37. Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Joy
A unt Sophia continues to pile food onto my plate after I said it was plenty. “You’re getting too thin; you need to eat.”
Looking down at myself, I don’t even try to mask my laughter. No one in their right mind would ever consider me too thin… but I’m not exactly watching my figure, either. My eye roll is subtle as I wait for her to finish piling on more and more food I’ll never eat. Tate watches me with a small smile and it’s enough for me to forget my irritation.
“Everything looks delicious,” Tate says quietly. “Thank you.”
My aunt smiles, melting under his praise, and I use the opportunity to set down my plate before she can continue to add more. When we joined her in the kitchen, my aunt seemed to be much more relaxed and in a better mood than she had been in the living room. She cooked her famous fried chicken and macaroni and cheese along with green beans from her garden. She does her own canning, so even from a jar, they are a million times better than anything you can find at the store.
“Oh, my goodness,” I say around a bite of food. “This is so good.”
It is good. Better than anything I’ve had in ages. Food distracts me, and it isn’t long before we’ve all finished without pausing for conversation. My aunt stands and clears our plates before I can even process what’s happening. She returns with a pot of coffee, and I help myself.
“So, have you retired from riding?” my aunt asks.
Tate finishes pouring his coffee and takes a sip before responding. “I’ll probably step in as a pickup man when I can, but other than the one event I travel for, I think I’m done competing.”
It’s my turn to squeeze his thigh. So much of his life was spent competing at Boulder Ranch, it’s got to be hard to give that up. Even when giving it up means ensuring other young men get the same opportunities he had when he was first starting out.
“Why do you travel for that one event?” she asks. I feel like I’m sitting in on an interview, but I don’t know how to make it stop. Tate doesn’t seem too uncomfortable, so I let him speak for himself.
“They’re like family. When I can’t ride anymore, I’ll still go there every year. Hell, I’d be the rodeo clown if they asked me.”
This earns him a laugh. Not just the respectful chuckle that she usually gives. Aunt Sophia covers her mouth so she can laugh without being ridiculously loud. It must be contagious because I find myself laughing even though it’s not all that funny.
“Have you dated other women who work at the ranch?”
“Aunt Sophia!” I scold, but Tate is shaking his head, holding a hand over mine.
“No ma’am. It’s been some time since I’ve dated anyone seriously.” He answers easily.
Sofia clasps her stiff, wrinkled hands in front of herself. I wait for her to say something else, but she just sits back, eventually sipping her coffee. Following her lead, I sip my own. Tate does the same, and I assume the conversation is over until my aunt speaks again.
“Too busy taking care of everyone else?”
He freezes before physically shaking off her question. “Pretty much.”
“Well…” She pauses for a long moment. “You deserve to be happy. Stop taking care of everyone else and take care of yourself for a change. That’s the only way you’ll ever make someone happy.”
We’re both left staring after her when she gets up and heads to the kitchen entrance. “I cooked. You two can have cleanup duty.”
And then she’s gone. Looking over at Tate, I shrug and begin picking up the remaining dishes from the table. She washed the pots and pans as she went, so there’s not much cleanup left. Turning the water as hot as I can stand it, I fill up one side of the sink so we can wash the handful of dishes.
“Thanks for coming with me.”
Tate looks at me, confusion etched across his features. “Why wouldn’t I come with you? I’m the whole reason she demanded to see you. And she said something I needed to hear, so thank you. ”
I wash the largest serving dish and then pass it to Tate to rinse and dry. I want to ask him to elaborate, but I feel like he would have if he wanted me to know. So, I keep quiet as we fall into a practiced rhythm of washing the dishes. We’ve cleaned up his kitchen together enough times for it to feel like second nature. I leave him to wash the last few dishes in the sink while I put the food away and bring over the last few dishes from the table.
“This is nice,” he says softly.
I turn to find him wiping down the sink before draping the cloth over the faucet. “Cleaning?”
He laughs and I allow my smirk to spread to a grin. “Family time. It’s nice. It’s been a while…”
Instantly, my heart aches for him. I’m not close to my family, but I couldn’t imagine not having them. A couple of times a year, we get together for an uncomfortable meal. My parents come to show their displeasure, and my aunt makes sure to ask every possible question she can come up with. It’s basically a family tradition. If he sticks around, he’ll see for himself that family time is sometimes better in theory.
My chest constricts with disappointment. I was dreading my parents showing up during the time I was specifically planning to spend with my aunt, but I feel like Tate would have liked to meet them, as awful as the interaction would have been. It’s peaceful without them here, but I can’t help but worry that Tate will take it personally.
“What is it, sweetheart?” His low voice breaks through the silence.
“Huh? Nothing. Everything is fine, why?”
“You aren’t a good liar. Just tell me what’s bothering you.” His silky voice wraps around me, causing me to immediately forget the trepidation I’d been feeling.
“My parents didn’t show up,” I say with an exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry they didn’t, but don’t take it personally. It’s better this way.”
His eyes lock on mine. “I’m not arguing with you, but you don’t look relieved. You look disappointed.”
“I guess I’m not making a lot of sense, huh? We aren’t close and barely get along… but they should have wanted to meet you. I’m sure they know we’re here.” I shrug, not really knowing how else to explain it.
“Well, I’m not offended or anything. It’s been a good day.”
“It has,” I agree.
He places a quick kiss on the top of my head before threading his fingers with mine and leaning close to my ear. “Let’s get to bed. I have a promise to keep.”