To Not Let Go

Chapter Twelve

           Renne's stomach growled loudly in the large, bookshelf lined office at the ranch. Pressing a hand against her stomach, she glanced at the time, realizing how long it had been since she ate last. Getting last minute preparations ready for the trip to Montana was taking much longer than anticipated. 

          The wooden chair Renne was sitting in creaked as she stood up from it, walking out of the french doors of the office. Her moccasin padded feet walked her into the kitchen as she scrounged around to see what food would satisfy her hunger.

         Opening the fridge door, Renne wasn't surprised to see how few options there were. Mamaw and Papaw were out of town for the week, and had offered the grocery shopping to Renne, who willingly accepted, but had been putting off the trip for several days. Staring at the nearly empty fridge, Renne greatly regretted her decision to procrastinate. 

       Letting out a sigh, Renne checked the freezer, cupboards, and pantry, all of which held the same conclusion as the fridge. The majority of food behind the wooden doors were non-perishables: vegetables, pasta, fruit, and the likes. Wanting to get back to work as soon as she could, Renne decided she didn't have the time, nor the patience to make a pot of spaghetti, or wait for meat to be thawed out. 

       Walking back to the fridge, Renne grabbed the last yogurt from the shelf, checking the label. Her nose wrinkled when she saw it was strawberry cheesecake flavored, but it seemed like her best option. Grabbing a spoon from the drawer, Renne fetched the bag of granola from the pantry, adding a handful to her cup of yogurt. Taking a seat at the kitchen island, Renne lifted the spoon to her lips, the cold treat instantly welcoming her taste buds. Trying to ignore the sour taste of one of her least favorite kinds of yogurt, Renne's stomach growled loudly again, reminding her of her hunger. 

       Just as she was about halfway finished with her yogurt, Renne heard the front screen door open, the springs creaking as it opened before snapping shut. The sound of hard soled boots walked across the entry way floor as they made their way into the kitchen. 

      A small grin tugged on the corner of Renne's lips, knowing who the guest was; she could tell simply from the sound of his walk. Sure enough, Swayde entered the kitchen, his lips forming a smile as he made eye contact with Renne, crossing the kitchen to give her a kiss on her cheek. 

        "And, to what do I owe the pleasure of getting to see you with this unexpected visit?" Renne watched him as he began to raid the cupboards of the kitchen, as well. 

       "I'm starvin', and I have no food at my house." Swayde stood with his back to Renne, each hand holding open a cupboard door as his eyes scanned the limited amount of snack choices. "Are we goin' through a shortage, or something?" He teased, turning back around to face his girlfriend. 

     "Mamaw and Papaw put me in charge of the grocery shopping, but I have been too busy with work and the ranch to make the trek into town to shop. Guess I have put it off long enough, though." Renne lifted her spoon to her lips again, almost spitting out the sour yogurt. Forcing herself to swallow it, Renne lowered the spoon back into the cup, pushing it towards Swayde. "Here, you can finish my yogurt. I can't stomach it." At the mention, she rubbed a hand over her still-not-satisfied grumbling stomach. 

      "Thanks." Swyade took the yogurt, leaning back against the counter, finishing off the rest of the cup. 

      Renne slid off the bar stool that she was seated on at the kitchen island, walking out of the kitchen. 

       "Wait, where are you goin'?" Swyade asked, walking with her towards the stairs. 

       "I'm getting my boots on, then we," She turned around to point a finger at Swyade's chest, a look in her eye, "are going grocery shoppin'." Turning back around before Swayde could protest, Renne jogged up the stairs, Swayde on her heels.