Toby: Is THAT what the kids are calling it these days?
I put my phone back down on the nightstand and stare up at the ceiling.
I’m staying in the cabin which used to be Rhett's home but is now where Landry and Starchild stay when they're not traveling. I like the space because I helped Rhett build it and there are lots of pieces in here that I made myself. Like the polished Maplewood counter in the kitchen and the oak bookshelf in the living room.
Everyone on the ranch has told me that I should do commissions and sell my woodworking projects, but I've never felt like I'd have enough time to do it. However, the more I see the things I've made and how many different uses there are for the fallen, forgotten, and sometimes discarded timber I find, the more I think about dabbling in selling things on a smaller scale. Maybe just to the townsfolk to start with.
That’s something to think about on another day though because I can’t laze about in bed this morning. I’ve got to get up, help with the morning chores, then get to Charlie’s apartment to officially start painting.
Suddenly I sense I’m not alone. Turning my head, I spot my visitor, the ranch’s pet duck—aptly named Duck Norris–watching me from the doorway. This isn’t an unusual occurrence, because the bird has become somewhat of a regular visitor in the past few months. Ever since Toby and Dee completed the Call, Doofus the Duck has taken to sneaking in and waking me up.
The others find him annoying, and I'm sure that if it wasn't for him being the catalyst for finally getting Leah and Colt together, he would've been served up for Sunday dinner by now.
“Quack.”
“Mornin’, Doofus.”
“Quack. Quack,” he replies, his feet slapping on the floor as he waddles toward the bed and jumps onto the footboard.
“You hungry?”
“Quaaack!”
I roll over and reach into the nightstand where I have some trail mix waiting for him. My brothers would kick my ass if they knew that I was encouraging the animal to stick around. “OK. OK. No need to get ‘ya feathers ruffled.”
Pouring the mix into my palm, I shuffle up into a sitting position and hold it out for him. Chuckling as he dives beak-first for my hand, eagerly pecking at the nuts and dried fruit without nipping me once. His cross-eyed expression gleams with satisfaction as he munches away until it's all gone.
“You happy now? Gonna let me get ready?” I ask as I slowly move my fingers to rub on top of his head in the way I know he likes.
Getting the duck to trust me enough not to a) steal my food and b) cause mischief around the cabin, has been a slow process. But now that I've got him to let his guard down, I've discovered he's not that bad after all. If anything, I think he's misunderstood. Maybe he's just a bit of a loner. I can relate to that. I have my brothers, I have Red and Wyatt and Mags. Then there are the old timers at the bar, but more often than not, I’m a man who likes solitude and peace. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll do anything and everything in my power for those close to me, but I’ve always liked my own space. It’s probably why I claim the cabin whenever it’s free instead of staying in the main ranch house all the time.
“Quack. Quack. Quack,” Duck Norris says, hopping off the bed and allowing me to get up.
I swing my legs off the bed and stand up, feeling the cold wood beneath my feet. It’s getting close to Fall, but the mornings arestill as cold as polar bear balls and that means a quick shower to take the chill off is always welcome.
“You gonna be a good duck today?” I ask my feathered friend as he waddles his way to the door.
His answering “Quaaack…?” makes me chuckle. “Don’t cause too much mischief, doofus. And if you do, make sure you annoy Toby. He deserves to be messed with today. I’m sure he wants to be your friend just like I do,” I say, grinning because I’m not sure who I’m setting up to fail, my brother or the duck.
“Quack!” And I swear the damn bird nods in agreement.
“Maybe I’m losin’ the plot,” I muse as I walk toward the bathroom. Then again, I’m not sure anything could ruin my mood this morning. I’ve been lookin’ forward to seeing Charlie for days now. Better still, my rash has cleared and I haven't been scratching myself raw.
Even before Lee told me it was the Call–and she'd know since she's the Seer who the mountain spirit communicates with–I'd already decided that I was going to use the time while we're painting to get to know Charlie again. I can't deny that spending time with her has caused my buried feelings to resurface. As a young man, I thought she wasitfor me, and as far as I’m concerned, nothing has changed.
I’ve lived through it enough times with Lee and Colt, Rhett and Cora, Landry and Star, and most recently, Toby and Dee, to know the journey to complete the Call with your One is never a walk in the park. Whatever the mountain puts us through, if it means I get to call her mine and love andbeloved by her, it’ll be worth it.
I’m not going to stand back and wait for it to happen though. I’m going to take a leaf out of Toby’s book–so to speak–and go for it. Nothing as extreme as what he’d originally planned to do which was marry his One straight away andthenget to know her. Iamgoing to go all in though. I waited the first time around and lost her, and that’s something I’m not willing to do this time without putting up a good fight.
My enlightening chat with the old timers helped me realize that nothing will happen unless I go after what I want. I never do anything for myself but for Charlie, I’ll do whatever it takes. Because now that I know it’s meant to be, I’m going to damn well make sure she knows I want her regardless–Call or no call.
After breakfast and a quick catch-up with Rhett and Red on the calves born overnight, I make my way into town, stopping at the diner to grab some muffins and ignoring Mags's curious stare and Miss Frankie's questions about my plans for the day. She seemed very interested to know that I was going to be helping paint Charlie's apartment. A littletooinvested in what she called ‘a real life second-chance romance.’
Parking my truck in front of the garage, I hop out with my thermos full of cowboy brew in one hand and a white paper bag with two blueberry muffins in the other and walk to the front door.
It swings open as soon as I knock revealing an even more gorgeous version of Charlie than I last saw days ago. She’s standing there in a pair of denim overalls with a long-sleeved thermal underneath and thick woolen socks and slippers on her feet. Her hair is pulled back into a messy bun, a few strands escaping to frame her face. But it’s her grin that does me in, making my heart flip and stutter in my chest.
“Hey,” she says, her blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. “You’re early.” Her gaze drops to the bag of muffins in my hand. “Andyou come bearin’ gifts. I think you’re my new favorite person today.”I want to be your favorite person every day…
