3. Aspen

Three

Aspen

I’ve made closing the shop at the end of my day a routine to help unwind from the chaos. I don’t rush the cleaning or the work needed to be able to open smoothly in the morning. Instead, I’ve made it a part of my duty to incorporate music and dancing to release the tension or stress collected throughout my shift. Tonight, however, was a different story. I was meeting Boone and his parents at Cassidy Ranch to discuss my new job opportunity. It was an opportunity I knew nothing about because I didn’t ask a single question, which wasn’t like me. I’m not an impulsive person. I weigh out my options and seek guidance before making a decision. However, this couldn’t have come at a better time.

Since finding out The Coffee Cup was closing, I scrolled through job listing after job listing to find something I could see myself doing. Nothing was fitting. Everything accepting applications involved outside, manual labor (which was a hard no), or cleaning bathrooms at the local elementary school (yuck). Boone coming in last night caught me completely off guard. The relief I felt when he offered the job at the farm stand was euphoric. That’s something I saw myself doing. I loved my job at the coffee shop, I loved baking, I loved interacting with the customers, and I loved the flexibility it gave me.

My ultimate goal was to be an author. Whether that meant full-time or part-time, while I kept working another job, it didn’t matter. The Coffee Cup gave me that option, but I’d yet to find my imaginative spark or find love that made me want to sit down and share it with the world.

My love life was filled with mediocre hookups and lacking relationships. In a town like mine, options weren’t in abundance. I’d been celibate for nearly half a year now because the last guy was my final straw. It was a night filled with huffs and puffs, high school-level foreplay, and about thirty seconds of real action. He was hot, but man, did he need some help.

To me, romance meant passion. Romance should hit you in your chest, your cheeks get warm, and your body responds in a way you can’t seem to control. You crave the other person, not just physically but emotionally, too.

Instead of doing my detailed cleaning and prepping for the next day, I decided to leave that for future Aspen. It was Sunday, which meant the shop was closed for the next two days. I’d have to come in early on Wednesday to play catch up. I locked the door behind me and headed around to the side alley to get into my car. The Wilders weren’t paying me much money, but it was enough to get by and keep my old Jeep running. This baby was nearly older than I am.

Boone’s ranch was on the outskirts of town, making it a fifteen-minute drive from the shop. I decided to use that time to call Penny, one of my closest friends who I’d known pretty much my whole life.

She and I became friends in first grade, wanting to forgo recess to sit inside and read in complete silence. Where I was a homebody who loved the calm and collected, Penny was fiery and spicy in every way possible. As cliche as it sounds, she’s the yin to my yang and the universe pretty much made her for me. She’s my go-to when I need to talk things through. Despite our differing personalities, we shared the same fashion sense, favorite movies, and taste in books. I don’t think I would’ve made it to adulthood in one piece without her fighting back against the bullies or giving me the confidence I needed through positivity and constant reminders.

Our other friend Theo, short for Theodora, moved to Faircloud late into middle school. Where Penny and I loved dresses and all things light and airy, Theo was what I described as “punchy.” She rocked overalls, cowboy boots, and had her split-dyed blonde and black hair in braids nearly every day. She had this effortless presence to her and a “no shits to give” attitude. Theo feeds into her carefree spirit through her job by being constantly on the move as a professional photographer traveling to places to capture stunning wildlife or nature. The three of us make a perfect trio. All different pieces fitting together like the prettiest jigsaw puzzle.

On two rings, Penny picks up. “Hello, my sweet girl, how have you been?” I couldn’t call her after the news about The Coffee Cup. I sent her a text letting her know I was okay and would call her in a few days. I spent the time just trying to figure things out, I didn’t even call my parents. Their texts have gone unanswered because I didn’t know what to say when my dad was wondering, “What’s next, kiddo?” or when mom offered I could go stay with them. I wanted to avoid that at all costs. I loved my family; however, personal space was not in their vocabulary. Acceptance was also not on their bingo card, and I knew my current choices in life didn’t align with what they had envisioned for me.

