“I’m good, wildflower. I promise. Counting down the days until you’re back in my arms.”
“I am too. I take it there’s no set time they’re working towards?” I ask.
“Might be another few weeks, but we’re all trying. Well, except the newer guys. They’ll milk it for all they’ve got if Hank and I don’t watch it. We have one dumbass who’s itching to cause an accident. If he doesn’t calm his shit, he’ll be looking at the end of my boot up his ass.” Jasper doesn’t usually talk about this kind of stuff, or at least he didn’t when I was in Virginia. It’s almost like he needs me to be his outlet, to talk through his frustrations, and as hard as it is for me to hear a guy on their rig could be destructive, I listen. “Well, you and Hank know what’s up. You’ll keep him in line. Oh, don’t say anything, but someone is looking at finally replacing a vehicle. We’re doing that tomorrow,” I tell him to hopefully brighten his day.
“Thank fuck. Don’t let her buy some small thing. One day soon, she’ll have grandkids to tote around.” Dear God, this man is lethal to my ovaries.
“I won’t. She’s looking at a small SUV. Think that will be big enough to tote around our future children,” I joke.
“Depends on how many we have. What are you thinking? I’d at least like two, maybe three.” I hear the hopefulness in his tone.
“I think that’s a good number, though I’m demanding a boy first, so you’ll have to work on that for me.” Even though my older brother is a pain in the ass, I love him for the way he always protected us while growing up. Sure, he was a horse’s ass to Rowen and Braxton, but he had the best intentions. Which reminds me—I’ll need to give Bridger a heads-up and let him know I’m dating Jasper. Knowing that hard-headed brother of mine, he’ll fly down and demand to meet the man who has stolen my heart.
“I’ll get right on that, baby. I hate to do this, but it’s time for me to get to work. The only plus side of this is no more nights. I’ll be able to FaceTime and talk to you now.”
I’m giddier than all get out, and my squeal tells him that. “I take it that’s a good thing?”
“The best news all week!” Jasper can’t see me, but I’m literally dancing while we’re on the phone.
“I’m glad. I’ll call you tonight. It might be late, but I promise I will, okay?”
“Alright, thank you for calling me, Jasper. I know this isn’t easy on you either,” I reply.
“Nothing to thank me for. Later, baby.” I feel like I’m the luckiest girl ever.
“Stay safe,” is my last reply before I hear the click of his phone. I hang up, a smile plastered on my face.
Today may have started off rocky, but it sure is shaping up to be a great one. With that, I head out front and get this day kicked off.EightJapserEvery night this week, it’s been nothing but me FaceTiming Aspen in the quiet of my travel trailer with her an hour away in her lonely apartment. Something she’s told me on more than one occasion. I even joked that she had my apartment keys, to stay there if she needed a change of scenery. The look on her face caused me to chuckle. Aspen admitted she’d thought about it on more than one occasion, even if only to steal a shirt and my pillow. I one-upped her and told her if she wanted, my place down here was open to her.
The smile she gave me told me everything I needed to see. My woman needs to feel me surround her, much like I need to do the same thing.
Which is why she’s traveling down here and spending the night. I hate like hell that she is driving an hour by herself, but she put me in my place, telling me she was an independent woman and one hour wasn’t going to kill her. It’s not like she was stopping to get food or gas. It was just going to be her and an open road. I love this feisty side of her, that’s for sure.
The only shitty part of this situation is that I won’t to be able to make her the meal she’d get if we were both at home. This one will be more simple, cooked on the grill, and consist of steak, potatoes, and some sort of vegetable I have in the freezer. When I informed her of that, all she had to say was, “Good, I’ll be the dessert.” Damn straight, she fucking will.
I’m sitting outside under the awning when she pulls her Tahoe next to my truck. Damn, does it settle something deep inside me seeing that. This will be our future, maybe not in a travel trailer, but a house on some land—my woman coming home to me, or me coming home to her. A couple of children, and all kinds of animals that I’m sure Aspen will collect, if what she says is true. On her days off when she has nothing to do, she goes to the local animal shelters to volunteer.