“Change isn’t always bad,” I replied.
“It is when you’ve got no safety net.”
I turned to look at him then, taking in the hard lines of his profile, the stubble darkening his jaw. “That’s why we’re doing this. So we can actually have a safety net for once.”
The delivery crew shouted as they finally got the freezer into position. The head guy, a burly man with forearms like tree trunks, approached us wiping sweat from his brow.
“Need to hook it up to that electrical panel you got ready,” he said. “Then we’ll run some tests, make sure everything’s cooling right.”
“I’ll show you,” I offered, leading him toward the back of the barn where we’d had an electrician install a new panel just for the freezer. Cole had grumbled about that expense too, but even he had to admit it was necessary. The freezer wasn’t going to run off a handful of solar panels, that was for sure.
As I walked the guy through the setup, I couldn’t help glancing back at Cole, who was circling the freezer like it was some alien spacecraft that had landed in his barn. His skepticism was palpable, but at least he was here. That was progress, right?
The last few weeks had been a weird dance between us. Ever since that conversation in his dad’s office, something had shifted. He wasn’t exactly warm. Cole Nelson didn’t do warm. But he’d stopped actively avoiding me. We’d even had a few civil conversations about the ranch that didn’t end in shouting or one of us storming off. Evelyn seemed might impressed by our progress.
Of course, we still hadn’t talked about the shower incident. That particular elephant was still very much in the room,growing larger by the day. But I let it go for the time being. Besides, I didn’t see what the big deal was. People got naked to shower and sometimes they liked to masturbate. It just happened. Something about it got to Cole though, and that was the part I didn’t understand. We’d shared a wall all through our teenage years. I’m sure both of us had heard plenty of things in the night. I certainly had. So why was this any different?
“All set,” the delivery guy announced, flipping some switches on the control panel. The freezer hummed to life, its compressor kicking in with a reassuring mechanical whir. “Give it about twelve hours to reach optimal temperature. You’ll want to check the digital readout here to make sure it’s holding steady at whatever temp you set.”
I nodded, making mental notes. “And the maintenance schedule?”
“Clean the coils quarterly,” the guy replied, pointing to a section underneath the unit. “And check the door seals monthly for any cracks. Freezers this size are pretty robust, but they need regular maintenance to stay efficient.”
Cole had wandered over, standing just close enough to hear but far enough to maintain his perpetual bubble of personal space. He peered at the control panel, his blue eyes narrowed in concentration.
“How long’s the warranty?” he asked.
“Five years on parts, two on labor,” the delivery guy said, handing me a thick manual. “All the details are in here. You’ve got our number if anything goes wrong.”
After they’d finished the installation and left, Cole and I stood in the barn, staring at our expensive new acquisition. The freezer hummed steadily, like a giant metal beast breathing in the corner.
“Well,” I said, breaking the silence. “It’s here.”
“Yep,” Cole replied, his expression still unreadable.
“You gonna help me get it organized tomorrow? We’ll need to set up shelving inside, figure out a system for inventory tracking.”
Cole tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling beams as if they might offer some escape. Finally, he sighed. “Yeah, I’ll help. Not like I’ve got a choice, anyway.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said, unable to keep the sarcasm from my voice. “Really feeling thepartnershiphere.”
He shot me a look, but there wasn’t the usual heat behind it. Instead, he seemed almost... resigned. “This is your show, Jesse. You’re the one who knows about this direct-to-consumer business. I’m just along for the ride.”
“It’s notjustmy show. That’s the whole point.” I stepped closer, frustration bubbling up inside me. “The whole farm-to-table thing works because we can market authentic ranch-raised beef from a real Montana cowboy operation. People eat that shit up, literally and figuratively. But it only works if you’re on board.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” he gestured around the barn. “I got the electrical work done, cleared out this space, made sure the floor was paved to handle the weight. What more do you want?”
“I want you to believe in it,” I said, surprising myself with the intensity in my voice. “I want you to see that this could actually save the ranch.”
Cole’s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching beneath his stubble. For a moment, I thought he might argue, but instead, he just nodded once.
“The cattle are ready to come down from the mountain,” he said, changing the subject. “We need to start the drive tomorrow if we want to beat the weather.”
I’d been dreading this part. Driving cattle down from the high country was no joke, especially for someone who hadn’t done it…ever. But I knew how hard that shit was, the way theranch hands looked when they got back, like they’d been ridden hard and put away wet. My muscles were already protesting just thinking about it.
“How long will it take?” I asked, already internally cringing.
“Two days, maybe three,” Cole replied, pushing back his hat to wipe sweat from his forehead. “Depends on the weather and how cooperative the herd feels like being.”
