Geek to Farm

An hour later the city was behind us and the interstate was ours. Melanie had taken over the radio and seemed hell bent on finding the most awful music stations interspersed with irritating chat shows. At last she gave up and switched it off. Grody had decided that her shoulder was a perfect place to rest his jaws and sat there with a look of bliss on his woolly face while she stroked his neck. Our conversation moved from the weather to space walks and a few things in between as mile after mile rolled by.

After driving for about four hours I pulled over and walked around to her side. "We still have a long way to go young lady. Your turn."

She had been driving for about an hour before she turned to me. "We have been travelling due west a long way already. How far still?

"A long way."

"Where are we going?"

"A jumble of rocks," I mumbled with my eyes closed trying to get a little sleep. I knew how far we still had to go.

"Rocks or boulders?" she asked in a funny way and I started laughing. She had me.

"Boulders."

She remained quiet and I looked over at her. She was biting her lower lip and there was a strange pull to her mouth.

"You want to visit and I want to meet your parents," I said softly.

She looked over at me with a strange smile and nodded. "Thanks."

I tried to make light of the situation. "Sitting at home for the next two weeks would have been just too boring," I chuckled and squeezed her arm. "Seeing as you were not prepared to be a boredom alleviator I had to find some other form of excitement. Your father a big guy?"

She laughed and I could hear the happiness. "Almost your size but tough as nails."

"Mom as beautiful as you?"

"I refuse to answer that," she laughed and let her hand rest on mine where I had it resting on the centre console. "That will be your decision. May I phone them and tell them we're on our way?"

I shrugged. "We have a few choices. My idea was that we sleep at some sleazy motel and arrive in the morning, or we push through and find a bed at your folks. If they don't know we're coming I may have to sleep in the barn."

She giggled. "Do you know what a man looks like that had been plowed into the soil as fertilizer?"

"No, why?"

"Let my dad find out you had me in a sleazy motel and you may just find out how dangerous he can be."

"I was not really planning on having you just yet," I chuckled and fluttered my eyes at her, getting a small fist against my shoulder as punishment.

"Smart ass."

"You started it," I laughed.

At the next refresher stop Melanie excused herself to phone her parents and I idly watched her being animated as I waited for Grody to have his drink and leak.

"Daddy says you need to sleep in town," she giggled as we pulled out onto the Interstate again.

"Why?"

"He says you are mad and do not want you under his roof."

I laughed at that. "Will I have visiting rights?"

"From ten to eleven in the morning and again from three to four with both of them in attendance."

We pulled up in front of the ranch house at a tad after two in the morning. My butt felt as if I had been sitting on burrs all day and I stretched long and hard to get the kinks out of my back. Lights went on inside and moments later the front door opened. Melanie broke into a run and with a shriek jumped into her parents' arms while two rather large dogs jumped at her, barking their welcome. Grody sat bolt upright and whined at the sight of the other dogs. I wondered how the three dogs were going to get along and wisely kept the doors shut until such time as I knew what to expect. Few things spoil a welcome quite as much as dogs ripping into each other.

As I stepped onto the porch Melanie's father leaned around her and held out his hand.

"Bart Scholtz," he said in a booming voice and nodded over at his wife. "Mary and I never expected this. Thanks for bringing Melanie home."

"My pleasure Sir," I smiled and then Melanie's mother turned to me with arms outstretched. "Hello Johnathan," she said with happy tears. "May I hug you?"

"Thought you'd never ask," I chuckled and hugged her to me. It was pleasant and I held on to her just that little bit longer.

A sharp command from Bart made me spin around and I saw Melanie taking Grody from the car. The farm dogs stood at either side of Bart with their tails up but wagging slowly. Grody had his ears up but his tail down as Melanie kept him at her side. At a command from Bart the two farm dogs approached Grody and I could see him desperately wag his tail as they walked around him, sniffing where dogs do. Another command and they came to stand next to Bart again as Melanie brought Grody forward and led him around both dogs, allowing him to do his sniffing. Tails wagged and the three dogs suddenly sped away in that strange game of chase dogs get into when they play. I let out the breath I had been holding.

