“The mountains giving you shitty cell service?”
“Oh yeah. I have to drive into town just to get a signal to do any work.”
“I followed the ranch accounts. I love what you’ve done so far. It looks so beautiful.”
“It’s amazing. Really. The air is fresh, like it’s all new, and the mountains are always breathtaking. Oh! I rode a horse today!”
Mom’s laughter sounds over the line, and a pang of homesickness hits.
“Did you love the experience? I did it once when I first met your father. He was based near Edmonton then and met a guy who had horses. He thought it was romantic, but I disagreed. My horse bit me!” Mom laughs more, and I join her because I’ve heard the story from both of them before.
“Listen, Mom…I, um…” Puffing out a breath, I drop my head back on the headrest. “There’s this guy here?—”
“Already? Is that wise, Ethan?”
She’s gentle in her tone, but my mom never sugarcoats things. She’s right, too. It’s only been a few months since my last relationship went sour. I’m of the mind, though, that some things happen for a reason and there’s no time limit for this kind of stuff.
If the horse hadn’t bitten Mom, she might not have let my dad hug her, which ultimately led her to liking him more. It’s not a sound theory, but in my head, the horse bite made love bloom.
“We work together,” I supply and ignore her question. “He’s kind of shy, but I don’t know…he’s different. I was trying to work, and all I could do was stare at the screen because I kept thinking about him.”
Mom is silent for a beat. “I don’t want to discourage you in anything in your life, honey, but do you like him enoughto want to stay there? It takes a special person to have a nontraditional relationship like your dad and me.”
“I’m not thinking about a relationship. We’ve only just met, and I’ve been here less than a month. He’s just…” I trail off because I don’t know how to describe Colt other than that he’s taken up a lot of my thoughts since he first sprayed water on my shoes.
More space than anyone I can remember in recent memory, really.
“You could just be friends, Ethan. Not everything needs to be romantic. You always dive in and get hurt. I hate that you do that to yourself.”
“I know, Mom. I’m not a fan of breaking my heart all the time, either. I’m here until winter comes, and you know I can’t just work all the time. I could hang out in town and talk to strangers, but that’s not the same.”
“You want the connection.”
Nodding, even though she can’t see me, I confirm her statement.
“Yeah. I do, and he seems like he could use a friend, but…” I stare out the window and watch a few ducks waddle around a puddle. “He’s so shy. Almost like he’s not used to people paying him any attention, and he doesn’t know what to do, you know? He asked if I could show him how to use a cell phone camera today.”
“He sounds sweet.”
My lips tilt in a grin as I think of Colt talking to the horses and how he insisted in a quiet way that I had to try cream soda at 10 AM.
“He is, Mom. You’d like him.”
“Sounds like you do, too. Just get to know him, Ethan. Friends first isn’t a bad thing. Now, tell me about the horse rideand this ranch more.”
For the next thirty minutes, I talk to Mom and tell her about the town and Snow Creek Ranch. How different it is here compared to my last city and job with a private equity firm. I can tell how much happier I sound when talking about work. Which isn’t really surprising. I went from promoting sensible investing under a strict schedule to spending all day with hot cowboys and a camera. No 9-to-5 grind. Just my own schedule, as long as I bring results.
It’s a refreshing change that takes getting used to at first, but I’m definitely liking it now that I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn every day.
“I’m meeting your dad in Belize next week for a piece about vacation planning and fly-fishing. Email me if you need to, since my cell will be off, okay?”
“Fly-fishing! Colt is going to teach me how soon! That’s so cool. Have a great time, Mom, and I can’t wait to hear about it.”
She laughs. “I just hope your dad doesn’t hurt himself. Tell me how it goes.” There’s a pause, and my mom’s voice is softer. “I love you, kiddo. Don’t be too hard on yourself, okay? I know that Trevor leaving sent you into a spiral, but you’ll get over that. You really will. You love so big, Ethan. Just take it one day at a time. Maybe this guy is the friend you need and nothing more.”
“Thanks, Mom. Yeah, I know. Maybe I should just work and enjoy it here.”
“Do what feels right. Listen to your heart, Ethan. We’ll talk soon?”
