True Love Waits

Chapter Thirty One

        Cody let out a sigh as he checked his phone for what seemed like the millionth time in five minutes. The heels of his hard soled boots clicked loudly as he walked the paved sidewalks of the college his brother, Cory, was very interested in attending.

       "Everything okay back in paradise? You've checked your phone almost every minute since we got here." Cory noticed, nodding down at the phone in his twin brother's hand. 

       Cody, seeing he had been caught, knowing his brother was right, slid his cell phone back into his jeans pocket, looking up to see where they were walking. "Sorry. Just missing Maleena, like I have been this whole week."

      "She still ridin' in that barrel race thing tonight?" Cory asked, rolling up the campus map, sticking it into his back pocket. 

      "Yeah, yeah she is." Cody pulled his hat down lower over his head, wishing he was anywhere but here right now. 

        Cory stopped walking as him and Cody filed into the registration line. "I have two questions for you. One, why haven't you introduced her to mom and dad yet? And secondly, if you miss her this much when being away from her for only a week, how do you plan on the separation when we get to college in a month? And when do you plan to break the news to her?"

       "That was three questions, not two." Cody chuckled. 

       "Yeah, but all three of them still deserve answers." 

      Cody let out a breath as he tried to think of a good response. "I want her to meet mom and dad, I just worry that she won't like them, or something. I don't really know why I haven't introduced her to them, to be honest. I'm just nervous, I reckon. I will tell her the news once I get back, and as far as how we will make the long distance relationship work, I really don't know. I have been wrestling with that every day."

                                                            ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

         "Hey there, cowgirl, you need some help in here?" A voice called from the open barn door. 

        Maleena glanced over her shoulder to see her friend, Rose, walking into the barn. Wiping a hand over her sweaty brow, Maleena exhaled. "That would be wonderful, please and thank you. I still have so much to do before the rodeo. I have to get dressed, polish my saddle, take a shower, and finish all of my chores." She straightened her posture, pushing a hand against her sore back. 

        "Just tell me where you want me, and what you want me to do so you can start getting ready. We are gettin' down to the wire here." Rose grinned up at her bestie. 

        "Well, if you wouldn't mind, just helpin' me finish stacking and loading these bales, that would be great. It's hotter than all get out up here." Maleena whistled out, wiping her gloved hand over her forehead again. 

        "I'll finish up here. You go get your tack ready." Rose jumped up onto the stack of hay bales, reaching a hand out to Maleena, telling her to hand over her work gloves.

      "You're the best. Thank you so much." Maleena willingly handed over the task, hopping down from the growing pile of hay. Once she did so, she immediately pulled out her cell phone, seeing that she had a new Snapchat picture from Cody. With a grin, she opened it, revealing Cody taking a selfie, holding up a purple t-shirt that had the name of the college largely printed in gray lettering. His tongue was sticking out, and his lip cocked upward in partial disgust. The caption read, "I can cross this college off my list. I never looked good in purple anyways."  The smile never fell from Maleena's face as she replied to his picture before tucking her phone away as she prepared to get her tack ready for the futurity race tonight.