“He’s good. Adjusting. His parents moved to Alabama. There is an oncologist there who specializes in his type of cancer. The warmer climate also helps. He’s always freezing.” Aaron loads my bags into the truck as I climb up into the passenger seat. I actually have to climb because this thing is so big. Thank goodness for running boards.
“I can’t imagine how hard that is for him. I’m sure he always pictured his dad and granddad being there when he took over,” I say softly.
“Yeah, he’s . . . okay, I guess. He doesn’t say much. Evan just jumps in head first and gets it done, you know what I mean?”
I nod. Evan is the exact opposite of Aaron. He makes decisions on a whim and rolls with it. Senior prom is a great example. Aaron agonized over who to ask. He didn’t want his date to think it was more than that, just a date. Evan on the other hand, had accepted the first invitation he received. That’s another way they differ—Aaron thought it was the man’s job to ask the girl. Evan just rolled with life. That particular trait alone intensified the already massive crush I had on him. The girl who asked him to the prom, she wasn’t popular, she wasn’t the most beautiful, but she asked and he agreed. He didn’t do it out of pity or to play games with her. Evan treated her like he would a beauty queen. He’s just an all around good guy and my teenage heart couldn’t help but fall for him.
“Speak of the devil.” Aaron holds his phone up so I can see Evan’s name lighting up the screen. “Hey, man, what’s up?” he asks in greeting. I block out their conversation and stare out the window, enjoying the open land flying by. It’s so good to be home.
“Earth to Kinley.” Aaron waves his hand in front of my face, snapping me back to the present. “There you are.”
“Sorry, just got lost in the landscape. It’s so good to be back. I can’t wait to ride the land and take some shots.” I majored in photography and I want to start my own business. The open pastures of Kentucky have my mind racing with photo possibilities.
“I see. Listen, that was Evan, as you know. He says he needs to talk to me. Do you mind if we stop by his place. He sounded a little . . . I don’t know, off.”
“Sure, does he know I’m going to be with you? Maybe I should drop you off and come back to get you later,” I offer. Evan may not feel comfortable talking in front of me.
“Nah, I told him I just picked you up from the airport.”
“Well, all right then. It’s been forever since I’ve seen him. When I was home for Christmas, he was in Alabama with his parents.”
Aaron laughs. “That’s pretty funny actually.” He grins. “The path of life.”
“Yes. So tell me what’s been going on.” Aaron spends the next twenty minutes catching me up on the ins and
outs of him taking over the farm and our parents bragging about slowing down. I laugh when he tells me both Mom and Dad keep dropping hints about wanting to be grandparents.
“You are the oldest after all,” I chide him.
“Yeah, yeah. Needs to be a game changer, little sister,” he replies.
This is not new information to me. I just wish he would lighten up a little. I fear he’ll never give himself the opportunity to open up and know someone, really know them and fall in love. Of course, that’s the romantic in me.
As we pull into the long drive that leads to Evan’s, we veer to the right instead of driving toward the main house. “Where are we going?”
“Evan just moved into his new place a few months ago,” Aaron says.
“Oh, that’s right. I’m excited to see it.”
“Well, here we are.” Aaron stops in front of a two-story house. It’s beautiful. The front is brick, a mix of light and dark browns, with tan siding the rest. Dark green shutters adorn the windows, and a porch, which crosses the front and both sides.
“Does the porch wrap all the way around?” I ask as I take in the beautiful structure. I love this house. It’s my dream house, but I would want a basement and for the porch to go all the way around.
“Yes, four bedrooms, full basement. It’s massive for one guy, but you know Evan. He says this is going to be his home and he wants to be able to grow into it.” He shakes his head as if he doesn’t understand his best friend. Aaron is the type of guy who would need his future bride to be in the building process, discussing and analyzing every room, every fixture.
“Wow!” is all I can manage to say as I reach for the handle and climb out of the beast. I meet Aaron at the front of the truck, and he throws his arm around my shoulders as we walk up the front porch. Evan opens the door as we reach it.
“McKinley, welcome home.” He wraps his arms around me and I go willingly into his embrace. Only a crazy person would pass up a heartfelt hug from Evan Chamberlin. He’s tall—-six foot four to be exact—-with broad shoulders, and he’s . . . defined. It’s been a few summers since I’ve seen him with his shirt off, but I have a very vivid memory of the rigid planes of his stomach. It’s not an image a girl is quick to forget, especially a girl with a teenage crush as big as the state of Kentucky.
“Thank you. It’s good to be home,” I say, stepping away. Not that I wanted to, but it’s the right thing to do.
“Come on in.” Evan moves back and allows us in.
“What’s up, man?” Aaron gets right to it.
I watch closely as Evan pulls the ever-present Alabama hat from his head and runs his fingers through his hair before placing it back on. He’s nervous. I start to panic. Did something happen to his dad?
“You might want to sit down for this,” he tells us.