Because of a Cowboy

Not Giving Up

For the next week, I tried the best I could to put everything with Toby out of my mind. He never answered any of my texts. Instead I focused on work and the baby. I spent long days at the gift shop, cleaning out the back storage room for the busy season and doing my schoolwork when it was slow.

Thanks to summer courses, it looked like I'd be graduating a year early. However, I still had another full year left to go once the fall hit.

After dinner, I'd walk over to the guest house with Wrylie to keep working on the nursery. Winter and John kindly relocated all of their moving boxes from the baby's room to the living room so we had space to build and design.

While Wrylie painted and I built furniture, we talked about the return of our sister. I thought Whisper would be coming for a visit in a few weeks, but she was doing so well in her program that she'd be coming home for good.

We both had our doubts and fears, but she'd be bunking in the tiny house so her twin could keep an eye on her.

I also spent time trying to get in touch with Holden. As expected, I had no luck.

After going bowling on Friday night with my brothers, I did get a text. But it wasn't from Holden. It was from Toby.

I miss you.

As I sat in the back seat of Waldo's truck, I typed up a response.

Ikr? I don't think we've not talked for this long. You want to meet up?

...We don't close for another hour.

"Hey Waldo, I need you to step on it!" I said.

"The car? You don't step on cars, young lady," he said.

I rolled my eyes. My twin brothers laughed. In the passenger seat, Wesley had his face buried in a spreadsheet he was working on.

"It's opening night at the Parks' stand," I said.

"Oh shoot! I knew I was forgetting something!" Waldo said, slamming on the gas pedal.

Ten minutes later we were greeted by a full house at Cowboy Cones. Every single one of the surrounding picnic tables was filled. The smell of funnel cake hit my nose. I'd been craving it for months.

I jumped out of the car right as we came to a stop and found my place in the long line. My brothers were right there with me.

We waited and waited. I tried to tough it out, even with my aching feet, which were getting more swollen by the day. Finally, it was our turn. As usual, Toby was the one working the register.

"Howdy folks! What can I getcha?" he asked. "Willa, the funnel cake delight with caramel, as usual?"

"I'm actually craving chocolate tonight," I said.

He smiled, took the rest of our orders, and said it would be on the house when we tried to pay. We moved over and I leaned against the side of the building, but a nice family nearby offered us their picnic table, seeing that I was pregnant.

A man who looked like a twenty-year-old version of Toby personally brought us our orders.

"Changing it up, I see," he said, setting down my perfect funnel cake, topped with vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with chocolate.

"Thanks, Jermane!" I said, diving right in.

The funnel cake was perfectly crisp and loaded with powdered sugar. The cold ice cream combined with the warm funnel cake was the perfect sensation. Why couldn't they just keep this place open all year?

We sat until we finished eating. My brothers got up to leave, and I told them I'd stay behind so I could talk to Toby. The crowd started dying down as they neared closing time. Once the last order was taken, I expected to wait a while for Toby to leave. I'd spent so many late nights talking to him while he cleaned up after closing.

"Hey, I'll be right there!" Toby said out the window.

"Okay!" I said.

A few minutes later he emerged, still in his uniform. I stood up and the two of us were standing there for I don't know how long. We were just staring, just looking into each other's eyes before we finally hugged.

"I don't care what we are. I don't care who you're with. You'll always be my best friend. I don't want to live my life without you," he said.

"Me either," I said, burying my face into his shoulder. "I'll grab some stuff and we'll head over to the hayloft. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect."