“Lise Motors makes electric vehicles that require only a small amount of dirty energy to build. Then they run on electricity—clean energy—for their entire lifetimes. They’re four times more efficient than fossil-fuel-powered cars, and infinitely better for the environment.”
Infinitelywasn’t exactly the correct quantitative term, but rhetorically, it was strong.
“Like a Tesla?” Beau asked.
“Better than a Tesla,” I said. “In fact—” I nodded at Ben “—we’re working with the governor to try to pass a bill right now that would replace all the fossil-fuel vehicles the state uses—public safety vehicles, maintenance vehicles, you name it—with electric versions. That shift alone would make a huge difference in making Texas a healthier, more verdant place. Best of all, the government would build all the infrastructure private citizens need to feel like they can make the switch to electric without having to worry about whether there will be a charging station when they need it. Overall, that means a stronger, more efficient power grid. Remember the ice storm, how helpless we were? We’re going to fix that.”
“No offense,” said Henry, steepling his fingers and giving me a shrewd look. “But isn’t clean energy a lefty talking point? We don’t have many lefties out here in Corsicare. We’re a community of farmers and ranchers. Traditionalists. You might be barking up the wrong tree.”
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Ben’s mouth flatten.
“But that’s exactly why everyone here in Corsicare should like this idea,” I said, resting my hands on the table and leaning forward. “Who’s closer to the land than you? Who depends on healthy rivers and clean air and soil more than you to raise your animals and all your amazing crops?” I jerked a thumb in the direction Ben and I had come from. “You think Mrs. Martha Mason will be able to produce those blue-ribbon tomatoes much longer if we keep feeding poison into the atmosphere and letting it rain back down on us?”
Henry gave me a thoughtful look, so I took my chance and leaned over Beau, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on Henry’s. They both gave me their full attention. From the other end of the table, Ben gave them a dark look.
“Think about it. Farmers and ranchers have always been the guardians of the American landscape. Defenders of the land.”
Obviously, I was sidestepping the fact that farmers and ranchers only had plots of American land to defend because it had been stolen from indigenous peoples. But a potent combination of opinion research, voting history and instinct told me mentioning that fact would cause an immediate end to the conversation, so I continued without it.
“By going green, you’ll not only be doing the right thing—you’ll also protect your livelihoods. Really, no one should care more about passing this bill than you.”
Henry rubbed his chin. “It’s like Don’t Mess with Texas, but on a grander scale.”
“Exactly.”
Beau slapped his hand on the stopwatch as the crowd erupted into cheers. “Three minutes, twelve seconds!” he shouted into the mic, and we all turned to see Deshaun tying off his calf.
“It’s kind of interesting when you put it like that,” Henry said, amid the cheers still sounding from the crowd. “Feel free to pass out your flyers. People might be willing to hear what you have to say.”
Time to go for broke. Beau was announcing the next calf roping contestant, so I had Henry’s undivided attention.
“What we really need is to convince Senator Wayne to support the bill. You served on his reelection campaign two years ago. Any chance you know how to get through to him?”
Ben drew infinitesimally closer to me—like he wanted to prop me up or shield me, I couldn’t tell. But I appreciated it.
Henry raised both eyebrows. “You know, I like you two. You’re a cute couple, working on this thing together. Reminds me a little of my wife and I, on the ranch.”
“We’re not—” I started, but Ben elbowed me.
“Senator Wayne keeps a close council of people he trusts, people he grew up with here in Corsicare. They advise him on big decisions. Back during the reelection campaign, if they said no to something, it was gone. If they liked something, you had a shot. If you convince his council, you’ll win over Wayne.”
“And who are they?” I asked, just as a Shania Twain song I actually recognized started playing from the speakers.
Henry scratched his ear, contemplating. Beau finished announcing and rejoined the conversation, shooting Henry a look I couldn’t quite interpret. Henry shrugged in response, a kind ofwell, why not, and Beau turned to me.
“If you want to convince Wayne, there’s really only one person you need to talk to. His name’s Ely Gunther. Runs Gunther Ranch way out in the sticks. He and Wayne have been close since they were boys. Anything Ely says, goes.”
“Thank you so much,” I said. Henry and Beau had just handed us gold.
Beau nodded, looking at the pen, where a new man atop a horse swung his lariat. “The guardians of the American landscape. Now, I like that.”
“There’s no way you can carry all that back to the car.” Ben made a “give me” gesture. “Hand it over before you topple.”
After the calf roping competition was over and we’d passed out every single one of our Green Machine pamphlets to the crowd—who liked my line about guardians almost as much as Henry and Beau—I’d made Ben stop at the farmers’ market on the way out. There, I’d proceeded to channel my triumph over the successful day into a produce shopping spree. Vegetarian nirvana: I now had veggies for days.
Ben pulled two heavy brown bags out of my arms and we started walking again. I stole a glance at him. The muscles in his arms flexed as he gripped a bag in each hand. This is what he used to look like when we went grocery shopping together: face serious, concentrating, balancing brown bags on his hips as he fished his keys out of his pocket to pop the trunk. A wave of nostalgic tenderness washed over me.
No—bad.I couldn’t keep letting myself think of Ben from the past. That time was over. Now he was my work partner-slash-competition. A little lust was one thing, and could be solved by calling Kyle, but tenderness was a bridge too far.
