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“Where is it? Where are you from?” Dad tries again.
“I’d rather not say, sir.” She pulls her hand away from mind, wiping our combined sweat on her jeans. “But I know horses. With a chance, I can show you that.”
“I don’t see why you won’t—” Dad won’t let up, but I interrupt him before he goes any further.
“Sunny, go out in the hall, please. I’ll be there in a minute.” I wait for her hasty exit before I turn to my dad. “You said I was made manager to show you I could run this place. You said you want to retire, and it’s between me and Carl to make the Sea Star work. We both know Carl has no interest in any of this, and I live and breathe it.” I’ve never talked like this to either of them. Never been brave enough. Never cared enough to try. “I’ve made this decision. I’m hiring Sunny.”
Dad shifts in his seat. Likely, he’s not pleased that he has to look up at me from where he’s sitting. Being a naturally tall man, he’s enjoyed the years I’ve had to look up at him. “That’s well and good, Son, and I appreciate you stepping into the role I gave you, but I don’t think you’ve thought this through. Too many questions remain unanswered.”
“Like what?” I square my shoulders, feeling confident that I’ll have the answers.
“Where will she sleep, Darling?” Mom asks. “She can’t be in the bunkhouse with all the hired hands. There’s no privacy for a young woman like her.”
“She can sleep in the house. The guest room is empty.”
Mom’s hand presses flat over her chest. “You can’t be serious, Rhett. We can’t have some strange girl living with us. What if she’s a murderer?”
I roll my eyes, sick of the close-minded dramatics. “She’s not. It’ll be fine.”
“Absolutely not.” Dad slams a hand on the arm rest. “You see? This isn’t working.”
“Fine. She’s tough. She can sleep out in the bunkhouse.”
“Don’t be absurd, Rhett.” Dad struggles to stand from his lazy chair, but the darn thing has swallowed his ancient rear. “You can’t have a girl sleeping out there with all those men.”
“Unlike you, I trust the men I hired. But either way, I’ll sleep out there too. It’s probably time I moved out anyway.”
Mom’s eyes widen. “Move out? Buddy, tell him not to move out.”
“Quit your hysterics, Clara, it’s only the bunkhouse.” Dad narrows his eyes. “You’re set on this, aren’t you?”
Not in the least, but for once I don’t want to back down. If proving my manhood to my father means I have to give up my cushy room in the ranch house for a lumpy bunk mattress, then it’s worth the cost.
He nods, signifying his permission. “She’s your responsibility, Rhett. If this goes south, it’s coming down on your head.”
Sunny
I can’t believe he fought for me. While I might have expected the strong opposition from his parents, I didn’t expect Rhett to fight to keep me. Either they’re hard up for a groom or there’s more at play here than I thought. He nods his head for me to follow down the hall. I hesitate because the last thing I want is to anger his family further, but at the same time, he’s clearly my only ally for the time being. He passes a room along the way. Acoustic guitar music filters past the doorway. I can’t help but peek inside.
A young man sits on the bed, guitar across his lap. He strums a few chords, singing to himself. A haunting melody, it follows me even after I leave the young man to himself. Rhett shoves open a door ahead of us. I hold in the doorway, sensing his frustration with the previous exchange. Maybe I should leave. I never meant to make trouble. He made it sound like I would fit in smoothly. This doesn’t feel easy.
Pulling a bag from under his bed, Rhett starts filling it. It’s not a heated frenzy of someone running away. I should know, it wasn’t that long ago that I did it myself. It’s practiced, like he knows what to pack, how to pack it, and what he will and won’t need. He pulls a picture frame from the wall, a man and some young boys and puts it face down on the top of his clothes. As an afterthought, he pulls a shirt and a pair of plaid pajamas from the top drawer and extends them to me.
“I don’t know what you’ve got in that bag, but in case there’s nothing to sleep in…I mean… since you won’t have any of your clothes until tomorrow.” He’s almost bashful when he draws away, like thinking of me changing might make him wicked. I’ve been living in this outfit for three days. The soft flannel and fresh scent feel like a dream after crashing in the backseat of the Bug at random rest stops. If only he knew what all this means to me. In the face of true cruelty, he’s trying to show me kindness. I can’t wrap my mind around it.
“I think that’s everything. Let’s go.”
He leads the way again, past what I guess to be his brother’s room, past his parent’s study, and back out in the night. Once in open air, he slings the shoulder strap across his chest. I can’t tell if he’s mad at me for forcing this or if he’s mad at his parents for being stubborn. Either way, I feel like I should apologize, but I’m not sure what I need to apologize for.
Sorry for wrecking your life.
It’s a personal talent of mine.
Rhett
It’s not her fault that none of that went according to my plan, and yet she’s taking the brunt of my sour mood. I adjust the strap over my chest again. I can’t afford to look back at the ranch house now. The lights glowing against the dark night, it’ll be too easy to lose my nerve. It was my sanctuary, my first real home I ever belonged. Being kicked out to the bunkhouse, it feels like that moment the cops told me my parents weren’t coming back. Cold. Lonely. Frustrating. But I can’t afford to dwell on any of it. That’s something I’ve learned in my life, I can only move forward, and Sunny needs a friend.
“Are you hungry?”