“I’m doing better. I had a mini existential crisis. You know, the kind where you start questioning the meaning of life. Wondering if the earth is real or if we are all just in a simulation.” I replied. I’d been drowning in anxiety-provoking thoughts like, “I’ll never climb out of this hole” or “I’ll never be successful.” It’s a bitch to try and reframe the irrational, which is why turning to Penny was how I coped, to remind me it will pass.

“Oh, Aspen.” Penny offered in an empathetic tone. “This is just a bump, babe. You’ll find something that works for you. The Coffee Cup wasn’t the end.” I knew she was right. It felt too overwhelming at the moment, but I’d find a way through. I let a beat of silence go by trying to figure out how to word the Boone situation.

“I have a job interview that I’m on my way to now. I don’t know if it’s an interview. More like a job discussion?” I ended my sentence as a question because I didn’t know what this was. Should I bring my resume? Oh my god, do I have coffee on my dress? I took my eyes off the road and glanced down at myself to make sure I wasn’t a complete slob. This is why I always asked questions and sought advice.

“Oh good!” Penny boasted in exclamation. “Let’s hear it. Where is it? What is it?”

“Well, Boone Cassidy came into the shop last night and said he needed someone to run the farm stand on the ranch,” I confessed, cringing to myself in the driver’s seat. I didn’t know how Penny was going to react.

“Oooh, I heard about Buck and Ellie. How awful for her. Buck is a real piece of work to cheat on her and dump her for the new chick after what, five years?”

Ellie was Boone’s little sister. She and Buck had been dating since high school. They were the typical high school sweetheart couple. They started dating at fifteen, and everyone thought they would be together forever. Rumors of what happened were speculated all over town, but no one knew what to believe.

“I guess she’s traveling with no idea when she’ll be back. Boone said they need someone to take over and run the store while she’s gone. It’s the best chance I have at the moment. Unless I want to scrub toilets or do landscape.” The more I thought about the ranch, the more excited I got. I was eager to see the store, bring some of the locals from the shop down to Cassidy Ranch, and create the space they got from The Coffee Cup.

“Why you? Not that I don’t think you can do it, because clearly you can. It isn’t like Boone and you were friends. We avoided that guy whenever we could.” I let out a laugh because Penny was right. I very rarely looked in his direction. He honestly scared me. He’s always been chaotic and the “bad boys” made me nervous.

“I honestly don’t know.” I was pulling down the dirt road now, only about a mile from the ranch, “he came into The Coffee Cup the other day. That’s the first time I’ve seen him there. Next thing I know, he’s asking me to come by the ranch and I was saying ‘okay.’” Rocks crunched under my tires as I approached the turn-off to the ranch. Penny let out a soft giggle and spoke, “Keep me posted. If you show up and he’s shirtless, please take a picture and send it immediately. That man is delicious.”

We shared our goodbyes and made plans to chat later in the week. Penny started a new job as the librarian at our public library. Like me, she loves to plan. Her days and nights were packed with organizing events and trying her best to find extra funding. At the end of the summer, the town will hold its annual block party. It’s a big event for the businesses in Faircloud. Currently, Penny is trying to find sponsors to help support the library and raise money.

I took the moments of silence I had before putting the car in park to collect my thoughts. “I got this,” I muttered to myself, taking a deep breath of fresh air. If I told myself it was enough, it had to be true. Right?

I pulled down the lane that took you to Cassidy Ranch. On either side of the driveway were brown wooden fences lining the way. Behind the fence on the left were rolling hills of pasture decorated with cattle. On the right, farmland sprawled with plots of what looked like wheat or maybe corn; what did I know? I’d have to do some research later. I wasn’t raised on the farm so my knowledge was limited.

