Tina makes a comical grimace.
“Yikes!” she mutters to herself. “So, what do we do? I mean, how do we get them to come back?” she asks, her brow creased as she thinks hard herself.
But I know those horses, and it would be a fool’s errand to chase after them.
Plus, that’s exactly what they expect me to do.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait for them to come back,” I shrug. “There is the old radio in the basement, but I don’t know if Mrs. C would have hers tuned to it. Haven’t used it for years,” I think aloud.
“And no lunch,” Tina pouts, making me smile once I see she’s getting quite the appetite being a country girl.
Despite what she’s said, I’d like to see Tina eating more, and gaining a few pounds.
She’s tiny, really.
“I think we can find something to eat in the cabin,” I let her know, but her eyes still have that look from before.
Showing a different kind of hunger.
And as much as I’d love to take her as she is, right here out in the open field, I really do need to radio in, otherwise we won’t be having any fun later on.
“How about we check the radio, and you can find us something to eat?” she suggests, and I have to agree, it’s the only thing to do if we want to avoid any more trouble.
Returning to the cabin, which is what it’s always been to me, Tina sticks by me as I point out the various rooms on the way to the basement.
The dusty old radio crackling to life, and just as I thought, Mrs. C is all ears.
Waiting with both the walkie-talkie and the old ham set up. Eager to hear that we made it safe and sound.
We’ve only been gone a few hours, but at her age it’s important to touch base. Both for her sake and for the tour groups we have up here.
Tina looks around as I let Mrs. C know how it went getting here. Looking like she’s trying not to eavesdrop, but it’s hard when you miss every word over the aging radio set up.
“Okay Mack, thanks for checking in,” Mrs. Corbett shouts, making me smile as I picture her in her kitchen.
But she doesn’t sign off and takes the time to fill me in on the goings on at the ranch so far since I left.
All of three hours ago.
“I’ll tell ye,” she says suddenly in a hushed tone. “That Tanner woman and Ben. They’ve really hit it off,” she confides to me and I shoot Tina a pained look of apology.
But Tina’s already got her face buried in her hands, laughing to herself and pretending to scream No!
I guess it’s no surprise to anyone that her mom and that Ben fella were going to be friendly.
I can’t help wondering if it’s so obvious between Tina and me.
But there was Mrs. C thinking I was interested in Rose.
I wish Ben and her every happiness.
“Oh! And I rang the mechanic. He can pick up their rental car and get it charged up, he’ll drop it back in time for when they leave tomorrow,” she adds.
A minor detail that in any other situation would be good to know.
Helping a guest get their car ready for when it’s time to leave.
But Tina’s not leaving.
At least, that’s not what I want. And I’m pretty sure she can’t really want that either.
The shift in her expression when she hears it is instant, and both of us feel the sudden, heavy weight of life before we even knew the other existed pressing in on us.
The past few hours have felt like a dream, and both of us just want that to go on forever.
Don’t we?
Tina’s shoulders sag, and once Mrs. Corbett starts telling me about a neighbor’s mare who should be in foal any minute, she makes a silent exit from the basement.
My instinct is to go to her. To tell her she can’t leave. Not tomorrow, not fucking ever.
But I also know I can’t keep Tina anywhere she doesn’t want to be.
And if she needs a minute to herself, then that’s one long minute for me. But it looks like she has some thinking of her own to do.
Her pacing steps on the boards above me let me know she hasn’t gone far, and after asking if I’m still there, I resume my radio call with Mrs. C.
Letting her know to radio me if there’s anything urgent, otherwise we’ll see her in the morning.
Signing off, I sit staring at the dying red light of the radio. My ears following each of Tina’s steps above me until I hear her voice moving out the front door.
My heart freezes for a second, and I lurch to go after her.
Determined not to let her run away from me upset ever again.