Rough Patch (Coming Home to the Mountain) - Page 9

"I see, and you live pretty close to your parents."

"Yeah. Not even a quarter of a mile." He shakes his head bashfully. "I'm not a mama's boy, if that's what you're thinking."

"I didn't say anything. Heck, I can't judge. I literally live in the same car as my parents." At that he laughs as he turns on the music.

"Okay. You should probably choose what we play considering you're the musician."

"Oh, I'm pretty easy, but the family band is folk."

"Would your music be on a music app?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say. "We have some albums uploaded online." He hands me his phone that's connected to the Bluetooth speakers and I type in The Wild Family Band.

"The Wild family," he says. "That really your last name?"

I nod. "Yeah. And yours is Rough so you can't judge my last name either."

"I'm not. My cousins, they're the Rowdys."

"Wow," I say, "that is incredible. I guess we really do have a lot in common. Big families, names that give you an idea of our families. What else?"

He looks over at me. "I'm twice the size of you and I have a feeling I'm a little bit more gruff than you too. Everything about you seems so damn sweet, Meadow."

I laugh. "I'm not always so sweet."

"I don’t believe it,” he says. "Listen to this song. Is that you singing?"

"How could you tell?"

He shrugs as he pulls into town. "I had a feeling. It's beautiful, just like you."

I look over at him, my heart beginning to pound, my stomach fluttering with butterflies, and I know my cheeks are probably bright red. He's making me feel so good. Since the moment we met, he both set me on fire and settled my soul.

"What?" he asks as he parks his car on Main Street in front of the urgent care.

"I just—I'm glad you found me," I tell him.

"I'm glad I found you too."

An hour later and an x-ray to boot, the doctor gives me some ibuprofen and tells me to keep off my foot. "The crutch will help," the doctor directs.

I nod appreciatively. "I guess you won't have to carry me anymore," I say, patting Reuben's shoulder.

The doctor looks at me and then at Reuben. "You new around here?" he asks.

"I'm just here on vacation," I tell him. "Just for a week over at the campground. I met Reuben out on the trails.”

"I see," the doctor says. "I've known this guy forever. His family, really."

"Well, it seems like I’m in good hands. Thank you."

When we leave the clinic, Reuben turns to me. "You told your sister to meet you in a couple of hours. Does that mean you have another hour to spare?"

I smile. "Are you asking me to get coffee?"

"Yeah," he says. "Unless you would rather..."

"No," I say, "that sounds great."

Using my crutch, I walk beside Reuben down the street toward the coffee shop. When Reuben pays for my iced chai latte and cookie, I thank him, realizing I'm not the only one feeling something here. I know he's feeling something too. When we have our drinks and treats, we sit outside at a table and chairs.

"So," he says, "you like to sing. You like nature. What else?"

I break my chocolate chip cookie in two. "I really like making herbal salves, different sorts of herbal sprays and tonics."

"Like healthcare stuff?"

"Yeah," I say. "If I didn't live in the RV, I would probably get myself a little workshop where I could make things. I would love to have a business out of my house one day where I can be a little witch doctor."

He grins. "That's awesome. My mom likes to do that stuff too. In the summer she's always collecting herbs and different wildflowers."

"Oh, that's wonderful," I say. "So you don't think I'm a little odd for my hobby?"

He chuckles. "No. When you have a big family, you get used to everybody doing their own thing. My little sister Fig, she loves to sew. She wants to be a fashion designer one day. And one of my brothers, he brews his own beer."

“And what about you, Reuben?" I ask him. "What's your thing?"

Just then a young woman and a little girl round the corner. The girl runs right over to Reuben. "Daddy," she says.

"Hey, Plum." He wraps his arms around the brown-haired beauty, kissing her on the forehead.

Is he married with a child? I swallow then look at the two of them.

"What are you doing out?" The young woman smiles at me. "I'm Fig," she says, "Reuben's little sister."

"I'm Meadow," I say, smiling, relieved.

"And I'm Plum," the little girl says.

Fig smiles. "We were just coming into town to get my afternoon coffee fix before we go back up to the house."

"Awesome," Reuben says warmly. "You having a good time with your Auntie Fig and being a good girl for your grandma?"

Tags: Frankie Love Romance
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