Chapter nine
Even though my mind is focused on helping out my prized cow and her babies, Darla is, surprisingly, still so fresh in my mind. Wandering through, a refreshing little thought in the world of mine that had become so cold and gray.
Sure, the first time we met hadn’t been so hot. However, it’s been a blast talking with her over text, and now that I’ve met her in person, it feels like the pie incident doesn’t matter at all. She feels like the splash of color I might very well need. A vibrant ray of hope in my mind as I park the car and jog over to the cow, only to see Mitch come out with the vet.
“Hey, what’s going on? Everything alright?” I ask as I watch the vet take off his gloves.
“False alarm,” the vet says. “She’s not calving, it’s false labor, looks like. But it won’t be that way for long.”
“Thank you, Doc,” I reply.
“Call me if there’s anything else,” the vet says as he walks past me, leaving just Mitch and I alone by the barn.
“Sorry about interrupting your date,” Mitch sighs. “I tried to convince Zack we had it, but he was insistent that you come home.”
“It’s alright,” I say with a shrug. “That’s how ranch life is.”
“How’d it go?” Mitch asks.
“Really good actually,” I say. “Funnily enough, it was the pie girl.”
“You’re kidding!” Mitch replies, shocked.
“Yeah, I was surprised too,” I say. “But I really think you’re on to something.”
“Well, I’m glad you took my advice,” Mitch says with a smile. “So, what’s the lucky lady’s name?”
“Darla,” I say as we start to walk back toward the house, but Mitch stops in his tracks.
“Darla, huh?”
“Yeah, she’s new around these parts,” I say, and I watch as Mitch’s face seems to shift from jovial to clearly uncomfortable.
“Wouldn’t happen to be Darla Middleton, would it?” Mitch asks, and I’m instantly shocked that he knew.
“Yeah, actually,” I reply. “How’d you know?”
“Man, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Darla is no good,” Mitch says, his face a tight line.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“I’m friends with her ex-husband, Joseph,” Mitch says.
“Ah, yeah, she did say something about her ex showing up the day of the pie thing,” I reply.
“Yeah well, she’s not as innocent as she seems,” Mitch says. “She took everything from him, got a nasty temper too.”
“Well, that’s not what I heard,” I say, not wanting to disclose all Darla’s dirty laundry. We’d sort of talked about Joseph in text messages a bit, and it wasn’t my business to mouth off about.
“I’m telling ya Eli, she’s known around here to be crazy.” Around here? I think to myself. That doesn’t make any since. She just moved here. . . maybe he misspoke.
“I think you’re being a little biased and dramatic,” I reply, defending Darla.
“She screamed at you in the middle of a store, you said so yourself,” Mitch reminds me, but I just shake it off.
“She was having a bad day,” I reply. “Listen, I appreciate the warning, but I like her, and I’m going to keep seeing her,” I said. “I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself.”
“Fine,” Mitch replies, his response a confusing amalgamation of seemingly upset, frustrated. . . and almost angry. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you about that maneater.”
Mitch walks past me at a quick stride and goes into the house, letting the front door nearly slam shut. Jeez, he’s really angry, I think to myself. His heart is in the right place, but I’m not going to listen to some dumb gossip. Especially when he’s friends with the guy. He’s biased, and she seems like a treasure that Joseph just threw away like a big dummy.
I’m an adult, and I can form my own opinions about her. Frankly, I cannot wait to take her out on Valentine’s Day. It may only be a few days away but dang, for some reason, it feels like it’s much further than that. . .
***
“Earth to Darla!” Doreen says, snapping her finger playfully in my face as she breaks me out of my daydream of riding horses side by side with Eli in the morning light. The scent of fresh grass and the gleam of morning dew on the blades disintegrating as I look around at the sterile, white walls of the hospital. The smell of grass replaced by antiseptics and cleaners.
“Sorry,” I say with a yawn as I begin to pick at the microwaved fajita bowl in front of me. Usually we eat in the breakroom, but today’s been busy, so we are all sitting at the nurse’s station, eating behind the desk.
“You have been in the clouds today,” Nala says, another nurse from my coveted maternity ward spot. Working in the ICU isn’t at all what I’m used to, but it’ll do until I can get back on the ward myself.
Nala is a good friend of Doreen’s. In fact, she’s the head nurse up there, and she’s snuck down to eat with us. So, I’m trying to make friends with her and ease my way into her good graces. Maybe even secure myself a transfer. Not that Doreen isn’t amazing. She is. Just, the ICU is often such a bleak place to be. And I really take it hard when a patient doesn’t make it.
“Well, to be honest, I met this guy,” I say, and Doreen’s eyes light right up. She may be my boss, but she’s not a stuffy or snooty woman, and we’ve become fast friends.
“Oh really?” Doreen asks.
“Mm-hmm! He owns his own ranch, and he is so handsome,” I say with a big grin on my face. “We went on a breakfast date, and it was really nice.”
“Ooh! you got yourself a cowboy, huh?” Doreen asks.
“I sure did,” I reply. “We’ve only just met, but he’s such a gentleman. He just exudes that smoldering southern charm, you know?”
“Sounds like this guy has swept you right off your feet with the way you’re gushing,” Nala says, and my face immediately gets hot.