We were shown to our respective rooms and after a glass of sweet mountain water I crashed, only to be awakened by a cold nose in my neck at a time I would have loved to still be sleeping. I groaned and had a shower to clear the cobwebs in my brain. Getting dressed I heard voices from somewhere and followed it to the kitchen where Mary quickly placed a mug of coffee into my hand.

"Rested?" she asked with a smile and I shook my head ruefully. "Grody decided I had to get up. I heard voices?"

She smiled. "Bart was here for a while. He is in the valley moving some cows to another pasture and came to get something he needed to fix a gate. Grody is with him."

"After waking me my dog leaves me," I mused shaking my head. "Melanie?"

She shrugged. "Out cold I think."

I finished my coffee and walked outside. The ranch buildings were clustered close together in a seemingly haphazard fashion but it was soon obvious that placement was dictated by patches of level ground and ease of access. Off to one side there were terraces with large plastic tunnels and I assumed it was some kind of nursery as can be found in the city. Just a tad bigger.

Not wanting to go where I can damage something in my ignorance I returned to the house and found a chair in the kitchen, watching Mary fixing things for breakfast. Over her shoulder she asked; "How long have you known Melanie?"

I sat there staring at her. How long indeed? My silence made her look around and she lifted an eyebrow in a question. I chuckled. "I saw her for the first time about two weeks ago. I kind of met her the next evening but she was in her Police uniform and I did not know it was her. I saw her again on Saturday night at the music festival." I was silent for a few seconds as reality set in. "I officially met her as the person I was looking for on Sunday afternoon."

Mary spun around. "The day before yesterday?"

I looked at her. Thinking on it made it seem strange but I nodded. "It seems weird."

"You met her on Sunday," Mary repeated me softly and then looked at me with searching eyes. "Please do not think me ungrateful Johnathan, but why did you decide to come visit us?"

I chuckled. "It was a number of things together really. Melanie really wanted to visit as she was on leave but travelling this distance all by herself was a bit daunting. There was a massive thing at work and I was suddenly placed on compulsory leave. I couldn't think of anything better to do and besides, I want two things. A break from the city and an opportunity to spend quality time with Melanie. She does things to my head."

I saw Mary turn on me with a question on her face but just then Bart walked in. "Glad to see you up and about young man," he laughed. "Plans for the day?"

I shrugged. "Melanie ran a non-stop description of the farm and the surrounding countryside on our way here. I've never been in Colorado so if possible I would like to take a day or so to explore. Other than that we are open to any suggestion."

He nodded and sat down accepting coffee from Mary. "Melanie can be your tour guide. She knows where everything is." He rubbed his chin; "Ever drive a tractor?"

I laughed and showed him my hands. "City born computer geek. Been close to a few here and there but that's it. Drove some strange military vehicles but no tractors."

He just nodded and walked down the corridor yelling at Melanie to get up. She must have been up already because she showed up in the kitchen minutes later, dressed in the type of ranch garb seen in movies. A rather loose fitting jean with a blue checkered shirt. I got to my feet as she entered and waited as she first hugged her parents and then as she came to me I spun her around and with her back to me I put my arms around her. It was as chaste as I could do but I still planted a kiss on the back of her head.

"Rested?" I asked and was just in time to see a look pass between Bart and Mary. What it meant I did not know and decided to just ignore it. We sat down to breakfast and during the meal it was decided that Melanie would take me on a tour of the ranch after which we were to make a quick trip to town to get some provisions.

As ranches or farms go this was not the biggest in the country and it took Melanie only a few hours to show me everything from the front of a truck, interspersed with a little walking here and there. Most of the time her commentary was spiced with little anecdotes about her childhood. I quickly learnt that Bart was a phenomenal farmer and scientist combined, achieving huge success in increased crops from small patches of arable land without depleting the soil.

Soon we were on our way to town with a shopping list. There I found that Melanie was well known and liked. We spent more time chatting to people who wanted to know everything about her life since they had last seen her than we did in buying what we came for. To some I was just an awkward bystander and to others I was something to place under scrutiny. At first I felt a little ill at ease but as soon as I realized that their interest in me was genuine, I relaxed and took part in some conversations. To some my job was like being responsible for the moon landings while others quickly lost interest in me, finding my obvious lack of knowledge in agriculture disappointing or boring or both.

