Page 26 of Riding Into Love
“Hank. How’s the missus?”
“Oh, she’s just as mean as ever.”
“Good. Wouldn’t want you to get complacent. Can I get a whiskey neat and whatever the lady wants.”
Hank leans his forearms on the counter and winks at River. “What can I get ya, sweetheart?”
“Just a beer is fine,” she tells him.
“You sure? You can get whatever you want. On me.”
“Thanks, but I’m easy.”
Hank nods and turns to the taps. He pulls her a beer and slides it across the counter. “Here you go, darlin’.”
“Thank you.”
“You two sit wherever you’d like. It’s a little dead tonight. Not much happening.”
“Thanks, Hank.” I tip my hat to him before I lead River over to a corner table and pull her chair out. She gives me a look but doesn’t comment. “They’ve got your basic bar food. Burgers, fries, wings, that sort of thing.”
“Sounds good.”
“Yeah? Want a burger or something?”
“Sure. And a basket of onion rings.”
“You got it. Hey, Hank! Two orders of wings, an order of onion rings, and a cheeseburger.”
“Got it!”
While Hank gets our food, River and I make idle conversation, talking about the ranch and her parents’ farm. She tells me a few stories about her life on the farm, and I share a few of mine. We both grew up working the land. That’s something we’ll always have in common.
When our food arrives, we eat and drink, and she tells me about the time her brother caught her making out with a boy in the hayloft.
“My dad was so mad,” she tells me. “I had to cut the lawn all summer and shovel horse shit for the better part of a year.”
“But was it worth it?” I ask.
“Oh, absolutely.”
I laugh and take a sip of my whiskey. It burns on the way down, warming my stomach.
“Growing up, I always imagined I’d raise my kids on that ranch. I was so in love with the land, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But that’s the thing about dreams. Life happens, and sometimes, things don’t go the way you planned.”
“I really am sorry to hear about your father losing that place. I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”
“It sucked. It really did. Especially since it happened right after my mother passed. Everything went to shit so fast. Dad was devastated. And I didn’t know how to help him. All I could do was watch the light leave his eyes.”
I reach over and put my hand on her knee. “Sometimes, shit just happens, and you can’t do anything but keep moving.”
She sighs and looks down at the table. “Why did you hire me, Colby? I know damn good and well you had no interest in bringing a woman into the mix. You told me as much. So, why’d you do it?”
“Truth?”
“Always.”
“Because I owe your father a lot. When he asked me to look out for you, I couldn’t say no.”
