“Thank you,” she says softly.
She’s thanking me? “Memories,” I say, sliding my hand free and wrapping my arms around her. She covers my hands with hers and we just are. There in the woods on my family’s farm, it’s just us. “Can I show you something?”
“Yeah,” she murmurs.
I kiss her cheek. Keeping one arm around her, I grab the rains, pointing Bud back the way we came.
“Where are we going?” she asks when she sees my parents’ house come into view.
“Not much farther.” I steer Bud past the house and down the dirt path. Once we are over the knoll, I stop. “This is it,” I tell her.
“What are we looking at exactly?” she asks hesitantly.
I chuckle. “This is where I want to build my house. I like the fact that it’s out of sight but still close enough to the stables and the main house that it won’t cost me an arm and a leg to get a driveway and utilities back here.” I point to the tree line in the back. “It’s surrounded by the trees and this knoll. It will give me and my family privacy, but still be close.”
“You’ve thought a lot about this, I see.”
“Yeah.”
“Why have you not built it yet?”
“At first I just wasn’t ready, you know? I kind of have it made living at home. Then as time went on, I wanted to wait. I wanted to find someone to live here with me. I wanted her to have an input on what we build. I didn’t want her to have to live in a house that she had no say in. It’s bad enough that I would insist on living here on the farm.”
“She would be lucky to have you, to have all this.” She waves her hand, gesturing to the open pasture.
“Think so?” I ask, nuzzling her neck.
“She’d be crazy not to.”
“So what do you see here?” I want to know what she thinks. She’s the only person I’ve ever asked for an opinion. Sure, I’ve talked about it with my parents, but I never ask what they envision, just shown them what I have in mind and talked about placement and all that.
“I don’t know . . . I guess it needs to be country.” She laughs. “Like a wraparound porch and stuff like that.”
“It’s gotta be big. I want a couple kids at least.”
“Really?” She turns her head to look at me.
“Yeah. You want a family someday, right?”
“I do. I’m just surprised to hear you say you do too. I mean, most guys don’t think like that or that far ahead rather. You’re an anomaly, Aaron Mills.”
I throw my head back in laughter. “I’m going to take that as a compliment, sweetheart.”
My stomach growls. “I’m starving. Let’s go grab some lunch.” With that, I grab the reins and lead Bud back to the stables.
“Girls’ night,” Olivia says, joining me on the couch.
“Umm, okay. What exactly does that mean?”
She laughs. “It means that you and I are meeting Kinley at the bar and we’re going to have a few drinks.”
“I thought Kinley was breastfeeding?” I mean, I’ve seen her do it as well as pump at the studio, and she’s talked about it.
“She’s not drinking. We are. However, she will be there to hang out. Her husband is insisting she get out of the house.”
“Evan seems like a great guy.”
“Oh, he is, so is your boy toy.” She grins.
“W-what?” She’s crazy.
“Aaron Mills, the hottie you’ve been spending all your time with.”
“We’re friends.” I try to keep my emotions in check. I can feel my damn face heating.
“Uh-huh. You keep forgetting that I grew up with him. Aaron doesn’t do friends. Fess up, woman! You’ve been spending a lot of time at the farm.”
“I work there!” I defend myself. It’s a stretch and we both know it.
“All right, my little Whit, whatever helps you sleep at night.” She smirks.
“Really, he and I are just friends.”
Olivia shrugs. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean you’re not something else too.”
Her phone rings, and from the conversation, I can tell that it’s Kinley. She agrees to something then hangs up.
“Kinley will be here in an hour. She’s our designated driver, so get your ass moving. We’ve got beer to drink!” She hops up from the chair and rushes off to her room to get ready.
Even though I had planned on just staying in, I think a night out will be good. Maybe it will help me put all this . . . whatever this is with Aaron into perspective. I just have to remember to sip my drinks; all I need is to get sloppy drunk and confess to Kinley that her brother stars in all my fantasies. My phone rings and I swipe the screen without looking, too lost in my own thoughts. “Hello.”
“Whitney.”
Shit! “Hi, Kathy.” I’m still avoiding her, avoiding what she wants me to do.
“How are you, dear?” she asks.
“I’m good, settling in. How have you been?”
“Good. I’ve tried calling you. Did you get my messages?”
“I did. I’ve just been busy with the new job, and you know, picking up my life and moving to another state.” I can hear the sarcasm in my voice, and she doesn’t deserve that. She’s just worried about me.
“Whitney, you need to go every year, with your mom’s history. Early detection is key.”
“I know,” I say, defeated. “I just wanted time, Kathy. Time to settle and not have to deal with cancer, or tests, or hospitals, or any of the other shit. I know that early detection is key, but dammit, I just wanted to be me, me without sickness and all that just for a while.”
“Whitney, honey, I’m sure it’s fine, but in the event that it’s ever not fine, putting it off is worse. I just want you—” Her voice cracks and I feel like a bitch.
“I know,” I say again. “Look, I’m sorry. I miss her, and I just. . . . I’m dreading it, okay? I know it’s better to find out, and I will. I promise, I’ll go.” I take a deep breath and swallow back the lump in my throat. “I told her I would do this, so I will. I just wanted a few weeks.”
“It’s been a few months, Whitney.”