Chapter 10 #2
Clover was alone by another trailer of pumpkins.
Her gaze strayed to Poppy and Jensen laughing with Auggie, then to Lily and Eliot.
Eliot had one of the kids on his shoulders.
Violet was under Evander’s arm as they chatted with some of his cousins.
Clover’s smile stayed in place, but her gaze dropped.
Then her light began to fade, like it was starkly obvious that she was alone.
But she wasn’t. Not yet. I jogged to join her at the trailer. “I was told I have to choose one.”
Her eyes sparkled as soon as she popped her head up. “Evander and Violet are trying to get us to take five.” She clapped her hands. “Aren’t they gorgeous? All this color when the world around us is getting brown?”
My heart swelled at her enthusiasm. Damn, she was cute. “Yeah. Want help? I haven’t carved one in forever.”
“I haven’t either. Are you up for ten?”
I’d make sure I was. “Absolutely.”
She tapped one that was by the edge. “This one has a nice, broad face. Perfect for an elaborate design.”
I lifted it out and put it in the little pull-behind trailer next to her.
Her grin widened, and it was like I’d opened the floodgates. “I was eyeing this one. See this blemish? It’d make a perfect witch’s wart. Oh, and this one has such a nice stem, I might not even carve it.”
She went through three more and insisted I choose the next ones. Since she’d put actual thought into her selection, I did the same. “I’m going to carve a game controller.”
“That’ll look awesome. I’ll buy some tea lights. We’re going to have the craziest porch in the county.”
After I made all my selections, I took the handle of the wagon. “I can load these and come back for your food container.”
“Oh, it’s already been packed, along with a ton of leftovers. Evander’s mom is a sly one about cleaning up after.”
“We’re off dinner duty for a few days?”
“Lunch and dinner.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Truth be told, that leftover pulled pork sounds good for breakfast.”
“Then do it.”
We reached the pickup, and I loaded our stash in the bed. I’d put them in the garage to store until it was time to carve them. When we both got inside, she was quiet. As I drove us home, she didn’t make much conversation, staring out the passenger window.
I pulled into our drive and backed up to the garage. When I killed the engine, she didn’t move.
“Clover?” I asked softly.
She twisted her fingers together. “My dad talked to me.”
Since Weston had chatted with me too, she must mean it wasn’t idle chitchat. “Okay.”
She wet her lips, and seeing her tongue was just another item on the list of all things Clover I needed to forget in order to behave.
Well, I’d behave no matter what. But I’d remember how she moaned, her pert little nipples poking against her shirt, or that pink tongue. I was just asking for misery.
“He offered to have divorce papers drawn up,” she said deliberately. “I guess we’ll need them, but I said I’d talk to you.”
Disappointment gathered in my gut. No pumpkin harvest for me next year. Who would Clover pick out pumpkins with? “Yeah, we’ll need them.”
“Right.” She left her hands on her lap. “Do you have your own person?”
“It seems weird to say yes, but I do. The firm I used when I broke up my company has someone I could use.”
“My dad would pay for it.” Her offer was tentative. “Like an end-of-wedding gift.”
I puffed out a weak chuckle. “Who keeps the toaster?”
“You,” she said wryly. “You keep it all; you bought it.”
There was nothing about her statement that sounded good. “What will you do?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’ll talk to Alder. He might have a rental by then, but yeah. I should start looking for a place. You?”
“I should too.”
“Where?”
I rubbed my chin with my thumb and forefinger.
“I don’t know. I’m not going anywhere near Nebraska.
” That’d be too far from my niece or nephew.
Too far from Clover. “I’m talking with a big potential investor, and two more have replied to my emails.
That’s heartening. If I land that first account, it’ll be a springboard. ”
“Really? How?”
Something about the sanctity of the pickup made it easier to talk to her about something I’d kept close to my chest since I began. My trust had been shattered by a woman before.
Though it hadn’t been Clover. “If I can work with them, I’ll get word of mouth. Others will see, and I’ll get more work. I can hire people. Buy my own house.”
“Revolutionary,” she said wistfully. In that, we were together. Two adults, trying to be adultier. Trying to prove to ourselves that we could do it.
“It’s all online, but I’d like a headquarters. An office.”
“Not a home office?”
I shook my head. “It’s lonely—when I’m not married.” I aimed a grin her way.
“You think so?” Her mouth formed a troubled line. “Do you think I have to plan for being lonely?”
“You’ll have a baby.”
A flash of fear coursed through her eyes. “Yes. Me and the baby.”
“And all of your family.”
She relaxed, slinking farther down in her seat. “I’ll have them too. I’ll be a divorced, single mom.”
My stomach twisted. Divorced. Single mom. Clover was a people person. She loved her family, and she was fun to be around. I never knew staying home could be so nice, but I’d take watching a movie with her over heading out to a game night any time.
I could do both.
For the next two months.
She sighed and peered in the rearview mirror. “We have a lot of pumpkins to unload.”
“I’ll take care of them.”
“I can help.”
Not when I was around. She wasn’t alone yet. “You can take in the food. I’m gonna need some of that cookie salad.”
Her eyes twinkled. “I made double and kept a batch here. Just in case.”
My whole world tipped over at that admission, and it might never be right.