Chapter Eleven

Travis

“Really? You want to move to the ranch? Are you pulling my leg?”

I looked at Mike and smiled. “I’m not pulling your leg. I changed my mind. I decided that city life is no longer for me. Just being here again made me realize that this is the sort of life I want for myself.”

“Really?”

I laughed. “Really. I’m going to build a little house right on the ranch and help you out there.”

“What about your book? Your students? All those big ideas you were telling me about? What’s going to happen to all of that?”

I shrugged. “Oh, who cares about that. I’m changing my lifestyle. This is what I want. I want to be a country boy. I want to wear these boots every day and wear these clothes. I never want to go back to the city again. I’ve spent my whole life running away from this lifestyle, but I finally see that it’s what I’m meant to do with my life. It’s who I am.”

Mike grinned. “I know you’d eventually see the light. I’m so happy to have you on board. You know, dad is going to be so happy. Now, what about all the other group members? Do you think any of them are going to stay too?”

“Oh yeah. Harper is. She’s moving in with me. She’s tossing the high heels for boots and changing her lifestyle.”

“I can’t believe this, Travis. I really can’t believe this. The two of you are such unlikely people to live here. I honestly never thought I’d see the day.”

I woke up with a start and looked around the room. It took me a while to realize that I had only been dreaming and that I was still only there for a month. I wasn’t about to move to the ranch for good and give up my old life. Relief washed over me, and I chuckled to myself. I knew I’d better not tell Mike about that dream. He would never let me hear the end of it. Had I really dreamt that Harper was moving in with me? I shook my head. The whole thing was so ridiculous. I needed to take a cold shower and to rid myself of all these crazy thoughts. I hadn’t even been here all that long, and already my head was turning to mush.

After a very long and vigorous scrub in the shower, I changed and headed to the kitchen. Allison was out, but she’d left Mike and I a spread of food, which he was already eagerly tucking into.

“Allison is amazing,” I said as I poured myself a coffee. “Good morning by the way.”

“Morning,” he said in between mouthfuls. “And yes, she is.”

“Does she feed you like this all the time?”

He chuckled. “Most of the time. I am lucky enough to have married a woman that likes to cook. She actually enjoys doing all this.”

“I wish it was something I enjoyed,” I said. “Sadly all I enjoy is eating it.”

“You and me both, man. You and me both. We get our appetite from dad, that’s for sure. Remember how much he could put away?”

I laughed at the thought. I had forgotten about that. We used to tease my father about how much he always ate. “Oh yeah. We definitely get that from him.”

“So, are you enjoying the group? They’re very different from the last ones we had, that’s for sure,” he said as I took a seat at the table with him and helped myself to some scrambled eggs and bacon.

“Yeah, Allison told me all about the last group. These guys do sound different. They’re all very different from one another too.”

“They’re all so city-like, although I’m sure you can relate to them a lot more than I can.”

“Actually, they take it to a whole new level. I mean, they really don’t seem to get the concept, do they? They see the photos on the website and know what to expect. It’s like they’re living in their own little worlds. Harper seems to have packed more for a trip to a Californian resort that a Texas dude ranch. And Jackson, let’s not even go there; the guy really needs to dial it down a bit. He’s been watching way too many movies.”

“We often get guys like Jackson,” Mike said. “Although I must say he has taken it to another level. He’s really something, that guy.”

“Did you hear what he said to me after dinner last night?” I said.

“No? What?”

I laughed at the memory. “He asked if there was an open pit outside that he could use instead of the regular toilet with all its fancy indoor plumping. His words, not mine. He wants an authentic experience. One of the other women from the group was standing nearby when he said it, and she looked like she was going to throw up when he said that. She seemed very relieved when I told him that we only had normal toilets on offer. I swear, every day that guy comes up with something new.”

Mike laughed. “That’s funny. But you know, we have to make sure we are polite to the guy. I know it’s funny for us, but at the end of the day, that’s what the whole point of this dude ranch is. It’s a chance to give city people a chance to get in touch with a rural and older lifestyle that they’re not used to.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Although, Jackson takes it to a whole new level.”

“He does, that’s true, but the poor guy is only trying to have a fun experience. Anyway, who knows; there’s always the hope that someone will like it well enough to maybe want to have this lifestyle for themselves. You know, instead of running away from it like some people do.”