As we walked into the farming supply store I saw Melanie cringe and she reached for my hand. From an office came a loud 'Melanie!' and a guy came down the steps. The way he carried himself convinced me that he thought he was the reason why girls left snail tracks on chairs. With his shirt unbuttoned just far enough to show part of his upper chest to hint at well toned muscles and a shock of blond hair carried in the fashion of Prince Charming from Aladdin fame had me fighting the urge to burst out laughing. Without so much as a glance at me he grabbed Melanie's face between his hands, stopping any retreat from her and crushingly kissed her full on the mouth. Her desperate squeeze on my hand was indication enough that she did not like the advance one little bit and I grabbed a handful of his shirt and with buttons popping I jerked him away with enough force to send him stumbling into a rack of paint brushes.

"Do you mind?" I yelled at him and moved Melanie behind me as he gathered himself. He looked at me with venom and for a second or two it looked as if he was going to try his luck by tackling me and I crouched. I was ready and he must have seen it for he suddenly turned away and walked off.

I felt Melanie's hand tremble as I took it into mine again. "What's with that Egg-head?" I asked loudly and heard someone snicker. She squeezed my hand and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"Thank you Johnathan," she said almost in a whisper. Anger washed over me. What had this asshole done to her to upset her this way? I made it a point to find out.

As we got into the truck again I made a quick decision and opened my door again. "Wait here Melanie. I have unfinished business inside."

"Johnathan please!" she begged but I just waved at her with a smile. "I am only going to have a quick chat to that guy."

As I entered the shop again I saw him start from the desk in his office and I took a few very fast steps to stand in his door, blocking escape.

"I hope you understand something here," I said leaning against the door jamb with my arms folded. "It is obvious that you have the manners of a rabid pig. If you even said you're sorry I may have accepted it but you did not even try! What you did there constitutes assault and sexual harassment. I can have you booked for it and I may yet do it." I raised my voice a little and dropped my arms to my side. "In the meantime, should I find you within ten yards of my fiancé you will regret the day you met me!" I took a step closer to him and roared. "Do you hear me?"

He nodded with the same hate in his eyes. I turned around and could not help a smile from spreading across my face as I walked from the shop. Man! I enjoyed that!

I got into the truck and Melanie pulled out of the parking. We had been travelling for about a mile before she said softly; "You are scary."

My head whipped around. "What?"

She was smiling and those astonishing eyes glittered. "Do you have any idea what those scars on your face do when you are angry?"

I rubbed over my cheek. I had long forgotten about my drunken fall and with everything happening in between I never even checked on it after the scabs had fallen off and I was able to shave again without donating blood. To my mind they had disappeared long ago.

"Those scars glowed white when you yelled at him. You looked like Rambo on a mission! No wonder he bowed out."

I chuckled. "Then at least it had its purpose. A barbaric fight in the shop would have been awful."

She was silent for a while and then took my hand. "Thanks."

"My privilege," I mumbled. "One day I want to know why that dork upsets you so much."

"I will tell you Johnathan, but not today," she said softly. "You are still angry and you may just turn around and damage him."

I looked around at her. "That means I have enough reason to do it anyway?"

She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head but smiled to soften it.

After taking everything from the truck at the ranch house we drove down into the valley to see how Bart was getting along. We found him leaning on a fence watching the dogs irritate a town of prairie dogs. The difference between Grody as city dog and the other two was embarrassing to watch. If he had to catch a prairie dog for survival, he would have died of starvation pretty soon. I found it embarrassing, Bart found it very amusing.

When we arrived back at the house, Melanie and Mary set about preparing dinner and Bart invited me along to one of the smaller barns. In one corner he had a large bench and just about any tool needed to do whatever needed to be done on a ranch. On the table was an engine of sorts, surrounded by a confusing array of spare parts. For a moment I pictured myself having to assemble that engine and I took pity on Grody with the prairie dogs. Knowledge is everything I thought and marveled at the confidence with which Bart took parts and fitted them where they were supposed to go as if working from some mental picture.

