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BIRDIE
“I’ve becomethe needy girlfriend who misses her man after he’s been gone for less than twelve hours, Tully,” I tell her. It’s been nearly a week of being back home and living with Lane. We’ve been inseparable since the moment he walked into my mom’s house, and now I’m a freaking mess because tonight, I won’t have him home to sleep next to. Rocky will snuggle, but he’s no substitute for Lane. There’s something about falling asleep wrapped in his arms and waking up in them.
“No, you’re not. Lane Johnson is sex on a stick. I’d miss him, too,” Tully says as she takes a sip of her wine. We’re having what we like to call a girls’ dinner with a side of wine. When we lived together, it consisted of whatever we could find that required minimal cooking and we’d chow down. Leftovers were among our favorites. Outhere in Arrowleaf, there’s not a whole lot to choose from where you can get delivery. That’s why we’re opting for cheese, crackers, sliced meats, fruits, and vegetables.
“That makes me feel marginally better.” I’m taking a sip as well, a healthy glug at that. Tonight is going to be a restless night. I can feel it. I’ll hear every noise, every creak, and worry tirelessly since he and Lawson are driving without taking any breaks besides food, gas, and the bathroom. On the way down to the auction, the trailer will be empty. It’s on the way back that it’ll be full. They took a six-horse trailer, which I found odd. The Johnsons’ specialty is beef cattle, and the brothers dabble in rodeoing on the side, but for one auction, it seemed excessive.
“Did I tell you I’ve decided to take the interview at Herbert’s Veterinary? I’m going to see what they have to offer. Depending on how it goes, good or bad, I’ll go from there.” I clap my hands in happiness for my best friend. All week, she’s been twiddling her thumbs trying to figure out her next step, and while I don’t like the idea of her working for Herbert’s, simply because I think she can do a million times better on her own, I am happy for her.
“Hold your horses, lady. Don’t go getting excited. I could walk into the office and absolutely hate it.” I’m crossing my fingers that she does. It’d be great to get her feet wet, and from what I hear, Herbert’s works in big and smallanimals. I just worry she’ll get sucked into a never-ending vortex and come out burned out. Whereas if she’d start up her own, she could do a mobile sort of deal. She’d be able to drive to the ranches around here, which would be a plus. There are a lot of older citizens in the community who love their animals. Getting them to town to see a vet is hard for things like X-rays and whatnot. Plus, she could pick and choose her patients.
“Please tell me you’ll take your parents’ offer, well, you know.” I make the throat-cutting meme across my own.
“Well, about that, I may be able to work here and at the Johnson ranch to build up some money. Plus, your mom said she’d introduce me to a few other farm owners. It’d be routine stuff. This way, I’d have an extra chunk of change and not have to rely on a loan from them completely.” Tully has a plan. Now, all she needs to do is execute it.
“I’m proud of us. I know my thing changed your path and our circumstances, and while I’m sorry about putting you in a place where you had to make tough decisions, I am thankful to have a best friend and sister here with me in Wyoming. Is that selfish? Probably. You’ll have to deal with me all the same.” I’ve got one hand holding the stem of my glass. The other reaches for Tallulah’s hand, squeezing it in solidarity.
“Shut up with that. I didn’t want to stay in Colorado anyways, especially not the city. I canunderstand why you went away to college where we did—the experience, the atmosphere, and the allure. But you and me, Birdie, we’re not meant for that kind of lifestyle. Especially not you. Lane, your mom, and Arrowleaf, they’re the air you breathe. I hate like hell you had to go through an attack to make you come home, but I’d rather be here than by myself in an empty apartment without my sister from another mister.” We both blink back our tears. It’s not every day we get emotional, yet when the wine comes out and we’re feeling good, the chats go up and down like a roller coaster. I’m only happy that my bruising is finally on the tail end and the twinge of pain is only there every now and then. Come Monday, I’ll go see Juni again. Let her take a look, and as long as she thinks I’m okay, I can go about my normal activities. Hopefully, that will make Lane realize that my body isn’t made of glass.
