The Long Ride Home (Cowboys & Cowgirls) (6 page)

“What’s that,” Elena asked as she loaded the toaster with two pieces of bread.

“Penis, penis, penis,” Cheryl chanted, grinning.

Elena laughed and threw a kcup at Cheryl. “Get out of here.”

“Penis,” Cheryl said once more and left the apartment.

***

Holton went into town that afternoon and bought a few new things, including a suit jacket and a new pair of pants for his date with Elena. He also had to stop in at the bank and make a payment on the loan that Elena took out for her schooling.

“Hi, Mr. Dade,” Jenny Soren, a bank teller at the First National greeted as he came in.

“Hi, Jenny. I’m here to make a payment on Elena’s loan.”

“Oh, great. How is Elena?” Jenny asked as she logged in to her computer. “Do you know the loan number?”

“No, I don’t know the loan number. Sorry. And she is doing great. She’s in her final semester at school. I’m here to make sure she doesn’t struggle to make her month’s payment.”

“Aw, that’s sweet. I didn’t know you two were still engaged. I had heard…”

“Everything is okay between Elena and me,” Holton assured Jenny as he handed her over the envelope. “I know who she opened the loan with if that helps,” Holton said as Jenny was searching for the loan.

“Nope, I found it. I am not authorized to let you know the balance, but it’s okay for you to pay the loan down,” Jenny said as she opened the envelope he handed her.

“That’s okay, I would just like a receipt. I’ll put it in an envelope for her.”

“That’s fine, that I can do. So, when is the wedding?”

“We haven’t set a date yet. When we do, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“I am so happy for you guys. I remember how obsessed Elena was with you in high school. She had a picture of you in her locker.”

Holton laughed. “She did?”

“Oh yeah. We were all pretty jealous back
then. Congratulations again, Holton.”

“Thanks, Jenny,” he said as she handed him a receipt. “I’ll let you know.”

***

“Hi, I’m Elena, I’ll be your server this evening,” Elena said to a couple of teenagers at the Uni-diner. She had worked there for the past four years.

“Hi,” “Hi,” they both said at the same time. They were two teenagers. They looked like they were on a date.

“Can I get you both something to drink?”

“I’ll get a chocolate milkshake,” the girl said. The guy next to her grinned and said that he would take the same. Elena smiled and turned to place the order.

She came back a few minutes later with their shakes and the two teens were holding each other’s hands. “Here you go,” Elena said as she placed the shakes on the table.

A few minutes after that another couple came in followed by two more. It was like love was in the air, and the only thing that she could think of was Holton. He was coming in two more days!

***

Elena walked in the apartment two hours later and put her backpack and purse on the table. She rolled her neck to the left and then to the right. Just then, Cheryl walked in.

“Just getting off work?” she asked.

“Yeah, my neck is killing me. It was a good night, though. I just had a hard time getting everyone to leave.”

Cheryl laughed. “You need a broom.”

“For what?”

“To hit them with. Tell them, I’m off at 8, bitches!”

Elena laughed. “You are insane. I couldn’t exactly hit the people with a broom. I had a few teenagers, a few couples my age, and then the rest were old people. A bus of people came in ten minutes before close. They all wanted ice cream.”

Cheryl rolled her eyes. She worked at the same diner Elena did for two years. She quit this semester because she was student teaching. “I hate that ice cream machine. Truly, I believe that is the act of the devil.”

“Yes, I think you are right. I am so hungry.”

“Why didn’t you get something there?”

“I would have, but then the bus came. I planned on going to a deli, but then…”

“The bus.”

“Yeah. Wait, why are you so late?”

“Oh, I was at Denny’s.”

“So  you already ate?”

“No! Denny’s…Denny Vick.”

“Oh!” Elena laughed. “I was jealous for a moment there.”

“Hey!”

“I’m just joking. So things are going well with Denny, then?”

“Yeah,” Cheryl smiled. “I didn’t tell you, but we’ve been dating for a while now.”

“How long?”

“Over a year.”

Elena’s eyes widened. “A year?”

“Over a year.”

“How could you keep this from me?”

“Are you really mad?”

“No, it’s just…how? He is never here.”

“Well, he’s here.”

“What do you mean, I’ve never seen him.”

“Elena, think about it.”

Elena put her hand in front of her mouth and gasped. “Is he here now?”

Cheryl nodded. “He’s in my room.”

“What!”

“Shh!” Cheryl shushed Elena. She started laughing. “I’m in love with him.”

“Yeah?”

Cheryl nodded. “He asked me, Elena.”

“He asked you what?”

“To marry him. We are going to get married.”

“You are marrying this guy that I have never seen but a few times after class!”

“Yeah,” Cheryl said, somewhat embarrassed
. “What do you think?”

“Are you embarrassed of him?”

“No! I just… I didn’t want you to feel bad. I didn’t know Holton was good for you…but now I can see how it is, I thought you should know.”

“Oh, Cheryl!” Elena said, hugging her best friend. “I can’t believe how good a friend you are to me.”

“You think so,” Cheryl asked.

“Honey, you are the bestest friend in the whole world.”

Cheryl grinned. “Can he come out now?”

“Do you have him caged up in there?” Elena joked.

“No, of course not! I have him chained.”

“Oh, Cheryl, you probably do!” Elena slapped Cheryl playfully.

“I’ll go get him.”

