Page 41 of Cowboy Falling Hard

Chapter 14

Communication. - Twila Mason in Missouri

––––––––

DWIGHT WALKED OVERto the barn, going to the side door where he’d seen Mr. Brown walking in as they pulled up to the house.

As they walked, Owen talked about the fish he’d caught down by the river, and then he said, “That’s almost as good of a place to fish as the pond that we’re going to go to.”

“It’s not very big, is it?” Dwight asked, thinking about the “river” they’d crossed on the little bridge as they came in. It didn’t look much bigger than a creek to him, slow moving and not very deep. But it was flat North Dakota, so there wasn’t much white water anywhere.

“It’s not. But the fish bite, and that’s all I care about.”

Dwight grinned and gave Owen a look that said he understood. He enjoyed fishing when he was catching something. Although he got bored easily and usually only sat around for five or ten minutes before he ended up wading in the river himself and destroying any chance he had of catching any fish.

At least this river would be good wading. It didn’t look like it was deep enough to be a swimming river.

He opened the door and held it while Owen walked in.

“Mr. Brown?” he called out to the deserted barn loft. There was a bunch of equipment scattered around and what looked like dressers and other furniture covered in drop cloths and sitting on the barn floor.

“Yeah? Someone call me?” a man called out before his head popped up from behind one of the dressers.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you, but Orchid Baldwin and I were dropping in to see if it’d be okay if we take the four-wheelers down to the pond and have a picnic with the kids.”

“Of course. She does that all the time, and it’s always okay.” Mr. Brown straightened up and came out from behind the furniture, walking toward Dwight with his hand out. “I know Orchid, but I don’t believe I’ve met you before. I’m Stan.”

Dwight took the proffered hand. “Dwight Eckenrode. Orchid is a friend of mine.”

He silently added that he hoped she was soon more, but he didn’t say that aloud. He didn’t want to pressure Orchid, and he didn’t want to get any rumors started flying around, any more than they already were, that he was pushing for more.

“Nice girl,” Stan said.

“Yeah. She is.” Dwight looked around the barn. “Looks like you’re storing furniture.”

“Yeah. I’m actually getting ready to load up my trailer. I’ve sold some of it, but I promised to deliver it myself.”

“You have someone coming to help you?” Dwight asked, looking at the furniture, then back to Stan. It was a big job for just one person.

“My boys were supposed to show up, but the oldest one had some cows get out, and they’re working on that. Can’t hardly leave when your animals are out.”

“No.” Dwight hesitated. He wanted to stay and help. Hated to see the man trying to do this by himself, when he obviously needed someone, but the kids were expecting to go for a picnic, and Orchid was too.

He didn’t want to cancel on them or even postpone it. Not unless they all agreed with him. And he wasn’t sure he could ask them, since he wouldn’t want them to feel like they had to say yes and then resent the fact that he didn’t do what he said he was going to do and keep his word.

He looked around, realizing Owen was no longer beside him.

---