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He claps a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah. She’s a catch.”
I feel relieved. My dad’s approval means a lot to me, even if I don’t always show it.
“I haven’t, uh, caught her,” I say. “Not yet, anyway. She, uh…” I shrug, feeling embarrassed.
“What, son?” My dad raises an eyebrow.
“I don’t know. She just seems… different, I guess,” I say, struggling to put my feelings into words. “I’m not sure she even wants to go out with me. She’s not like any other girl in this town. She’s smart, and she’s kind, and she doesn’t seem to care about all the same stuff that everyone else does.”
When I look at him again, his eyebrows are furrowed. “What kind of stuff?”
Dang. I just put my foot in my mouth.
“Uh, well…”
Tailgating. Four wheeling. Sitting around and watching the damn grass grow. Having every person know your business and never getting a lick of privacy.
But I can’t say that to my dad. He loves this town. This ranch was his father’s, and he plans on being buried on it.
“I don’t know, just… small-town stuff, I guess,” I say, trying to keep it vague.
“Lots of people would kill to live in a town like this,” he says. “Big cities got nothing on it. Heck, do you want to go to a place where no one knows your name and everyone is too busy looking out for themselves to give you the time of day?”
Yes. That’s exactly where I want to go.
I would love to lose myself in that anonymity, to be surrounded by all the potential that places like Austin or New York City contain.
But that’s not what I can tell my dad. Instead, I nod along. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
And yet, something in me also knows that my dad is right. There’s a certain comfort in the familiar, in the way that everyone knows everyone else’s business and how they’re all willing to lend a hand when someone needs it. I’ve seen that firsthand on this ranch, how my dad and our neighbors all pitch in to help each other out, no questions asked. It’s not something you find in the big city.
But Erin… she’s different. She’s not like the other girls in this town, content with their simple lives. She wants more — she’s going to be a doctor, for God’s sake. She’ll be saving lives while I’m still here on this ranch cleaning out stalls.
I glance over at my dad, wondering if he can see the conflict written all over my face. He’s looking at me with a mix of amusement and concern.
“She’s leaving town,” he says, and from the tone of his voice, I can tell there’s more coming.
“Yeah.” I tense up. Here it comes — the lecture.
“She’ll be in school on the other side of the country,” my dad goes on. “And then, who knows what? I know how she feels about this place. It’s not a secret. She’s set on leaving this town behind and never coming back. And you, your life is already here. You’ve got roots set down.”
I turn away from him and get to work watering the horses so he doesn’t see my face. That’s exactly what I hate — having my roots set down. My whole life planned out.
What if I were to get in my truck and start driving? Just leave this all behind?
My dad seems to think the ranch would upend without me here to take it on, but I know that can’t be true. He’s got more than one ranch hand who could take it over and do a better job than I ever could.
But my dad wants me to do it. I’m his son. His blood.
And I don’t get it, but that means something big to him.
We finish up the evening chores, and my mind drifts back to Erin.
I can’t stop thinking about her. The thought of her leaving this town and never coming back sends a shiver down my spine.Even though we’ve never been friends, she lives a few miles down the road and I’ve been watching her for years.
I’ve always known that she was meant for bigger things than this town could offer her. She’s smart, determined, and beautiful. She deserves to see the world and experience all the things that I’ve only ever read about in books.
And it’s not that I’m looking to ride her coattails or anything, but wouldn’t it be cool if I could join her on the ride? At least visit her at school?
