6. Ethan
Ethan
The ceiling in my bedroom has four paint cracks.
There’s also a smudge of paint from the wall color onto the ceiling that will drive me crazy if I keep staring at it any longer. Since returning from my very first horseback ride with Colt, I’ve noticed two things. Well, three if you include that paint smudge.
Colt Beckworth went home before our ride, specifically to get his phone to ask me to help him with it.
The second thing is, he wasn’t kidding when he said my legs and ass would hurt after the ride.
I have muscles I didn’t know were there protesting over their sudden call to the front line.
How do people get used to this? It’s worse than a day of power walking after brunch.
That’s why I’ve been lying here on my bed, noticing things like stray paint gobs and ceiling cracks.
I’m sore, and I’m obsessed with the thought of Colt and his damn phone.
Don’t even get me started on his tall, silent demeanor and that dependable aura he has radiating like a damn glow stick.
Nor should I focus on his smiles, or the way his hair blows in the breeze.
Finally staggering off the bed, I grab my laptop and open it, hoping to write content for more posts. Instead, I stare at the blinking cursor and only see the tall man with broad shoulders and the shyest smile I’ve ever seen as he asks if I could show him how to use a cell phone camera.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter with a sigh. “I can’t have a crush on this guy.”
Yes, I’ve flirted a little, and yes, I’ve hoped he might want to hook up, but after today…
I’m almost certain Colt isn’t like that.
Which isn’t a bad thing, really. I often jump without wearing a parachute, and maybe it’s time for me to make an overdue phone call.
Maybe this is a sign for me to change my track and catch the right train for once in my life.
And why am I thinking in travel terms?
After struggling through writing a post and saving it, I close the laptop.
My phone barely has a signal, and I can’t risk a dropped call for this conversation.
Hobbling across the kitchen—fuck me, my thighs are on fire—and silently appreciating the level of fitness men on horseback have, I skip the cowboy boots and slide on my runners instead.
My laptop bag gets tossed on the passenger seat next to me, and I head down the driveway, taking a left on Stonewall Road before meeting the highway into Chance. The moment I turn into the town, my phone lights up with a text message from my mom. Must be parental intuition.
I quickly turn at the library and into the Chance City Park parking lot. Once parked, I pick up the phone and hit call.
“Ethan.” Mom’s voice sounds over the line, and I feel more settled.
“Hi, Mom. I was literally on my way to call you when your text popped up.”
“The mountains giving you shitty cell service?”
“Oh yeah. I have to drive into town just to get a signal to do any work.”
“I followed the ranch accounts. I love what you’ve done so far. It looks so beautiful.”
“It’s amazing. Really. The air is fresh, like it’s all new, and the mountains are always breathtaking. Oh! I rode a horse today!”
Mom’s laughter sounds over the line, and a pang of homesickness hits.
“Did you love the experience? I did it once when I first met your father. He was based near Edmonton then and met a guy who had horses. He thought it was romantic, but I disagreed. My horse bit me!” Mom laughs more, and I join her because I’ve heard the story from both of them before.
“Listen, Mom…I, um…” Puffing out a breath, I drop my head back on the headrest. “There’s this guy here—”
“Already? Is that wise, Ethan?”
She’s gentle in her tone, but my mom never sugarcoats things. She’s right, too. It’s only been a few months since my last relationship went sour. I’m of the mind, though, that some things happen for a reason and there’s no time limit for this kind of stuff.
If the horse hadn’t bitten Mom, she might not have let my dad hug her, which ultimately led her to liking him more. It’s not a sound theory, but in my head, the horse bite made love bloom.
“We work together,” I supply and ignore her question. “He’s kind of shy, but I don’t know…he’s different. I was trying to work, and all I could do was stare at the screen because I kept thinking about him.”
Mom is silent for a beat. “I don’t want to discourage you in anything in your life, honey, but do you like him enough to want to stay there? It takes a special person to have a nontraditional relationship like your dad and me.”
“I’m not thinking about a relationship. We’ve only just met, and I’ve been here less than a month. He’s just…” I trail off because I don’t know how to describe Colt other than that he’s taken up a lot of my thoughts since he first sprayed water on my shoes.
More space than anyone I can remember in recent memory, really.
“You could just be friends, Ethan. Not everything needs to be romantic. You always dive in and get hurt. I hate that you do that to yourself.”
“I know, Mom. I’m not a fan of breaking my heart all the time, either. I’m here until winter comes, and you know I can’t just work all the time. I could hang out in town and talk to strangers, but that’s not the same.”
“You want the connection.”
Nodding, even though she can’t see me, I confirm her statement.
“Yeah. I do, and he seems like he could use a friend, but…” I stare out the window and watch a few ducks waddle around a puddle.
“He’s so shy. Almost like he’s not used to people paying him any attention, and he doesn’t know what to do, you know?
He asked if I could show him how to use a cell phone camera today. ”
“He sounds sweet.”
My lips tilt in a grin as I think of Colt talking to the horses and how he insisted in a quiet way that I had to try cream soda at 10 AM.
“He is, Mom. You’d like him.”
“Sounds like you do, too. Just get to know him, Ethan. Friends first isn’t a bad thing. Now, tell me about the horse ride and this ranch more.”
For the next thirty minutes, I talk to Mom and tell her about the town and Snow Creek Ranch.
