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He nods, taking off his hat, and heading back to the house. I go to the blacksmith shop and shut the door. There’s a stack of paper and a carpenter pencil by the wall. I take them out and lean my elbows on the table, thinking.
I’ll need a lot of tension, which means some kind of pulley system so I can manage it by myself, something that can be drawn back and hooked into place in advance.
My pencil hovers over the paper. My brain sits empty for several minutes. Then, it hits me, and my hand starts moving over the paper. This is what I do best. It’s the way I got our ranch to the untouchable position it’s in now. Sovereign lets me know what needs done. I work out how to do it.
I spend the rest of the lunch hour sketching prototypes. After a while, I have a pretty good idea of what I’ll need. It’ll just take some time to work out the kinks and make sure it functions.
I’ll have one chance.
And, God, it’ll be so satisfying.
I stow the papers and go to the house to wash up. Sovereign is in the living room, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, talking to Jensen. Beyond them, I see Keira and Diane sitting on the couch. They have several bolts of fabric piled on the floor, and they’re doing something with pale pink ribbons.
I pause in the doorway. Diane sees me and smiles.
“I didn’t see you at lunch,” she says.
“I was busy.”
Sovereign glances at me, but his expression doesn’t change. “We need to check the pond in the south pasture. Jensen says we’ve got some shit jamming up the river again.”
“We need to reroute that section of the river someday,” I say. “Are we clearing that out this afternoon?”
“Yeah, let’s get it done.”
I nod again, and Diane gives me a wistful look, like she wishes I didn’t have to work so much. Jensen reaches for his hat, and Sovereign goes to say something under his breath to Keira. Then, they head back down the hall, and I follow them, grabbing a roll from the dining table. I’m on the porch when I hear Diane’s feet pattering after me.
I turn. The door slams as Jensen and Sovereign disappear on the porch. I catch the faint scent of cigarettes, so I know I have a second.
“We sent out the invites,” Diane says. “Everyone said yes from the list you gave me.”
“Even Vince Cassidy?” I’m surprised by that one. He knows Sovereign, but not me.
She nods. “He did. Keira asked Sovereign to put in a good word.”
“Good,” I say, jerking my head towards the living room. “What are you two doing in there?”
“Making decorations,” she says.
She smiles, and I see her like she’s a photograph. Golden hair soft and loose down her back. Body relaxed, beautiful curves filled out because she has plenty to eat now. She’s not afraid of anything.
I did this by doing what I do best.
Taking my hat off, I beckon her closer. “Give me a kiss, darling,” I say. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
She smiles, coming close until her curves meld into me. I slide my fingers in her hair and lean down to kiss her, making sure she tastes how much I can’t wait for the day to be over so we can be alone. When we break apart, she smiles and bites her lower lip.
“You better go, sir, or we might have to take a detour,” she says.
“If I wasn’t in a hurry, I might.”
She slips from my arms and heads back to the living room, making sure I see her skirt twitch and her hips sway. I shake my head, put my hat on, and go back to work.
My mind is occupied the rest of the day. Jensen needs a ride back to his house, so I drive him and swing by the home improvement store. In the back aisle, I spend a long time picking out wire rope cables. They have to be hard enough to propel properly when they meet a solid object, but buoyant enough that they can be drawn back for sufficient tension.
I pay for everything with cash and leave the store with the bed of my truck full. When I get back to Sovereign Mountain, it’s late. The air is warm, and the moon glows full over the tree by the gatehouse.
Diane is at the table in her slip. I go and kiss the top of her head, and she looks up, offering her mouth for another.
