Soft candle light flickered over the stark white tablecloth. The food on her plate was rich, heavy, and delicious. The restaurant was perfectly decorated for romance. But Cathryn wasn't any more interested in it than she was the man across from her. Absently she twirled her wine glass by the stem and thought of her other birthday dinner.
Were she had set out in the heat on a picnic table near screaming children licking greasy chicken off her fingers. That was a great birthday dinner she thought to herself. She glanced down at the bright green stone on her finger and bit back a sigh.
"Not hungry dear." Kent's voice brought her out of her recollections with a snap.
Glaring at him for interrupting her thoughts Cathryn snapped. "No I don't guess I am."
"You should eat something dear. You'll waste away to nothing."
Cathryn snorted into her wine glass and muttered, "Not much chance of that."
Kent knew that the evening wasn't going as her planned but he kept trudging forward. Nothing he did seemed to impress her. Sure she said the red roses were pretty, but there wasn't much enthusiasm in her voice. The gold necklace he bought her lay shining against the swell of her breast. She put it on after she thanked him politely like you would a stranger that holds the door for you.
Now she was picking as her food and toying with her wineglass. Every movement of her hand caused the candlelight reflect green flames from the emerald on her finger.
He scowled at the ring. Not quite believing that it was a gift from her friend. True in the past Lizy had given her rings but never any so expensive. For the life of him he couldn't think who would give her such a pricy present though.
Now wasn't the time to question her. Kent wanted her to have a great birthday. Maybe if she did she would come back to bed tonight.
When the meal was over Cathryn was ready to go home and go to her couch. As soon as she got in the truck she turned up the radio to deter Kent from conversation. It didn't stop him from trying to talk over the radio and asking stupid questions.
She was the first out of the truck and moving towards the door. Three feet from the door she stopped short. Sitting of the mat was a Mason jar filled with sunny black-eyed Susans. Leaning against the jar was a note, so she bent down and picked both up and read the note.
Happy Birthday Cathryn,
While I was mowing hay I saw these. I remembered how much you like them. So I picked them for your
birthday. Hope you had a great one.
Sam
"Who's that from?" Kent said from behind her.
Cathryn opened the door and breezed in. "Sam."
"Why did he bring you weeds?"
Exasperated Cathryn looked over at him. "They aren't weeds, they are wildflowers."
"Looks like weeds to me."
Cathryn glared at him and went into the living room to arrange the golden flowers on the coffee table next to her 'bed'. The red roses Kent got her were on the dining room table. Red was pretty but yellow was her favorite, not that he ever remembered. Even though their wedding flowers were yellow roses and black-eyed Susans or weeds as he called them.
Once the flowers were placed where she wanted them she went upstairs to change into her night gown. Kent was sitting up in the bed waiting on her. "Come on to bed and I'll give you the rest of your present."
Cathryn barely spared him a glance while she dug through the drawer for a clean gown. When she found one she strolled over to the master bath to clean off her make-up and get ready for bed.
Kent waited until she stepped back out into the bedroom before trying again. "It's your birthday we should make love."
"It's my birthday, even more reason not to." Cathryn said dryly. "If I'm not interested any other time why do you think I would want to ruin by birthday."
Kent stared after her as she walked from the room. That barb hurt more than he was willing to admit. Resigned to spend another night alone he switched off the lamp light and tired to get some sleep.
On the couch she lay there staring at the flowers from Sam. Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she drifted off to sleep.
He knew it was probably a stupid move by bringing her flowers. But they reminded him of her. She loved wildflowers and it was her birthday. Sam rolled over in his single bed and punched his pillow.
Kent couldn't even remember what color roses to buy her. Earlier that day he saw the red ones sitting on the dining room table. That was part of the reason he felt compelled to pick the Susans. To show her that he cared enough to remember. That he lover her more.
Sam whacked his pillow a few more times and tried to settle into sleep. In November he would give her the go ahead to leave Kent. That would be long enough. Sam drifted off to sleep so he could be rested for putting in square bales tomorrow after church.
*****
By mid-afternoon it was pushing one-hundred and five degrees. The humidity was at a record high and Sam was stuck in a hay loft stacking square bales. Despite the itchy hay he had stripped off his shirt in concession to the heat. He thought about the pants too but figured it wouldn't do much good and he would look rather silly in his work boots and briefs.
The hay elevator whined and ground to a stop, again. That was the seventh time that day. For once Sam was glad to hear it die, that meant he could catch a break and down some Gatorade. He picked up the gallon jug from beside the door, chugged some down, and listened to Kent cuss the faulty machine.
Kent was already pissed off. After last night his mood was dark and the piece of shit elevator wasn't helping any. It was hot and he itched all over. In frustration he drew back and kicked the machine with his steel toed boots then scrambled to catch it before it slid from the loft to the ground.
"Fucking piece of shit!" Sam heard Kent shout before he caught and righted the elevator.
"Problem down there?" He asked trying to keep a straight face as he look down at his cousin.
Kent unplugged the motor and picked up a screwdriver to work on the belt. He looked up at Sam and scowled. "Go ahead and laugh you little shit. I'm not too happy with you anyway."
"What did I do?"
"You gave her those fucking weeds." Kent tightened down the pulley holding the belt and checked it for wear. "She acted happier about those damn things than anything else I gave her."
Sam eased down to set in the doorway of the loft. "Hell, I didn't do it to make you look bad." Yes I did. "I did it because I know she likes that particular wildflower." It makes her happy. "What, still not sleeping with you?" She's banging me.
"You gave her weeds and I gave her roses. And don't say things like that so loudly. Anyone could hear." Kent shot a look over his shoulder at their aunt and uncle's house.
"Sorry. Can you get it going again?"
"Yeah, maybe it will last until we are done."
Kent flipped the screwdriver into the ground plugged the motor back up and flipped the on switch. Slowly the elevator came back to life. Sam eased back up and realized that sitting down might have been a mistake. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest. There was no time to loosen them back up. Kent was already shooting bales of alfalfa up to him.
The elevator broke down three more times before they got all the hay in the loft. Sam felt like he had sweated off most of his body weight by the time he climbed down out of the loft. If Kent hadn't been standing at the bottom of the ladder waiting on him he would have whimpered.
Kent watched his cousin descend and waited until he touched the ground. "We'll start baling again first thing in the morning. I'll need you to rake for me."
Sam grunted in assent. He pasted by his cousin for the cooler that held another gallon of Gatorade. Whatever he wanted to talk about could wait. All of his bodily fluids were still in the loft where he sweated them out. He needed to dehydrate before he past-out. With a twist of his wrist he had the cap off and was guzzling the fruit punch drink. His Adam's apple bobbed as he drank a fourth of the bottle before stopping.
"Still square bales or are you switching to round?" Sam wiped his mouth with the back of his wrist feeling some better.
