Chapter Seven

Travis

It was a beautiful evening. Dinner was done, and I was back at the house again. I hadn’t been looking forward to the day, but it hadn’t gone as badly as I thought it would. It was at least nice to have something to do while I was out here. It was also quite fun pretending as if I was just a simple cowboy who had no idea about big city living. I was surprised that nobody had called me out on it. I apparently fit the role a lot better than I thought I did. I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or an insult though.

I wasn’t at all tired, so I went to sit outside on the porch. I was amazed at all the stars. I forgot how beautiful the evenings were here compared to back home in Washington. There was something about the vastness of the sky that put your life into perspective. I inhaled the fresh air and smiled.

“You look happy.”

I looked up and saw Allison. She was carrying two cups of coffee, and she handed me one before taking a seat beside me.

“Oh, thank you. This is just what I feel like right now. I was just looking up at the sky. It’s so beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but I do miss this. It’s spectacular, really. I wonder how many city people never get the chance to see something like this. It’s one of those things that you don’t realize you’re missing until you experience it again.”

She looked up and smiled. “Makes you feel so small, doesn’t it?”

“It sure does,” I said. “Where’s Mike?”

“Oh, he’s busy. You know what it’s like around here. There’s always something to do. He likes it though. But I saw you sitting here, and I thought you might want some coffee. I don’t work as hard as he does.”

“Are you kidding me? You just cooked for a big group of people. That’s a lot of work. And I know because I find it a lot of work to cook for just myself.”

She chuckled. “Well, that’s true. I love it though, so it doesn’t feel like work to me. Did you want to be alone by the way? I can go back inside if you like?”

I shook my head. “No, not at all. I’m happy for the company. I spend most of my life alone, so this is nice.”

She smiled. “Good. So, how are you doing? I know you didn’t really want to come here.”

I frowned. I felt guilty that she thought that about me. Was I really that transparent? “Uh, why do you say that? I wouldn’t have offered to come for a full month if I didn’t want to come here.”

She chuckled. “Nah, you were a little drunk when you made that promise. I spoke to you that night too. I was so sure you were going to wake up the next day and cancel on us. I was glad that you didn’t. I know you’ve been reluctant to spend time here since your parents died. And I totally understand that. But still, I’m glad you’re here.”

I felt bad. I had no idea that I had even spoken to her that night. I must’ve been drunker than I realized. I really shouldn’t make any big decisions when I’ve had something to drink. “Uh, I’m sorry. You know I want to see you. I love seeing you guys. It’s just… it’s strange coming back here. I always feel guilty when I come here.”

“Guilty? Why?”

I sighed. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s hard to explain I guess. Guilty because I didn’t stay behind like Mike did. Guilty because I left to lead a very different life. Guilty because this is where I grew up, and I don’t want it to look like I ran away from this life or that I didn’t appreciate it. Because I did. I really did.”

“Really? I didn’t know you felt that strongly about all of this.  Gosh, Travis, you shouldn’t feel guilty at all. You know your parents were so proud of you. I really mean that. I’m honestly not just saying that for your benefit. I’m a straight shooter. I would tell you the truth if I thought you did wrong by going away. But that’s not the case at all. Not even close actually. Your father did not stop talking about you. He couldn’t believe that you were a professor at some big fancy college. He was so proud. I know you miss them, but you shouldn’t feel guilty about following your own path in life. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with city living. You are doing very well for yourself, and you should be super proud.”

I smiled at her. “Thank you for saying that, I really appreciate it. I guess I’ve always just wanted to make my parents proud. I’m glad to hear that they were. That makes me feel a lot better about my decision. Pity Mike doesn’t think that way too.”

She groaned and shook her head. “Oh, you know what Mike is like. It’s not that he dislikes what you do at all, Travis. You should know that’s not the case. He just can’t relate to you. This is the only lifestyle he knows. He can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to live here. I’ve told him so many times that this life is not for everyone, but he doesn’t understand. Secretly I think he’s very proud of his little brother, but he just doesn’t like to say it. Anyway, I love my husband to bits, but he can be a bit pig-headed sometimes.”

