I was putting dinner on the table when Brooks walked in. I think I smelled the cow manure before I actually heard him.

“Honey, I’m home!” He yelled from the living room.

“I’m in here.”

“Something smells good. How was your day?” he asked rather cheerily for being outside all day struggling with animals that weigh almost ten times his own weight.

“Well, that good smell is definitely not you, you smell like a cow pie. And I’ll get into my day once we sit down.” I said, still tired and my mood didn’t seem to improve.

“Oh, come here.” Brooks pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. The smell was overpowering but I could take it because his body was warm and comforting. That right there was what melted me and calmed me more than any hot bath could ever do. “Ok, let’s eat, I’m starving.” He said and pulled me away from him so he could look at my face and kissed me on the lips.

"Yes, let’s eat.” We both sat down and dished out a large portion of lasagna and a small portion of salad. “So, what happened today? Did you get all the cows back and the fence fixed for the Thompsons?”

“Yes, I swear, there’s some kind of Houdini heffer in there. It took us almost 2 hours just to figure out where they escaped. But it’s all done for now until he calls me next month for another search and rescue.”

“We need to make him a punch card with the tenth one free. How many times has this happened, four?” I asked.

“This makes the fifth time his cows got out.”

“I would think it’d be cheaper to repair the whole thing rather than pay us every time he has an issue.”

“Seems so, but it’s less expensive to pay us every so often than to fence all that acreage. So, how did your day go? You got Wyatt’s toilet fixed, how did that go?”

Once I got to Mrs. Wyatt’s house I discovered that I could easily fix it and called Brooks to tell him not to come out. “It was just the hose, I replaced it and helped her clean up. She was more than impressed that a woman could do something like that. But asked if you could come and check it, I guess she didn’t totally trust my handy work. I’m glad it was just a hose and not the messy plumbing issue I thought it might be, that’s your job. But she did not let me leave without the gross visuals of her childhood and using an outhouse, and drinking a cup of tea with her.”

“Hmmm.” Brooks nodded his head, while I talked he stuffed his mouth with cheesy noodle goodness.

“Oh, and she gave us a pie, cherry.”

“Maybe I should slow down and save room for dessert.” Brooks said through a mouth full, the only planning he likes to do is when it comes to food.

“And she was very happy with the ring you gave me. She said you are a handsome young man and if I ever change my mind about marrying you then I should send you over to her house.” Brooks choked on his last bite. I patted him on the back and handed him his beer.

“That’s good to know, that if it doesn’t work out between the two of us I have other options. At least I’ll be well fed. Where’s that pie?”