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mellifluenceSpring was warming just enough for Rayna to have the large window in her room wide open, but in the failing sunlight of the day she still had a light blanket wrapped around her legs on the cushioned window seat. Boaz helped, his large body sprawled over her legs as he idly watched birds fly around in the sky. He was bored, and she knew it from his forlorn expression, but she finally had a moment to herself after a long day and she was in the middle of the book. It was a pleasant escape from the mundane reality that encompassed her, but she hadn’t made it through fifty pages when Boaz’s tail began to swish happily against her feet. A hawk’s cry sounded in the distance as she drew herself out of the world of fantasy woven in the text, and she looked down just in time to see Jacob pull up in the old truck the family owned.
“Bo!” Jacob called out to the dog before he even got out of the truck, and Boaz responded with an acknowledging bark. “I got a present for you.”
Before Rayna could stop her brother, he had picked up a bone from the back of the truck and tossed it into the grass near the house. Boaz, undeterred by the few extra feet of height the house gave, hopped out of the window and into the grass. He gave an appreciate rub against Jacob’s leg before he moved to take his gift off into the yard. Rayna was too busy watching him trot off to pay attention to her brother, who reached up to drop a bunch of bananas into her lap.
“A little something for the rabbit, too,” he teased, grinning before he went back to the groceries in the back of the truck.
Rayna gave him a look in response to his nickname, but she couldn’t begrudge the gift. “Thanks, Jay.”
Although she dog-eared the page of her book and closed it, she left the window open. The book and bananas were left on the window seat as she slipped on her flats, foregoing her sweater for the time being. A few turns in the hall and she was out the backdoor, loading her own hands up with bags so she could help out. It was also an excuse to take a quick inventory of what he had bought before he could hide anything else.
“There’s too much,” she said, standing on her toes to peer into the bags at the back. It wasn’t a complaint; it was just her way of asking why there was so much food.
“Yeah, about that,” Jacob began. “Dad called while I was gone and said we filled up for the weekend, so I doubled everything you wrote down.”
“Full? It’s not even a holiday.” And she had been looking forward to spending a few days out with Boaz in the state park. Not that it was important—they needed the money.
Jacob shrugged as he held the screen door open for her; they were both loaded with canvas bags like pack mules. “Sounds like they’re important,” he explained. “They’re staying out by the lake, day after tomorrow.”
She lifted her brows and huffed softly. This was the first she knew about her dad having V.I.P. guests, but it wasn’t her place to say. If the information was going to be volunteered, it would have been given already. Maybe it was best not to know, she reasoned. Then she could make up any kind of story she wanted about who the people were and why they’d come to the middle of nowhere.
“I’ll be borrowing Bo tomorrow to hunt,” Jacob added when she was up on a step-stool, putting away various jars of spices.
Rayna whirled around carefully. “Is that why you were buttering him up?” She frowned, not at all happy with the idea. “Get your own, Jay.”
“Banjo’s too old to hunt while it’s still cold out,” he protested, giving her his best pleading expression. “You know that, Ray. I’ll make it up to you.”
Even though she pretended to think about it, going so far as to cross her arms over her chest, they both knew she would agree in the end. “Fine, but you both have to clean up before you come back home.”
“I’ll use soap and everything.”
She laughed at that and turned back to her task of keeping the kitchen in order. “Maybe you’ll manage to catch a woman, too.” Even though he never looked surprised when she teased him back – from what she could see out of the corner of her eye – his slight pause let her know he was. Or maybe proud was the better assessment, based on his smile.
“Don’t you start, too,” he pressed back.
Rayna answered with a smile. Her brother was almost thirty and even before she left, their mother had been urging him to find his own happiness. She’d never heard him say it, but she assumed her dad did the same by now. But she knew that Jacob was happy out here, and she could understand why—she was, too. It wasn’t somewhere she wanted to be in another ten years – she swore from time to time that Ren’s wanderlust had rubbed off on her – but it was nice out there, surrounded by wild nature and countless creatures.
It felt like she had half of what she needed for the adventure with the sprawling land outside of her window, but she lacked the actual adventure aspect. There’d be time later, she guessed, but every passing season was another chance lost.