I laughed. “That’s for sure. Although, admittedly, so can I.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here, and I know he is too even if he would never admit that to you. We’ve… well… we’ve been having some problems of our own. And I think having you here might be just what we need to get our mind off everything. I can already feel like the stress has been lifted by having something else to talk about and think about.”

I frowned and looked at Allison. This was the first I was hearing about any problems. From the outside, the two of them looked like the happiest couple in the world. “Are the two of you okay? I didn’t know you were having problems.”

“We’re good. I mean, the two of us are great. But we’ve been trying to have kids for years now, and it’s just not working out. It’s one of those things you just never expect is going to happen to you. I just assumed we would try and that I’d fall pregnant straight away and it just didn’t happen. The problem is that the more we stress about it, the more our bodies fail us. But it’s not the easiest thing to stop yourself from stressing about. It’s been tough.”

“Wow, I had no idea that you were having fertility problems. Shit, Allison, I feel so bad now. I should’ve been here for the two of you. I’m really sorry.”

“No, it’s not your fault. And anyway, there’s nothing that you could do. We’ll just keep trying, but there is a chance it just might not happen for us. That’s why I feel like keeping connected with family is so important for us. With your parents gone, I know how much Mike needs his family around even though he doesn’t always act like it.”

I smiled. “We’re both very stubborn. Aren’t we?”

“You sure are, and you’re both much more alike than you realize. So, enough about me, today went well, didn’t it? That’s an interesting group of people we have. That Jackson guy is really something, isn’t he? I noticed you were trying very hard to be polite with him. You did very well.”

I laughed at the thought of Jackson and shook my head. “He is really something, that guy. I think he really believes that he’s going to be a cowboy while he’s here. Do you always get people as nuts as him?”

“Not always, but sometimes. We get all sorts. It’s what makes the whole thing so interesting. I think he’s going to annoy everyone, but he’s probably going to entertain them too. He’s the guy that everyone is going to go home and talk about.”

“Oh, that’s for sure. That outfit was very amusing. I get the feeling he’s only packed things like that too.”

Allison nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised. And what about those other two? The girls. What were their names?”

“Jillian and Harper?”

“Yeah, those two. Not the sort of girls we usually see out here. They’re both gorgeous, aren’t they? Although I get the feeling that Jillian is trying too hard. Like she’s trying to cover something up.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking too although I can’t quite place my finger on what it is. She seems nice though.”

“Yeah, she does seem nice. I wonder if she’s running away from something? That’s usually the case when you see city girls like them in a place like this. We’ll see if her enthusiasm lasts. Hopefully, this is just the sort of escape she needs, but only time will tell.”

“Yeah, should be interesting. And her friend Harper is pretty annoying, isn’t she?”

“Annoying? You think so?”

I nodded. “I mean, she’s gorgeous obviously, but her attitude is pretty shoddy. Makes me wonder why she came here in the first place. She doesn’t seem to want to be here at all. I get the impression she’s just dying to go back to her easy city life living.”

Allison burst out laughing.

“Hey, what’s so funny?”

“When you look at her, it’s almost like you’re looking into a mirror, don’t you think? I mean, you’re also a big city guy who doesn’t really want to be here.”

I chuckled. “I do want to be here.”

“I’m just kidding. Well, at least you have some pretty girls to look at while you’re here.”

“I’m looking at one right now,” I said to her and smiled.

“Ah, such a charmer. Just like your brother. Thanks, Travis. And thanks again for helping us out like this. I know it’s not really your thing, but I cannot tell you how much it means to both of us. You saved our butt. And, with this group of people, at least you’ll have a month here that you won’t easily forget.”

I thought of Jackson and laughed. “Yeah, that’s for sure.”

We sat there for a while longer, just talking. Allison told me all about her previous groups. She had some hilarious stories, and it made me wonder what I was in for this time around. Judging by the colorful group of people that had gotten off the shuttle bus, I had a feeling we were in for some pretty interesting experiences. That’s if all of them even made it all the way to the last day. Harper seemed worried for the last two days, but I was sure she wasn’t the only one that was worried about the two-night trip. I looked back up at the stars and smiled.  At least with this group of city misfits, I didn’t feel like I was totally out of place here. For once I felt like I belonged.