t typically a liar, outside of apparently stealing my identity. I grew up in the burbs, then moved to the city. I prefer dogs to cats. I have never been on a farm other than for pumpkin patches during the fall. All true. I’m kind of feeling a little left out because you know more about me than I do about you, so how about you fill me in.” I beam and drink my wine.

“Hmmm, I don’t know where to really start. I’m thirty-one, run my family’s farm full time; my brother handles the livestock and I handle the crops and paperwork. I spendmost of my downtime sitting outside, drinking a beer, listening to music. I have never been to a club. I don’t like asparagus, but I grow a ton of it. I don’t have any pets right now. What else would you like to know?” His voice is deep, but not too deep. Just the perfect tone that could read audiobooks, or even read me an interesting article or a passage from one of my books while I sip on coffee. I dig a voice like that. It has a rich tone, without the arrogance that a ton of city boys have.

Running his family’s farm? That sounds really hard. I can manage my job and my little apartment with ease but running an entire farm. Jeez, that sounds like a seven-day-a-week kind of deal. I’m a lover of sleep on the weekends.

I bet his folks are super proud. I know my dad would have been. Hell, I could have worked at McDonalds but as long as I was into it and happy, he would have encouraged me to stay right where I was.

“Why did you sign up for the app? Have you had previous dates from it?” I ask.

“Uhm, no. This was my first. I signed up to see what was out there, outside of my small town.”

“Already went through the lot there, huh?” I joke, and he doesn’t even chuckle. I raise both of my brows and press on. “Sorry, I tend to be a little on the rough side. My dad always called me Sassidy. Ya’ know ‘cause I was so sassy.”

He just nods his head and takes a drink.

“Do you like running the farm?” I ask.

“I love it. Knew since I was a kid that I wanted to head it on myself. My younger brother likes workin’ on it, but he sure as hell doesn’t want to run it. My pop was the perfect role model. Confident but not cocky, hardworking, loyal, smart but not arrogant, and a helluva family man.” Hesmiles with his Caribbean-blue eyes, and I can’t help but smile too.

I like seeing people chase their dreams, find something they care about, and put their soul into that. It’s an amazing thing to love what you do, and when it earns you a living, that’s the cherry.

“He sounds like an amazing man. Your pop still help you with things here and there?”

“Nope, he’s fully retired and traveling the US with my ma. They took their hound with them, so it’s just me, my brother, and my hired hands.”

“That’s pretty amazing. How old is your brother? He single, too?” Hunter stiffens a bit.

“He’s twenty-eight, and yeah, but he sure as hell doesn’t want to be. He’s as domestic as they get.” He finishes his beer and signals for our server.

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