Page 24 of Midnight Surrounds Us

“Why?” I asked as I handed her a tin plate from the camping pack I kept in my truck’s crossover box.

Against Devo’s advice, I’d picked up a special meal from José’s Diner made just for Aubrey and me. José whipped up something he’d called a “mini charcuterie board” himself when I asked what to feed a woman on a date in the back of my truck in the middle of nowhere, with fancy wheat crackers, purple grapes, soppressata, sharp cheddar, and smoked Gouda. He’d offered to make a quick quiche, but Aubrey didn’t like eggs. At least, she didn’t used to. I still remembered how she’d slipped the scrambled eggs my mama had tried to force her to eat to my old German shepherd, Mikey.

Man, I miss that dog.

Aubrey took the plate from my hand along with a napkin and bit into a cracker with a little cut of Gouda on top as I set a bottle of water next to her leg.

“Thank you,” she said carefully, chewing and blushing a little because I couldn’t take my eyes away from her mouth. “This is good. I haven’t eaten much today.”

Dang it. I should’ve taken her somewhere for a steak.

She probably had no memory of it, but once upon a time, my mama had gotten it in her head that she wanted to open up a cheese section in the little store we ran on the ranch to sell our beef to our direct customers. Most of G&S’ product went to be processed and sent around the world to supermarkets, but we still sold to locals who wanted a side of beef to keep in their deep freezers for the winter.

But back then, Mama had spent months perfecting her cheese recipes, and then she’d called all us kids, the cowboys working the ranch, and my dad inside the house to taste test. She’d bought ten different cheeses from a little international cheese shop in Jackson, and then we had to try her versions and compare them to the store versions.

When Aubrey had bitten into the store-bought Gouda, she’d closed her eyes and smiled. My mama’s Gouda was disgusting, still to this day, but I remembered just how much that creamy bite had lit up young Aubrey’s face, so that was why I picked it when José told me the options earlier tonight.

“Your plan is flawed because it was Tommy your parents loved, not me. Back then, I was just ‘the girlfriend.’”

“You’re wrong. My mama still asks about you.”

“Really?”

I nodded.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she asked, “Why?”

I tossed some soppressata in my mouth with a hunk of cheddar, then wiped my lips with my napkin. “If you want myopinion, I think it’s ’cause she saw some of herself in you. She gave her whole life to my dad, and while I know she doesn’t regret her decision, maybe there’s a little bit of herself she wishes she could’ve kept separate from my brothers, my dad, and me.

“I think she sees you as someone who did what she couldn’t. Now, don’t get me wrong, she bosses my dad around like nobody’s business. She’s one hundred percent in charge at the ranch. My dad would disagree behind her back, but inside he knows it’s true. But the ranch has always been my dad’s dream, and she followed because she loves him. In her mind, that’s what women do, but I think she wishes she could’ve followed a dream or two of her own, like you did with your bookstore.”

“Wow. That’s…”

“What?”

“I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “Flatterin’? But it surprises me. I wouldn’t have thought your mama would even remember me.”

I laughed. “You kiddin’? You spent whole summers down at our place. Why wouldn’t she remember you? Where else would I have fallen so?—”

“Rye.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m gettin’ ahead of myself,” I said and felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d blushed for any reason, but tonight, Aubrey was heating up the blood in my veins at every turn and making me say things I swore I never would.

“Listen, in a few weeks, we’re goin’ on our big spring drive. I don’t know if you remember, but we have a cookout so all the cowboys head out to drive the cattle to range with full bellies. I’d love it if you’d come and see me off.”

“That’s it?” she said. “That’s all you want me to do? And that’s worth a five-thousand-dollar loan to you?”

“You don’t have to pay me back, Aubrey. I’m happy to help you.”

“Oh yes, I do,” she said. Then under her breath she muttered, “Or else this wholetransactionmight be illegal.”

Pretending I hadn’t heard that, I said, “Yeah, it’s worth it. I mean, I hoped we’d go out beforehand, get to know each other again so it looks more natural when people see us together.”

She hesitated for a moment, looking down at her still-full plate. “I’m gonna ask you somethin’, Rye, and I want you to be honest with me.”

I promised, “Always.”

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