I smile and set my cheek against his chest, the steady, strong beat of his heart speaking to my soul. “Then it’s not weird that my favorite scent is your deodorant? It’s rich and clean and musky, and I might have stuck my nose in your armpit the other night when you were asleep.”
He chuckles, the sound vibrating against my face. “Come on, weirdo. Let’s go rejoin the gathering.”
Ford takes my hand, brings it to his lips, and leads me out of the barn, making sure the lights are off and the door securely locked behind us. We approach the firepit, and the first thing I notice is the fact the parents are all gone. Chad and Faith remain, and they’re sitting close. In fact, very, very close.
“Hey,” Ford says, his eyes glancing down to where Chad rests his hand on his sister’s thigh.
They look up, startled, and his friend quickly pulls his hand back. “Hi. Your parents just went inside to bed.”
Ford nods and leads me to the loveseat glider where his parents sat earlier this evening. Chad and Faith are directly across from us, both seeming a little more fidgety than before and unable to make eye contact. I can’t help but think something happened.
Ford throws his arm over the back of the glider, his hand resting on my shoulder. “So, tell me why you both look so guilty right now.”
“Come on, beautiful. We’re going to town.”
I jump up off the couch, eager to finally see the place Ford grew up. It’s Saturday afternoon, and we have yet to leave his homestead. We’ve spent all our time with his parents and sister, doing everything from dinners together to pulling out their family photo albums and seeing all the naked bathtub pictures. As much as I’ve loved hanging out and getting to know his family, I have to admit, I’m excited to go explore Cooper.
“Let me grab a hair tie!” I holler, sprinting up the stairs to Ford’s bedroom.
I really was worried about sharing a sleeping space with him under his parents’ roof, but they’ve been super cool about it. Plus, it’s not like there was any other place for me to go. With Chad using the pullout bed in the den, the only other option for me was the couch in the living room or bunking with Faith in her room.
I have to admit, snuggling against Ford’s large, muscular body, nestled all comfortable-like in the crook of his arm, the scent of his deodorant escorting me to dreamland, has been the best sleep I’ve had in the history of forever.
When I come back down the stairs, Ford is waiting at the front door. “Where’d your sister and Chad go?”
“For a walk in the timber,” he replies, holding open the door for me to exit.
His truck is already pulled out of the barn and parked at the end of the sidewalk. When we reach the passenger door, he opens it and hoists me up, much like he did in the barn Thursday night. I reach for the seat belt as he shuts my door and moves to the driver’s side. “Ready?” he asks the moment he jumps up inside the cab.
“Ready,” I state, practically bouncing in the seat.
“All right, Margaret, let’s stretch your legs, beautiful.” Then he puts the truck into gear and floors it out of the driveway, sending gravel flying across the front yard.
When we make it to the roadway, he only plays a little, wearing a happy grin on his handsome face. My hand is gripping the door panel, but not out of fear. It’s actually quite fun to play around and feel the truck stretch her legs.
As we near town and he reaches over and grabs my hand, I ask, “So…beautiful?”
He gives me a look of confusion.
“You called Margaret beautiful. You call me beautiful. Is that like a thing for you?”
He barks out a laugh. “Are you jealous?”
“Of Margaret?” I ask, grinning widely. “Yes, yes I am. I mean, she’s just a truck.”
Ford gasps, releasing my hand and gingerly stroking the dash. “Don’t listen to the jealous woman, Margaret. You’re way more than just a truck.”
I giggle, which makes him smile. “You’re crazy.”
He shrugs and brings my hand to his lips. “Crazy about you,” he declares, waggling his eyebrows.
Pulling into town, Ford drives down the main artery through town, and I’m completely enthralled with the cute shops and green spaces. He drives to a lot and parks. “Come on, let’s check it out.”
We walk slowly down the sidewalk, stopping at the coffee shop for something to drink. I order an iced coffee while Ford gets a flavored iced tea, and then we stroll along window shopping. We stop in front of a flower shop and admire the garden gnomes and stepping-stones. “Someday, I’ll have an area with some flowers and some star-gazing seating and lots of cute statues,” I tell him, reveling in the warmth of being tucked against his body.