Chapter Three

Travis

It always took a while for me to get used to being back at the ranch. I couldn’t help but feel swamped with emotions. When I was back home in Washington, it was easy for me to forget about my past, and to pretend like I’d always been this big-city guy. I always felt so conflicted when I came back to the ranch to see my brother. It was a part of me that felt so much like me and nothing like me at the same time. I loved my life and loved what I did, but I couldn’t help but always feel a little bit guilty that I hadn’t followed in my family’s footsteps. I was sure I wouldn’t feel this way if my parents were still alive, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty now that they were dead. My brother was the good one, while I was the bad one who had run away from home. I knew the feelings would subside in a few days and that I’d settle in soon enough.

I was sitting with my brother and his wife over a big family dinner. Allison was a great cook, and it was always the thing I looked forward to the most. I’d been a bachelor for a very long time, and even though I was old enough to be married, I still ate like I was in my early twenties. It was just easier when you lived by yourself. And anyway, who really had time for big fancy meals? Although, with a scrumptious roast chicken sitting in front of me, I wasn’t sure if I had my priorities right. I missed this kind of food.

“Allison, you are amazing. This food is so good.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you like it. I love cooking for people that love food. We once had guests over where everything had to be fat-free and this free and that free. It was a nightmare. Eventually, I just lied and told them that everything was healthy even when it wasn’t.”

I laughed. I liked Allison. She was a very sweet and down-to-earth woman that always made me feel at home. I could easily see why my brother had fallen for her. I had a funny feeling that she ran things around the ranch though even if it didn’t seem like it at first glance. She had a very soft way about her, but she was firm when it counted. She was one of those silent leaders that everyone looked up to.

“Oh, I’m definitely not one of those people. I’ll eat anything you put in front of me. But I know good food when I taste it, and this is amazing. You’re one lucky man, Mike.”

Mike grinned at his wife and then back at me. “I sure am. Why do you think I have this belly now? I’m not lazy and all the work around the ranch is better than a gym workout, but I simply can’t stay away from this food.”

“Oh, you boys flatter me. It’s good to have you here, Travis. We’ve missed you. I was so happy when Mike said you were coming to spend time with us again.”

“I’ve missed you too,” I said. “Not Mike so much though.”

“Whatever, you’ve missed me. That’s why you’re here for a whole month. You’ve simply missed me too much, but you just don’t want to admit it to anyone.”

“Oh yeah? Is that what you really think? Nah, I’m just here for the cooking.”

“Well, you’ll be getting lots of it, that’s for sure,” Allison said. “So, how’s work going at the moment? Sounds like you’re keeping busy.”

I nodded in between delicious mouthfuls of chicken. I was eating too fast but the food was so good. At this rate, my plate would be cleaned within minutes. “Yeah, it’s so busy,” I said and told her all about the course I was teaching at the college as well as the think tank stuff and the book. She seemed impressed, and that pleased me. I didn’t like to sound pompous but I sometimes even managed to impress myself.

“You know,” Mike interrupted, “it always amazes me that you make so much money doing what you do.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?” Not that I was surprised by this comment. My brother had never taken too kindly to the fact that I hadn’t stayed on the ranch like he had. I wasn’t sure why he had always taken it so personally though. I didn’t care what he did so I don’t see why he cared what I did.

“You spend all day just talking about voting and stuff, and you get paid. I wish I could get paid to talk.”

“Are you kidding me? Did you not just hear what I told Allison? That’s not what I do. I do a whole lot more than just talk. There’s more to political science than just that,” I insisted and went on to discuss the merits of the job. I had a good deal of these speeches ready to go whenever I needed because I was used to trying to persuade my own students that they had chosen the right career path. But Mike didn’t seem to be listening much at all. Everything I said looked like it was going in one ear and out the other.

“That’s why I like it out here,” he said. “The choking air of the city is too much. Here we do real work. Work that matters. And we don’t spend all day just talking about our problems. We actually do something about it.”

“Are you shitting me, Mike? Are you being serious or are you just trying to rile me up? Because it’s working if you are.”

