62. Dusty

It seems like Bo and Josh’s women have finally taken Marnie over to the dark side.

And by that, I mean, it seems like they’re becoming friends.

That spells trouble for us menfolk. Andy and Erin have a vicious sense of humor and they like to trade stories. I can only imagine what kind of trouble they could get up to if Marnie joined the crew.

If it means she’s sticking around, they can tell whatever stories they want.

It’s kind of baffling how us Silver Bend boys ended up with women from Lincoln. If Marnie moves here, that will make three for three. It makes me wonder if Skyler will someday find a woman from Lincoln, too. Then we’d have the complete set.

She’s only been in my life a little over a month and a half, but I already think of her as mine. Which is dangerous, I’m well aware. The days in June tick away, and with each passing hour, I’m sinking deeper and deeper. If she leaves me now, they may never find me. I’ll be buried deep down where nobody can reach me.

July comes in like a lamb. Soft summer days that could trick a guy into thinking Nebraska serves up her summers mild.

Marnie went to the Fourth of July celebration early. Andy was hosting a barbecue fundraiser for her Songbird foundation. Marnie and Erin helped her all day.

Marnie was more than a little surprised that I still planned on working a full day. Until they move the Fourth of July to the Fourth of January, farmers will have to work. The crops and the cattle could give a shit about independence.

I watched Marnie get ready for the day from the bed. I like catching those quiet, intimate moments. It’s like being let in on a secret.

The way she braids her hair.

Makes an ‘o’ with her lips when she applies mascara.

I watched her slide the thin straps of her blue sundress over her shoulders. And that sundress has been on my mind all day long. The way it nips in at her waist to flutter over her ass. How soft and thin it felt under my fingertips.

It's been killing me, thinking about all the assholes who’ve gotten an eyeful of that woman while I toiled away in the dirt.

But with my day’s work done and tucked away, I could run home and clean up. I wore a dark blue t-shirt, so we could match, and jeans.

I pull up alongside a long row of pickup trucks, remembering the first time we met. That leopard skirt I shoved over her hips. I’ve had a semi all afternoon, but thinking about that skirt has me rock hard. Best to stow those thoughts away before entering public.

Carl Steiner calls out to me as I’m making my way past the makeshift beer garden. I want to wrap my hands around my baby’s waist; I don’t want to talk to a ham in a dress shirt, but I slow down my stride and meet him part way.

He’s got a dip of tobacco tucked in his lower lip. He slaps me on the shoulder. “How you doin’, kid?”

“Getting better by the minute. How about you, Carl?”

“Good. Listen, I won’t keep you. I kept meaning to call Gus’s niece, but since you’re the farm manager, you’ll do. I just wanted to let y’all know that we’ve worked out the appraisers.”

“The appraisers? For what?”

“For the auction.”

He says, scratching at his lower back. “Those fuckers at the bank tried to pass Chad Thompson off on us. And no offense to Chad. He and I go way back, but I don’t think he’s an impartial party.”

“Because I’m friends with his son, Bo?”

Carl gives me a funny look. “Because he’s friends with Jerry Lind. Ain’t a secret Jerry wants that ground. He’s already bullied a few interested parties out of the picture. I won’t let him put a finger on the scale when it comes to appraising that land. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blind. I know you’re out of a job when that ground gets sold off. But all the same, Gus Novak was a good man. I couldn’t sleep at night if I knew one of the Linds cheated their way into owning Novak ground.”

Each word feels like another cuff around the ears.

The auction.

Marnie’s still selling.

Which means she’s leaving once the auction is through. “When’s the auction, Carl?”

He shrugs, spitting to the side. “Early August I’m thinking.”

Fuck.

Carl reads my thoughts like they’re stamped on my forehead. He clicks his tongue. “Shit, son. You’re a smart kid. You’ll land on your feet. Didn’t Gus send you to tech school?”

I nod. “To become a diesel mechanic.”

Carl lights up. “You know Ernie Hall?”

“Owns the equipment dealership in Clark?”

“That’s the one. I think I recall hearing him bellyaching about how he can’t find decent mechanics anymore. You head on over to his place and tell him Carl sent you.”

“Okay. Yeah. Thanks, Carl.”

He slaps my arm again. “You bet. Have a good night, you hear?”

“I will.”

But how can I? I watch him walk away and turn back to the street party. I can see where the barbecue stand is. Marnie will be over there. God, I hope she is.

I need to see her now. I’d throw myself at her feet if I thought it’d do any good. But the truth is, I don’t want to pressure her into staying. I want to offer her something instead of being the guy doing all the taking. Maybe getting that damn mechanic’s job is the answer. If I can lighten the burden on her conscience, she can make a decision about us free and clear. That’s the way I want it.