Page 52 of The Boy from Half Moon

“For us,” I corrected, using his earlier line, lifting the bag of food off the table and handing it to him. “We need a nice table for my very first McDonald’s food.”

“You stick with me, Luke, and it’ll be fine dining all the time.”

We sat across from one another and Tate divided the food. I’d never seen a sandwich in a little box before. We each had a red container of potato slivers I’d never seen either. I waited until he opened his box, and then did the same.

“Three pieces of bread?” I asked, looking at him like I’d witnessed a miracle. “And in one sandwich?”

Tate burst out laughing, pointing at me, and grinning. “You are so sweet, Luke. I just love you.”

His words caught me off guard. No one besides Ma and Pa ever said they loved me. David did when he was real young, but he’d sooner eat a grasshopper than admit that now. I fumbled with picking up the sandwich, setting it back in the box after a moment.

“You okay?” Tate asked, also putting his sandwich down.

“Did you just say you loved me?” I asked.

“Well, yeah. I guess I did say that,” he admitted. “I meant that I love your personality, the sweet way you have about you.”

“Is that different from the other love?”

“Hmmm,” he hummed. “I guess in this case, it’s more about learning things about you worth loving, Luke. When you said that about three pieces of bread, I found it funny and wholesome, like you. I suppose I could’ve said I really liked you, but I just said love instead.”

“What I feel about you,” I stuttered. “You know, when I see you,” I added, nervously tapping my foot on the floor. “Do you call that love? Because I feel so good inside when I see you.”

Tate’s eyes filled with water again. I noticed this happened when I spoke serious words to him. “Wow!” he gasped, shaking his head. “Now, that is a very nice thing to say to me.” Tate swiped at his eyes, locked them with mine, and we sat there staring at each other. He didn’t look away, and neither did I, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable in the least. Actually, I felt warm. He was looking at me, and it felt like he was trying to really see me. “It could be the beginning of love, I suppose,” he whispered.

“Like courting?” I asked.

The corners of his mouth lifted, a smile taking shape. “I’ve never courted, Luke, and I mean this sincerely, but if I ever were to court, I think you’d be the guy I’d want to do that with.”

“You’re not making fun of me?”

“Would I be making fun of you by stopping by with dinner?” he quipped, holding a potato stick up to me and winking. “Not a chance. I did it because I wanted to see you tonight. I planned this date because I like you.”

All I could do was grin. His way of saying stuff made me want to jump and down and yell as loud as I could. “How about if I want to have another date with you?” I asked.

“Then I’d say, yes. Now, of course, you’d have to plan that date you’re speaking of on your own because I don’t go on dates with just any guy that asks,” he said.

I wasn’t as good at these sorta talks as he was, but I understood what he meant. I think. But I had a different question in mind that had settled into my worry file as soon as he mentioned any guys and dating.

“Do you go on dates with other guys?”

“I do not currently do that. I haven’t had a boyfriend in more than a year.”

Terms like boyfriend weren’t used at the ranch. We had courting, and then we became mates. For life. He said he’d had a boyfriend, but now he didn’t have one for a year.

“Did you stop being boyfriends and then were mates?” I asked, still unsure of the rules outsiders had. “I’m sorry, Tate. I really don’t understand some of this stuff you talk about, but I truly want to.”

“And you know what?” he asked. “That’s just fine that you don’t. I don’t know what life at the ranch is like for you, either. How about we learn from each other? I could share information, and you could share stuff with me.”

“I like that a lot,” I agreed. The thing I admired the most about Tate? He looked all proper and handsome, but he didn’t act the way he looked. He didn’t act like he was better than anyone else. I liked that. “So, my first question is the one about your boyfriend.”

“Good one,” he stated, plopping a potato into his mouth. “Damn good fries,” he added, grabbing three more and gobbling them down. Note to self. He calls them fries. “Well,” he began. “In the beginning, we were boyfriends, with a chance to one day marry, or be what you might call, mates. However, my boyfriend found another boyfriend.”

“You can do that?” I asked, almost instantly knowing that I didn’t like that plan in the least. If Tate was my boyfriend, I wouldn’t have other boyfriends. I hoped he wouldn’t either.

“Apparently, you can. Mine did, anyway.”

“I don’t think I could share,” I admitted. “My feelings would be hurt, to be honest with you.”

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