As I arrived at the house nestled at the end of the driveway, I couldn’t help but admire its beauty. It was a charming two-story house with a beautiful wrap-around porch that instantly drew me in. The modern porch featured rich dark brown wood paired with sleek black metal accents. On either side of the front door, two rocking chairs matched the warm brown of the wood, inviting anyone to sit and relax. Delicate flower pots adorned the overhang, overflowing with vibrant pink lady blooms that added a cheerful touch to the scene.

I got out of my Jeep, shutting the door behind me. Today, I wore a pink dress with capped sleeves and a deeper neckline. The dress hit right below my knees and flowed in every direction as I walked. My short hair was half up, tied back with my scrunchie. I always felt my best in a sundress, and I needed all the confidence I could get.

Movement to the left caught my attention, so I turned my head in that direction. I was not mentally prepared for what I saw. For the love of— Boone was , in fact, shirtless. It was pretty warm outside with the mid-May Texas sun shining. His tanned skin was glistening from sweat, muscles on full display. I let out a choked breath of air as I watched him approach. Muscles and a mustache? My stomach felt tingly. I couldn’t identify what I was feeling as it wasn’t anything I had experienced before. Nearly fainting, I watched him swagger towards me as he wiped his forehead with his discarded shirt. His signature khaki cowboy hat sat lazily on the top of his head, looking like it was about to fall off.

If I could take a picture of this for Penny, she would die.

Get it together Aspen, he’s coming your way. Eyes up, not on his broad chest or his hips, jeans hanging on for dear life.

“Hey Aspen!” Boone got closer, waving his shirt in the air. Yup, keep reminding me you don’t have a shirt on. I shot my hand up and gave a slight wave, wearing my best friendly smile. “Come on in with me. I was just finishing up feeding. Mom and Dad are inside.”

Boone put his hand out to indicate for me to walk towards the porch stairs. I walked up, my legs shaky as Boone followed me close behind, maybe a little too close. I could feel my cheeks heating up, my hands screaming to fix my hair. My nervousness was beginning to show.

Boone opened the door for me. I walked in, his shirtless chest insanely close. “Ma! Dad! Aspen’s here!” Boone called as the screen door slammed shut behind us. The house inside had the cozy charm you’d find in a farmhouse. There were worn hardwood floors, white walls decorated with family pictures, and my favorite, which was antique furniture. We walked into the kitchen, where his parents sat on the island in the middle of the space.

“Hi, Sweetie!” Boone’s mom, Jill, greeted me. She slid off the stool and reached a hand out for me to shake. I’m glad she didn’t go in for a hug; my body was sweating bullets. My hands were clammy, so I wiped them on my dress before extending back. “Your house is lovely,” I said, allowing my eyes to wander around the kitchen. With sage green cabinets and white marble countertops, I felt like I stepped into my dream kitchen. Gold handles decorated the cabinets, and a beautiful backsplash decorated the walls, tying everything in perfectly.

Boone’s dad, Dan, stood slightly behind his wife, reaching over to also shake my hand. “It’s a shame about The Coffee Cup,” Dan admitted, giving his best sympathetic smile. “That place has been around for decades, but family is important. I can understand why.”

I gave a nod. “It’s the right move for them. They’ve been generous enough to let me live there until the end of the month. They’re closing down next week.” Boone’s parents gave each other a look, mental words passing between them.

“I didn’t realize you lived above the shop. Why don’t we sit down and talk about the stand and see if it’s a good fit?” Jill ushered us towards the dining room table, Boone took a detour to wash his hands, cleaning up quickly before we ate. “Let me get dinner out of the oven. Aspen, do you like meatloaf?”

“Yes!” I chimed, almost too excited. This made Jill laugh. She served up a plate for each of us, bringing them to the table two at a time. The table sat six, but since there were only four, we sat on the sides. Boone was to my left, his parents across the way.

I glanced towards Boone out of the corner of my eye and he caught him already looking at me. Since coming inside, his dirty shirt had made it back onto his body, both a blessing and a curse. “So Aspen, what interested you in saying yes to helping with the farm stand?”

