Page 17 of The Playboy and the Waitress

As he walks back towards his car, I put his unexpected gift inside the door before I pull it closed. I'm practically bouncing as I walk around back, double-checking everything I want to bring with me in my head.

“Ughh, we're taking that?”

“Well, yeah you didn’t think we were going to walk, did ya?”

“Actually yes, will we both fit on that thing?”

“See this nice, big black thing on the back? That’s a seat, made just for city boys. I promise this big-ass arctic cat can handle anything we throw at her. She is a tank. Go on and hop on.”

He throws a leg over the seat and scoots back to give me room in front of him. I throw my leg over and he slides right up against me. “A few of my friends have side by sides and they all love to ride. They have invited me several times, but I never seemed to have the time. But I think I like this way much better. I have no problem sitting back here, especially with you in my arms.”

“Oh, Playboy, you have all the lines, don’t ya? You don’t have to hold on to me there are handles on both sides of your seat, but I'm not complaining if you do. Now, if I do something that makes you uncomfortable, let me know.”

I start the four-wheeler up and ease around the side of the house towards the old sawmill. I goose the throttle a little on the dirt road and laugh when he grabs me.

“Remember, my little country girl, that paybacks are hell.”

“Yeah, yeah. Stay here for a minute while I unlock the gate.” I swing the gate outwards and pull through it. Once I'm clear, I jump back off, relocking it. “Ready for your tour?”

“You have me trapped back here, what choice do I have?”

I head up the hill towards one of the lower ponds first, choosing easier trails until he gets more comfortable behind me. I pull up to the edge of the water. “This is my favorite fishing pond, and the first stop on our tour.”

“Wow, Jenna this is huge. When you said ponds I was thinking of a small round body of water, but damn, this place is picture worthy.”

“Yeah, I think it’s amazing the things we pass by every day not realizing the beauty that is simply hidden away behind a few trees and some brush.”

“Look at the size of those barns, for some reason those are not what I had pictured in my head.”

“The two closest to us hold the farming equipment. I rent a few pieces out when it’s time to get the hay and stuff in for the winter, but most of them have sat since dad’s been gone. I go out and start them every few weeks to keep their batteries charged up. I still use the smaller tractor to pull the dead logs in for the firewood I need in the winter months. I almost got it out today, but the seat on the four-wheeler is more comfortable for you back there.

“The other two barns we will pass in a little bit, they are only used for the livestock. We used to have stables in the next one we will ride past, but dad tore them out when the last of the horses died.”

“Will there be a lot of cattle out where we're going?”

“We will pass a few. Right now the little ones are being born, so you may get to see some of the calves. And I'm sure once Brutus realizes we are in the outer pasture him and his ladies will slowly migrate this way.”

“I can’t believe you’re not scared of him. Man, he is massive.”

“Oh, I’m scared of him, and every other animal out here, the key is not to let them know that. Most bulls don’t tolerate humans very well and they will test you, but Brutus and I have been together a long time. The biggest problem I have with him is that he forgets how big he is and even though he is huge he still likes to play. He has knocked me down many times only to look down at me like,what are you doing down there.I used to wonder what was going through his mind when he looked at me… Now, hold on, this last hill is steep.”

I maneuver the bike through the ruts and rocks that line the trail to the upper pond on the property going slower than I usually do. He doesn’t say a word, but I do feel his legs tighten up a few times when the bike tilts one way or another. I roll up to our spot for the evening as twilight hits.

“Looks like we timed this about right. Grab that blanket and those pillows out of the box behind you, and I’ll grab the picnic basket.”

“Jenna, this place is beautiful, but damn, it's quiet up here.”

I spread the large blanket out and set the basket down, patting the blanket for him to sit down. “This is one of my favorite places on the property, and it’s where my dad proposed to Mom when they were kids. We used to come up here every Sunday if it was pretty for picnics. Dad even taught me how to swim up here and that hill we just climbed was where I crashed my first dirt bike.

“I’ll never forget it. I got distracted and made a turn too fast. Dad saw me go down and I swear it was like he was superman; he was next to me in two steps. I wasn’t torn up bad, but Dad had to get the bike with the tractor. I remember him picking me up off the seat once we got back to the house because my leg was hurting so bad I could hardly put my weight on it. Mom must have heard us come in and I can still remember her face when she walked out on the porch. The moment she saw me in Dad's arms she was running toward us. I had burnt my leg on the muffler, and it was hurting like hell, but damn… the moment Mom saw all those scratches and the burns on my skin you could see her whole demeanor change. I don’t think I had ever seen her that pissed off before. She patched me up, silently fuming. When I was bandaged up to her approval, I remember us walking slowly back out onto the porch. Once I was in the swing, she kissed my forehead and walked off. The next thing I know, she is walking toward the dirt bike with an ax in her hand.

“I can laugh about it now, but it was not funny at the time. I can remember Dad yelling her name just as she raised that ax over her head. She lowered it back down, but then held it out towards him, threatening. I’ll never forget what came out of her mouth next. ‘You get this piece of shit out of here today or I'm cutting it to pieces. I have stood by all these years, letting you treat Jenna like she is a boy, but this… this thing will not scar my child for life. You may think she is a man, but she is a young girl with her whole life in front of her, and I be damned if this two-wheeled death trap takes her from us. Get rid of it now, or I will.’”

“At least now I know what parent to blame all your spunk on. I’m assuming that was the end of your dirt bike days.”

“Yep, Mom didn’t put her foot down much, but when she did there was no getting around it. They would have been married thirty-three years tomorrow. God knows I miss them horribly, but in my heart I know it would have been worse if one of them had made it and the other hadn’t. Neither of them would have lasted long without the other.”

“They seem to have set high standards for you that most can’t compare with. My parents tolerate each other, they have nothing in common besides prestige and money.”

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