Madison sits up and presses her bare feet onto the floorboards, looking toward the tree with interest. I notice her toenails are painted a different color today, the bright fuchsia reminding me of the hanging baskets of begonias my grandmother used to tend. Instinctively, my eyes roam to the empty hooks across the front of the porch, my heart aching for her.
“I see the oak tree. I’ll bet it’s beautiful in the fall when the leaves turn.”
“It sure is. Underneath that tree, I got down on one knee and proposed to my Rosie.”
I listen intently, my gaze traveling to the big oak and imagining Grandma Rosie saying, “Yes.”
“And over there near the windmill used to be another big tree, but lightning struck it several years ago. It used to have a rope swing on it where my little girl used to play. I changed it out to a tire swing when George was old enough to useit.” He pulls a faded blue bandanna from his back pocket and swipes at his eyes. “Lots of memories on this land.”
“They’re beautiful memories, Ralph. Can you tell me more about your ancestors who started the farm?”
He lifts his tired body up and out of the rocker with a slight groan. His cowboy boots shuffle across the worn planks of the porch, and he stops at the handrail, gripping the wood while looking out over the land. The streaks of sunset color are mesmerizing, the sky emblazoned in burnt orange and periwinkle.
“My great-great granddaddy bought this land for a hundred an acre. He’d just gotten married when he signed the papers.”
I watch as Madison joins my grandfather at the railing. “Wow. What a bargain.”
“You got that right.” He points to the barn. “He and his brothers built the barn with their bare hands. And every single fence post, as far as your eye can see, was put into the ground by a Jamison. When I was just a boy, we used to bale all the hay and harvest what we planted.”
“Still do,” I chime in.
Madison and Pop look down at me, where I’m still sitting on the stairs. I add, “And we still catch bluegill in the pond beyond the fields. And don’t forget about the old fort and tree house we built together. It’s still standing near Pine Mountain Ridge.”
He chuckles. “I haven’t thought ofthat fort in years.”
“A fort and a tree house?” Madison grins. “I’d love to see it sometime.”
I gather my licked-clean bowl and stand. “Well then, I’ll take you there this week.”
“I’d like that.”
My grandfather looks back and forth between the two of us and clears his throat. “Well, I’ll leave you two youngins’ to enjoy the rest of the evening. It’s getting late for this old timer.”
Madison reaches out as he starts toward the front door and palms his arm. “Thank you so much for dinner and the ice cream. And for sharing some of your memories with me. This isn’t just any piece of land.”
He shakes his head. “It’s not just land. It’s a piece of me.” He gestures toward me. “And it’s a piece of my grandson. You can’t put a dollar amount on what it’s worth.”
She nods. “I understand. Goodnight, Ralph.” She hugs him around his neck, and as I watch them, I’m secretly hoping I might get a neck hug like that before the night is over too.
“Goodnight, Pop.”
“Goodnight, y’all.”
The door clicks shut, and Madison looks right at me. “Your grandfather is one of the sweetest men I’ve ever met.”
I nod. “He loves this farm. The older he gets, the more sentimentalhe’s become.”
“It’s understandable. I mean, look at this place. And the sunset, oh my gosh, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. No wonder they’re on your list of favorite things.”
I watch as the last bits of light glow across her pretty face, her big smile rivaling the soft colors fading into twilight.
“Told ya.”
Chapter Fifteen
Madison
“George? How is your grandfather these days?”
