Page 66 of Till The Cows Come Home
Calls and calls had come through from local contractors offering to help rebuild and I’d tabled each with appreciation, at the time not knowing if it was even a possibility. I told them all that I’d reach out the moment I knew my next steps forward and now that I knew those steps, it was time to rally the masses. My hope was that they’d agree to work together, allowing the new construction to be fulfilled as quickly as humanly possible, but I tried not to get my hopes up.
My grand idea was to have a business lunch here, allowing them each to browse the potential plans with the opportunity to get a lay of the land. They could meet one another anddecide if they still wanted to be a part of the project now that the excitement of the accident had died down. I knew a lot of them had impulsively offered their time and resources while emotions were high and it was important to me that each knew I appreciated and understood the value of their work, while also extending my understanding to those who may no longer be able to offer it.
I took Sage back to her apartment after we watched the first of the demolition, but I couldn’t help but linger outside her apartment complex, a tiny fear rearing in my head that if I let her out of my sight, I wouldn’t get her back. She assured me she had some normalcy of life to attend to, but made me promise to text her throughout the day with an update on who agreed to show up, making it clear that if I was hosting a lunch she planned on attending alongside me. Which meant it was time to get out of my head and start making calls.
Eighteen conversations later and I’d finally gotten through to everyone that left me a message. Thirteen agreed to come to lunch, the remaining few, as I suspected, having scheduling conflicts or their own personal business to deal with. I reached for my pocket to fish out my cell, immediately dialing Sage to let her know the results of my phone dialing decathlon, and as the phone rang I peered out the kitchen window. The construction crew had made great time, clearing almost half the debris away from the remaining structures, leaving what looked like ancient ruins poking from beneath the ash.
“Helloooo,” sung from the receiver as Sage picked up, her voice the optimistic distraction I needed from the current dreary view. I knew that this view was the future, destruction a necessary base for the bones, but damn did it feel easier tonavigate the gloomy haze with a little light. And luckily mine had returned.
“Good morning, Sunshine.”
“How many?” she questioned, and I sighed, releasing a chuckle at her forwardness.
“Thirteen agreed to come.”
“Oooh, lucky number,” she cooed.
“Lucky, indeed. They agreed to come tomorrow afternoon, but I wouldn’t count on all of them to be available anywhere near when we’d like. Most of these guys are booking out for months.”
“We just need a couple, Miles. If all thirteen crews agreed, we’d run out of work for everyone.”
“You’re right.”
“I know I am. That’s why you keep me around. Let’s hope for three crews. Jane told me I could work whatever hours I needed in order to be there with you. Whatever we don’t get help for, we’ll just have to do together.”
“Together,” I agreed. “Will I be seeing you here later?”
“Well, it sounds like you need lunch prepped for thirteen construction crews by tomorrow, so yes, you’ll be seeing me shortly. I’m going to grab the groceries after work and then I’ll be over with reinforcements.”
“I’m going to check on these guys outside and I’ll see you when you get here. I love you, Sage.”
“I love you, Miles.”
She hung up almost immediately, but the way the words rolled off her tongue still vibrated in the air, giving me the jump I needed to continue moving forward.
Sage wasn’t kidding when she said she would be bringing reinforcements. Along with a trunk full of bags followedRuby, Gale, and Beth sauntering up the steps, stopping only briefly to mumble hellos to me as they walked into my kitchen. They spread out, unpacking the paper bags to reveal various ingredients for whatever they’d decided would be on the menu for tomorrow's lunch. I spotted Beth unpacking loaves of bread from fabric sacks and as Ruby began pulling lettuce and tomatoes, I began to piece together the makings of sandwiches, a classic choice elevated by the little things these women brought to the table.
“What can I do?” I questioned, receiving the attention of all four women at once.
They looked at each other as if silently agreeing they didn’t need me, before shrugging their shoulders and continuing their prep.
“Why don’t you take care of you, we’re just slicing vegetables and making salads. You’re off the hook this time,” Sage said while smiling up at me.
I smiled back, kissing her cheek.
“Okay.”
She was right. I’d spent the day running back and forth with the demolition crew while simultaneously keeping contact with the engineer, approving blueprints. I’d barely even stopped for coffee.
With a light push, she steered me away before returning to the other women working meticulously at my counters, and I took that as my cue to disappear. When I was done with my shower, there were piles of lettuce, tomatoes, and onions being packaged for easy assembly tomorrow, along with cooling noodles resting in colanders. Sage sat on the counter tapping her feet, sipping from a wine glass with the others, and my heart warmed at the chuckles and love that radiated from the space. She and Gale had come so far since we first met and I’d never expected to see them joking over wine in my kitchen, but now that I had, I wouldn’t change a thing. When they noticedme enter the space, they quieted, smiling as I approached Sage’s side.
“Thank you all,” I said, filling my own glass before raising it between the women. “To friends, family, and farming,” I toasted, clinking each glass as they echoed me.
The farm would be rebuilt, even if none of the crews tomorrow could help. We had the funding; we were just racing against the ultimate thief.Time. But if tonight was my consolation, forever with these people wouldn’t be enough, and I knew whatever the future held would be worth the wait.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Sage
