She pulled out several pairs, holding them up to my waist with zero shame about getting in my personal space. “These’ll do. Wranglers. They’ll last you forever if you treat ‘em right.” She dumped them in my arms. “And for God’s sake, get the boot cut. You’re gonna need room for your boots.”
“Boots,” I repeated, looking at the wall of leather. There had to be fifty pairs, all variations on the same theme.
“Don’t even think about those fancy ones,” she warned, following my gaze to a pair of ornate black boots with silver stitching. “Those are for show. You want work boots. Something that can handle mud and shit. Literally.” She pulled down a pair of plain brown leather boots with a rounded toe. “These. Ariat. Good brand. They’ll break in nice.”
I took them, adding them to the growing pile in my arms. The weight of it all was starting to get to me—not physically, but mentally. This was real. I was actually doing this. Tradingin everything I knew for a life I had dreamed about but was completely foreign to me.
“You alright there?” Evelyn asked, eyeing me with concern.
“Yeah,” I said, shaking off the strange melancholy that had crept over me. “Just... adjusting.”
“Well, adjust faster,” she said, but there was warmth in her voice as she gave me a playful nudge. “You’re missing the most important part.” She walked over to the hat display and pulled down a black felt cowboy hat, turning it over in her hands to inspect it. “Can’t be a proper rancher without a hat.”
I set down my pile of clothes on a nearby bench and took the hat from her. It felt heavier than I expected, solid in my hands. I turned it over, examining the band, the stitching, the way the brim curved just so.
“Go on,” Evelyn urged. “Put it on.”
I hesitated. This felt like more than just trying on a hat. It felt like putting on a costume, playing a role I had no business playing. But I’d come this far, hadn’t I? Might as well commit.
I placed the hat on my head, adjusting it slightly.
Evelyn stepped back, crossing her arms as she looked me over. A slow smile spread across her face. “Well, I’ll be damned. You actually look the part.”
“Really?”
“Don’t sound so surprised.” She grabbed my arm and dragged me toward a small, dusty mirror propped against the wall near the boots. “See for yourself.”
I looked at my reflection, and for a moment, I didn’t recognize the man staring back at me. The hat sat low on my forehead, casting shadows across my face that made my features look harder, more weathered. Combined with the pearl snap shirt I was still holding and the general atmosphere of this place, I almost looked like I belonged here.
Almost.
“The hat stays on,” Evelyn declared. “You’re buying it. Now let’s get you to the register before Morrison charges you rent for standing here so long.”
I gathered up my pile of clothes, the boots, and kept the hat on my head as I followed her to the counter. The old man—Morrison, apparently—rang everything up with the enthusiasm of someone attending a funeral. The total came to less than one of my dress shirts back home cost.
“You need bags?” Morrison grunted.
“No, I’ve got it,” I said, pulling out my wallet.
He eyed my black Amex card like it was a snake. “We take cash or check.”
Of course they did.
“I’ll cover it,” Evelyn said, pulling out some worn bills from her pocket before I could protest.
“You don’t have to?—”
“Consider it a welcome gift,” she said firmly, handing Morrison the cash. “Besides, you can pay me back by coming out to visit on the Nelson Ranch.” She glanced down at my left hand, nodding to the gold band. “And bring your spouse with you.”
I couldn’t help noticing the purposeful way she’d saidspouseinstead ofwife. Did she know something already? Had the Wesley’s talked? I knew word would spread eventually and all the work at the Wesley place couldn’t have gone unnoticed. But already?
“I think that can be arranged,” I replied, shooting her my most charming smile. “I don’t know anyone around here, so it would be nice to make some friends.”
“Well, Cole and Jesse Nelson are good people. You’ll like them.”
Cole and Jesse. Sounded like a straight couple to me. I don’t know why I expected different. Evelyn and I left the shoptogether. The moment we were outside I turned to thank her, but she held up a hand.
“So, you’re the one that married, Nick, huh?”
