Page 5 of Country Charm

Damn, he’s such a good kid. One of his friends, who wasa girl, came by the stand three times today to see if he wanted water or just to see how things were going.

“Who was that girl who kept coming by today?” I ask, and I can see him go red from here.

“That’s just Lena. She’s like my sister. Her trailer ain’t that far from mine. So, we rode our bikes to school together, and sometimes I’d wait for her to get out of volleyball practice, so she didn’t have to ride home in the dark alone.”

“Hmmm, that’s the kind of thing that would make my pop proud,” I say. The little guy can’t see what’s right in front of him. One day, one of the two will make a move. Kids are smart, for the most part, but sometimes they can’t seem to see things for what they are.

We finish selling out our stand two hours before the market is even over. Packing things up in the back of my truck, I look over at Jake’s bike. “Toss that bike in the back. You can practice driving with me every Saturday to the market and back. I’ll swing by your place next week and pick you up.” Jake keeps his head down for a spare moment, and I can see his pride is a little hurt.

“Thank you, sir.” I don’t know what it’s like to grow up without a dad, and he doesn’t know how to rely on anyone other than his mom or himself. He’ll learn that being strong also means accepting help from people who care about you.

Back on my property after almost having two heart attacks, compliments of Jake’s driving skills, I can only imagine how my pop felt back in the day. I sit deep in my seat and take a couple of cleansing breaths, appreciating the fact that I’m still breathing.

Pulling out my phone, I look around my truck to see if anyone’s around, on a Saturday, on my private property.Coast is clear.Believe me when I say that I see the irony in it all.

I open the app store and type “dating apps”. I see the one I know a lot of people in the city or burbs use, but I’m not convinced it’s for me. I keep looking and find an app that’s calledCountry Charm. I roll my eyes but open it anyway to read the description.

"The quiet country life isn’t for everyone, but for some it’s everything. For some, it doesn’t take a lot to make us happy. It takes quality time with the people we care about. People who share similar interests in cattle or crops. Just kidding, maybe. Here on this app meet people who share common interests, be it agriculture, horseback riding, fishing, or even truly cattle."

Shifting in my seat uncomfortably I look around a second time before hitting download.

Damn you, Harrison. Here goes nothing.

After downloading the app and making a profile, I call it a hard day’s work.

Sundays during the winter are pretty quiet. Sundays in the summer mean I have a few things I have to do before I get to really relax. I roll around in bed for a minute before grabbing my phone off the nightstand. I haven’t needed an alarm since I was seventeen, but I glance at the time just to see where I’m at.

5:13. That isn’t too bad for a Sunday. I see a small icon below the clock and raise an eyebrow. It takes only a minute for it to fully register. The dating app.

You have a new match!

I open the alert and my breath catches. I rub my eyes because I must be a little tired.

CountryHeart_CityGirl. 30. Single.I let out a breath.Ah, a city girl.She has a perfect heart-shaped face, with long brown hair and vivid green eyes. Sparse but present freckles splatter like paint across her nose and cheekbones. She’s wearing a faded navy crew neck shirt that fits loosely but does little to hide her ample chest. I shouldn’t, but I decide to open her profile.

"Newly 30. Lover of cows. City girl who dreams of fields filled with cattle during the day and fireflies at night. Lived in the burbs and city my whole life but now that I’m turning 30, I’m looking for more, and sometimes that means surrounding myself with less. Got cows? Great. Like to kill a bottle of wine on a quiet night in? Even better. Sidebar: I sparkle, no lie."

I bark out a quick laugh and shake my head. Well, I can’t deny that she’s blunt. Sparkles? She looks so down to earth in her picture, but her smile definitely has a gleam to it. Maybe that’s what she means?

I spend the entire morning imagining her smile as I go through my list of Sunday tasks. It’s about ten a.m. when I finish what I need to for the day. Sitting down inside I pull open the app and look at her again.Fuck it.

Stetson31: Hey CountryHeart_CityGirl. How’s the weekend been treating you?

What am I doing?

Chapter Four

Cassidy

I’m wearing sunglasses the size of a face shield as I walk through the doors of our favorite brunch spot. Lynn is trailing behind me, but the sun is shining out of her ass, and she even has a little skip to her step. I almost stick my foot out to trip her, but that means she would most likely fall onto me. That would be one of those instant karma moments, and I am in no mood for one of those.

The other girls are sitting at the table just jabbering away, drinking their coffee as we approach.

“Damn, Cassidy. You look like shit, did you even shower? I can still smell the booze coming off you,” Georgie chides.

“Yes, you bitch. Of course, I showered,” I spit, while I pull out my chair and sit down.

We all order our food and I allow the other girls to talk up a storm while I imagine duct-taping each of their mouths shut. Somewhere in between the Advil I took this morning and this second cup of coffee, my love for them slowly starts to return. The steaming skillet in front of me might also be helpful.

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