“I like it when I get those funny animal videos.” Libby gave Smiles a kind smile.
“Dawson’s a real joke-teller,” Finn said sarcastically, and Link laughed. Even Dawson did, because they all knew him. He absolutely wasn’t a joke-teller. Heck, it took a lot just to get the man to smile. And laughing? Link had heard him do it on occasion, but Dawson didn’t go around cracking jokes and then tipping his head back and laughing about them.
Henry finished chuckling and said, “It’s not bad, kid. Keeps your name on her phone, and it probably makes her smile.”
“Women like that,” Brandon said. “I’m always telling Daws to lighten up.” He gave his brother a flashy smile that Dawson simply rolled his eyes at.
Link just watched his friend, because he knew some of the burdens Dawson carried that perhaps Smiles, Henry, and Brandon didn’t. The oldest son, though he had a half-brother older than him in Duke.
His momma and daddy still relied on him for a lot, and Link had no idea what Dawson’s afternoon would look like after this forgotten lunch. He’d have to redo his entire to-do list and move around several of his sticky notes, and all of that made him nervous and grouchy at the same time.
“You text me the jokes,” Dawson said to Smiles, a brotherly smile on his face. “And I’ll see if I can get myself to send them.”
“You don’t want to be someone via text who you’re not in person,” Libby said.
“She knows him just fine in person,” Link said. He grinned at Dawson. “You know, Daws, a texting relationship might be in your favor.”
Dawson rewarded him with a smile. “You’re probably not wrong.”
Link laughed, glad when Dawson joined him. “I know I’m not wrong.”
“So texting,” he said. “Jokes.” He glanced at Libby and Henry, who sat across from him. “What else?”
“Anything about the owls,” Henry said. “And then you casually branch that out to other things. Since they’re owls, it’s easy to go to animals from there. Dogs, Brandon’s cat, your chickens, those crows who love you.”
“She knows all about those,” he said.
“Mm, nope.” Henry gave him a smile and popped another potato chip in his mouth. “She’s been here once, buddy. There’s so much more to do. Take pictures of them. Send them to her. Make it seem like she wants to come to where you are.” He flicked his gaze around the table. “And she eventually will.”
“I can send her pictures of Ruffin,” Dawson said thoughtfully, as if he’d never considered such athing before. Truth be told, Link wouldn’t have thought of that either.
“Mitch is great at dating too,” he said. “I can ask him for some tips too.” He pulled out his phone to do that while Libby—the lone woman at today’s lunch—started to talk about what women really wanted from their boyfriends.
Link got lost in his phone for a moment, because when he navigated to his text messages, he found Misty had sent five more messages since he’d silenced his phone and shoved it in his pocket.
Look! My first jar of jam!She’d included a picture of her holding up a beautiful Mason jar of red jam—strawberry. It make his heart sing, and he fell in love with his pretty strawberry-blonde fiancée all over again.
When will you be done? Holly Ann and Montana want to make bread to go with the jam, and your momma says a homemade piece of toast with lots of butter and jam will change my life.
So I want to stay and do that.
The last text was another picture of her, this time with one of his aunt’s aprons around her waist and a whisk in her hand as she stirred something in a bowl. The sunshine hit her hair just right, and it shone like spun gold.
Ah, he loved her so much.
He smiled while the conversation went on around him. It didn’t really matter when hefinished here. He and Smiles had plenty of work to keep them busy until Misty finished her bread-making and toast-and-jam sampling.
His thumbs flew across the phone as those around him laughed at something he hadn’t heard.Remember when you brought me a freshly baked loaf of bread and my very own jar of jam so I could have toast too? That was an amazing evening.
She didn’t text back right away, and Link navigated over to his text chain with Mitch.Looking for some good dating advice for Dawson. He’s got a woman he likes, but it might be bad timing.
Bad timing?Mitch sent back instantly. Then Link’s phone lit up as Mitch called. “Mitch is calling, guys.” He held up the phone. “Should I answer?”
Dawson wiped his mouth with a paper towel and nodded. “Yeah, answer it.”
Link swiped on the video call, because he couldn’t talk to his deaf cousin without being able to see him. He reached out and set the phone in front of him and Smiles, as both of them knew sign language and could communicate with Mitch. Dawson sat next to him, and he could talk to Mitch a little bit, but not nearly as easily as Link and Smiles.
A deep missing filled Link, though God Himself had confirmed to Link that Mitch was where he needed to be. Honestly, if he hadn’t gotten that confirmation straight from heaven, Link would’ve loadedup in his truck, driven to Virginia, and brought Mitch back to Three Rivers. Back to Shiloh Ridge.