Page 109 of Dove
The loud caw of a bird had me blinking away the memory of last night, bringing me back to the sweet summer morning. Lost in my thoughts, my coffee had gone tepid, and the sun had crept a little higher in the sky than when we’d woken up, rested from our long chat last night.
We talked until our throats were hoarse, and we were forcing our eyes open where they were slipping shut. It was like once we’d gotten over the speedbump that was Josh leaving, we could move full speed ahead. We traded stories back and forth, updating one another on what we’d missed in each other’s lives the past three years.
I learned that Josh eventually moved out of Ollie’s and got his own apartment, but still worked at his Gym, Powerflex Fitness, the very one he’d been sporting on his shirt the other day. At first the job had just been cleaning and doing secretarial duties Ollie tended to neglect. Busy work, as Josh put it. Having access to the gym gave him something to do in his free time and kept him strong, just as he’d been from a lifetime of farm work.
I hadn’t been able to stop myself from running my hands appreciatively over the swell of his biceps. He ducked his head under my attention and admitted that, eventually, a few members approached him, asking if he’d give them some tips, since they’d noticed his improvement in such a short time. Before he knew it, he’d gained a small client list. Impressed, Ollie sent him to get certified as a trainer and allowed him to coach alongside his other duties.
It wasn’t a career I would have imagined for Josh, but when he talked about his clients, his smile grew. He’d been a farmer because that’s what Gareth expected of him. It was heartwarming to hear Josh talk about the new life he’d created for himself, even if it hurt not be a part of it. Curiosity—mixed with the smallest bit of jealousy—had me asking about his dating life. Josh had answered openly and honestly, explaining that he’d gone on some dates, but nothing had ever worked out long-term.
“No one was you,” he told me. I’d barely been able to hold back my pleased smile.
In return, I talked about my classes at community college—how I’d been going part-time, taking general education courses in the hopes of transferring to a college specializing in veterinary medicine. They’d been going well until mom got sick and the reality of the situation hit me. Classes were taking up too much of my time. Plus, I wasn’t going to leave her, not when she was sick. Icouldn’tleave her, and I certainly wasn’t going to make Gareth take care of my mom and the farm by himself.
Regret filled Josh’s eyes, and we both knew that if he’d been there, I wouldn’t have had to sacrifice my education. Quickly, I raised a hand to cover his mouth, stopping the apology before he could speak it. We were past that now.
He placed a kiss to my palm, and we moved on from the painful topic.
All night we caught up and reminisced, trading kisses and touches back and forth between stories until finally we succumbed to sleep.
Last night had been the best night I’d had in a long time.
Smiling, I took a sip of my coffee, grimacing at its lukewarm taste. Just thinking of Josh put a goofy grin on my face, like I was some middle schooler with her first crush, but I couldn’t help it. Parts of last night had been hard to discuss, sure, but we’d come out better for it. I felt connected to Josh in a way I never had before.
He’d eagerly invited me to come along with him this morning, but I elected to stay behind. Josh would be traveling all over town, and I wasn’t in the mood to drive around today, especially after the almost-accident the other day. There was plenty to do here, and we still had a lot to do in preparation for all the work we’d be doing soon. Even if it would have been great to hold his hand on the drive, pretending we were just a regular couple running errands together.
Another reason I hadn’t gone, because as long as we lived in this town, we couldn’t have that. Not publicly.
A fact I was okay with as long as I had Josh.
Setting my coffee on the small table beside the porch swing, I stood up, stretching out my cramped muscles. While I’d slept peacefully, I wasn’t used to sleeping curled up in someone’s arms. My back twinged in protest at being the little spoon all night, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
Being in Josh’s arms was exactly where I wanted to be.
25
JOSH
Abell above the door jingled as I stepped inside the local auto shop, the smell of grease and gasoline instantly assaulting my nose. The distance sound of a drill whirring halted, and someone’s voice shouted from the attached garage that they’d be right out. I waited patiently in the dusty, outdated lobby until Rodney came walking out from the back, his gait uneven. Somehow, he looked exactly the same as he had when I left: old, grey, and perpetually frowning. His eyes roved over me, up and down, before he glanced over my shoulder toward the wide storefront window, where my SUV was parked just out front.
“You pickin’ up parts fromhere?” he asked in a gruff voice which held just as much skepticism as his eyes.
I’d been out all morning, running errands I neglected because my focus since arriving had been on more important things—like Dove and the farm. I made a quick stop to the Walmart just outside of town to grab some clothes, eyeballing sizes off the rack and praying they’d fit. I was sick of wearing the clothes found in my gym bag, the only ones I came with, or hunting through old clothes in my room that I barely fitinto anymore. After that, I gunned it to the cellular store for a replacement phone, another thing I desperately needed. At least now I could give Ollie a call, although he’d reassured me to take my time and call him whenever I was ready. Despite that, I owed him an update on how everything was going. I’d have to somehow break the news that I may not be back any time soon. Or ever.
There was still too much to do with the farm, and I was elbows-deep into unraveling the state my father had left it in. Not just physically, but financially. I added those calls onto my mental to-do list.
That left Rodney and Dell as my last stops of the day, which would also likely end up taking the longest. Then I’d be on my way back home to Dove.
“Yes, sir,” I confirmed, holding back my amused smile.
Around these parts, it was trucks and tractors and not much else. My ride screamed “outsider,” and I was getting the non-local treatment because of it. Despite the fact I’d known Rodney “Hot Rod” Snyder since I was a little boy.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Whatcha pickin’ up?”
I rattled off the parts I was here for, and he scanned the various papers spread out in front of him on the desk before picking one up and squinting at it, the wrinkles of his forehead creasing. Despite the pair of readers lying right next to him, he opted to ignore them in favor of holding the paper up and away to read it.
“Joshua?” he confirmed.
I hummed in agreement.
