“The pigs will be bacon and pork chops soon, but the goat is for milk since we don’t have fields for a cow. We have frozen milk, but you never know. We could run out or the freezer could fail, best to be safe with a backup option.”
“And Bessie?” I ask. While Athena was hilarious rubbing her head on my hand and the fence, then kicking her legs up in the air before pouncing on an old tire, I felt a certain connection with Bessie. I love animals but I haven’t been around them much, just at petting zoos. I mainly watched funny farm animal videos on social media. It might be my imagination, but when Bessie nudged her head into my shoulder and then her nose into my hand after feeding her a carrot, I swear I felt like she was welcoming me to the herd. Like she was happy to see me. Maybe she’s like that with everyone,though.
“Transportation,” Dylan answers me. “Horses will die for you if you bond with them enough. She’s good to take hunting and she’s always reliable.”
I let out a sigh of relief hearing she won’t be made into dog food any time soon.
“I’m kind of sad you don’t have a barn cat.”
“Oh, we do.” There’s a note of sarcasm in Dylan’s voice. “She just lives in Jason’s room.” I can’t help the snort of laughter that leaves me even if I tried. “When we got her, we put her in the barn the first night and she climbed her way to Jason’s balcony. Hasn’t left his room since.”
It’s kind of endearing that the cat loved Jason so much it scaled a house to get to him, though I doubt the cat wanted Jason specifically. It probably just wanted to get somewhere warm.
“Does your room smell like a barn?” I raise one eyebrow toward Jason. His only reply is to roll his eyes and take another bite of his buttered bread.
After everyone has finished their stew, Jason shoves his empty bowl and spoon towards me in a silent demand for me to clean the dishes. They don’t have a dishwasher here—which is barbaric—but I take the dishes from the table reluctantly, choosing not to fight this battle. I’ll bottle my rage for a cause more worthy of it.
And what do the boys do while I clean up? Lounge on the couch or in the recliner. Jason is reading a book while Dylan knits something.
Color me sexist, but I never thought I’d see Dylan Alder knitting. He was a star wrestler before he got kicked off the team. I’m not used to men who know how to do “domestic” activities like knitting. I think my dad would have a heart attack if he saw another man enjoying a so-called “feminine” hobby.
“So,” I say as I flop down on the couch opposite Jason, “what do you guys do to pass the time up here?”
I bend my head at the neck to peer at the title of Jason’s book.The Shiningby Stephen King. Why am I not surprised he likes thriller novels?
“Sometimes we watch movies,” Dylan pipes up to my right. “I usually download a bunch before we go into hibernation.”
“Well I know what the Athlete’s favorite movie is,” I point my thumb over my shoulder at Dylan. “What’s your favorite movie?”
Lifting his book, Jason sends his gray gaze over the top of the book to meet me then goes back to reading. Am I supposed to interpret that asThe Shiningis his favorite movie, or that he prefers reading? I guess I’ll figure that out in the next four months.
But then he does something that takes me by surprise, he nods his chin at me over the top of the lowered book.Is he asking what my favorite movie is?Someone pinch me, I must be hallucinating.
“Me?” I place my hand on my chest dramatically. “Well….” I draw out the L sound. “I’d have to sayHocus Pocus.”
“What?” Dylan sounds deeply offended beside me. “That’s a Halloween movie.”
“So?”
“So! Do you watch it all year round?”
I shrug my left shoulder. “Just whenever I’m feeling down. If people can watchDie Hardyear round, I can watchHocus Pocusyear round.”
“That’s becauseDie Hardisn’t a Christmas movie—.”
“Blasphemy!” I shoot a finger toward Dylan as though it’s a magic wand and I’m about to Avada Kedavra him. “It is absolutely a Christmas movie.”
Dylan and I enter into a heated debate about the themes ofDie Hardas if we are discussing a deep philosophical topic. Eventually, we don’t come to a conclusion so Dylan claims he’s “too exhausted by my ignorance” and retires for the night.
Being left alone with Jason feels acutely awkward. The last time he and I were alone together (excluding him saving my unconscious ass) was not a pleasant experience.
I look around the room taking in details I’ve already taken note of. The chip on the window frame. The uneven pattern in the deer hide rug in front of the fireplace. The evergreen design on the blanket covering the back of the couch.
The pad of a socked foot taps my thigh and I look back to Jason who is extending his book to me, is this some sort of peace offering?
I take the book in my hands and let it fall open to the bookmarked page about halfway through. By the way the spine is loose and the pages are yellowed, either this is a second hand book or Jason reads it a lot. I guess he did indicate this was his favorite. Scanning the page to recall what part of the book this is, I feel the burning weight of Jason’s eyes on me from the other side of the couch. I look up and ask, “What?” Sounding an awful lot like a big sister annoyed by a younger brother. Though, I’m pretty sure his birthday was in September and mine is coming up in December, making him the older one by a couple of months.
Jason nods at the book then meets his expectant gaze with mine again. It’s then I realize he wants me to read aloud.
