Page 16 of Ring Rust

“What are you so happy about?” he asked.

“I just realized what day it is. Beni and I are going to Australia in one month! One month, baby!”

“Oh yeah! I forgot, sorry. I’ve been wrapped up in my own stuff. I’m excited for you guys, it’s about time.”

“First joint vacation away from the kids. I can’t wait. Plus, I heard Nina is very excited to spend two and a half weeks with her super fun guncles.”

Jasper froze. Stevie did, too.

“Shit.”

Stevie rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, shit. God, Jasper, I didn’t even think about it.”

He shrugged. “It’s fine. We’re going to have to see each other the rest of our lives, right? Weddings, funerals… other stuff, probably.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s true. But you could stay at my house with both kids, if that would be better?”

“No,” Jasper said. “Last time I spoke to your very reasonable daughter, who reminded me she’s almost seventeen and could totally stay at home for two and a half weeks without any adults, by the way, she told me she and Nina were excited about helping with the chickens and everything.”

Stevie laughed. “Sounds like Winnie.”

Jasper’s phone lit up with a text. It was Ryan, of course. He was still texting him exactly once per day to check in. Jasper replied when he saw them, sometimes feeling it would be preferable if he’d texted incessantly, giving Jasper an excuse to block his number or at least cuss him out for being annoying. But instead, they either were helpful reminders, like telling Jasper it was time to switch out their mechanical toothbrush heads, or sweet little notes, like a photo of two slugs eating a single leaf withRyan and Jasperscribbled across the top of the screen.

“More slugs?” Stevie asked, her face sympathetic—to Ryan, not Jasper.

“This time it’s two trees that look like they’re holding hands,” Jasper said, sighing. His initial reaction was to find it sweet and sad, but that was quickly replaced with a flash of irritation. It took Jasper leaving for Ryan to pay this much attention to him and to compare them to mollusks sharing a meal. Unlike Ryan, Jasper didn’t have the ability to overlook such things. “It is interesting though, I wonder how they grew like that.” He squinted at the photo before turning the phone to show Stevie.

“Trees holding hands,” she said, pressing her hand to her chest. “God.”

“Stop. Maybe he should have sent a photo of himself holding hands with a title belt, since that reflects our relationship much more accurately than this… arborous display of affection.”

Stevie snorted. “Poetic.”

Jasper smiled, then started packing up his tools, giving up on the gate for the day. Stevie had a clipboard in her hand and was scribbling notes on the paper she’d brought from her trip to the office.

“Hey, change of topic…”

“What’s up?” he asked.

“This is that list we put together of all the work needed around here. And I know you’ve been living large with no husband and freedom from the park, but I think it’s time to focus and finish getting bids on all this stuff.”

“What, do you think I’ve been off gallivanting with dozens of young men the past few weeks? I haven’t. In fact, what would you say if I told you I already hired a contractor to manage all that work?”

“I would say I don’t believe you. I’d also wonder how on earth you chose anyone from that pile of names you had. What do you know about contractors?”

“Plenty.”

Stevie sighed. “Fine. So, who’d you hire, then?”

“His name is Logan.”

“The guy from the blue estimate? That Ryan looked at when he was at the house?”

“I guess so,” Jasper said. “I went with him because he can start sooner than everyone else. It was either that or spend twice as much.”

Stevie cleared her throat and looked away. “Right.”

“What? I’m not saying he’s perfect, but he’s qualified, and more importantly, we can afford him.”