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“So many,” he said with a chuckle. He sobered and met her gaze, the fire and electricity between them light liquid lightning. “Kiss me first?”
Jill closed her eyes and closed the distance between them. Their kiss was sweet and hot at the same time, and she pulled away when the noise level from out front grew because someone opened the front door.
“Let’s go,” he said, and he took her hand and led her toward the hallway that would get them out of the house. Axle met them at the bottom of the steps in the garage, and Slate said, “Come on, boy. Let’s go for a walk.”
Together, the three of them set off for the spot next to the river, and Slate could see his whole future in the few minutes it took to cross the grass and get on the path that led to the river. He wanted this woman to be in his future, and this dog, and this ranch.
“Okay, first, my mama’s hair is not growing in great,” Jill started, and Slate could listen to her talk all day and all night, her voice soothing and feminine in the best of ways. He’d have to tell his stories too, but he knew she wouldn’t judge him, and that was one of the most amazing feelings in the world.
* * *
“Uncle Slate!”Connor yelled for Slate from somewhere in the house, and Slate hurried to finish the last stroke to shave his face. Before he could wipe his face and splash on some aftershave, the little boy appeared in the doorway leading to the bathroom.
“Wow, look at you,” Slate said, leaning against the counter. “Your hair is all swept nicely.” He grinned at the towheaded boy who had some of Nate’s facial features, but the wrong color of hair. “New shirt, too. Fancy.”
“I’m not fancy, Uncle Slate,” Connor said, coming into the bathroom. He patted Axle, who never got more than ten feet away from Slate. “It’s the first day of school, remember?”
“How could I forget?” Slate swept Connor into his arms. He was starting second grade today, and Slate couldn’t remember ever being as excited to start school as Connor was. He did like it when he had to go to school, because then he didn’t have to deal with his dad or work at the restaurant. But school was no picnic either.
“Daddy sent me to ask if you or Uncle Luke want breakfast from town.”
“I do,” Luke yelled from his bedroom.
Slate grinned at Connor. “He does.” They laughed together, and Slate added, “I do too, bud. Tell your daddy to get whatever he’s getting for me.”
“Okey doke.” Connor wiggled down, and he ran into Luke’s bedroom too. The child didn’t seem to do anything without running, and Slate wondered how he sat in a desk and did math or reading all day long. He listened to Luke and Connor laughing as he put on his aftershave and pulled on his cowboy boots.
The last cabin would be done by Friday. Luke had interviewed with a construction firm in town, one in Fish Lake, a town about an hour north of Sweet Water Falls, and one out of San Antonio. He’d decided he wanted to work construction for a living—at least right now. That was what he said. “At least right now.”
Slate understood Luke’s dreams to explore the world and find his place inside it. He simply thought he’d already found his—right here at Hope Eternal Ranch.
“Come on, Connor,” he called. “You too, Axle.” The three of them went outside, where Nate was just coming toward the Annex.
“There you are,” he said to Connor. “We have to go, bud. School starts soon.” He touched his hat. “Morning, Slate.”
“Morning.” Slate went down the steps with Connor and Axle, and went with them to the driveway. Connor started to climb into the truck and then turned back to Axle, who’d trotted right behind him as if the dog would go to school with the boy.
“You have to stay here, buddy,” Connor said, grabbing the dog that stood almost as tall as him right around the neck. “I’ll be gone for a little bit, but I’ll be back this afternoon.” He hugged him tight and turned back to get in the truck.
Nate shook his head and went around to the driver’s side.
“That boy needs a dog,” Slate called to him.
“Nope,” Nate said. “He’s good with yours.” He smiled and they left the ranch, Missy in the back seat of the truck.
They’d survived the heat of August, but September wasn’t much better. Slate worked with Luke on the cabin that week, and he saw Jill whenever he could. He rode Scalloped Potato every chance he got.
In the couple of months since he’d gone to Austin, his life had normalized. He went to church, and he felt like he was in the right place, with the right people.
Friday came, and Slate went with Luke to the cabin for the last time. They’d technically finished yesterday, but Luke went inside and picked up a broom. They worked in silence to get the place swept clean and wiped down, as construction had a way of dropping sawdust and debris in the oddest of places.
Only an hour later, Luke replaced the broom in the closet and sighed.
“Well,” Slate said. “You’re done here.”
Luke nodded, but he didn’t look happy about it. As the cabins had been finished—Luke and Slate had worked on a total of eight of them, a few bigger than the others. Ginger and Nate had moved into one of those. Ted and Emma had too, vacating two of the smaller ones. Ginger had been hiring more and more people and filling the cabins, but Slate knew there were still three empty ones, including this bigger one.
He had a meeting with Ginger on Monday, and he was planning to ask her if he could have this cabin. He’d pay rent or take a pay reduction. Whatever it took to get it. He wanted one of the larger cabins so he could raise a family in it the way Ted and Nate were going to do.
