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8
The sound of her cell phone ringing with the ringtone of an incoming visual phone call didn’t surprise her. She groaned at the sight of the name that flashed on the screen. Well, she of all people should have known better, she didn’t receive her middle name for no reason. She had spent the last two weeks in One-stop falling in love with the town, working the evenings at Blazing Buck, and spending time with Buck. At some point she should have picked up her cell and called her family, but she didn’t want reality to intrude in on her bubble of joy.
She knew that speaking with her family, especially her father, would bust that bubble. It seemed that the time had come.
“Hi dad,” she answered the call seeing her father’s face filling up the screen. In the background, the skyline of tall buildings, indicating that he was in his office in San Diego, California. As usual, it was a bright sunny day.
She lovingly took in the sight of her father with his thinning blonde hair and sharp angular face.
She was a product of her father. Inheriting most of her looks and her height from him. All she received from her mother was her brown complexion which was just a shade or two lighter than her mom’s and of course her wildly curly hair that she managed to keep under control in a million braids. Everything else was Jeffrey Martin.
As long as she’d been alive, her father had always been losing his hair. Her mother swore up and down that Jeffrey Martin had a full head of hair when she met and married him. But all of Karma’s life she watched her father put sunblock on the top of his head in case he forgot to wear his hat outdoors. He always complained that sunburn on the top of his head burned like a son of a bitch.
“Hello Sabrina,” she heard her father’s voice on the other end of the phone. “I hope I’m not disturbing you? You’re not driving, are you?”
That was one of her father’s biggest concern whenever he called her. He didn’t like the idea of her driving and talking on a cell phone at the same time. Even at her age, he refused to see her as an adult. He believed her to still be the wild teenager without any sense, making rash decisions.
She stepped outside the front door of the cabin quietly closing the door behind her. Buck was still sleeping. She had laid next to him watching him. Staring at how relaxed his face became in repose.
He was a very handsome man.
During one of their conversations, he mentioned that he usually got less than five hours of sleep a night. Ever since they made love the day of their picnic, Buck had been sharing her bed. He had been averaging more than five hours of sleep — a lot more. She didn’t want to disturb his rest if this was a once in a while opportunity to catch up on sleep.
“No dad,” exasperation in her voice as she sat down on the chair provided with the tiny cabin porch, “I am not driving. As a matter of fact, I am waiting for Betty Lou to be fixed.”
“Your car is broken down?” Alarm tinged her father’s voice, even through the cell phone. “Where are you? I will send a mechanic right away.”
“Now dad calm down. There is no need to send a mechanic. Betty Lou is already being looked after by a competent person.”
“Where are you?” He asked again.
“I’m in the little town called One-stop, Colorado. It’s a few hours away from Colorado Springs.”
“Do you know what is wrong with your car?”
“No, the mechanic hasn’t been able to find the issue yet.”
“How do you know this mechanic is competent?”
“I don’t know dad; I just know he got my car from the side of the road to One-stop without any issues in the middle of the night.” She sighed exasperated.
“In the middle of the night?”
“Yes, dad. In the middle of the night. Betty Lou broke down just before the sun went down. I wasn’t able to get any cell phone reception and the mechanics brother monitors that stretch of road that Betty Lou broke down on. He was the one that told the mechanic to come and get me.”
“Just because he is competent enough to tow you to town doesn’t mean he is a competent mechanic. What’s his name? I want to look him up.”
It took everything in Karma not to yell at her overprotective father. “His name is Buck Raleigh dad.” She watched him scribble Buck’s name down on the large blotter that he kept on his desk for just these occasions. Her father didn’t believe in sticky notes. He complained that he always lost them.
“Does this mean since your car is being repaired you are returning home?” He turned those piercing brown eyes on her.
“Dad. We have had this conversation many times. I will return home when I am A. ready to and B. if I haven’t found any place better to live.”
“What place could be better than California? You will be close to family. You will be able to use your degree. And besides, the weather is great. If you want to go skiing then, you can go up north to ski. If you want to go to the beach, then you go down south to the beach. We got it all here in California.” He paused, looking at her to make sure she was listening before continuing.
“Great food, great wine, and great recreations. You’re not going find a better place to live.”
“That would be great dad if those were my priorities. But they are not. I want to live somewhere I will be free. I don’t feel free in California. I feel enclosed and confined.” She swapped the phone to her other hand, looking at her father seriously, “Look, I did what you and mom asked. I went to college. I got a degree. I even came to work for your company. All that did was make me miserable. I know my life’s calling is different from what you have planned and I will not be happy until I find it.”
