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After I watch her safely walk across the garden to our home, I say, “Okay, well thank you for your strong opinions on something I didn’t ask for. But I wanted to bring up her good idea about the ranch, and not us dating.”
“Okay, okay. Tell us your plan Adriel,” mamá says.
“We were talking about the value of the land and how I don’t want to sell it, so she asked what I thought about renting.”
“Renting the land? To another farm?” dad asks.
“No. She was thinking about how crowded it gets here over the summer for the arts festivals and suggested building property to rent.”
“We’ve never done that. We’re ranchers, Adriel, not landlords.”
“Sure dad, but that’s not working for us right now. I’ll try anything to keep this land in our family.”
“I said no,” dad slams his hand on the table and leaves.
I’ve grown up around these outbursts my whole life. I hate when he acts like that. I’m just glad Ana left when she did. He’s her biggest fan and he hers. I want to keep it that way.
“He’s not used to change. Give him time,” mom says, trying to smooth over his anger with another serving of food.
“I’m going to do it mom. I’ve already ordered lumber to be delivered tomorrow and am going to use the blueprints for my home. I really think it’s the best idea we’ve got so far.”
“It’s funny how similar you both are. But I think you’re right. We’ve tried everything we know, and it hasn’t worked yet. It’s time to try something new.” She places her hand on mine, and I know I’ve got all the approval I need.
The next day starts like normal, and I’ve got nearly a dozen hours of work time ahead of me before I meet up with Jules to volunteer again.
I accept the lumber delivery, pull out my old blueprints, and start pulling the rest of my supplies from the back of the barn and tool shed. Gathering all my material, I load up my utility cart and drive to the land by the back entrance of our property. Close to a separate entrance that connects to the main road, this is the perfect space for some rentals that overlook the ocean from our cliffside land.
After I’ve been working for an hour, I hear an old truck rumbling my way.
It’s my dad.
“I’ll work on cutting the wood for the flooring since you’re already working on the foundation,” he says.
My mom is right. We are so similar. More for action than words, I appreciate him the only way I know how.
I point him to the Miter saw in the corner and get back to work.
Chapter Ten
Jules
I hear Adriel knocking at my door.
Opening it with a brace around my hand, he picks up my wrapped hand tenderly and asks me, “Jules, are you okay? You weren’t at our volunteer hour, so Sydney suggested I check on you at home. I hope that’s alright.”
“You’re just who I was thinking of, but I’m so sorry I forgot to tell you I went home. I slipped and hurt myself at work.”
Rubbing my shoulder, I slowly shake my hand in a brace and smile weakly.
“Want some company? I can cook for you?”
“That’s so thoughtful. I was just planning to wait for Justine to come home and make me food tonight, but she has a school newspaper deadline, and won’t be back for hours.”
“It’s settled.” He slides off his shoes by my entrance, and for some reason, the jarring size difference of our footwear makes me smile.
“Hot food sounds amazing.” I rub my head and follow him to the kitchen.
“You just sit down and relax. I got you,” Adriel says.
