Page 38 of Back in the Country
She steps in close and lowers her voice so only I can hear.
“What if we take some pictures of the barn before we take it down and then throughout the process? Put it up on your website so people canseewhere their orders are coming from.”
“Is that something you can do? Something you can help me with?”
She whoops and does a fist pump, and I laugh which draws the curious gazes of my brothers before Marlee takes off with her phone in hand. I’d be an idiot to deny what she does to me—what she didfor me.
A lifetime would never be enough to show her how much she truly means to me, but I promise myself I’ll do my best. Hank and my dad pull into the field and park, effectively stopping any line of questioning Otto was sure to have.
When Marlee returns, I lay out the plan for how we’ll approach the structure and how we’ll sort the wood. The owner has another crew coming out in a few days to remove whatever we can’t take.
“Otto and Case’s trucks and trailers will be for wood that is salvageable. I’d like to take pieces that aren’t salvageable but that we’ve cut or removed and have those go in my truck. We’ll have a bonfire or somethin’. Any nails we pull will go in one of the buckets I brought, and I’ll deal with those later. Everything looks to be in decent shape, but if you see somethin’ fallin’ yellheadacheso everyone can hear. Everyone have gloves?”
Nods all around. Aside from Marlee, we’d all worked manual labor in some capacity with the threat of falling material or tools. Hell, she’d been with us where we’d had to yell it more than once.
With a plan in place, everyone splits up. Marlee pulls the wireless speaker from my truck and picks an upbeat country playlist. “Callin’ Baton Rouge” by Garth Brooks blares across the tall grass, and Otto does a solo two-step as he belts out the lyrics.
We laugh as we get to work. The sun is hot and sweat coats my skin. A light breeze feels like barely a whisper, but I can’t remember a time in recent years that I’ve felt more alive. My muscles burn with the exertion, but it is the best kind of high.
Otto, Case, and I work at pulling down the wood. Hank hauls it up to where my dad is running a saw off the generator in the back of Otto’s truck. Marlee is sorting the pieces my dad cuts and placing them in the appropriate stacks.
Overall, the process is seamless. We take a break for a late lunch and gather under a white oak tree that looks like it has kept watch over this field for more than a century. Sturdy branches filled with green leaves provide a much-needed reprieve from the sun.
We eat in silence as we devour the sandwiches Mama made. She packed enough food for ten people instead of just the six of us, but that’s Mama.
I survey the wood, neatly stacked in each vehicle, and smile. Different lengths are sorted appropriately. Marlee is going to get areallynice thank you for that later tonight.
“Everyone free tomorrow for dinner?” I ask.
“Why, you cookin’?” Case says and I nod. I am not always great in the kitchen, but I can work a grill just fine.
“Do it at the house; your mama will wanna help with salads and such,” Dad says around a couple of potato chips he’d popped into his mouth.
“The point is for me to say thank you for all this, lunch included.” Dad grunts then shakes his head.
“Thenyoutell her that.”
Case and Otto snicker and Marlee looks away, but I can see her mouth tip up in a smile.
Jerks.
“Fine,” I mumble as I put my trash back into the cooler. After cleaning up, we assess what we can still do and what we still have room for. Marlee takes more pictures of the barn before we tackle another section. I’ll probably come back in the morning and take one more load before callin’ it quits.
Drippin’ with sweat and dog-tired, we all shuffle to the trucks before heading back home. It has been a long day, but I can’t keep the contented smile off my face.
“I want a shower, and then a bath, and then a shower, Waylon Thayer,” Marlee groans when the cool air from the vent hits her sun-kissed face. She slumps into the truck, and it occurs to me that it’s probably been a long time since she’s endured a day like today.
“Not like sittin’ behind a computer all day, huh?” I tease, and she glares while crossing her arms and causing her breasts to sit up happy and proud.
“Don’t you be mean now.” She pouts and I lean over and take her chin in my fingers before pulling her face to mine for a slow kiss.
“Never mean, Baby Girl, just teasin’.” She smiles against my lips, and I press one more to her mouth before getting settled and heading home.
Marlee hadn’t complained once today. She’d worked just as hard as the rest of us, and I was damn proud of her—proud that she was wantin’ to support me like this. I mentally addmassage her entire bodyto my list of ways I’d be showin’ my appreciation for her.
Takin’ her hand in mine, I kiss her knuckles before resting our joined hands on her thigh. She sighs and leans her head back against the seat, then looks at me and smiles while Tim McGraw croons through the cab.
Yeah, because right now? It was pretty damn perfect.
