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Bex looks over to me and wipes at the side of my mouth where I started drooling after staring at Alvie’s ass as he left.
“Let’s not keep him waiting. He went easy on you at the club, but his punishments can be a bitch if you’re naughty enough.” Bex smirks.
I nod into my cup of coffee. “Got it.”
The coffee is perfect, and so is this morning.
Everything feels right.
Bex helps me rush through my morning routine so I’m ready to go by the time the smell of bacon comes wafting through the house. We follow the scent into the kitchen to find Alvie fully dressed in a tight-fitting T-shirt, Wranglers, and socks.
Breakfast is quiet but pleasant between the three of us. We enjoy our food before stuffing our feet into boots, though Alvie takes one look at the pair I brought and immediately vetoed them, instead digging through a box in their garage to find me a pair of work boots that will fit me.
“There we go,” Alvie says after slipping them on my feet like I’m Cinderella. “Now, let’s get you in the truck.”
“Nay gets shotgun so she has the best view,” Bex suggests.
“You’re sure?” I ask.
“Absolutely.”
It takes three tries before I give up getting into the truck by myself and allow Alvie to boost me up. Damn these short legs.
When I arrived the evening before, the sun was already setting and everything was obscured by the quickly waning light. But now, with the sun rising in the east and bathing everything in a warm glow, I’m able to see everything.
As we pull away from the one-story, ranch-style house, I take in its brightly colored shutters and matching door, noting all of the wind chimes and other decorations that ornament the porch. The house is a perfect reflection of Bex and Alvie’s personalities: rustic, grounded, bright, and whimsical all at the same time.
The view from Alvie’s truck as we pull out of the drive is beautiful. I didn’t realize how early it was, but watching the sun rise over the landscape as we journey through the trails on the property from one building to the next is incredible.
A short distance from Bex and Alvie’s ranch house is the main barn and both the indoor and outdoor arenas they use for training. We travel a few miles farther down the dirt road, and I start to see the full extent of the cattle operation that they have on the ranch. Chutes guide the cattle through the landscape surround a central barn which then leads out into the pasture. A lot of what Alvie tries to explain to me goes over my head, but the excitement he has when talking about his work keeps me mesmerized.
When we turn around, heading back to the house, we pass a series of cabins clustered together.
“What are those?” I ask.
“Oh!” Bex exclaims. “Those are the cabins for our retreat visitors.”
I turn in my seat to face Bex in the back seat of the truck.
“A few years ago, we started hosting retreats on the ranch for guests. Mostly for yoga and meditation, but also, like, leadership gatherings or artistic retreats and other stuff,” she explains. “We built cabins so people wouldn’t have to camp outside and just to make their stay more comfortable.”
“That’s so cool,” I reply, loving the sparkle I capture in Bex’s eyes.
“I’m guessing all of this is new for you?” Alvie asks.
“Yeah. I’ve only ever lived in cities, so this is a whole new world for me.”
“Well, welcome to our corner of paradise then.” He smiles brightly at me.
“Have you always lived here, Alvie?” I ask.
“Mm-hmm.” He nods solemnly. “My grandparents worked on this land when it was owned by a family who treated it more like a hobby than a working ranch. When the parents passed and the kids didn’t want to take care of everything, they gave my family the opportunity to buy it from them. It was really a community effort. A lot of local families helped contribute to the purchase, so we have a lot of local, silent shareholders.”
“That’s incredible,” I breathe out, taking in the land with a new appreciation. “To have a community like that must be amazing.”
“Absolutely. We host a few events throughout the year for all the families and other members of the community as a thanks to them. It’s always the highlight of my year.” He says softly.
“And the food is amazing.” Bex moans.
