CountryCore Series: The Ranch Hand (WLW)

Epilogue

Hayley stood beside the other two newer staff members, Eddie and a young girl named Brittany, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She kept her hands tucked away in the pockets of her sundress in fear of just leaping forward to take one of the coveted Kilgore Pears into her mouth. Chris lifted a crate of the pears from a forklift and set it on the ground.

When they first harvested the pears, a little bit of giddiness had sparked then died in Hayley's chest upon hearing that they weren't ripe enough to eat yet. It turned out that pears were meant to be picked when they were nearly ripe, but still hard enough to not be able to enjoy. Chris had set aside one large crate for the staff and put them in the sun for the last couple of days. She'd taken special care of them after seeing Hayley's excited anticipation at finally getting to try the pear.

It was the pear Chris' mother had cultivated and the first area that Hayley had worked in when she arrived. She may not have been able to help out with the harvest much more than just getting water or lemonade for the other workers, but she felt every bit as connected as the others did. It was still something she had put many hours of work into and she was brimming with longing to taste its flavor. Not that it would ever compare to the flavor that truly drove her crazy.

She glanced over at Chris and blushed upon seeing she was watching her. Chris looked star struck for a moment, then shook her head as Lee gave her a pat on the shoulder. Lee gestured toward the staff who all eagerly awaited the annual ceremony with various drinks in their hands. They were all shining and appeared just as electrified as Hayley and the other newcomers.

Eddie looked so good. He'd put on some weight and now filled out his farming clothing that held grass stains in various places from his work in the crops. He was three months and a few weeks clean and always larger than life. Such a contrast from how he was when he first arrived alongside Hayley, he was fully himself and almost always wore a smile. Hayley had been so thrilled when Chris told her she wanted to take him back on as a crew member. On top of that, she was even happier when Chris took him under her wing. She knew who her new little brother was and with Hazel returned home, Chris needed to turn that sibling attention toward someone else. Who better than the man whose life she had also aided?

Brittany, a girl Chris had just hired a little over two weeks ago. She was barely nineteen, yet still came with a list of recommendations longer than Hayley's arm. She was so bright and cheerful, but was drawn to the ranch by something else. When alone with Hayley, she asked if it was true that she and Chris were together and when Hayley answered yes, she knew Brittany had found her home. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree and she did a happy dance, not unlike the ones Hayley did when excited. Not unlike the one she did at that very moment.

Chris grabbed one pear and put it in the back pocket of her trousers, then grabbed three more. She handed one to each of the newcomers, lingering in front of Hayley. She leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek just as Lee walked up to them with a silver, antique platter. Hayley recognized it from the china cabinet in Chris' living room that held her mother's family heirlooms. Chris smiled ear to ear at Lee and took the lid from the tray.

There was some of the ranch made goat cheese they sometimes sold at the farmers markets and some roasted, crumbled walnuts. She peered over at Chris and watched as she pulled the pear from her back pocket, then brought it up to her nose. She closed her eyes and smiled as she took in its scent, then looked to the sky for the briefest of moments. Hayley felt her chest ache for a moment at the yearning in Chris' eyes, but kept her hands filled with her Kilgore Pear.

Chris pulled her pocket knife out and cut a slender slice from her pear, then nodded for Hayley to join her. Hayley stepped forward and let her cut a slice from her pear as well. Chris did this with the other two newcomers, and then made her way back to Hayley. She cut a thin slice of goat cheese, handing the knife to Hayley and nodding for her to do the same. Once everyone had done so and laid the slice of cheese along their pear pieces, she grabbed the tiny bowl the walnuts rested in and held them out to Hayley.

Hayley took a few and watched as the others did the same, then as Chris returned the bowl to the tray. Chris put her pear slice that wore goat cheese atop it into her mouth, then dropped a pinch of walnuts along with it. She hummed and smiled as she chewed, and then waved for the newcomers to do the same with almost child-like excitement as if she were showing her friends a new game.

Hayley giggled as she popped the pear slice and cheese into her mouth and did the same with the walnuts then unconsciously moaned at its flavor. The cheese was tangy and melted in her mouth as the sweet, juicy pear pierced through her taste buds. She knew she would be dancing pretty soon but couldn't stop herself and didn't care to. The roasted walnuts complemented the entire ensemble and danced along her tongue and throat as she swallowed. She wanted more!

"There ya go, y'all!" Chris called out, and then cupped her hands around her mouth as all of the other old staff members did.

"Welcome to the family!" Everyone called out to the sky, then clanged their drinks and the country music from the PA system soared through the crowd.

Everyone started dancing and Hayley watched as Kimberly, one of Lee's adopted daughters, ran over to her and tugged on her leg. She wanted Lee to dance with her to Musgraves and wouldn't stop bouncing just like Hayley. A smack landed on her butt and she spun around with a yelp. Chris pulled her in and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"May I have this dance, Hales?" Her Texan drawl was drawn out a bit more exaggerated than it already was and Hayley knew exactly what that meant for later on that night.

"Yes, you may, handsome!" She replied as she wrapped her arms around Chris' shoulders. She watched as Chris vibrated with the gentle caress of her fingertips along the nape of her neck and smiled at still being able to elicit such a raw reaction. A raw and rare reaction she knew would always be hers. "As long as I get a kiss first, that is."

"Ya ain't needin' to ask me twice. Come 'ere, doll."