Cal hadn’t hardly been able to follow any of that, except for the fact that Bert was still willing to trust Cal with his computer login. Which meant that every week or so Bert would call to ask if Cal had time, and then Cal could spend a happy hour in familiar surroundings while he dug through Bert’s computer or Carla’s, and fixed things for them.
Because of Cal, Bert and Carla had the most up-to-date internet security in the world, and the backups of each of their computers were one hundred percent secure around the clock.
“What did the notice say?” asked Cal now.
With the cell phone tucked under his chin, Cal got up from the computer to pour himself a cup of coffee, complete with milk and sugar, in a huge metal tumbler, then he went and sat back down with a sigh. Sure, he loved Zeke and working on a mule ranch, but he also loved working with computers, so helping Bert and Carla was always a special treat.
“She thinks it said something about being attached to the server,” said Bert. “Only we never made any changes, so aren’t we already attached?”
“Got it,” said Cal. He took a swig of his coffee and smiled. “Let me log in?”
“Sure,” said Bert.
Cal used RemoteMeIn, oh, yes, he did. The Feds were probably watching, but as long as Bert said it was okay, it was.
He poked around and found the notice Carla had seen in the System Settings, which explained that a certain update required Bert and Carla to reconnect to the email server for security purposes.
Cal quickly reconnected each of their email accounts to the appropriate server and clicked the Update button. Voila. Emails started pouring in, everything from upcoming holiday sales to weather reports to ads for pontoon and airboat rides.
“There you go, Bert,” he said. “I’ve logged out. Check and see. They just wanted you to log in again after some security updates. I’ll send you instructions on how to do that for next time, but you can always call me, too.”
That promise made him feel good. Back when he worked in IT, he’d told himself he was saving the Aunt Ednas of the world. Now, he helped Bert, the nicest man in the world, along with his lovely wife, Carla.
“Oh, look!” said Bert in an amazed voice, as though Cal had performed a very special conjuring trick. “You’re amazing, Cal, simply amazing. And Carla said to tell you she’s blowing you a kiss and sending you cookies.”
Cal opened his mouth to protest. At the same time, he wanted to remind Bert to tell Carla not to put raisins in, and that he really adored peanut butter cookies the best.
“Oatmeal and chocolate chip for Zeke, she says,” said Bert. “And peanut butter for you.”
“Thank you Bert,” Cal said. “Tell Carla thanks and give Mitzi a kiss on the nose for me, will you?”
He’d never met any of them in person, but Zeke had said that if they could get into the South Carolina State Fair mule and donkey competition, they could easily take the time to slide on down to Florida for a visit. Cal hadn’t said anything to Bert about it, but would when the time came.
Outside, Cal heard the rumble of Zeke’s truck, so he said, “Zeke’s home, Bert, so I need to get his coffee ready. Okay?”
“Sure thing,” said Bert. “Thanks again, and be on the lookout for that shipment of cookies. It looks like Carla made several dozen.”
With a laugh, Cal said goodbye and hung up, then raced to get Zeke’s coffee ready for him.
Zeke liked it black with tons of sugar, so Cal grabbed Zeke’s favorite metal tumbler and prepared the coffee just the way Zeke liked it. Then he put a few more small logs in the potbellied stove and went to open the door for Zeke.
He didn’t take off his moccasins to put his work boots on to help bring in the groceries because he and Zeke had already had several small almost-arguments about that.
Cal said he didn’t like it when Zeke did all the work and Zeke said he liked trudging through the snow, coming up to the open door of the small farmhouse. That he liked the way the light spilled out onto the snow, and he loved the way the doorway framed Cal inside of it.
All the things I love there to greet me when I come home, Zeke had said. Which had made Cal’s throat grow tight with the purest love, and so he agreed and remembered most days.
He remembered this time as he stood in the doorway, wrapping his arms around himself as the cold wind swept snow-flecked circles around him.
He watched as Zeke carried as many bags of groceries as he could—reusable grocery bags from Vitamin Cottage—and plowed his way through the drifts of snow that had formed since morning.
When Zeke came up to the two wooden steps to the farmhouse, Cal leaned to grab those bags and carried them inside while Zeke went for the next load.
There were six loads in all, enough to supply them for weeks of snowfall without either of them ever having to step foot off the ranch.
When Zeke made his last trip, Cal ushered him inside and, almost tossing the grocery bags on the overloaded small table, turned to tend to Zeke.
This involved unwrapping Zeke from his soft woolen muffler and puffy coat, from his knit cap and leather gloves—and then to kiss the cold away. First, Cal kissed Zeke’s cold nose and cheeks, and then his plush mouth, all of this while placing warm hands on Zeke’s cool neck. Then he blew on Zeke’s hands and tugged Zeke close to the cheery warmth of the potbellied stove.
