“That must have been tough,” she said, folding in her lips.
“Yeah, it was.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes again. It seemed both Grace and I were comfortable with silence. Most people weren’t. They had to fill it with words. What they didn’t realize is a person could say so much more by not saying anything at all. She took another drink, and when she set the bottle down, it echoed, signaling it was empty. I considered offering her another but it was getting late, and I figured I should wrap this up before she asked me any more about my family or my past.
“I must ask: Was picking my ranch random too, or did you throw a dart at the Airbnb website?” I teased but I was serious. I wanted to know if this was fate too, or maybe not fate, maybe a part of the curse.
“No,” she said with a half smile. “I picked this place, Calvin.”
I smiled back and grabbed both our empty bowls, bringing them to the sink. I was happy to hear it was Grace’s decision to come here. There are so many things that are decided for us. We don’t choose where we’re born, who we’re born to, how our parents raise us, what values they instill in us, or even how long they’re a part of our lives. I hate that part of life, not having any control over it. It smacks you right in the face whenever it wants, and you’re just expected to take the hit and carry on.
I glanced over at Grace while I washed up the rest of the dishes. She look tired and was staring off at the patio door, almost as though she were in a trance or something.
I shut off the sink and dried my hands.
“Well, I gotta get up early. Cows aren’t going to milk themselves.”
Grace stood and tossed her empty bottle into the trash can.
“I’ll have coffee in the pot for ya in the morning. And I’ll leave the bread and peanut butter out in case you want a little something to eat.”
“Thanks, Calvin.”
“Need anything else before I turn in?” I started walking toward the hall. She leaned a little and lost her balance, stepping right into me. My arm brushed up against her, sending a small static shock. It was a spark like when you jump-start a car. The two cables. They’re electric. My heart rate sped up, and I took a deep breath to calm it down. I wasn’t ready for anything like that, I reminded myself. No matter how drawn I was to this peculiar woman, it was too soon.
I looked to her waiting for an answer. I couldn’t go off to bed without making sure she had everything she needed.
Grace shook her head. “I’m good. Thanks for dinner.”
“Anytime, Miss Grace. You sleep tight.” I nodded and continued down the hall toward my bedroom. It took everything in me not to turn back.
Day Two
5.
Grace
I had the best sleep of my life. Most people didn’t sleep well in strange places, but I’m not most people. I take comfort in the unusual. And there was something about the isolation the ranch offered that made me feel secure and at ease. The clicking sounds from the cicadas, howls of some animal or another, and hoot of an owl outside my window last night lulled me into a deep sleep. Quite the opposite effect of the blaring sirens and car horns in the city. Knowing there was nothing I had to be awake for was also a relief.
Dressed in a pair of black silk pajamas, I slipped out of bed and popped my head out the bedroom door. It was silent. A creaking sound somewhere deep in the home interrupted the stillness. It was impossible to tell where it came from, but the house had old bones and old bones cracked and groaned. I quickly padded to the kitchen, following the scent of the freshly brewed coffee Calvin had promised me. It was such a rare luxury for me to wake up after the sun did, and I relished in it. He must have been out somewhere on the ranch, tending to the animals or doing whatever it was country boys did. I picked up the mug Calvin had left out for me. It had a cow on it and the words, Wyoming, a place that will mooo-ve you. I laughed at the cheesiness of it and poured myself a cup of coffee. A door squeaked open just as I was about to head back to my room.
Calvin’s presence was punctuated by the slam of the screen door. His shirt was off, and my God, he looked better shirtless than I had imagined he would. It was like an artist had chiseled each ridge in his abs and perfectly sculpted his pecks. Beads of sweat covered his chest, neck, and forehead. I nearly dropped my mug. Calvin looked me up and down and blew out his red cheeks while taking me all in.
“Sorry,” he said, averting his eyes. He shuffled his feet in place as though he had forgotten how to stand up.
I crossed one leg in front of the other and brought an arm across my chest. “Don’t be,” I said, realizing how ridiculous it was that I hadn’t gone out and bought something like plaid pj’s. I’m sure girls around here didn’t wear silk and lace to bed.
“You just . . . uh . . . caught me by surprise. That’s all.” Calvin smiled. He forced his eyes to look at my face, and I did the same. “I see you found the coffee.” He gestured to my cup.
“I got a nose like a bloodhound for it.” I brought the mug to my lips and took a sip. Steam rose off the top of the liquid.
“Good. You make yourself at home at here,” Calvin said, reaching into the pocket of his jeans. “By the way, I forgot to give you this last night.” He handed over a silver key on a single loop.
“What’s this?”
“Key for the house. I usually leave it unlocked with it being the country and all, but with a lady in the house, figured I’d better lock up. Wanna make sure you feel safe . . .”
I slid the key ring onto my pointer finger and clasped the coffee mug with two hands, taking another slow sip. “Thanks . . .”
Safe? I had felt safe. Even slept like a baby last night. But what was out there that he needed to lock out? I considered asking but I didn’t want to come off as skittish. I wasn’t that type of person, so I brushed the thought aside. It was just my crazy brain, seeing the worst in everyone and every situation. When you’ve seen the worst in people, it’s hard to unsee it. It’s in all of us. However, I liked the idea of Calvin wanting to protect me, and I knew where it came from. When you lost someone, you ended up holding on to everything tighter. And Calvin had lost a lot.
“Got any plans for today?” he asked, shuffling his feet again.
“No plans, just relaxing. That’s the name of the game,” I said with a cool, laid-back tone.
“And how do you relax, Miss Grace?”
“Reading, yoga, running.”
“Some of that sounds like work,” he teased. “I don’t want to intrude on any of your relaxing time, but if you’d like me to, I can show you the grounds.”
I brought the mug to my mouth and took a slow sip. I could see in his eyes he wanted me to say yes. I took my time, making him squirm a little bit.
“I’d like that,” I finally landed on. “I’ll change quick.”
Turning on my foot, I started down the hallway. I glanced back at Calvin before disappearing into my bedroom and caught him staring at me. There was this intensity beneath his eyes. I had seen that look before. I couldn’t place it but I knew I liked it.
6.
Calvin
After seeing Grace in her—for lack of better words—night attire, I went outside to wait. I took a seat in a rocking chair on the porch and rocked back and forth slowly, replaying the image of her sipping coffee in my very own kitchen. She was a sight to be seen, dressed in silk and lace in a country kitchen—truly out of place. And I knew I saw the same look in her eyes that she had to have seen in mine—attraction, infatuation, lust, or maybe it was something else. I rubbed my hand over my cheeks and chin, trying to scrub the thoughts from my mind. She was here for nothing more than time to relax and get away from whatever it was she disliked about her current life. She wasn’t here to fall in love with a country boy, and I knew I couldn’t get involved without complicating things.