Of course, I knew immediately that he was talking about me and I felt the heat rise up my face. I didn’t know why Mike always had to have a dig at me and why he always had to turn the conversation into something like this. We were having a perfectly nice time until he brought this up. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I couldn’t help myself. When he pushed me, I could never really hold back. And with Allison out the room, it was easier for me to get irritated by my brother. She always kept us calm, but without her, we didn’t try as hard.

“Excuse me! What’s your problem, Mike? I’m not running away from anything. I happen to love being in the city. It has nothing to do with me trying to run away from here. There’s nothing wrong with me not wanting to live as a rancher, even if you clearly think that there is. Considering dad didn’t have a problem with my choice, I honestly don’t know why you do. And anyway, I don’t go around constantly telling you that you made the wrong decisions in life, do I? No, of course I don’t, because I happen to respect your decisions. So maybe you should just let me live my own life. Maybe for once in your life you should just support me.”

Mike looked like he wanted to say something but he changed his mind. I had a feeling he was thinking of Allison and what she would’ve said if she were in the room to hear us. She would not be happy with this conversation. “Sorry, man. I’m just kidding,” he said even though I knew that he wasn’t. I could tell by his body language that he wanted to say more to me on the matter, but I was glad when he changed the subject completely. If I was going to live here for the rest of the month, then he was going to have to stop upsetting me. I had no problem with just leaving if he was going to keep going on like this at me.

“So, what do you think about Harper and Jillian? They’re very interesting and not at all what I expected when I saw them get off that shuttle bus. I thought they were going to annoy the hell out of me, but they both actually seem like really nice girls. Also, as far as I’m aware neither one of them has a boyfriend.”

I shrugged and tried to push the thought of Harper being a part of my dream to the far corners of my mind. Why did the idea thrill me so much? “They’re cool. I like them. I’m not sure about the boyfriend thing. They haven’t said anything to me, and I haven’t asked. Not that it really matters anyway. I don’t know what having a boyfriend has to do with anything.”

“Well, you should maybe consider getting close to one of them? You’ve still got a few more weeks with us, and you might as well make the most of it. And what better way than by hooking up with one of the girls. I mean, they’re both absolutely gorgeous girls, don’t you think?”

“I do think so; of course I do. I mean, they’re beautiful, but I’m only here for the summer. I was meant to come here and just have a break, but instead I’m working with you. And before you say anything, I’m totally fine with that. I’m actually enjoying it. But I definitely don’t want to have a fling with someone.”

“Ah, why the hell not? I mean, you’re single. They’re single. Look, I hit the jackpot with Allison. She’s the good one in the relationship, not me. And they both seem like nice girls. Who knows, maybe this is just the thing you need right now.”

“You are the most annoying man I’ve ever met,” I said.

“Thank you,” he said and grinned.

I shook my head. “Now, I’m going to finish this food and get ready for the day ahead. This conversation is definitely over. Nothing is going to happen with me and either one of those girls. And you are going to stop busting my chops about living in the city. That’s a life I’ve chosen, and I’m happy with it. Be happy for me. Also, you don’t need to try and set me up. So if that is what you’re trying to do, forget about it. I’m not interested in girls right now.”

Mike chuckled but didn’t say anything, and I knew he didn’t believe me. I wasn’t sure why though. I wasn’t flirting with the girls, and I didn’t see them flirting with me. Well, there was that time that Jillian had asked me to sit with her and have a drink, and she had actually seemed somewhat flirtatious at the time. But I wasn’t interested in Jillian. Harper, on the other hand, well, she was someone I couldn’t seem to get out of my head. Hell, she’d even crept into my dreams. But I figured it had more to do with me not having a girlfriend for a while, and the fact that she was the prettiest and most interesting girl at the ranch. I was sure that I was not actually interested in her. Although, it did seem curious that I didn’t feel the same way about Jillian. If it just had to do with looks, then I should be attracted to both the girls. And yet… something about Harper intrigued me. Could I really be interested in her? I pushed the thought away. No, there was nothing there. Even if there was, I didn’t think that she was interested in me. It had been Jillian that had asked me out, and not Harper. I needed to stop thinking about her. I had more important things to worry about.