Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63174 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
We weren’t tired yet, so Devon and I got comfortable on the couch, beside the massive pine tree. As I curled up with my head on his chest, Devon said, “Those two are awesome.”
“I think so, too. Hal is one of my favorite people ever, and I’m glad I have this chance to get to know Ryder. He’s really sweet, and I’m so happy they found each other.”
“It must have been a huge adjustment for Hal when he moved here.” He tilted his head to look at me and asked, “Do you think you could ever make such a big change?”
“The old me would have said no. I was used to life in a big city and couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else, but this trip is changing my mind. After all we’ve seen and done, I think I’m more open to new experiences now. So yes, I could see myself moving away from what’s familiar.”
What I really wanted was to tell Devon I’d follow him anywhere, but that probably fell under the heading of too much, too soon.
The next morning after breakfast, Devon and I pitched in on the daily chores. There were a lot of animals to feed, and a million other things to do to keep the ranch running smoothly.
Around ten, their ranch hand arrived, and Devon and Ryder got ready to fulfill their GI Joe fantasies. They invited us to come along, but Hal and I both passed. “Have fun, though,” I said, as I gave Devon a hug. “And please be careful.”
“I’ll be inside a tank,” he reminded me with a grin. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine, but everyone else at Jimmy Joe’s Tankmageddon should be worried.”
“That name doesn’t inspire confidence.”
“I know. But what do you expect from a place that lets unqualified civilians drive actual tanks?” He had a point.
After they took off for their nearly two-hour drive, Hal and I got comfortable in his studio. While he worked on his current wedding gown, I spent some time sketching. I had a lot of ideas, and I wanted to get them down so I didn’t forget anything.
Later on, I asked him to put me to work, so he handed over one of his donation dresses. He used the leftover materials from each of his lavish gowns to make beautiful, one-of-a-kind prom dresses, which he donated to LGBTQ youth centers. This one was an empire style made of dark red silk, and I took over the job of hand-sewing sparkly beads around the neckline.
“This is nice,” he said, as he turned down the volume on his built-in sound system. “I feel like I’m back in school, in that on-campus studio we shared.”
“I can’t believe that was earlier this year. It feels like a different lifetime.”
Hal grinned as he admitted, “I was so jealous of you back then.”
I looked up from the dress in my lap and raised a brow. “That’s nuts. Why would you be jealous of me?”
“Because you were always so enthusiastic and bursting with ideas. Meanwhile, I was so worried about trying to land a good job after graduation that I could barely produce anything. I finally managed to let that go and have fun with my senior project, but up until that point, it was a struggle.”
“I think that’s where I ended up after graduation,” I said. “When I was in school, I gave myself permission to have fun and do whatever I wanted. But over the last few months, I’d been feeling all this pressure to launch my design business. The work just wasn’t coming in, so I started to doubt myself, which had a huge impact on my creativity.”
Hal indicated the stack of sketches I’d just produced. “It looks like you found your way past that.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to find my groove again, thanks to Devon and this road trip. I think he knew how much I needed a change of scenery. I just wonder…”
When I left that open-ended, Hal asked, “What were you going to say?”
“It occurred to me that I might be Devon’s next bucket list item. He believes the rest of his life can be measured in days or weeks, and this is how he’s choosing to spend it—by helping me.” I met my friend’s gaze and asked, “Am I just another check mark on his list, a final good deed?”
“He truly cares about you, Kit. You have to see that.”
“I do.”
“So then, does it matter what prompted him to take you on this road trip in the first place? The end result is the same—you two are together, and you’re both having a wonderful time. He’s obviously getting as much out of this as you are.”
I nodded, but an insecure little part of me had to wonder—would a man like Devon even be interested in me under normal circumstances? He was pretty far out of my league. And would he still choose to be with me once he realized he had his whole life ahead of him?