Chapter 10: gunsmoke and revelation 2 (Jason)

THUD!

Jason lifted the post pounder off the fence post that now stood safely secured in the ground. His dad had asked him to repair the old fence, the one around the place high up the hillside where they used to keep the cattle. At least back when they had cattle, he had some memories of that, but not many. Still, he always tensed slightly at the tone his parents and grandpa had when they talked about it.

The sun was lower in the sky, the air colder as it was dipping below the mountains. Goosebumps had spread across his arms, but he was still too hot to put on his jacket. Walking back to the pickup, he put down the post pounder and picked up the shovel, saw, and a few other tools.

Most of the old fence was luckily intact. Unfortunately for him, that meant that more often than not, he needed to walk quite a lot; most of the old and rotting or damaged fence posts were too close to each other for him to bother driving and too far away for the walk to not be at least a little annoying. He let out a sigh as he walked over.

At this point, it took him only about four minutes to remove the fence post. This one in particular had been a little more stubborn. The area was too rocky for them to plant an orchard, at least when they had one, and too steep and rocky for them to use the tractor. In other words, it was perfect for cattle or livestock of some kind. At least if you can't do it industrially.

Jason grunted slightly as he slammed the post pounder into the new fence post, driving it deeper into the ground than the last one. Just as he lifted the post pounder, he felt a tingling sensation at the nape of his neck. It didn't feel uncomfortable exactly, merely strange, yet he recognized the feeling. Looking up, he saw a figure leaning against a tree.

It took his brain half a second to recognize who it was. That blonde hair, now in a high ponytail, a blue sports bra, and black leggings. And lastly, those blue eyes that seemed to be taking in far too much of him as they drifted upwards. As they finally made eye contact, she smiled and winked at him before getting up and walking towards him. He really wished his shirt wasn't in the truck bed, and was suddenly very unsure if he had remembered to put on deodorant this morning. It wasn't something he typically forgot, but right now, that felt like little comfort.

Jason let go of the post pounder, which settled on top of the new post. It wobbled a little but seemed stable enough. Taking out his earbuds, he smiled back. “Hey Jasmine, fancy seeing you here.”

“Hey, Jason. This is my usual route, for running, I mean. And well, I just figured I should enjoy the view.” She hesitated slightly. “Are you building a fence?” Jasmine arched an eyebrow slightly.

He had a feeling the view in question wasn't the admittedly striking view of the mountains on the other side of the valley. Jason felt a small smile play at the corners of his lips. “Yeah, Dad wants it fixed. So like all farm kids, I am free labor to do it.”

“So are you guys gonna buy cattle, again, or some kind of livestock?”

Jason hesitated. The way his parents and grandpa had talked about the fence, they seemed to be planning on it. But not yet. They had managed to repair the tractor, but it was expensive. ultimately so expensive that his dad had to take out more debt to do it. Which was only possible as they showed the extra income from the now-leased barn. If they could have waited for the two months' income, they wouldn't have had to; however, there simply wasn't time for that.

“No, at least not this year.” Really, it depended on how long their new source of income would last and how the negotiations over the land leases for the hydropower project went. “So, I have been kinda wondering. Mind you, just curious. How long will you be renting the barn?”

Jasmine's eyebrows furrowed slightly. “The current lease is for a year. But the chances are good we will need it longer than that. Really, it's up to what I consider the best course for West Star is.” Well damn. Her eyes searched his face for a second before seemingly reaching some conclusion. “Mind if I help a bit. I haven't done my strength training, and this seems more fun than push-ups.”

Jason grimaced slightly. “I don't know Jasmine, I wouldn't want it to impose.”

She laughed slightly, a warm and cheerful sound. “Jason, I am not some little rich gu… girl who's never done any work in her entire life. I am more than capable of knocking in some poles.”

Jason acquiesced, and after they had replaced the next pole, he had come to the conclusion that Jasmine was strong, incredibly strong. She also seemed to insist on doing most of the work. It felt kind of like working with his dad, as he had somehow been relegated to picking things up from the truck. He didn't mind the break, but he wasn't sure how he felt about someone else doing the work for him.

THUD!

Jason watched as Jasmine drove the post pounder into the post, securing it safely in the ground. Leaning the post, she turned towards him, where he sat on the open back of the pickup. Did her figure always look like… that? “So I have been wondering. You talk to the other farmers around here or their kids, right?”

Jason cocked his head slightly. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

“Well, I don't get a lot of news through the grapevine, shall we say. So I am not really sure what the sentiment is for the hydropower project. Especially the land leases, we did send out the updates people wanted, but we haven't heard anything back about the new meeting. Do you have any idea what people are thinking?”

Jason scratched his chin, hesitating for a second. “Well, I know a lot of people are more on board with the idea. There are still some major holdouts though, like the Thompsons.”

Jasmine sighed. “Yeah, I was afraid of that.”

Jason's jaw tensed a little. “So Jasmine, I have been thinking a little about the lake. Couldn't we use it for something, like other than just recreation and power?” Jason hesitated for a second. ” Like fish farming or something. The water is the right temperature for something like that, at least for trout and anglers. If a section of profit or space or something like that was set aside for the people leasing to the dam, then people might be more invested in the dam being upgraded.”

