2. Chapter 2
Rhett
The warm coffee pours into my thermos and I take a deep inhale.
I have always loved the smell of coffee.
The rich flavor. Plain. No creamer. It wakes me up just the way I need it to.
Today is no exception, I went to bed way too late waiting for Aspen’s “I’m here” text when she got to work.
After that, my thoughts spiraled and now here we are.
Exhausted, but any time with her is worth it.
I’m on borrowed time, and I know that. Any day now, her prince charming is going to come knocking on her door and this little thing of ours will be done. I’ve had a lot of bad days in my life, but that will probably be the second to worst one I’ve experienced so far.
I’m not ready to be done with her. Not even a little bit.
Her laugh is fucking intoxicating in the best way.
It's a blessing and a curse to get to hear it and be the one to make her laugh, but it’s only for now.
And I can at least thank the dealer of the deck for handing her to me, even if it’s not forever.
After finishing my coffee, I throw on my Wranglers, a flannel, and a Carhartt coat over that.
Mornings are bitterly cold this time of year, but the afternoons occasionally warm up, so you have to layer up to handle the changing temperatures.
My cowboy hat rests on the table by the front door, holding my keys and wallet inside.
I pocket those, then put my hat on and get ready for another day.
My truck comes to a stop in front of Jack and Mabel’s. Jack may be retired, but I use that word as loosely as possible, because I find more often than not, he is tagging along on our little escapades of rounding up escapee cattle and keeping the herd safe. I like that he’s still around though.
Weston’s dad is the type of man who shows up and expects nothing in return.
My parents left town the second I graduated high school.
College was never going to be for me; I’m a man who likes working with his hands.
I moved into my little cabin shortly after graduation.
Jack immediately put me on the payroll and Mabel made sure I was always fed.
For all intents and purposes, they’re Mom and Dad.
My parents are a tad on the cold and distant side, I think I'm a little like them too. But, there’s a large portion of me that was shaped by the Taylors.
That’s a small piece of why things with Aspen are so damn delicate.
I can’t lose this family, really, they’re all I have.
This ranch is so engrained in me, it’s hard to imagine what my life would look like without it.
When Jack retired, he let me and Weston’s other best friend, Maverick, in on the deal.
Now I'm a fifteen percent owner of the land and a partner in the ranch. That act alone meant everything.
The light filters through the pine trees as the sun creeps up. I walk up the creaky wooden plank deck and make my way to the front door, pulling it open. I don’t think I've ever even knocked at this house. To this day, I’m not entirely sure if the doorbell is even functioning.
“Good morning, honey,” Mabel calls out from the kitchen.
That’s the beauty of this place, the whole room is open. You can see directly into the kitchen, dining room, and living room from the front door.
The living room is on my right, with beautiful stone accents.
The dark hardwood floors are spread throughout, giving it a nice rustic feel.
Someday, when I build my own place, I want it to feel just like this one.
I’m sure it’s more the people who are in this home than anything, but I’ll recreate what pieces of joy I can.
“Morning, need help with anything?” I ask as I hang up my coat on the hanger next to the door.
“Nope, everyone else is on their way. Jack will be heading out with you all today.”
“Color me shocked.”
She shakes her head and sighs heavily as I walk closer to her, bee-lining straight for the coffee pot. My coffee thermos stays in the truck; that’s my work coffee. Mabel's coffee is my breakfast coffee.
“You know, I was meaning to tell you this last week. But Charlene, the lady who works at the bank, well, her daughter is single.”
She does this a lot. Try and set me up. You would think seventy no’s would be enough for the woman to understand that I’m not looking. I’ll never get to look. That option was taken away from me, unfortunately.
“And I’m still not interested, but thank you,” I say, grabbing a piece of toast from the plate next to the coffee pot and putting it in my mouth.
She pulls her eyebrows in and I know I’m about to be lectured. “Well, honey, at some point you’re going to have to put yourself out there or you’ll end up alone.”
Little does she know that’s exactly the way I need it; I don’t want it, but that doesn’t matter. It’s in everyone’s best interest if it stays this way. If things were different, I wouldn’t need to be set up; I know exactly who I would want to spend my life with.
“I’m not worried about that, Mabel. My hands are plenty full keeping your son and his dumbass best friend in line.”
She tilts her head and perks up an eyebrow that says “no cursing in my house” but she doesn’t say it out loud.
She sighs heavily instead, grabbing a rag and washing off the already immaculate countertop.
“Fine, I guess that is a full-time job. I’m glad the boys have you, Rhett.
You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. ”
“That’s debatable,” I say before shoving the last slice of buttered toast in my mouth. “Well, I’m going to head out, let the boys know I’m in the barn when they finally get their butts up. Where’s Jack?”
“In the shower. He’ll probably beat the others.”
I nod my hat to her, grab my jacket and head out the door, and back to the safety of my truck. My truck never asks me why I’m still single, nor does it try to set me up.
Believe me, I want that. Seeing my two best friends start their lives and have partners who support them is the best. It’s impossible to ignore the flickering jealousy that roars to life every time I see them. But one thing that will never change about me is my ability to see it for what it is.
I’ve got good friends that turned into family, and if that’s all I get, then I think I’ll be okay.