“Sounds about right.”
Despite having his hands full, he opens the door for me as we leave the restaurant.
“Do you want me to carry something?”
“No.” He smiles. “But thank you.”
I hurry ahead of him to open the truck door. But even then, he places the boxes in the back and then hurries to beat me to the passenger side door to let me in.
Gah, this being a gentleman thing is amazing. I’ve never had a man be so thoughtful or chivalrous.
It’s like I’ve known him all my life without knowing him, really. I’d always heard rumors about him being a player or emotionally unavailable, but that was a long time ago and not at all the man that I’m getting now.
We drive home talking about the herds and the possibilities of what the illness could be. It’s nice to be able to talk shop with someone while also feeling completely safe, like I don’t have to prove anything to him.
It feels like we’ve only been in the car for a minute before we’re pulling into the driveway of the ranch. He stops the truck in front of the house, and Caleb immediately jogs outside.
“Can’t beat pizza delivery,” he jokes.
“Try not to inhale it in one sitting.”
“No promises. Hey Doc, everything was quiet today. We didn’t lose any cattle and there’s no new symptoms since y’all went on your herd checks. I have some new studies I want to share with you tomorrow.”
“I’d love to look through them.” I grin back at him.
“Enjoy your night!” Caleb calls over his shoulder as he hurries back into the house.
“He’s such a good kid,” I say softly. “I’ve got a bottle of whiskey in the guest house. Would you like to join me for a nightcap?”
“I would love that.”
He laces his fingers through mine, and we walk to the guest house. He follows me inside, and I pour both of us a tumbler of whiskey before gesturing to the front porch.
“I’ve been dying to get some use out of this,” I tell him.
“Front-porch sitting is underrated for sure, especially on a clear night like this.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to just sit and enjoy the stars.”
We settle into the chairs on the front porch, sipping our whiskey in comfortable silence. The night sky is clear and full of twinkling stars, a sight that never fails to fill me with awe.
“I can see why you love it out here,” I say softly, breaking the silence. “It’s peaceful.”
“It really is,” he murmurs. “There’s nothing quite like it.”
“I guess I’ve always taken it for granted before.”
“It happens. We’re so busy living life that we don’t take the time to slow down and take a look around.”
“What reminded you to do that?”
“Last summer, we had a guy from India visiting the church. Mom invited him out to stay with us for a few days. A lot of people would tease him because it would take him so long to get anywhere. There was one night out here he kept looking up at the sky and smiling, so I asked if he’d seen something. He turned and said that because of where he lived, he wasn’t able to see the sky and so getting to see it here was a gift.”
“Oh, wow, that’s amazing.”
“I try to be more mindful now, make sure that I’m present in everything. Most people are glued to their phones, but I tend to forget where I leave mine a lot.”
“I’ve noticed that happening a lot here.”
