Page 44 of Ropers Can't Tie Knots
Gabe has made major progress, and I’m proud of how well he’s fit in with the farmers. He may still be green around the animals and such, but he’s built trust with the community because he respects their job. Which, in the beginning, they were uncertain if he did.
“And what do you get from this deal, my boy?” She takes another drink while I down my entire glass in one go.
“Money,” I grunt. “If I’m married, I get advances at certain points.” I pour myself another glass, and Margie holds out hers for a top-up. “The first advance was when I showed the marriage licence. The next one is soon. I get the rest after a year.”
She nods and sips. “And after a year? What then?” she asks gently, and I swirl the creamy liquid in my glass before downing a large gulp.
“Then’s he’s free to leave.”
My throat burns with the words, and Margie says nothing for several beats.
“Do you want that?”
She was right about my tongue loosening with a little liquor. The words to speak pile up right there, but I can’t get them out. Instead, I shake my head no.
“Does he?” she asks, and that’s the question that breaks the dam, and my fears come pouring out.
“He looks at me like nobody ever has, and when he touches me, it’s…it’s not only about sex. He…he…” I trail off, not sure what else to say because I’ve not asked Gabe outright if he’d consider not leaving, but when he was so tender and called me doll, I freaked out.
“It sounds like you have a chance to build something real with this man, Hunter.”
“I could fall for him so easily, Margie. I’m keeping him at a distance because I know it will hurt when he leaves.”
Margie clucks her tongue. “You’re so sure he’ll leave, and you haven’t asked him yet.”
“They always leave!” I clutch the glass and take another swallow. “If they don’t leave, they die, and I don’t want him to be another one to break my heart. I just can’t.”
We sit on the porch for a few moments. Margie still sips from her glass, and I have a slight buzz from all the liqueur I’ve downed in a short time. The beagle snores, and I let myself imagine what it would be like if this were Gabe and me and the pet he always wanted instead. Could we make something work?
Will he break my heart, or will he finally mend it if I give him a chance?
“Let’s finish packaging the food before it gets too late, yeah?” Margie stands and grabs the bottle from the table. “Thanks for not letting me drink alone. This stuff was too good not to share.”
“Yeah. Thanks…for everything.”
She pauses and rubs my shoulder, squeezing just enough to make me look at her.
“You’ll figure it out, Hunter. You always do, but if you need advice, mine is to take the chance. If you found love, don’t let it walk away. Do something that makes you happy. He’s not here to judge you anymore.”
With a last pat on my arm, Margie enters the house, and I take a minute longer to finish my glass.
He may not be here to judge me, but I do a damn good job of doing that myself.
thirteen
Gabe
It’s no surprise I’m in the kitchen alone—again.
Ever since our attraction boiled over to the hottest sex ever, Hunter has been distant. I wish I could say it doesn’t bother me, but I’d be lying. I want to talk things out, but he finds creative ways to dodge the subject constantly.
Going to bed alone never hurt as much as it did that night. I thought we were on the same page, and turns out we weren’t even reading the same fucking book. With a sigh, I pour a coffee and head out to the porch swing on the back deck.
Since Hunter first showed me this swing, I come out often. With fall closing in, the mornings are chilly, and I’ve taken to bringing a blanket out with me. After wrapping it around me, I settle on the swing and let the gentle squeaks accompany me on a day just as grey as my mood.
I miss my sisters today. Both of them gone too soon, and it’s always the fall when I miss them most. Karina died on a rainy Saturday night in September at the hands of a drunk driver, and Katia took her own life the following October. Since that October day, the only family I’ve had is the one I make myself.
Riley is the best one I found, and through him, I’ve found Jackson and a group of cowboys to befriend. Diamond, the baristaat the Thirsty Cow, would probably be a great friend, too, if I allow it. My work friends were just that, friends through work, and while they helped me each time while I grieved my sisters, they didn’t remain close friends in the way you sometimes need.
