Page 20 of Fern's Date with Destiny
Fern: You too?I swear I’m constantly shoving square pegs into round holes.But I’m having fun.Mostly.Did you know that it’s possible to upload a file big enough to stall out the gaming matrix of the Painting with The Masters program?
Cody: I did not know that.You’ll figure it out.You and those computers are besties.
Fern: It’s still a pain in the butt.
Cody: Just think how good it will feel to fix the problem and save my brother’s hide again.
Fern: He’ll be grateful.I’ll have to tell him I did it though, because he never even tries to use the computers anymore.Not for anything, unless he can’t help it.I’m afraid I’m enabling a Luddite tech-hating monster.
Cody: On a different topic, want to get together soon?
The three dots danced.Then disappeared.Appeared again.
His gut clenched.Ridiculous how one text bubble could knot him up tighter than barbed wire.And the idea that she might not want to see him?
A blare of sound suddenly chirped from his phone.He answered so fast he heard her giggle.
“Attachment failure,” Fern admitted between laughs.“I zigged when I should have zagged, and my hook jammed and knocked my phone to the floor.Again.I can’t type on a phone that’s not in my hand.”
“Your bionic arm needs a tune-up, sweetheart.”He shifted, propping his boots on the box beside the desk.“Want to swap hands?”
“Ha-ha.You’re not allowed to be sweeter than me.Stop it and tell me more about our next date.”
A grin spread across his face despite the long day.“Friday.You.Me.A bunch of goofy tasks at Red Boot.Call your crew.I’m short a few warm bodies to test this corporate bonding circus the oil company’s renting the ranch for.”
Fern’s suspicious hum echoed loudly in his ear.“Goofy sounds fine, but aren’t those things usually full of physical challenges like heaving yourself over too-tall walls?Because I don’t heave.With or without my spare parts.”
“No climbing walls or dangling off bridges.Worst thing is probably trying to herd balloons into a pen with pool noodles.It’ll be good for a laugh.”
She snorted.“Deal.I can already assure you that Charity and Dustin will be in because they’re in town and were just going to Rough Cut.I could ask Shim.”
Cody’s teeth clicked together.“Shim.Right.Fine.I’m feeling generous.Bring him.Better yet, tell him to bring a friend.”
She cackled.“You’re not jealous of Shim, are you?”
“Of course not,” he lied.
“He’s only a friend,” she assured him.
“Good.”
Which made her laugh as she hung up.
A couple days later, the autumn air sliced around them, crisp and bright, rustling the last stubborn leaves still clinging to the big poplars by Red Boot’s main arena.
Cody stood beside Zach, arms folded, as the crew lined up like misfit recruits: Fern, Charity, Dustin, Shim and, tucked half behind Shim’s shoulder, a new face.
Dark hair, warm brown eyes that flicked up at Cody then darted away.
Cody cocked a brow and gentled his tone.“This your plus-one, Shim?”
Shim cleared his throat.If ears could glow, his were practically neon.“Uh, yeah.This is Amanda.She’s new at Silver Stone.Figured she’d come along so she could take a look around here and then appreciate what aproperranch looks like when we get home.”
Cody barked a laugh.It was going to be like that, was it?“Careful, or I’ll have Zach poach her before you make it back through the gate.”
Amanda’s cheeks flushed pink, but her shy smile remained.Fern winked at her behind Shim’s back.
“All right, pirates,” Zach boomed, shaking out a ridiculous parchment roll as if he’d unearthed it in a treasure chest.“Gather up for your official corporate-morale chaos.I didn’t make these up, but Ididpromise to document every disaster for the oil company’s HR department.”