A few minutes later, Cheryl and Denny came down the steps. They were holding hands and looked very happy. Elena smiled and introduced herself formally to Denny.

“So, you are the one that is making Cheryl late for breakfast?”

Cheryl had the audacity to blush and Elena laughed.

“That’d be me,” Denny said. “But, I’m usually out before she even wakes up,” he said, winking at Cheryl. “She kicks me out every morning before you get up. She didn’t want me waking you.”

“Well, you don’t have to do that anymore.”

“Thank God,” Denny said. “I can’t tell you how bored I am at the student center.”

“Why the student center?”

“I have nowhere else to go. She kicks me out and the only place on campus that is open that early is the Student center, and those couches are pretty damn comfortable.”

Elena laughed, picturing him lying on the long leather couches. They were comfortable, but she couldn’t imagine sleeping there. There were too many weirdoes hanging around campus. One guy that hung around there constantly went around cussing to himself. He was aptly named F-U-Bob.

“I am so sorry about that. I feel terrible knowing that she didn’t trust me enough to be happy for her.”

“I’m sorry, too, Elena. I don’t want you to feel bad,” Cheryl apologized.

“That’s okay. I understand why you did. I probably would have done the same thing.”

Cheryl smiled and put her arm around Denny. “You’re a good friend, Elena. Oh, hey, did you want me to help you with pre-calc tonight?”

Elena took a deep breath and shook her head. “I’m just going to skip it tonight. I have a few days before I really have to worry about it.”

Cheryl laughed. “Okay, just let me know when.”

“Okay, you two have a good rest of the night.”

“Nice meeting you, Elena,” Denny said as he took Cheryl’s hand and led her up the steps to Cheryl’s room.

“You as well.”

As soon as Elena opened her door, her
cell phone rang. She smiled at the phone and picked it up as she curled up with a blanket on her bed.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Hey, yourself,” Holton replied lazily.

“How was your day?” he asked.

Elena smiled and sighed. “Long.”

“Aw…too tired?”

“No, I just got home from work about twenty minutes ago. I also found out that my best friend Cheryl is engaged. Her boyfriend just asked her to marry him.”

“I didn’t realize she had a boyfriend.”

“Neither did I. She kept it a secret for over a year.”

“Oh, why?”

“Long story. I met him though. He’s nice.”

“That’s good. How was work? Why so late?”

“A bus came and a whole bunch of people ordered ice cream.”

“And that’s bad?”

“Oh, you have no idea. People are so stupid about their ice cream.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there are 45 different flavors there, and you have to mix them with this mixer, and our manager doesn’t care how many different flavors go on each cone…so of course people want a million different things.”

“That does suck,” Ho
lton agreed. “So did you get yourself dinner?”

“No. And that’s what really sucks, because I’m hungry.”

“You should go downstairs and make yourself a sandwich.”

“No food. I didn’t have time to pick anything up.”

“Can you order a pizza or something?”

“It’s okay, Ho
lton. I have a bag of M&Ms.”

“Wow. Elena,”
Holton started to speak, but Elena interrupted.

“Don’t lecture… how was your day?”

“Pretty good.”

“Oh?”

“I went shopping today.”

“Shopping?” Elena asked, amused.

“Yeah, I bought a few things, then stopped down at the bank.”

“Geesh, how much did you spend?”

“Not that much, no…I went and paid this month’s payment to your loan.”

Elena was quiet for a moment and then spoke. “You aren’t talking to me now because of guilt, right?”

“What?”

“Seriously, Ho
lton. Don’t call me just because of guilt.”

“I’m not.”

“Honestly?”

“Of course. Don’t be mad, I was just trying to help out.”

“Okay,” Elena said quietly.

“I’m not lying,” Ho
lton defended himself.

“I believe you.”

“Good. So, I’m going to let you go. I really want you to get something to eat.”

“It’s not happening, Ho
lton. I don’t have anything, and I am totally fine with M&Ms.”

“Fine.”

“What did you eat for dinner?”

Ho
lton mumbled something, and Elena laughed. “What was that?”

“M&Ms.”

Elena started giggling. “You’re kidding!”

“I’m not. I came home to get something to eat and Lousie didn’t either make enough or the guys ate it all. I figured I had nothing to complain about since I cut out early to go in to town.”

“Oh, Holton!”

“I know.”

“Why don’t you order a pizza?”

“Yeah, who would deliver?”

“Nobody, that’s why I miss the Triple M.”

“Yeah…So, when are you coming home?”

Elena’s heart beat fast and she smiled. “I can’t come home until Spring break. Around April…”

“That’s a long time.”

“I know.”

“Is something wrong?” Ho
lton asked.

“No, I guess I’m just tired. Today was rough and I didn’t sleep much last night.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop calling so late.”

“No! that’s not it
! I was up thinking about you and couldn’t sleep.”

“Thinking about me?”

“Yes,” Elena admitted quietly.

“How?”

“What do you mean?”

“What were you thinking about?”

“Well that’s personal,” Elena said, laughing.

“It is…”

Elena took a deep breath and sighed. “I was just thinking about you. I’m really glad that you called. I’m happy, Holton.”

“I’m happy, too, baby.”

***

Holton left late Friday night for Sunnybrook and got a hotel room a mile away from the University. He would sleep most of Saturday away and then see Elena that night at six. His ranch hands were left in charge of the ranch while he was away.