Allison stood up, scraping the chair back so loudly that we were both forced to look up at her. She was a tiny woman, but she managed to command a lot of respect. We both went quiet as we saw the look on her face.

“Now come on, you two. You need to stop this. I was looking forward to a nice meal as a family, and you’re ruining it all. I know the two of you do very different things in life, but it doesn’t mean that either one of you is better than the other. There is a need for all sorts of jobs in this world. Imagine what would happen if we all did the same thing? Also, your parents were so proud of both of you. Travis, you have no idea how much your dad respected you for going out there and doing what you wanted to do. I was lucky enough to get to know him, and he used to go on and on about how proud he was of his boys. So, please, have some respect for each other.”

I looked at Mike and gulped. I felt chastened at the mention of our deceased father, and I could see that Mike felt the same.

“You’re right. Sorry, Travis. I was just messing with you. I didn’t mean all that,” he said even though we both knew that he really did mean it.

“I’m sorry too,” I said. I was about to say something more when Mike’s phone rang, and he went out the room to answer it. I looked at Allison and apologized for the stupid argument.

“Nah, I know you’re not the one who started it, but try not to take what Mike says so personally, otherwise the two of you are going to be at your throats this whole month. Like I said, I’m happy to have you here, but I want us to have a good time together, otherwise what’s the point? You of all people should know how Mike would try and get your goat no matter what the job was. It’s mostly just a joke, and a lot of it is him just trying to be an older brother and proving a point. You know what he’s like.”

I smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess we just haven’t seen each other in a long time and we’ve forgotten how to just tease and not fight.” I wasn’t entirely convinced of that though. Despite promising not to take things so seriously I was starting to remember why I always avoided coming back home. Ever since my parents died, my brother had been pretty hard on me, and the two of us didn’t really see eye to eye. But I was only here for a month, and I was going to have to just keep my thoughts to myself. At least for Allison’s sake.

When Mike came back in, he looked worried. Whoever was on the phone had obviously caused a reaction out of him, and it did not look like good news.

“Mike, what’s wrong?” Allison asked.

He sighed. “There’s been an accident, and two of the ranch guys were hurt. Thankfully they are all fine, just a bit banged up, but it means they won’t be able to come back to work for a least a few weeks. I have a feeling it’s going to be more like a month though.”

“Oh no. Well, I guess it’s good that they’re at least okay though,” Allison said.

“Yeah, but what are we going to do? We have that group coming soon, and we’re going to need some extra help around here. There’s no way we can do it all by ourselves. Do you think you could call Peter up and see if he could help out?”

Allison shook her head. “I wish I could, but Peter is away. Remember he said he’s going on that big trip? He’s only back in a few months. What about Angelo?”

“He’s working with his father now, so I don’t think he’s going to be looking for work again. Shit. This is so last minute as well. It’s not like we even have time to find anyone.”

“Uh… well… I guess I could help,” I said and instantly regretted the words. What was I thinking? I hadn’t planned to come here to work. But I felt so bad seeing them looking so helpless, and Allison had been so nice to me. Also, a month of her food was probably going to cost her a fair bit, so it was the least I could do. If I didn’t offer, I would just end up looking like a right bastard. I’d lived here most of my life, and even though I’d been away for so long, I still remembered most of it. It was ingrained in me whether I wanted it to be or not.

“Really?” Mike asked, clearly surprised by my offer.

“In exchange for Allison’s food of course,” I said and smiled to show them that I was actually being serious.

“Do you even remember how to put boots on?” Mike said.

“Mike! Seriously? Are you really going to mock the one guy who has offered to help us get out of this jam that we’re in? Really?”

Mike looked shamefaced. Yep, Allison definitely wore the pants around this house. He looked at me and smiled. “Well, thank you. I’d be very glad for the help. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Nah, I don’t mind. It gives me something to do,” I said. Perhaps it was a good thing that I’d be kept so busy. It would hopefully mean that this month at the ranch would go quickly. But it would also mean that my trip was not going to be as restful as I wanted it to be. I also wasn’t sure if I’d have any time to work on my book. I just hoped that the guests weren’t as annoying as my brother.

“Thank you, Travis. This is such a big help,” Allison said.

“Ah, the things I do for good food.”