Jasmine's face went through several expressions, one that seemed like she was about to give him a polite dismissal. Jason could feel his heart sink before it changed; her eyes were darting around like she was reading invisible text or doing math in her head. “I like the idea. It might need some looking into, like the permits and ownership structure. But we could definitely do something like luxury food with the right marketing.” A warm, yet slightly hungry smile spread across her face as she met his gaze. “Thank you, Jason.”

The idea had been rummaging in his brain for years; after all, why shouldn't they use it? And if this gave them another source of income, it really couldn't hurt. It might also help Sophia cover the money she needed for that school of hers. Sure, Jason's job would help, that's why he had it, but it wouldn't be enough. “If you want, I could, you know, ask around, hear if people are open to the idea. See if it makes things easier with the leases?”

“That sounds fantastic, but only if you get time.” She hesitated for a second. ”Again, thank you, Jason. It might really help.” The small smile on her face made Jason's heart flutter. She handed him the post-pounder, their fingers touching for a brief second. Hers were cold, not strangely so, simply noticably.

“Do you wanna borrow my jacket?” Jason motioned towards the car.

Jasmine looked slightly amused. “I am fine, but thanks.”

It took another hour before the sun got too low in the sky for them to continue working. And as far as Jason could tell, it seemed like Jasmine had been thinking something over for the last few minutes. “Thanks again, Jasmine, the help really made this go quicker.”

She leaned over the side of the bed and flashed him a winning smile. “I am happy to help. Actually, if you really like the help, you do have my phone number, and I am more than happy to join you next time. I had fun, so don't think too much about it.”

“Ehh… I will think about it.” Jason gave her a small smile.

Jasmine inclined her head. “Also, Jason, I have this thing next week in Helena. I could use a plus one. I want that to be you, do you wanna come?”

One of his eyebrows arched slightly. “What kind of thing is it?”

“It's a small fundraiser for a political candidate, or rather, their PAC. I am going in my mother's stead; she can't make it, so then it's my job.”

His chest tightened at that. “I don't know Jasmine. I am not really cut out for that kind of thing. I am not even sure I have appropriate clothes for that kind of thing.”

She waved dismissively. “Don't worry about that. If you don't feel you have anything, I will just buy you a suit. Not a tailored one, but still, don't let that stop you. And before you object on principle, do consider if you won't need a new suit soon anyways.” She hesitated a second. “And you aren't committing to anything. These types of events aren't a major sign of commitment. It's not like people will think we are engaged just from showing up together. I also trust you enough that I don't think anything you do will be a problem, and if you have any problems, tell me, and then I will handle it.”

Jason's eyebrows knitted together as he considered the proposal. He really wasn't cut out for that crowd, but if Jasmine could be the shield from the social piranhas, so to speak, then it couldn't be that bad. could it. Still, that tense warmth in his chest wasn't a feeling he knew how to place.

“What day is it?”

“It's on Saturday. It takes a while to get there, so we will have to leave relatively early, and we'll get back late.”

He didn't have anything planned for next Saturday, and he liked Jasmine. Regardless of the feelings he might have about her spending money on him, she was right that he would need a new suit at some point soon. He had hoped that that little detail would give him a way out of it, but apparently not. Surprisingly, he was almost glad it hadn't, but still.

“Ok, yeah, I can join you. A night of fancy food sounds interesting. But I want to decide on the suit, I don't want something too fancy.”

Jasmine's face split into a smile that was probably the happiest and warmest he had ever seen on her. “Great, I will tell you the time sometime next week. And Jason, you don't need to look so nervous. Politicians and the like aren't nearly as bad personally as they seem, just don't trust them too much.” She took a second to look him up and down. “As for the suit, of course, you chose. But nothing less than five hundred dollars.” Jason was about to object when she lifted a finger. “ Ahh, no, my pride won't allow it. It's a gift. We can negotiate on it if you find one you really like, but five hundred is the minimum. So please, Jason, let me?”

Jason could feel the hairs on his neck stand at the price point. It was a lot of money, and he couldn't quite pin down what she got out of this. Yet she had left room to negotiate that, though was that really something you negotiated? He also had a sinking feeling that even if he could talk her down to a cheaper one, she would simply find some other gift to make up the difference. He let out a sigh. “I guess I can get one that lasts a while for that price.”

​” So you will join me then?” Jasmine was looking at him with a polite smile and an arched eyebrow.

“Yeah, I will… I accept the invitation.” He had a feeling his voice sounded more unsure than he really was, and less nervous than he actually was. He had never said yes to a date before, at least not one he was sure was a date.

“It's a date then.”

Jason's heart was hammering in his chest. “Yeah, it's a date.”

​As Jason got into the car, he looked into the mirror and caught a glimpse of Jasmine as she jogged off in the other direction. How did I get involved in this? Trying to steady himself, he leaned against the top of the steering wheel. He had a date, and this time he knew it was a date before it ended. Still, something felt like it was prickling across his skin, like it had suddenly taken on an electrical charge. He sat there for a minute before he started the car and drove home.