“You’ll clean those cabins tomorrow?” Jacob asked, moving to the door to let Boaz back into the house with a fond pat, Banjo, an old Labrador, on his heels.
Rayna was so lost in thought that she almost had to ask him what he meant, but she covered it up with a slow nod. “Yeah, sure,” she answered. “No problem.”
“Bo!” Jacob called out to the dog before he even got out of the truck, and Boaz responded with an acknowledging bark. “I got a present for you.”
Before Rayna could stop her brother, he had picked up a bone from the back of the truck and tossed it into the grass near the house. Boaz, undeterred by the few extra feet of height the house gave, hopped out of the window and into the grass. He gave an appreciate rub against Jacob’s leg before he moved to take his gift off into the yard. Rayna was too busy watching him trot off to pay attention to her brother, who reached up to drop a bunch of bananas into her lap.
“A little something for the rabbit, too,” he teased, grinning before he went back to the groceries in the back of the truck.
Rayna gave him a look in response to his nickname, but she couldn’t begrudge the gift. “Thanks, Jay.”
Although she dog-eared the page of her book and closed it, she left the window open. The book and bananas were left on the window seat as she slipped on her flats, foregoing her sweater for the time being. A few turns in the hall and she was out the backdoor, loading her own hands up with bags so she could help out. It was also an excuse to take a quick inventory of what he had bought before he could hide anything else.
“There’s too much,” she said, standing on her toes to peer into the bags at the back. It wasn’t a complaint; it was just her way of asking why there was so much food.
“Yeah, about that,” Jacob began. “Dad called while I was gone and said we filled up for the weekend, so I doubled everything you wrote down.”
“Full? It’s not even a holiday.” And she had been looking forward to spending a few days out with Boaz in the state park. Not that it was important—they needed the money.
Jacob shrugged as he held the screen door open for her; they were both loaded with canvas bags like pack mules. “Sounds like they’re important,” he explained. “They’re staying out by the lake, day after tomorrow.”
She lifted her brows and huffed softly. This was the first she knew about her dad having V.I.P. guests, but it wasn’t her place to say. If the information was going to be volunteered, it would have been given already. Maybe it was best not to know, she reasoned. Then she could make up any kind of story she wanted about who the people were and why they’d come to the middle of nowhere.
“I’ll be borrowing Bo tomorrow to hunt,” Jacob added when she was up on a step-stool, putting away various jars of spices.
Rayna whirled around carefully. “Is that why you were buttering him up?” She frowned, not at all happy with the idea. “Get your own, Jay.”
“Banjo’s too old to hunt while it’s still cold out,” he protested, giving her his best pleading expression. “You know that, Ray. I’ll make it up to you.”
Even though she pretended to think about it, going so far as to cross her arms over her chest, they both knew she would agree in the end. “Fine, but you both have to clean up before you come back home.”
“I’ll use soap and everything.”
She laughed at that and turned back to her task of keeping the kitchen in order. “Maybe you’ll manage to catch a woman, too.” Even though he never looked surprised when she teased him back – from what she could see out of the corner of her eye – his slight pause let her know he was. Or maybe proud was the better assessment, based on his smile.
“Don’t you start, too,” he pressed back.
Rayna answered with a smile. Her brother was almost thirty and even before she left, their mother had been urging him to find his own happiness. She’d never heard him say it, but she assumed her dad did the same by now. But she knew that Jacob was happy out here, and she could understand why—she was, too. It wasn’t somewhere she wanted to be in another ten years – she swore from time to time that Ren’s wanderlust had rubbed off on her – but it was nice out there, surrounded by wild nature and countless creatures.
It felt like she had half of what she needed for the adventure with the sprawling land outside of her window, but she lacked the actual adventure aspect. There’d be time later, she guessed, but every passing season was another chance lost.
“You’ll clean those cabins tomorrow?” Jacob asked, moving to the door to let Boaz back into the house with a fond pat, Banjo, an old Labrador, on his heels.
Rayna was so lost in thought that she almost had to ask him what he meant, but she covered it up with a slow nod. “Yeah, sure,” she answered. “No problem.”
