Megan has been putting in some long hours at the shop, going over the books, and putting a game plan into place. When she gets home, I love that she crawls into bed with me and tells me everything. Hearing about her day and her ideas is the life I’ve always wanted.
It’s what I saw growing up with my Mom and Dad. They love each other and share everything together. That’s what I want with my wife, with Megan.
Now that we’re done with dinner, I want to snag her away for a bit and go for a walk. I find her in the kitchen, helping Sage and Riley with dishes. Thankfully, they look almost done. I walk up behind Megan and place my arms around her waist.
“Want to go for a walk?” I ask and kiss her neck just below her ear.
She looks at me and smiles. “Yeah, give me just a minute, and I’ll meet you by the barn?”
“Sounds good.” I let go of her and head out the kitchen door towards the barn and take in the ranch. Next to the house is a line of pickup trucks. Everyone has a truck. Blaze even bought one for Riley recently. Then next to the barn, there are a few ranch trucks that get beat up running around the ranch.
Leaving the kitchen side door, the barn in front of me, and to the right is the driveway that takes me down to the main gate and out to the road. To the left is the driveaway that goes back to the bunkhouse and further on to some of the small cabins used for families on the ranch.
If you know where to look to the right of the barn is a path through the trees that leads you over to their parent’s house. This is a path Blaze and Sage used all the time and it’s still used by the family today.
I’m so lost in thought I don’t hear Megan come up behind me. “Looks like you have a lot on your mind.”
“Oh no, I was just taking in the ranch. It’s been a while since I just took it all in.”
She smiles at me, and I take her hand in mine.
“Where to, cowboy?” she asks. I lead her down to the path that will take us out by her parents’ house.
“Guess who came into the shop today.”
“Who?”
“Cindy!”
“Did you two have fun catching up?”
“No!”
Uh oh, they used to be good friends but drifted apart about the time Cindy ditched her, and she met me. When Cindy went all boy crazy in high school, she also went all mean girl. Megan’s words.
“She walked in demanding a walk-in appointment, which we don’t have right now because I still have a chair I need to fill. Anyway, she was all, ‘Oh I’ll wait.’ Well. I decided to skip my lunch and get her in, and she was all pissed because she had to wait an hour. I told her she needs an appointment and that we are booked with no walk-in slots currently.”
“Have you thought about finding anyone to fill that chair?” I ask. I know she has mentioned it a few times before.
“That’s not the point, Hunter.”
Oh shit. She hasn’t snapped at me like this in months. When she does, it’s normally something big. I know from experience, she needs to get it out. I squeeze her hand to let her know she can keep talking.
“After she tried to tell me how to run my shop, she asks what kind of discount I plan to give her. I was shocked, so I asked her why she thought she was getting a discount. You ready for this?”
I don’t think I am. “Ready.”
“She said she’s the whole reason you and I are together, and I should be down on my knees thanking her for ditching me that day, so I could meet you. No joke, she said that. Then it was like something out of a movie. The whole shop went dead quiet. The girls even turned off their hair driers. Want to know what I said to her?”
“Of course, baby,” I say in a soft tone, so I don’t escalate the situation even more.
“I said thank you for being a shitty friend and ditching me, so I could meet the love of my life. Thank you for being an even bigger shitty person now, and the only way you aren’t paying full price is if I add on a 20% service fee for having to deal with your ass.”
My jaw drops. Literally drops.
“Please tell me one of the ladies got all this on video.”
“It’s probably viral on Facebook by now.”
“What did she say after that?”
“She said she was glad she ditched me and that she wasn’t coming back to the shop. She would tell everyone she knew to stay away. I then charged her the extra twenty percent but didn’t tell her. Of course, she didn’t tip. Then on her way out, one of the girls yells, ‘Hey Cindy, can you tell your people not to come to the shop sometime today. We need some more appointment slots opened up for the rest of us.’ She got so mad, she stomped her foot and walked out.”
By the end of her story, Megan is laughing, and I can’t help but laugh too.
“Sounds like the little old ladies like you.”
“Yeah, they do, and I love them to death too. They always have my back. But I need a game plan to find a new hairstylist. Even someone in school would help because they would have their nail license. That would open up a few free slots for the rest of us.”
“Have you reached out to the local schools?”
“I have, but no one wants to move to such a tiny town. I interviewed one girl over the phone and when she found out we didn’t even have a movie theater, she hung up on me.”
“Ouch. What about putting up info at the high school for someone who wants to go to school? They can start like you did with cleaning and working the desk?”
She’s silent for a bit. “That’s a good idea. I'll get a few fliers made up and stop by the school to see if we can put them on the bulletin boards.”
We round the corner and in front of us is the ranch church. Megan sees it and smiles.
“I love this place.”
“Me too. Want to go inside for a bit?”
“Yes!” She does a little happy jump.
We walk in and take in the changes her dad and Blaze have made. Sage and Colt’s wedding is in just a few weeks, and this place looks amazing.
“Oh, they finished the hardwood floors. Look how pretty they are!” she says.
“They do look great. The pews look good too with a good cleaning.”
We sit in the back corner, same as always. I pull her on my lap.
“I can’t wait to see a wedding here,” she says, still looking around.
“You want to get married here?” I ask her.
“I always pictured my wedding here, so yeah.”
I want to test the waters and see where her head is with us. How serious she is without scaring her off.
“I always loved it here too and pictured us getting married here.”
Her eyes snap to mine and in them, I don’t see an ounce of fear.
“You’ve thought of marrying me?”
I smile. “Yeah. About four years ago, I knew you were it for me. I knew I’d marry you. The question was just when.”
She looks back toward the front of the church with a faraway look on her face.
“What do you think, baby? Can you see yourself marrying me someday?”
“Honestly, if you had asked me before our trip, it would have freaked me out. I’d have said it was moving way too fast. But sitting here with you today? Yeah, I can see it. I saw it when we walked in. I wasn’t thinking of Sage and Colt’s wedding.”
My heart is beating so hard against my chest. She’s finally on the same page as me. I want to drop down on one knee right now and ask her to marry me, to tell her I can’t wait to be her husband, but my parents’ words flash in my head. Take it slow.
So instead, I pull her closer in my arms and ask, “How were you picturing our wedding?”
She shifts closer to me and smiles, then rests her head on my shoulder.
“Twinkle lights strung from the rafters, making a lower ceiling. Candles everywhere, getting married at sunset by the light of the twinkle lights and candles. Of course, wildflowers like the ones in the field on the end of the pews. Maybe with mason jars. Burlap and lace bows. I like Sage’s idea of couples standing across the altar instead of a bridesmaid side and groomsman side.”
“I can picture it, and it’s perfect. You know I can’t wait to marry you, Megs. I promised we’d go slow, and we will but if it were up to me, we’d be married already.”
“I know, Hunter, and you not rushing me means everything. I like how things are right now. But maybe after Sage and Colt have their day…” she trails off and shrugs her shoulder.
I kiss her temple and hug her close. We sit there for a while longer, just taking it all in. I’m picturing the wedding she talked about, and I plan to give it to her when she’s ready, of course.
We make our way back to the house a little while later, just taking our time and enjoying the warm night breeze and each other's company.