The small structures got larger as she approached and she
could see Aunt Sheryl standing on the porch, wringing her hands.
She was looking to see who was coming as the dogs barked at her
approaching car.
Holly had witnessed this scene several times
over her lifetime, but Aunt Mary wasn’t with her. It left her with
an empty feeling that she wasn’t quite ready for. Sheryl’s partner
had passed from cancer only a few short months ago. They finally
married only a couple of years ago in Vermont, just for her wife to
be swept away by a cancer that started in her pancreas and ravaged
her body from the inside out. Holly had tried to help as much as
she could, video chatting with the two and planning funeral
arrangements when it was obvious that Mary was not going to
recover.
Holly fought back a tear and put a smile on her
face. She was happy to be here, even with the hole that was in her
heart. She couldn’t wait to feel her aunt’s hug. But she wasn’t the
only one who wanted to greet her. When Holly got out of her little
coupe a scruffy white dog she didn’t recognize jumped up onto her,
licking at her face, its tongue reaching only air. She laughed and
petted it, still in her three-piece dress suit. She gave it a
generous scratch behind the ear.
“Lee Roy, get down,” A voice from behind her
barked, his commanding tone all that it took for the dog to
immediately hop down, “Come here, boy.”
The pup trotted over to a tall shadow in the
doorway of the barn, his tail wagging expectantly as the shadow
became a reality. A tail, muscular man with thick black, curly hair
squatted down and ruffled the dog’s scruff. He was wearing a
tee-shirt and wranglers with a ball cap on but Holly couldn’t help
but imagine him in fine western gear and a cowboy hat. Not the kind
she saw the “Cowboys” wearing in town, but a real one. One that got
use out there in the Midwestern sun. He looked up at her with
curious eyes as he petted Lee Roy. There was something familiar
that she couldn’t place.
“Jensen, you remember my niece, Holly. Jensen
is the new ranch foreman. Mr. Bill retired just after Mary… passed.
Jensen was working under him, so I promoted him to foreman. In
fact, Jensen has been working here since he was a teenager, you may
even remember him,” When Sheryl realized that Holly did not, in
fact, remember him, she continued, “He has been doing a wonderful
job here. A lot of new ideas. Isn’t that right, Jensen?” Aunt
Sheryl beamed as she came down the porch steps. She never gave
compliments she didn’t mean. He must have been doing a wonderful
job.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jensen said as he stood and
tipped his ball cap a little bit in recognition.
He was taller than she realized, towering over
her with his thick, muscular frame. He looked intensely at Holly,
his gaze seeming to linger on her. He knew her, she just didn’t
know him.
It was enough to make Holly swoon. She had no
idea how she was going to get through two weeks of this. She
swallowed and remember that she would get through this like she
always did whenever she encountered a man who made her weak in the
knees. By remembering that no man who looked like that would be
remotely interested in her. He probably had a country bunny
somewhere down the road waiting for him every night.
Holly felt weak as he walked towards her, his
saunter every bit as masculine as she expected, the muscles beneath
that thin tee-shirt flexing as he came towards her. She felt beads
of perspiration forming on her hairline. Hopefully he would think
it from the heat of the Midwestern summer. Not from him.
“Pleased to meet you, Holly,” Jenson extended
his hand to her, it was at least three times the size of her own.
She gulped and moved to extend her own before he took his
back.
“Sorry Ma’am, I’ve been busy working. Don’t
want to get you dirty” He said as he wiped it on the back of jeans
before extending it again.
She took it without hesitation, wanting
could see Aunt Sheryl standing on the porch, wringing her hands.
She was looking to see who was coming as the dogs barked at her
approaching car.
Holly had witnessed this scene several times
over her lifetime, but Aunt Mary wasn’t with her. It left her with
an empty feeling that she wasn’t quite ready for. Sheryl’s partner
had passed from cancer only a few short months ago. They finally
married only a couple of years ago in Vermont, just for her wife to
be swept away by a cancer that started in her pancreas and ravaged
her body from the inside out. Holly had tried to help as much as
she could, video chatting with the two and planning funeral
arrangements when it was obvious that Mary was not going to
recover.
Holly fought back a tear and put a smile on her
face. She was happy to be here, even with the hole that was in her
heart. She couldn’t wait to feel her aunt’s hug. But she wasn’t the
only one who wanted to greet her. When Holly got out of her little
coupe a scruffy white dog she didn’t recognize jumped up onto her,
licking at her face, its tongue reaching only air. She laughed and
petted it, still in her three-piece dress suit. She gave it a
generous scratch behind the ear.
“Lee Roy, get down,” A voice from behind her
barked, his commanding tone all that it took for the dog to
immediately hop down, “Come here, boy.”
The pup trotted over to a tall shadow in the
doorway of the barn, his tail wagging expectantly as the shadow
became a reality. A tail, muscular man with thick black, curly hair
squatted down and ruffled the dog’s scruff. He was wearing a
tee-shirt and wranglers with a ball cap on but Holly couldn’t help
but imagine him in fine western gear and a cowboy hat. Not the kind
she saw the “Cowboys” wearing in town, but a real one. One that got
use out there in the Midwestern sun. He looked up at her with
curious eyes as he petted Lee Roy. There was something familiar
that she couldn’t place.
“Jensen, you remember my niece, Holly. Jensen
is the new ranch foreman. Mr. Bill retired just after Mary… passed.
Jensen was working under him, so I promoted him to foreman. In
fact, Jensen has been working here since he was a teenager, you may
even remember him,” When Sheryl realized that Holly did not, in
fact, remember him, she continued, “He has been doing a wonderful
job here. A lot of new ideas. Isn’t that right, Jensen?” Aunt
Sheryl beamed as she came down the porch steps. She never gave
compliments she didn’t mean. He must have been doing a wonderful
job.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jensen said as he stood and
tipped his ball cap a little bit in recognition.
He was taller than she realized, towering over
her with his thick, muscular frame. He looked intensely at Holly,
his gaze seeming to linger on her. He knew her, she just didn’t
know him.
It was enough to make Holly swoon. She had no
idea how she was going to get through two weeks of this. She
swallowed and remember that she would get through this like she
always did whenever she encountered a man who made her weak in the
knees. By remembering that no man who looked like that would be
remotely interested in her. He probably had a country bunny
somewhere down the road waiting for him every night.
Holly felt weak as he walked towards her, his
saunter every bit as masculine as she expected, the muscles beneath
that thin tee-shirt flexing as he came towards her. She felt beads
of perspiration forming on her hairline. Hopefully he would think
it from the heat of the Midwestern summer. Not from him.
“Pleased to meet you, Holly,” Jenson extended
his hand to her, it was at least three times the size of her own.
She gulped and moved to extend her own before he took his
back.
“Sorry Ma’am, I’ve been busy working. Don’t
want to get you dirty” He said as he wiped it on the back of jeans
before extending it again.
She took it without hesitation, wanting
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