“Well, that’s bottle number two. You up for another one?” I say after I drink the rest of my wine and reach for the bottle, only to realize it’s empty.
“I better not. My interview is tomorrow. Are you staying here tonight or heading back home?”
“Rocky is back at the house. I can’t leave him there to his own devices. He’ll be sleeping on Lane’s pillow, and then I’ll really be in trouble.” We stand up, pick up our mess, and take it inside.
“You like his brand of trouble,” Tallulah says.
“I sure do. Too bad I can’t walk home,though. I’ve traveled the path between our houses so many times I could do it in my sleep.” But after more than a few glasses of wine, driving is out of the question.
“Maybe when the sun isn’t close to setting. Plus, your future in-laws are at your mom’s, and it’s a free ride.” Catherine called me earlier today and asked what I was doing. When I told her it was girls’ night, she offered to bring me over as well as take me home.
“We’ll see about that. I highly doubt it, though. You’ve seen how protective Lane is. I’m pretty sure he’d put a dang tracking device in my neck if he thought he could get away with it.” We finish bringing everything inside. Since we chose to use paper plates, we have less cleanup, so all that’s left is the glasses.
“I don’t know. I think more like he’d brand you with a tattoo or something. That’d be hot as fuck.” Tallulah lets out a yawn, and there’s my sign. She’ll be passed out in the next twenty minutes.
“It would. Go shower and crawl into bed.” I hug her, holding my best friend for a smidge too long for some but not for us.
“Love you. Text me when you’re home. I probably won’t answer it, but when I roll over in the middle of the night to check my phone, I’ll at least see you’re safe in Lane’s house, tucked into Lane’s bed, wearing Lane’s clothes.”
“Whatever, love you, too, brat.” Tully cacklesas I head for the door. I like how close my mom is to my best friend. You can drive, or you can walk. More often than not, the two of them go on foot between the houses. Tallulah doesn’t realize how nice it is to know my momma isn’t all alone out here in the dead of night. The path between the main house and the greenhouse has solar lights, flowers are planted on either side and with the sun slowly setting, well, let’s just say the sky is showing off.
My hands reach out, the tips of my fingers touching the petals of the sunflowers. They’re in the early stages of blooming in this section. I’m going to have to come over tomorrow or the next day to make my own bouquet. My website has gotten traction, and with it came a few hours of work, meaning I’ve been tied to my chair. I should have a day or two free, and I need to spend it with my momma.
“I wish I’d have come with you. It’s damn hard to sit my old ass back here while my boys are out there taking care of a small-dicked wannabe of a man.” I come around the last bend and see Mr. Johnson. He’s got his arm propped up on the bed of the truck, phone to his ear, and he’s chewing on a toothpick. “Yeah, yeah, Colorado ain’t that far away.”
There’s no way, none at all. Lane wouldn’t lie to me, would he? He wouldn’t put himself in jeopardy. That’s not who he is. Yet I know that is exactly the man he is. I take a deep breath andcontinue to where Mr. Johnson is standing. He’s clearly talking to Lane. And I’ve got a few things to say to him.
“Oh shit, gonna have to call you back,” I hear Russell say into the phone.
“Nope, not at all. Can I talk to Lane, please?” It’s a question, but my hand is already out, palm up.
“Birdie knows,” he says quickly into the phone and then talks to me, “If you think my boy isn’t going to make sure the person who hurt you can’t hurt you or others, you don’t know him as well as I thought you did.”
I nod my head. “I’m very much aware of the man you raised. He’s a great man, one of a kind. The problem I have with him taking care of the trash is that he didn’t tell me first.” Russell nods in understanding.
“Birdie, don’t be mad at Dad. You want to be pissed, be pissed at me,” Lane says before I can get a word out.
“I’m not upset with your father. I’m assuming he was meant to keep me occupied tonight while you go out and play superhero?”
