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He gave his horse a nudge and turned him back toward the barn. He had to hurry through removing the saddle and brushing him down. That wasn’t like him. Taking his time and making sure things were done right was his trademark. It’s what made him reliable as a ranch hand and as a member of this family. He pushed down the feeling of resentment at being pulled away from his work and having to do a subpar job with his horse.
He swung the screen door open at the front of the house and let his boots thump across the floor echoing through the house. It didn’t take long to find his mom, she was in her familiar spot in the kitchen.
“Hey,” he said, keeping the edge out of his voice. “Jenson said you wanted to see me.”
“Yes, I sure did. Sorry to ask you to quit early. I know you like being the last one out there.”
Garrett shrugged as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’s not about being last. It’s about making sure the work is done.”
Mom chuckled. “You know as well as I do that on a ranch, the work is never done.”
Garrett softened at his mom’s smile, and he let the corners of his mouth lift slightly. “I know. Anyway, what do you need me to do?”
“Oh yes,” Mom held up a finger before wiping her hands on her apron. She moved to the oven where she put on her oven mitts and opened the door. Lifting out an aluminum pan wrapped in foil, she set it on the counter. “This is a casserole.”
Garrett pushed his cowboy hat back on his head and raised his eyebrows. “Uh-huh,” he said, a hint of confusion in his voice. When she didn’t say anything else, he said, “And?”
“And it’s for Elise and the boys. I need you to take it over there for me.”
Garrett sighed as he sank onto a stool and put his forehead in his hands. “Mom, really?”
“What?” Mom asked, feigning innocence. “You were the one who told me we should take them some food.”
“Well sure. I said that six months ago when they were still figuring things out. And I didn’t mean I needed to be the one to take it.”
“I did take them food six months ago. And four months ago. And a couple of times since. There’s no time limit on grief, and she is still figuring things out. Trust me, I was still figuring things out when all of you were graduating from high school.” She paused and put her hands on her hips. “In fact, with half of you boys, I’m still figuring things out.”
Garrett chuckled. “I guess that’s true.”
Mom made her way around and put her hand on his shoulders, able to look him in the eye as he sat on the stool. “It’s always the right time to help out a neighbor. I wish there was more we could do for them, but I can always send a meal.”
Garrett nodded before he stood and gave his mom a quick hug. “You’re the best, Mom. I’ll take it over now.”
Mom smiled. “That’s my boy.”
Her words stuck with him as he gathered the casserole dish and headed outside. Carefully setting the dish on the floorboard of his truck, he wondered how many times his mom had made food for people. There had been a couple of times he’d been sent to deliver the meal, but usually Mom liked to take it herself. She must be busy with the house to not make the trip. At least, he tried to convince himself that was the reason.
Driving off the ranch, he glanced to the right as he headed toward town. The view of the land never grew old. The ranch had been in his family since his grandfather was a child, and Garrett was committed to keeping it that way. The eight hundred acres would continue to be filled with Macklins for generations. His brothers could handle the descendents part. Garrett would worry about the land and the animals.
His thoughts drifted to work even as he drove away from it. His mind was never far from the ranch. Before long, the small town of Shelby Springs came into view, and he drove down the street, past the shops, and the one diner. He glanced at the church steeple of the building he had been in just about every Sunday since he was born before turning down the street toward Elise’s neighborhood.
He easily found the house that he had been to multiple times as a teenager. The two had attended high school together, and Garrett considered Elise a good friend. They even went to Senior Prom together. Garrett grimaced as he remembered the end of the night when they spoke on the porch. No, he wouldn’t think about that now. It was too painful to remember the look on her face.
Parking his truck in the driveway, he jumped out and hurried to the other side to retrieve the casserole. The quicker he was in and out of here, the better. At the front stoop, he balanced the dish on one hand as he rang the doorbell. He stepped back and waited. And waited. After what felt longer than eight-seconds on a bull, he leaned close to the door, listening.
The sound of voices was faint but evident. They must be upstairs. Trying again, he reached for the doorbell. Again, he waited with no response. Garrett cleared his throat. In high school, it would have been nothing for him to open the door and walk right in. Mr. and Mrs. Hart had been friends of his parents before he was even born, and they had been to each other's houses numerous times. Admittedly, the Harts had been to the Macklin’s more often, but it was easier than taking seven boys over to their house.
Rapping on the door with his knuckles, Garrett slowly opened the door. “Hello,” his deep voice reverberated throughout the house. The noise he’d heard upstairs suddenly stopped. “It’s Garrett,” he paused, “Macklin,” he added just in case she didn’t remember who he was. Not that they didn’t see each other in church every Sunday and often throughout the week in town. Still, they weren’t close anymore, and maybe she knew another Garrett.
Steps sounded from the top of the stairs, and the boys’ voices started up again.
Elise appeared as Garrett eased into the foyer. She brushed a few stands of her long dark hair out of her face and smoothed the rest of the ponytail. “Hey,” she said cautiously. “I’m sorry, did you ring the bell?”
“Yeah,” Garrett nodded as he stood awkwardly in front of the door holding the dish.
“Sorry. It’s broken. Ethan and Noah rang it over and over again, playing that silly ring-and-run game until it just quit.”
Garrett had to chuckle at that, breaking the tension for a moment. “That sounds like something my brothers and I would have done as kids.”