“I guess you could say that,” I reply shyly.
“So, when are you going to see this tall, dark, and handsome cowboy again?” Doreen asks.
“Valentine’s Day,” I said. “Actually, I’m headed out with him right after work.”
“That’s awesome! Where are you going?” Nala asks.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for a Darla Middleton?” a man asks, wearing a delivery uniform.
“Oh, well, that’s me,” I say, wondering what could possibly be being delivered to me. Especially at work of all places. I wander over to the front of the desk to meet the young man, and he groans as he picks up a huge vase, full to the brim with lilies.
“What in the world. . .” I gasp, mouth agape as the fragrant scent of the flowers fills the air.
“Someone must really like you,” the delivery guy says, and he thrusts a little digital pad in front of me. “Please sign here.”
“O-oh! Sure!” I manage to get out, and as he leaves, I notice the card sticking out of the pot. So, I open it up and I can’t help but grin as I read it out loud to myself.
“For my wild little Texas rose. . . though I suppose I should say Texas Lily, huh? Hopefully now you won’t need to be throwing pies my way anymore. Sincerely, Eli.”
“They’re from the cowboy?” Doreen asks.
“Looks like it!” I nod as I go to lift the vase.
“It’s alright, you can leave them there until your shift’s over,” Doreen says. “This Eli guy seems like a real keeper.”
“Yeah, I guess maybe he is,” I say, and I pull my phone out of my pocket. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be just a minute.”
“Take your time,” Doreen replies with a smirk as Nala and her begin to talk amongst each other, and I head out toward the hallway overlooking the pond outside.
I’m nervous, but I decide to call him. I want to thank him for the flowers, and if we are ever going to be more than just chat and coffee friends—which, it seems like it’s headed that way—I need to stop being so scared.
I let it ring a few times, and I go to hang up, thinking he’s busy, only to hear a click on the other line.
“Hello?” Eli says, and I can’t help but grin from ear to ear.
“Hey!” I say sweetly, my cheeks blooming a bright red, which I can see in my faint reflection in the glass of the window. “I got your flowers.”
“You did?”
“Sure did,” I say as I find myself pacing the hall like a teenager, all aglow, messing with a loose lock of hair.
“Do you like them?”
“They’re beautiful, Eli,” I reply. “I love them.”
“I’m glad,” Eli replied. “They’re your favorite, right?”
“They sure are,” I say as I beam brightly. This seems like a dream. Me, seeing a guy who is handsome and sends me flowers? Somebody pinch me. Joseph would never. Not unless he was trying to make amends of some sort.
“Guess my brain’s still good for something,” Eli jokes. “Darla, I want to ask you something.”
“Sure, what’s up?” I ask, feeling a bit jittery.
“I don’t want to sound too forward but. . . is it weird that I miss you?” Eli asks, and my heart zooms through my rib cage and into my throat. Things seem to be moving so fast.
It feels like being on The Zipper at the state fair, the ride with the cages that flip and turn as you go around in a circle up high in the air. You don’t know which way you’re going to flip or turn. . . but all you know is the ride is fun. And I certainly don’t want to hop off.
It’s mighty dangerous but thrilling.
“Not at all,” I reply. “I miss you too.”
“Listen, I know we are supposed to have a date on Valentine’s, but. . . I want to see you sooner,” Eli says, and I can’t believe my ears.
“Really? When?”
“Well, actually, I was hoping you’d have some time tonight,” Eli says. “I want to take you to that nice country bar I was telling you about. Do you like to dance?”
“Well, depends on what kind of dancing,” I reply, anxiously curling a piece of hair around my finger. Loving to dance and being able to dance are two very different things. And if I’m going to be completely honest, I have two left feet.
“Line dancing,” Eli says, and I breathe a little sigh of relief.
“Well shoot, I haven’t done that in years,” I reply. I can probably swing line dancing, I think to myself. I mean, it’s just following along with the crowd. Though the last time I’d done it was. . . I don’t know. . . when Sparrow was a baby?
“Me either,” Eli says with a bit of what sounds like a nervous chuckle. “So, want to go out tonight? We can do something different on Valentine’s Day.”
“That sounds lovely,” I say, barely able to contain the squeal of happiness that threatens to escape my throat.
“Meet me at Moonshine and Music downtown when you get out,” Eli says. “I’ll shoot a text with the address your way.”
“Alright, well, I’ll get out, get dressed, and meet you there,” I say as I realize Doreen and Nala are standing at the end of the hallway, gawking at me with big ol’ grins on their faces. Little eavesdroppers! “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Alright,” Eli says. “Well, I’ll see you soon!”
“See you soon,” I repeat back, and when I hang up, I can’t help but twirl in the hall.
“Ooh, she’s got it bad,” Doreen teases.
“For sure she does,” Nala says with a chuckle as I look over at them and smile.
“Stop it you two,” I say with a giggle as I head back into the ward and quickly finish up my food. But I know they’re right. Eli is wonderful and I’m falling hard and fast. . . it’s as scary as it is invigorating.
There’s one thing I can say for sure though. Even though I’m excited and terrified all at once, it really is an amazing feeling. I feel alive for the first time in a long time, and I can’t wait to see where it all ends up.