I needed a job. I don’t want to be homeless. I don’t want to clean up vomit. Outdoor labor and I don’t mix well. I thought all those answers to myself before actually saying, “I love being able to interact with the customers. I have an eye for detail, and I love to create new ideas. I’m also really organized!” I took a bite of the meatloaf, it fell apart in my mouth. It took every bit of restraint to hold back a moan that wanted to escape. It was so close to my mom-mom’s, the closest I’d tasted since she passed two years ago.

“We have a vision with the store where we want to expand to bring in other products that are locally sourced. We heard from Boone you make a great blueberry muffin.” Jill confessed. I shot Boone a glance, he filled his mouth and shrugged.

“It’s true. I don’t even like blueberries, but that was a damn good muffin.” Boone replied, his attention directed towards me. I felt a moment pass between us, electricity igniting a flame inside me.

“If you’d be willing, we would love to have you bake your muffins and sell them at the stand. We have our blueberry bushes we could have you pick from. Ellie has grown the business well, and we want to keep it going.” Jill was doing most of the talking. She was the face of the family, kind and comforting.

The idea of being able to bake and sell at the stand increased the appeal. It was exactly what I was looking for, a cute store with enough traffic to keep me busy with plenty of avenues to grow and expand. I could get honey from locals and sell handmade crafts, the possibilities were endless.

“That sounds lovely,” I said, washing down the food with the cold lemonade that was freshly squeezed.

“We would be willing to pay you more than the coffee shop is paying you. We know this job will require more work and want to acknowledge that.” Dan added. The raise would allow me to find an apartment. I know I wouldn’t be getting the deal I was with the Wilders.

“Also,” Jill interjected, “we want to provide you housing. No charge as the cabin is sitting there anyway. It would be easier than having to come in from town.”

I nearly choked on my meatloaf. I started coughing and making noises that sounded like a dying animal. I reached for my drink to hopefully wash it down. I could feel Boone’s eyes on me as I tried to gather myself.

“Oh, that’s so generous. I don’t know if I could live there without paying anything. ” I used the napkin on my lap to dab my mouth. Was she reading my mind? The Cassidys were finding solutions to all my problems.

“Consider it part of the job. It’s an incentive to bring you on board. We need the help.” Dan offered. “We took a huge chance and spent a lot of money to get this operation up and running. We need to see the profit come in or we could be digging ourselves out of a deep hole. Combined with other changes we’re making, it could mean a huge loss for Cassidy Ranch if we don’t get something moving soon.”

It was so generous, almost too generous to also provide me with housing. For some reason, I was still hesitant, wondering why me. The self-doubt kicked in. I didn’t know this family until a few days ago; now they’re fixing all my problems. They barely knew me and were putting all their trust in my ability to keep the stand their daughter created running. Knowing how financially dependent they were on the success of this farm stand made the dream feel like reality.

Dan, Jill, Boone, and I spent time talking about logistics: what a day looked like, what products they handle now, and the future they want for the store. We also talked about me, my family, and where I saw myself. After talking with the Cassidys, I was calm and confident about my decision. Jill had a presence about her that made me feel at ease, welcomed even. Dan stayed quiet except for a grunt or nod when we weren’t talking about the store or financial stuff, which I appreciated.

Throughout dinner, I had a tingling feeling like someone was looking at me. Each time I looked over, Boone was sneaking glances and not being subtle about hiding them. My body would get warm knowing his attention was on me. I wanted to bottle up this feeling to bask in later.

After we ate, I offered to help with the dishes, but Jill insisted I head out with Boone to see the store and the cabin. I knew deep down I was going to accept, but a part of me needed to see it to believe it.

Boone and I stepped outside, the sun falling behind a mountain range in the distance. The sky was painted in orange and purple hues. I could get used to this view. I felt like I was living in a fairytale or some kind of movie. The job, housing, and now the view all seemed so surreal. I wanted to pinch myself to see if I would wake up and it would all go away.