Cowboy Baby Daddy

I finished what I was doing and made my way back into the house. There was a knock on my front door, but by the time I made my way there, the only thing I found was my mail in a pile on the porch. I wanted to thank her, but I wasn't going to go over just for that reason. Besides, I had some place to be, so I cleaned up and left a little after three to drive over to Ryan’s family’s business to pick up the scrap lumber I needed for my next project. Ryan was standing in the office looking over some paperwork with his dad when I arrived.

I stepped into the office. “Can you help me load that pile out there?” I asked.

“I can't right at the moment, but John should be able to help, or if you’re not in a rush, you can hang out for a few until we finish.” I sat down on a bench by the door and listened as they talked about the next shipment of raw wood set to be arriving. Their conversation was easy and friendly even though the stress in his father’s tone was evident. Their small, family-owned business had taken a hit after the large wildfires had ripped a hole in the logging community several months back. Shortages of wood was an issue, and unfortunately it hit the smaller businesses the hardest.

“It'll be fine, Pops, we have enough inventory in the buildings to fill all the orders placed through next month. And I’ve already arranged to get a shipment of raw wood in from a new supplier in Oregon.” He cupped his father’s shoulder and then looked up at me. “Ya ready?”

“Yup.” I stood, saying hi and bye to his father, and then hopped down the stairs.

“How’s Emmy?”

“Oh, so, it's Emmy now? What happened to Emerson?” I said sarcastically, referring to all the times he’d led me to believe a male would be my new neighbor.

“It's always been Emmy.” He grinned up at me.

“Good to know.” I kicked at the gravel as I walked.

“Well?”

“I haven't said a word to her in days. She walks around like I don't even exist and, well, I guess I've grown accustomed to it.” I leaned down and grabbed a couple of pieces of small timber and dropped them in the bed of my truck. He walked over to a large trunk that would be the centerpiece of my next table. I followed, and we lifted it into the bed with a good bit of effort then paused to take a few breaths.

“Well, I’d suggest trying to talk to her, but I know you,” he jabbed.

“Clearly, she doesn’t want to talk to me, so... what would be the point?”

“She’ll come around. I mean, you’re so lovable and all,” he said and reached out to pinch my cheek like I was a three-year-old.

I dodged his attempt. “And you’re a jackass.”

“It’s part of my charm,” he grinned then changed the subject. “There are some pieces for our next round of workouts over by the mill. Wanna drive over there?”

“I sure as hell don't want to carry them this far,” I laughed and walked around the truck, hopping in and laughing as Ryan stood on the lowered tailgate. He acted like he was surfing as I drove slowly around the lumber yard to the cutting mill on the right side of the property. We loaded the remaining pieces, and I headed back home.

***

Emmy’s truck was gone when I arrived. I found myself wondering where she might have gone to and realizing how very little I really knew about her and her life. Not that I was going to get to find out, ya know, since she had no desire to even acknowledge my existence.

I pulled my truck around to the shop and backed the truck up, pushing all but the large trunk to the ground and stacking the pieces for use later under the shelter so they’d stay dry. Ryan said he’d swing by with John tomorrow to help me unload the large piece and place it in my shop. It had to be handled a little bit differently because any cracks could ruin it.

When I was done unloading, I backed the truck under the shelter and worked in the shop until the sun faded. I’d been listening for Emmy’s truck, and I sighed when I heard it coming down the long drive as I was cleaning up. It silenced, and then I heard the sound of her screen door open then slam shut. It seemed as though it was going to be one more day of silence with my neighbor.

I finished up in the shop then headed into the backyard and laid down in the grass. It was something I often did at the end of a day. Looking up at the stars always relaxed me and put life into perspective a little. I liked laying there in the silence of the night. There were no lights for miles, and it was as though it was just me and the stars and nothing to interfere with the view. Pitch darkness.

The sound of a door opening and then the flip of a blanket a few feet from me as it was waved through the air signaled I was no longer alone. After a bit of rustling, a dim light landed over the blanket. I looked toward the sounds and found her lying on her back with a tablet in her hands reading.

“You’re missing the best part,” I said softly, knowing she hadn’t seen me.

I heard a short shriek and then a laugh. “Jesus, you scared me.”

“Sorry,” I chuckled. “I just wanted you to know I was out here.”

“Noted,” she said a little breathless.

“How was your day?” I asked.

A tiny moan escaped her throat and then silence. “Not too bad, I suppose. I signed the final paperwork for my grant today, so it looks like I'll be here for a while, a year at least.”

“That's great.” I sat up looking over at her. She was looking in my direction, but I wasn’t sure she could see me very well. Still, there was a spark of something in the way she was looking toward me. And as much as I felt like she couldn’t stand me due to her avoidance, every time I was near her, an unexplainable feeling stretched through my chest. I took in the softness of her features and the arc to her lips as the light from the device illuminated her face, and I resisted the impulse to reach over and trace the curve of her cheek. She smiled softly and blinked hard, looking away as if she had realized we were having a moment and she couldn’t allow it. She laid her head back down, placing the tablet on her chest and extinguishing the light, leaving us both in darkness once more.