"Mary tells me you only met Melanie this past weekend," he said while turning down a nut.

I laughed. "Well, yes and no. I saw her two weeks ago and hunted her down."

He looked at me with a slow smile. "Mind telling me? It sounds like something I want to hear."

I started at the traffic light and ended where I had stopped at her condo.

"...and she simply agreed to go with you to some unknown place after...."

I chuckled. "I seem to be a trustable guy. On the other hand, girls go on dates..."

He nodded and picked between a heap of nuts and bolts before happily grabbing one and screwing it in place. While tightening it he frowned at me. "You know about Peter?"

I nodded. "Indeed I do. She also knows about Tammy."

"Tammy?"

I rolled my lips. "I am divorced."

He nodded. "Mind explaining?"

I told him everything. I wanted this man to know how I ticked. I had plans with his daughter and I did not want some accidental secret to create a problem.

"And you still love her?"

"Yes."

"Where does that put Melanie?"

I noticed that he had stopped working and was looking at me intently. "On her own level and at her own place," I answered as straight as I could. "If I had to stop loving Tammy to make place to love Melanie something has to be false."

He wiped a spanner with a cloth and looked over at me. There was a faint smile in his eyes as he asked; "You like Melanie?"

I felt the conviction in my being. "No, I love her." I said, looking at him levelly.

"How do you know?"

"I have loved deeply before. I know what it feels like."

"Does she know?"

I shrugged. "I still need to tell her."

He went to a tin, fished out some hand cleaner and while he was rubbing his hands together we walked back to the house.

Mary was giggling and Melanie looked perplexed as we walked in. Bart and I exchanged a questioning look but he simply shrugged and went to the bathroom to rinse his hands.

During dinner Mary turned to Bart and giggled again. "Melanie had a run-in with Tom Henshall."

Bart looked up and I could see anger. "You find it funny?"

Mary giggled again. "It's all over town on how Johnathan had made him take water!"

Bart looked at me and crooked his eyebrow. "You hit him?"

I shook my head. "He declined the offer."

Bart nodded. "Watch your back. That sleaze ball will get back at you. Know this. He is the son of a very rich family and they are well connected. Hit him and you may find the DA huntin' you."

I shrugged. "I explained to him that he has to stay out of my way. Hopefully that will make him keep..." Mary's peal of laughter made me stop and look at her. She was laughing merrily with tears streaming down her face while Melanie was once again sitting there with crimson creeping up her face. Bart looked at me and we both shrugged before he turned to Mary.

"Something I should know here?" he asked, laughing in sympathy.

Mary touched his arm. "I'll tell you later. I just wish I was there to see it."

Chapter 13

With dinner and dishes done I asked Melanie to join me for a walk and we left the two seniors reading in the great room. Outside I reached for her hand and we walked down the road with the dogs playing around us.

"May I know what your mom finds so funny?" I asked smiling and got a squeeze on my hand from her but she remained quiet until I gave her hand a pull. "...Am waiting?...."

She sighed and in the twilight I could see her staring into the distance before she chuckled. "I guess you will hear it anyway so I may as well tell you. Or better still. How about you telling me what you said to that rat when you went back?"

I frowned. "Uhm.... I told him he had the manners of a rabid pig, if I remember correctly."

"And then?"

"And then I told him to stay very far away from you or I would hurt him."

"And how exactly did you word that?" she asked and I could hear the smile in her voice.

A light suddenly went on. "Aha!" I laughed. "If memory serves I told him you were my fiancé!"

Melanie laughed softly. "Apart from the fact that you made him crawl, it is also County news that we are engaged. Mom has had uncountable phone calls of congratulations."

"And that is what she finds so funny?" I asked in wonder.

"Well... uhm.... not exactly."

I laughed. "Ah! There is more!"

She started swinging my arm as if embarrassed and I could hear her laughing softly. "May I keep that to myself for now?"

I used her arm to swing her toward me and caught her in my arms. I leaned in close and said softly. "You may keep it to yourself for now but I have something that I cannot keep to myself anymore." She looked up at me and in the semi darkness I could just make out a soft smile around her lips. "I love you Melanie. Please don't ask me why or how it happened so quickly but I do. It happened."