“Goddamn it!” I flung the diggers on the ground.
“Hey.”
I spun around to find Jodie staring back at me. Her car was parked down by the gate which I had not yet opened. She looked different. Her hair was all combed straight, and her hands were tucked into her pockets, like she wanted to be invisible. I noticed the temperature had dropped to near bearable, and there were clouds moving in from the west.
“Hey. I …” I had no words to explain. We both looked over at the post hole diggers.
“The goats get out?”
“A couple. Sheila helped me catch them.”
“Cool. Billie …” Jodie stared high into the trees. “Can we talk?”
“Sure.” I dusted off my clothes. “Let’s go sit in the shade.” I led the way down the path to my dad’s tree.
Jodie sat down on a large stump and took a long breath. “First off, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for every bit of it. I don’t care what anybody around this place says about me. Even if it effects my job, I can’t lie about who I am any more. For the longest time, I didn’t think of myself as gay, even though I knew I liked women. Then, I thought as long as I don’t have a girlfriend, there’s nothing to tell, anyway. I know it’s nobody’s business, but then everybody knows everybody’s business around here. So if they hate me because I’m gay, the only thing that has to do with you is that you’re the one I am in love with. I’m still gay whether you’re here or not.”
I savored the words; you’re the one I am in love with. I sat on a stump across from her.
“Being with you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I have been an idiot for letting other things come between us. I am not going to let that bitch beat me, but I’ll fucking work in Boise if I have to. You’re the most important thing to me.”
“What about Russ?” I could see him after the accident, livid at me, and hear all the horrible things he said.
“Dad … Dad regrets what he said. We have talked a lot, and he is beginning to understand that he has a lot of backwards ideas, even if he is more open-minded than a lot of people around here. I explained to him what they are doing at work, and Delilah is the focus of his wrath now. He really feels bad about what he said.”
I gave her a hard look.
“He really does. He wanted to apologize, but I told him to get in line and wait until I talked to you.”
“I don’t know … he seemed pretty sure he hated me.” Jodie slid from the stump to the ground, and I moved over and sat next to her.
She pulled out her phone and hit speed dial. “Hey, Dad. I’m on speaker phone with Billie.”
“Hey, there, Bilbo Baggins. How’s things in Hobbit Town?”
“Dad!”
“Hi, Russ.”
“Hey, kid. I wish I hadn’t unloaded on you the other day. Just lookin’ out for my girl. I know it wasn’t your fault. I said a lot of crap I didn’t know I didn’t mean. I’m trying, okay. You and all a’ Jodie’s friends are welcome in our home. Even that Benj, fella.”
“Dad?!”
“You know what I mean, Billie?”
“I do, Russ. You sure we’re okay?”
“Yep. I am sorry I went off on you. When my little girl gets hurt I get a little hot under the collar but I was flat out wrong to talk to you like that.”
“I understand.”
“And one more thing.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know how you got that Dillon Contreras for a guard dog, but you can tell her to cease and desist.”
I had no idea Mrs. Contreras even knew Russ, let alone would say anything on my behalf. Considering how she talked to me, I can only imagine what she said to Russ. I laughed.
“I’ll let her know.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“See you at home.” Jodie hung up the phone. “See?”
“I guess he sounds okay, now.”
“No, you have no idea what process he went through to apologize like that. He really means it.”
“Okay. But are we okay?”
Jodie put her hand on my leg and looked me in the eye.
“Yes. I am so sorry for all the bullshit and for not being able to manage it. I will do better, I promise.”
I took her hand in mine, intertwined our fingers, and held it to my chest. “I’m sorry I screwed up. You know there was never anything between me and Benj. And Chloe, I think she’s funny. It’s okay if you don’t. Anyway, they’re gone now, and, until my mom comes here, that should be the end of any visitors for me. By the way, I’m so in love with you, I could die right now and be happy.”
“Oh, don’t do that. We’re just getting things started. Besides I have a new project I want to work on.”
“Really, what is that?” I grinned, and a drop of water splashed across my nose.
“A tiny house.” She stood up and dusted off her pants. Rain drops began tapping a rhythm on the leaves above us.
“A tiny house?”
“Yep, and if you are okay with it, I want to build it
