Coming Home to the Mountain: Complete Edition

5. Reuben

CHAPTER 5

Reuben

A fter Plum and Fig walk out of the cafe with drinks in hand, waving goodbye, an awkward silence settles over Meadow and me. I go into the cafe for bottles of water, trying to collect my thoughts.

But when I sit down at the table, Meadow speaks first. "So that's your daughter?"

"Right," I say. "Plum, my little girl."

"She's so sweet," Meadow says, "and she's lucky to have a dad like you."

I run a hand over my jaw. "Yeah. Well, I'm a single father and sometimes I feel like I'm doing it all wrong. My parents, they help but..."

"You must have a lot on your plate," Meadow says, "but the way she looks at you tells me you're doing something right."

"Thanks," I say, appreciating her ability to not press into corners of my past that I'm not ready to open up about. "Hey, I was thinking. I know we just met, but I really don't want our time together to end. Maybe that's too forward, but..."

Meadow shakes her head. "No, I don't want it to end either. I'm having a great time getting to know you, Reuben, and I know I'm only in town for a few more days, but..."

"Right," Reuben says. "A few days?"

I nod. "Yeah. Then we're headed south to California."

"In that case, I guess we should take advantage of the fact my parents are watching Plum tonight." Meadow’s cheeks go red and I immediately clarify it. "I wasn't saying—I just meant we could hang out some more if you wanted."

"That sounds great," Meadow says. "What did you have in mind?"

"We could get dinner. I could take you out."

Meadow smiles. "I feel like I should be the one taking you out. After all, you've been my knight in shining armor today. Rescuing me, making sure I was okay, buying my coffee."

Reuben frowns. "No, don't think of it like that. I'm just glad I was there when I was. Hell, you'd be still sitting in those woods if not."

Meadow grins. "I told you I had a plan. I was going to roll down the mountain to the campground."

I chuckle. "I'd kind of like to see that actually, you rolling around on the ground."

Meadow grins playfully. "I don't know what that means, but I think it's your way of flirting with me."

"I'm a little rusty," I admit.

"It doesn't seem that way," she tells me.

"But about that date," I say. "Want to make dinner together?" I suggest. "Maybe that's weird but..."

"No," Meadow says, "I love that. I am fine going out to a restaurant, but I'd prefer to actually hang out with you, and I don't need a whole scene."

"Especially in this town," Reuben says. "Everyone here knows me, knows my whole story."

"I gathered that from the doctor at the clinic."

"Exactly!" I explain. "I've lived here my whole life. and even now I'm guessing people are talking."

"About what?" Meadow says, confused.

"About me sitting here with you. I don't usually date."

"Right," Meadow says. "So have you been single for a while?"

I swallow. "Yeah. About four years."

"How old are you?" she asks. "Sorry if that's too nosy."

"No, it's fine. I'm 23. What about you?"

"I'm 22." I feel like she's doing math in her head and I don't blame her.

"We had Plum when we were 18, just graduated high school. It wasn't planned, but..."

"You don't need to explain. We just met."

"I know, but..." I run a hand over my jaw. "The thing is, Meadow, I'm not just a single dad. I'm a widower."

Meadow’s eyes soften at that and she reaches across the table and takes my hand, squeezing it. Her reaction is so different than the other women I've met over the years. They hear my story and they pity me or they want to replace my wife. But when Meadow looks at me now, all I feel is warmth, sincere care.

"Oh my God. You've both been through so much."

The fact that she lumps Plum in with me fucking melts my heart. She gets it. "Yeah," I say. "It was a car crash. It was awful." I shake my head. "It took Plum and me a long time to figure out our way. But now, now we know who we are.”

“Two peas in a pod?” Meadow says.

“Something like that,” I say. “I’m lucky to have my parents, that I get to live so close to them. They help out a lot. My whole family, really. I was just a kid. 19 years old with a one-year-old baby girl and the life I thought I was going to have was taken from me before it even began.” I run a hand through my hair. “Damn, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to get into heavy shit, but it’s the facts.”

“No,” Meadow says, “don’t apologize. I appreciate it, you telling me your story. I can’t relate. I’ve never gone through a hard thing like that, but I’m really glad you’ve had such a great family helping you through it.” There are tears in her eyes when she speaks, and suddenly I find there are tears in mine.

We're sitting at this table outside on Main Street and it feels like we're all alone in a cocoon, her and I. My chest tightens and my throat goes dry and I feel a connection to her I haven't ever felt before.

