“No. You’re not going to A&M. You’re going to UT.” He pushed off the counter and began pacing back and forth. “We already have it all set, Alex. Just because Will is going to A&M doesn’t mean you will change your whole life to follow him there.”
Lex sucked in a breath of air. “What? Daddy, I’m not changing my whole life. I know what I want, but you seem hell-bent on making me do what you want.”
“Oh, Alex, honey, tread easy,” Ellie said.
Gunner stopped and pointed his finger at Lex. “Grace is going to UT, and you’re going to UT. If this whole”—he looked at me and pointed his finger—“relationship thing is real, then the two of you can just wait for each other for four years.”
Lex put her hands up to her mouth. I could see the tears in her eyes, and as she dropped her hands, I saw them ball up. I quickly looked outside and saw Grams. She walked into the kitchen and gave me a gentle smile. The way she was looking at me told me she knew exactly how Lex was feeling, and in that instant, I knew what I had to do.
I took a deep breath and stepped in between Lex and Gunner. I turned and looked at Lex. “Lex, don’t do this.”
She looked at me with a confused expression on her face. “What?”
I grabbed her hand and glanced back to Gunner. “Mr. Mathews, I have no doubt in my mind how I feel about Lex. I understand your concern, and if Lex going to UT puts your mind at ease, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Lex dropped my hand. “What? Wait a minute, Will. I thought—”
I turned and placed my hands on the sides of her face. “Lex, I love you. I know our love is strong enough, and I don’t want to start our relationship off like this with your parents. We’ll see each other on weekends, breaks, and during summers, sweetheart. I promise you, it will be okay. I promise.”
The tears forming in her eyes about made me sick.
She slowly shook her head. “I can’t be without you, Will.”
I longed to pull her to me, but if I wanted to live to see another day, I knew better. I used my thumbs to wipe her tears away. “I promise you, Lex, I’ll love you forever.”
She threw herself into my arms and began crying. I wasn’t sure what to do at first, but after one look from Grams, I wrapped my arms around Lex. I looked over at Gunner, but I couldn’t read his face. Ellie wiped a tear away as she walked up to us and took Lex from my arms. She began to walk Lex into the living room, but Lex stopped in front of her fa
ther.
She looked at him as she said, “I’ll never forgive you for this—ever.”
As she began walking away, Gunner closed his eyes. When he opened them and looked at me, I could see the hurt in his eyes, and I instantly felt like shit. The last thing I ever wanted to do was make him disappointed in me.
“Will, please go saddle up two horses. Let’s go for a ride.”
I swallowed hard and nodded my head.
As I walked past Grams on my way out, she took my arm and said, “I’m proud of you, son. Know what you feel in your heart is real. Love can weather any storm.”
I gave her a weak smile and whispered, “Why does it feel like I just made the biggest mistake of my life then?”
She smiled and shook her head.
As I made my way out onto the porch, my mother and father stood up.
“I’m proud of you, Will,” my father said as he slapped me on the back.
My mother walked up to me and gave me a hug. “Will, you did the right thing, honey. Don’t overthink this.”
I kissed my mother on the cheek and whispered, “I love you, Mama.”
My father walked with me down to the barn. We began saddling up two horses, neither of us speaking.
“Dad?”
He looked up at me and said, “Yes?”
“Is Gunner gonna kill me now?”