How different it is here compared to my last city and job with a private equity firm.
I can tell how much happier I sound when talking about work.
Which isn’t really surprising. I went from promoting sensible investing under a strict schedule to spending all day with hot cowboys and a camera.
No 9-to-5 grind. Just my own schedule, as long as I bring results.
It’s a refreshing change that takes getting used to at first, but I’m definitely liking it now that I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn every day.
“I’m meeting your dad in Belize next week for a piece about vacation planning and fly-fishing. Email me if you need to, since my cell will be off, okay?”
“Fly-fishing! Colt is going to teach me how soon! That’s so cool. Have a great time, Mom, and I can’t wait to hear about it.”
She laughs. “I just hope your dad doesn’t hurt himself.
Tell me how it goes.” There’s a pause, and my mom’s voice is softer.
“I love you, kiddo. Don’t be too hard on yourself, okay?
I know that Trevor leaving sent you into a spiral, but you’ll get over that.
You really will. You love so big, Ethan.
Just take it one day at a time. Maybe this guy is the friend you need and nothing more. ”
“Thanks, Mom. Yeah, I know. Maybe I should just work and enjoy it here.”
“Do what feels right. Listen to your heart, Ethan. We’ll talk soon?”
“Yeah, Mom. Say hi to Dad, and I can’t wait to see photos.”
After ending the call with my mom, I make the short drive over to the Laughing Fork Diner, where I can sit and get work done while eating far too much food.
And be around people.
I know I’ve only been at the ranch for a short time, and my personal interactions have been limited to Colt mostly, but sitting in my cabin alone doesn’t feel right.
Surrounded by so much quiet, it feels like the walls are closing in.
I’m used to noise. Even if it was Trevor turning up the music while I tried to record a video, or his friends shouting at pigeons on the balcony.
I never felt alone like I do in that empty cabin.
The diner is busy with the dinner rush, and I squeeze into a booth in the corner.
The server waves to acknowledge me, and while I wait for them, I set up my laptop and log in to start work.
I connected my phone earlier and downloaded all the photos from today’s ride.
Scrolling through them quickly, I delete the ones that I immediately dislike, and I’m through the batch before the server arrives.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” They pass me a menu. “The special tonight is Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and carrots for $12.99.”
“Oh man, that sounds incredible. I’ll have that with…do you have cream soda?”
“We do. It’s in a bottle. Do you want pink or white?”
Since Colt isn’t around to see me, I ask for both. I want to know if the pink is as bad as he says it is. An hour later, and I’m stuffed with the best Salisbury steak I’ve had in forever. Also, Colt is right; pink cream soda tastes like cough syrup.
I’ve also gotten a lot of work done, but I’d like to stay for more.
“Can I get you anything else?” The server pops up as if summoned, and I smile.
“What are the chances you have apple pie?”
“Pretty good. Do you want ice cream with it?”
“That sounds like a trick question. Of course I do.”
“I’ll get that for you right away.”
The diner has emptied since I first sat down, and after a quick glance, I notice they turned off the open sign. When the server returns with my pie, I ask what time they close.
“We try to close at 7 PM, but most times it’s just when everyone leaves.”
“Oh, that’s…kind of you.”
The woman points to the empty seat across from me, asking permission to sit, and I nod.
“You’re new here. We aren’t like a lot of other places. It’s a different way of life in Chance.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“What are you working on that needs Wi-Fi every day? We don’t get many people in here working like you.”
The pie crust is flaky goodness, and they made the filling with real apples. “Oh my god, this pie is so good! It must be homemade. Tastes just like the one my mom makes.”
“Everything is homemade here. I told you, it’s not like the city.”
That catches my attention, and I swallow before replying. “What do you mean?”
She taps my laptop with her finger. “This, first of all. People come to the diner to eat good food and socialize, not to stare at a screen.” She gestures to the pie.
“The food isn’t prepackaged or made to go quickly.
It’s made with love and meant to be enjoyed with the company of a friend or family.
It’s slow food. The world moves too fast already.
Don’t rush through a meal because you have a deadline. ”
My gaze drops to the pie in front of me, and I imagine the person peeling the apples by hand this morning and making the dough in the hope it would bring a smile to a diner.
It’s likely more profitable for a small place like this to buy bulk frozen pies and serve as needed, but there’s something to be said about the extra attention to slow, like she said.
“My name is Ethan.” I offer her a hand to shake, and she accepts it with a warm smile.
“Cathy. It’s wonderful to meet you.” She taps my laptop again. “Now tell me what work brought you here.”
“Oh, sorry.” Turning my laptop around, I show Cathy the Instagram page I’ve made for the ranch. “I’m a marketing expert, an influencer, and I’m working for the Snow Creek Ranch.”
“Wow. These photos are gorgeous. You should be a photographer and not…a marketer, did you say?”
“Thank you, but I don’t think photography alone will pay the bills.”
“So what does the ranch hope you’ll do with this?”
“Bring more business to them. A side effect is more business for Chance. Maybe even the Laughing Fork.”
“If we get too busy because of your efforts, I may need you to wait tables.” Cathy stands with a smile. “It was nice meeting you, Ethan. I hope you find what you’re looking for here.”
She swishes away, and I slowly eat the rest of my pie while considering her words. Am I looking for something here?
Or is this just another pit stop on a road trip I’m tiring of?