Her fingers are still in my hand. The truth is I don't want to let go. The truth is I wish we weren't sitting here on Main Street. I wish we were back in those woods all alone. If we were, I'd pull this girl into my arms. I'd kiss her cheek. I'd tell her thank you. But somehow I feel like she knows all of those things by the way she's looking deep into my eyes.

"Damn it," I say, tears falling down my cheeks. "I don't know why I'm crying. I just..."

"It's all right, Reuben. Maybe you're not ready for..."

"No," I say. "It's not that. It's more that I like being around you. It's been a few hours and I just..." I shrug. "I like you."

Meadow blinks and leans back in her chair. "I like you too, Reuben. So tonight..." She smiles. "We're making dinner."

"Right," I say. She lets go of my hand and pops another piece of cookie in her mouth. "So should I bring the food or do you have some secret recipe you're going to woo me with?"

I laugh, appreciating her way of lightening the moment. Not taking away from it. Just letting it pass. "I could grill up something."

She smiles. "I'll bring stuff to make a salad."

"Perfect," I say.

Just then someone rounds the corner and calls her name. "Hey, Meadow.”

I turn and see a younger woman who has the same face shape, full cheekbones, and wide eyes as Meadow. "That's my sister Lulu," she says. "Get ready."

I chuckle as Lulu bounces over to us. "Oh my gosh. Hi, I'm Lulu and I’m guessing you're Reuben. Are you okay, Meadow?" She grimaces as she takes Meadow in. "Your poor ankle, I cannot believe you were stranded in the woods alone."

"I was fine," Meadow says as Lulu gushes over her.

"You got a crutch and everything. Oh my God. What a day. I told Mom and Dad and they were like, oh my gosh, we should go get her. But I told them no, she's got it under control." Lulu looks over at me. "Which clearly you do. So I'm Lulu..."

I chuckle. "I'm Reuben," I say while playing along.

"So, you live here long?” She crosses her arms, wagging her hips. She is the epitome of “a bounce in your step.”

"Yeah," I say with a laugh. "Born and raised here in Home."

"Wow. A Home-grown boy." Lulu smiles.

"She reminds me of Fig," I tell Meadow.

Meadow smiles. "That's his little sister," she tells her little sister.

"Oh, you have a little sister. Anyone else in the family? Just trying to gauge the situation."

Meadow elbows her sister. "Lulu, give it a rest."

"All right," she says, "it's just, you know, Meadow is the most reserved member of our whole family, which means she doesn't usually do this sort of thing."

"What kind of thing do you think we're doing?" I say with a laugh.

Lulu cracks up. "Going out with men, women, anybody. Meadow’s a homebody through and through."

"Well, she wasn't at home when I found her in the woods."

"Fair enough," Lulu says. "About that, what were you thinking, you crazy girl? What would you have done if this man hadn't found you?"

"I don't know. I had a few ideas," Meadow says playfully, "but I'm fine. The doctor said it's just a sprain and I'm going to use that ointment I made a few months ago with the aloe in it when I get home."

Lulu smiles. "Do you need help with anything?"

"Nope. I'm fine with my crutch."

"In that case, should we get going?" Lulu asks. "Not to hurry you, but I put some clothes in the dryer before I left the campgrounds and I don't want anyone to steal my underwear."

"Wouldn't want that," I say, laughing. "So, tonight?" I ask Meadow.

She smiles. "You know the campgrounds, right?"

"Yeah. I know this place like the back of my hand."

"Right. Well, I'm at campsite 20. What do you think, six o'clock?"

"Sounds good," Reuben says. "I'll see you then?"

"Perfect."

"My car's right around the corner," Lulu says.

I walk the women back to the car.

"Well, this isn't exactly my car. It's our dad's car. We hitch it on the back of the RV,” Lulu explains to me then turns to Meadow. “Anyways, he let me drive it because he knew I was coming to get you, which by the way, he has opinions about."

Meadow smiles. "I'm sure he does." Lulu gets in the car, leaving Meadow and I on the sidewalk. "I want to give you a hug," I say, leaning in, "but I feel like your sister is watching and everyone in town passing us is watching and..."

Meadow smiles. "It's okay, Reuben." She leans in, kissing my cheek. "I'll see you tonight at 6:00."

"I can't wait," I tell her, meaning it. Then she gets in the car and her sister drives her away and I'm left standing there alone on the street that I've walked my whole damn life. Suddenly that bounce in Lulu's step isn't reserved just for her. As I cross the street to my truck, I feel like I could skip, jump, fly because of Meadow. I swear to God, that girl is the one I've been dreaming of.