Page 33 of Till The Cows Come Home
“Can I just have a minute?” she asked, before closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths.
A few moments later she delivered a few quick knocks before walking in, putting on a smile as she guided me alongside her. Her mother met us immediately, engulfing Sage in a huge hug, and I couldn’t help but notice Sage’s arms firmly pinned to her sides. Gale moved on to me a few seconds later, squeezing me into a tight embrace, and when she released me, I handed her the bag I’d stuffed with wine that was now dangling precariously in my hand from the unexpected affection.
“Nice to see you again, Mrs. Baker. This is just some wine for dinner.”
“Oh, Honey! Three bottles? How generous! I’ll go and find some glasses.”
As the sweet aproned woman disappeared somewhere into the depths of the home, I turned to Sage.
“Are you okay?”
”Just a lot to unpack,” she whispered, before leading me deeper into the house.
We reached the kitchen where Mr. Baker sat at the counter watching his wife zoom around, stirring various things while wiping out wine glasses.
“Mr. Baker,” I said, stepping forward as he stood to shake my hand.
“Nice to see you again, Miles. But please, call me Stu.”
“And me, Gale.” Mrs. Baker added, handing me a glass of wine.
I smiled, scanning the room until my eyes found Sage in the corner of the kitchen, sipping generous gulps from her glass. Gale followed my gaze, trying to mask her concern as she beckoned her over.
“Would you kids mind setting the table?”
“No problem, mom,” Sage said, finishing her glass before handing me a stack of plates.
She led the way to the dining room with a handful of cutlery and napkins and we danced around the table, making sure each spot had its necessary means.
“Dinners done!” Gale called, and she and Stu began shuffling out various dishes from the kitchen.
Sage and I joined to help them, and once every side made its way to the dining room, we took our places around the table. Gale served us, shoveling spoonfuls of mashed potatoes and slices of prime rib onto our plates, and soon after she’d finished, silence overtook the room.
“Silent mouths means yummy food,” Gale quipped. “I’m so glad you guys could make it. I hope we’re not interrupting your farm duties, Miles. I know how busy it can be.”
“No, ma’am, I could use the break. Sage here has actually been saving my back over at the farm. It’s been running smoother than it ever has, and to be quite honest, I enjoy her company.” I shot Sage a wink, immediately noticing the blush climbing her neck, and in an attempt to save her from the attention, I quickly redirected. “I’ve heard of Sunday dinner, but never Wednesday. What’s the story behind that?”
“Please no,” Sage moaned, but her father’s eyes lit up.
“It’s hump day.” He chuckled. “Every Wednesday we’d round up all the staff and inseminate any heifers ready to be bred. Chasing the girls was exhausting, so Gale would whip up dinner and we’d all share a meal together afterwards.”
“That’s brilliant!” I laughed.
Stu continued on with stories from his days on the farm and when the table was cleared, dessert was served. Pride radiated from this man as he spoke and part of me hoped that I could be a fraction of the farmer he was. As Gale began to clean, he excused himself from the table, carrying dirty plates to the sink.
“Want us to help with dishes, mom?” Sage called.
“If you wouldn’t mind, sweetheart, I’d love a hand.”
“I can help,” I interjected, rising a little too quickly.
My hips knocked against the table as I stood, causing my body to crash into Sage’s, spilling the wine glass in her hands directly into my lap.
Gale peeked her head from the kitchen to see what the commotion was, and as soon as her eyes set on the mess, she came to our aid, handing Sage a dish towel to pat the stain.
“Oh, sweetheart. Let me find you a pair of Stu’s pants so we can get some soda water on those right away.”
Before I could object, she disappeared.
