“Yeah,” he says with a relieved sigh, confusing me even more.
“Doyouhave a problem with sharin' with a woman, Toby?" I ask, not thinking he would, but wanting to make sure anyway.
“Hell no. I’m just tryin’ to make sure you’re gonna be comfortable. That’s all.”
“Good,” I say, breathing out a sigh of relief. “It’s gonna be fine. I think we’re goin’ to get on swimmingly.”
“Oh really?” he says, his whole body visibly relaxing now. “Swimmingly?”
“Yeah. Speakin’ of which, do you have a swimmin’ hole around here? I like to swim sometimes. It helps clear the mind and refresh the soul.”
As we reach the bunkhouse, Toby opens the door for me and gestures for me to step inside. "We don't have one on the property, but there's one at the back of Rhett and Cora's. I'm sure we can add it to the 'places to take Skippy' list if you'd like." The smirk on his lips captures my attention and I find myself staring at them a touch too long, only looking away when Toby clears his throat. “So, this is it. Nothin’ special but I like to keep it nice. Nothin’ worse than comin’ back after a long day and not bein’ comfortable.”
I turn my attention to the bunkhouse living area we’ve just stepped into as Toby turns on the light, illuminating the long, narrow, but surprisingly spacious room.
The cozy interior is a surprise. The furnishings aren’t brand new or anything, but they’re rustic and homey. For a place that’s undoubtedly seen numerous residents come and go, it’s clean and tidy.
A collection of faded photographs hanging in frames on the wall captures my interest and I make my way over to them to get a closer look. There are a lot of them, but the ones that capture my attention are those showing the ranch's transformation over the years.
From a mountain once covered in lush thick tall trees and vegetation to another one dated a few years ago with a 'For Sale' sign covered with a big sold sign and Red, Rhett, Austin, Landry,and Toby standing behind it, their arms entwined and huge grins on their faces.
But there's no missing the change in the background. The mountain’s landscape had been stripped of everything she had. Whatever happened to her, the Grahams and Red have obviously been taking care of her since.Thatmatters to me more than anything else I’ve learned about Toby and his family so far. They care, it’s not about the money or anythin’ else. It’s about the land and giving back.
"I hope you'll find it comfortable here," Toby says, his voice filled with genuine concern, making me realize I've likely been quiet for too long. I turn around and meet his gaze head-on.
"I think I already am, Tobes," I reply, wanting to put him at ease. "I already had a good feelin' about comin' here and seein' these photos and the land and meetin' y'all, it's not just a feelin' now. IknowI’m exactly where I’m meant to be.”
“Good,” he says, his voice rougher than I’ve ever heard it. “That’s good, Dee. That’srealgood.”
“You know whatwouldbe good," I say, trying to lighten the mood because it's far too soon for us to be getting all deep and meaningful, especially since he's my boss and I'm his new ranch hand. "You showin' me my room so I can get myself settled and cleaned up for supper.”
“Sure thing, Skippy. Follow me.”
This time I brace myself for the dazzling smile Toby shoots my way and as expected, he does not disappoint. I'm just not sure why I like his grins so much, and why I wanna seek them out.
I’m here to do a job. That's why I'm here, for however long I'm here to do it. Not to ogle and crush on one of the ranch owners. Even if it feels like there’s something special about Toby Graham.
6
TOBY
Dee’s only been here for two days and she’s already slotted right in like she's one of the family.
It all seems a bit too easy. I want her to be comfortable around me and feel at home and was prepared to wait it out and do whatever was needed in order for that to happen.
Despite what I thought I’d do when my time for the Call finally came around, I’m listening to Cora’s advice of ‘slow and steady’ even if it does go against every single fiber of my being.
Life’s short. Why delay the inevitable whenIknow and themountainknows who I'm meant to be with? Then again, the alternative is having Dee think we’re all a bunch of crazy mountain people and go running for the hills.
One thing that has been a little different is sharing living quarters with a female again. The last time I did that was when Tess was living at home so I’m trying to be mindful of not getting in Dee’s way and to tidy up after myself. It's been a long time since I've shared living quarters with a woman, but I’m trying to be mindful that I’m not living alone in the bunkhouse anymore.
Growing up, there were the four boys, Tess, and our parents, so it was survival of the fittest–first in, first served. But something our mother never let slide was all of us doing our fair share of chores. There was no such thing as gender roles or jobs, we weren't that kind of household.
Even still, I've never shared with a woman who I'm one hundred percent sure has been sent to me by the mountain spirit. A reward I don't think I've done enough for yet, but I'll keep working hard and accept it anyway. So if that means I’m putting in a bit more effort to make a good impression, so be it.
Dee’s first day on the ranch was spent with Red and Rhett doing an orientation of sorts. Basically getting to know her and what she can and can’t do and then showing her around the main buildings of the ranch. We always ease our hands into the ranch operations rather than throwing them in head-first, more than aware of the size of not only the land but also our replanting plans and the breeding program. It’s not a straightforward ranching operation, it’s complex with a lot of things needing to be done at the same time and tight schedules to ensure that the place keeps running smoothly. One thing every rancher knows whether they’re from Montana or here in Spring Haven is that the ranch never sleeps and the work is never done. There’s always something to do and somewhere to be.
Now it’s Wednesday and I’m shadowing Dee for the day as we set out to check and fix the water troughs in the Eastern flank. While we do that, we’ll also be laying eyes on the cows who’ll be going in with the stud bulls soon.
