“I don’t think I would want to two mates,” she said.
“We didn’t think you would either,” said Cash. “So we decided that we’ll both court you, and whoever you choose, the other will be okay with letting you go.”
“If that’s okay with you, that is,” Cal added.
“How do you see all of that happening?” she asked, completely overwhelmed.
“That would really be up to you at the end of the day,” Cal said. “But the website had a lot of suggestions about how we could go about doing things. We could take you on individual dates, and you could see you who you connect with more.”
“And what if I don’t connect with either of you?” she asked, opening the next gate for the cattle and whistling for Boo to push them out into the adjoining field.
“We’ll be okay with that too,” Cash said, eyeing his brother.
“Okay, then.” River felt if she was agreeing to the death penalty, though she knew that it wasn’t nearly as tragic and final as that. But falling in love and finding a mate might just be the end of her freedom. That fact was all she’d ever known about what it meant to mate with a man. And no matter how gracious and kind the twins seemed, her fears were not so easily quelled.
“So who will I go out with first?” she asked. The entire situation was utterly absurd.
“You can go out with either of us. You choose,” said Cal.
“I think I’ll leave that up to you,” she said.
She whistled for Boo and started away. She had another lesson with Austin, the oldest brother on the ranch, about farm management and livestock rotation, things she was quite interested in.
Even though the meeting didn’t start for another half hour, she needed to go back to her room to rest and reflect on her interaction with the twins. She was flooded with relentless conflicting emotions, and she needed to center herself before she could speak with anyone else.
Back in her room at the bunkhouse, she closed the door behind her and sat on her bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, her forehead resting on her kneecaps, as she breathed slowly in the dark.
Both twins wanted to date her. She’d never been on a date with a man in her life. She’d only been at the very edges of the hyena society. Now she was a grown woman, but she still felt unready for what lay ahead. She didn’t know what the twins expected or how to anticipate what they might want from her. She didn’t know if she was willing to give them anything at all. She searched her heart, trying to find answers. But all she found were more questions.
There was a gentle knock at the door. River gasped and jumped out of bed. She rushed to the door, brushing away the tears that had slipped from her eyes.
“Yes?” she asked as she opened the door. She found Cash and Cal standing there, looking sheepish and reluctant.
“We’ve decided that Cal will take you out first. If that’s okay with you.”
“We drew straws,” Cal said.
“Okay then,” she said, not knowing how else to answer.
“I’m going to take you out to dinner tomorrow tonight, if that’s okay with you,” Cal said.
“Can I have time to think about it?” she asked.
Cal looked concerned but finally nodded.
“I’ll let you know after supper,” she said.
“Okay then. Here’s my number.” He handed her a slip of paper. “You can text me.”
“Okay,” she said, closing the door.
She cringed. Why can’t I manage to speak in sentences that are longer than a single word?
River waited in her room for the twins to leave. Then she ventured outside and drove over to Austin’s house for her lesson. Austin was a thoughtful and thorough teacher. She even got to meet his baby boy and his wife, Cheyenne, who cooked lunch for her and made her feel at home. Neither of them mentioned the mating situation, and she was relieved to not have to talk about it while she was trying to digest Austin’s information.
After her meeting with Austin, River drove over to the goat dairy farm to work with the goats. Heath and Rose taught her more nuances of livestock integration, and by the time she was done for the day, her head was swimming.
She made it home in time to meet the other interns. She greeted them each as warmly as she could, made herself a microwave burrito, and retreated to her bedroom.
As she ate dinner and watched a video on her laptop, she thought about the proposal from Cal for a date the following night. She was still conflicted about whether or not she wanted to date at all, let alone so soon after arriving in Fate Rock. But curiosity, and the deep well of tenderness and emotion that sat just at the edge of her consciousness, made her pick up her phone and the slip of paper Cal had given her.
She took several deep breaths and then entered the text message: I would be happy to go out with you for dinner tomorrow night.
7
River stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself in the pale-pink dress she’d brought to wear on Sundays, if she ever found a church. She turned from side to side, assessing her curves in the modest outfit. Is this the kind of thing one wears on a date? Is this a date?
She didn’t have the answer to either of those questions and felt so completely naive about the whole process that she nearly lost her nerve and was ready to give up when her phone buzzed with a text message from Cal: I can’t wait for our date tonight. I’m really looking forward to it.
She let out a deep sigh. She was getting worked up over nothing. Cal was a good man, and he wanted to get to know her better. She wasn’t committing to anything except dinner. That was all this was. After that night, she never had to see him again if she didn’t want to. She didn’t have to date him or his brother. She’d come to Fate Rock to have an internship, not to find a mate, and she was sure that Austin would be on her side if she chose not to see either of the twins again.
She set her jaw then grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. Cal had told her he would be picking her up at eight o’clock, and it was 7:55. Her heart raced. She tried to calm herself down, but it just wasn’t working.
At exactly eight o’clock, there was a knock at the door. Her heart leapt in her chest. She opened the door and found Cal standing on the other side in dark jeans and a tight-fitting black T-shirt. She could see the ripples of his muscles under his clothes, and it sent a quiver of awareness through her that she’d never felt before.
Is this attraction? Is this what one is supposed to feel for one’s mate? She didn’t know. Maybe it was just her nerves. Her stomach did a flip-flop, and she wasn’t sure if it was excitement or if she was about to get the stomach flu.
Cal pulled a bundle out from behind his back, a beautiful bouquet of summer flowers from the forest. No one had ever given her flowers before, and she wasn’t quite sure how to react.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the bundle and smelling the sweet fragrance. “They’re beautiful.”
She went to the kitchen and was unable to find a proper vase, so she put them instead in a half-gallon Mason jar. She turned back to Cal sheepishly and smiled as he offered her his arm.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said with a smile.