Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Hunter
S he’s here.
Somewhere among all these people who have flocked to my small town, Cassidy is hiding. It’s the day of Mary’s wedding, so neither Mary nor Cassidy have made an appearance, but with the wedding tonight they have to be close by.
All of the out-of-town guests for her wedding are making the best of the market—buying soaps, produce, local goods, and more.
We get busy during the summer months and the caps on both ends, but today was more than almost everyone could have planned for. Franny is the only exception; her parents saw an increase in people showing up to town last night and pulled all the stops out for today. Their stand is making a killing.
Although I know better than to expect any of the girls to show up when I’m sure they have a million things to do today, I keep a sharp eye out for Cassidy.
Jake is happy to be back at the market with me, he’s talking easily with each person who comes to the stand. He seems to have aged in the last two weeks. Jake seems a little more independent and assured, carrying a confidence that I can appreciate from a young, growing man.
There isn’t an arrogance to tag along with it. Just growth.
“I wonder what these people plan on doing with the vegetables overnight?” he asks.
“Probably stick them in the fridge and forget about them,” I half-joke. I know my produce looks good, but I’m sure half of these out-of-towners will forget about it and let it rot on their way home. They could even forget it in the fridge at the place where they’re lodging.
Cassidy doesn’t cook, so if she couldn’t eat it right away, she wouldn’t waste it. I sweep my eyes across the crowd over and over, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but nothing.
Stepping out from under my tent, I look over to the bed and breakfast where she last stayed. I can’t say for certain she’s staying there, because she’d do just about anything to avoid a run-in with me. For good measure, I tip my hat in that direction before getting back to work.
The Writton farm is smaller than mine. They run a large orchard, but they also have multiple flower fields. The flower fields bring in some revenue, but I know they don’t count on it for a living.
They only started using their open fields for flowers in the last five years or so. I think it was meant to be a romantic gesture to propose to Mr. Writton’s now-wife, but she loved it so much that he kept it going.
Mary’s reception is being held here, and the setup says fairy tale farm wedding all day. A tall canopy tent with sheer coverings instead of thick traditional ones, string lights, bamboo chairs, lots of hanging soft fabrics, and a backdrop of flower fields. The girl knew exactly what she wanted and was willing to pay for it.
This farm isn’t rented out for events. We like to preserve our small slice of paradise. We like to keep things quaint and tight-knit. Mary had to have made an offer they couldn’t refuse. I would ask Cassidy, but she would have to talk to me to give me an answer.
I sit and look at the reception area for a moment longer before taking off and finishing the drive to my farm. I won’t ruin this day for any of them. I won’t be the reason Cassidy can’t enjoy herself.
A feeling sinks deep into my stomach. I associate myself with a negative thought for the woman I love. I think of myself as a nuisance and a cluster of impossible outcomes when it comes to her. My father has always put what my mother wanted and needed before himself. Am I doing that for Cassidy?
By waiting one day am I being considerate of her, or am I just putting off the inevitable? Should I approach her at all? Just for my selfish need to have one more chance to try and prove to her that what I want can be something she wants, too.
She’s made her wishes clear from the moment I met her. She told me her thoughts directly. She’s never put a front up with me and I appreciated that about her.
When I get to the house, Harrison is on the porch with a cooler next to him. A laugh wants to leave me, but I can’t bring myself to let it out.
I know he’s here to console me. Console a man in his thirties over a non-breakup. I park my truck and make my way over to him. He looks the way he always does, like a part of my home.
He takes his hat off and I approach him. Taking two beers out from his cooler, he hands me one, and when I take it, he puts a hand on my shoulder and gives it a firm squeeze.
I remember the first time Harrison lost a Little League game. He started later than the rest of the boys in our town, but he played just as well. When his team had lost after a two-season winning streak, he blamed himself. I brought him my dessert on this very porch and sat with my hand on his shoulder until he finished it.
Now he’s offering me the same kind of support. The kind a kid needs after he loses his Little League game.
I can’t allow myself to fall any further into this. Cassidy has made her desires clear and if she wanted differently, she’s in the right town to tell me. I can’t force her to feel the way I do, so all I can do is hope.
“Damn, this sucks.” I sink onto the top step and take a long pull from my beer.
“Sure does,” he offers, sitting next to me.
We drink in silence for a little while, and I look over what we can see of our land. The wind dances over the field, the clouds move slowly across the blue sky. I hear leaves brushing against each other in the distance as the trees are swayed by the wind.
Looking over to my side I see my brother; he’s been with me almost my whole life and I can’t imagine a day going by without him. He’s been my partner in crime, my partner in business, and my biggest support. Knowing this doesn’t change that the person I want sitting next to me right now is a stubborn, petite brunette .
“I want to do something stupid, but I know it’s the wrong thing to do,” I finally say.
“What makes it the wrong thing to do?”
“If she wanted me, she’d come on her own. She’s already here. Harrison, the only thing stopping her is her own want. She?—”
“Or fear,” he interrupts me. I pause myself, waiting for him to continue.
“You never been scared, brother? You never take pause before an action? Bullshit. I get scared all the time, but I know you’re there to help me if I fail. I know I have our pops and mom to bail me out or help me figure it out if I need it. I know I have options. Take a good hard look at what Cassidy has if this doesn’t work out for her. Today the last friend in her group is getting married off. She’s about to start a whole new life without Cassidy in it, and you think she’s going to think about taking a chance on her own right now?”
He hits more points than I can process. Mary is getting married today and he’s right, she’s the last of the group except for Cassidy.
She doesn’t have siblings. She doesn’t have parents. She is on her own, which is all the more reason to take that stupid job farther north. I set my beer down and rub my hands up and down my face before taking off my hat and running a hand through my hair.
After this wedding, she’s going to run in the opposite direction of this damn town if I don’t do something. She’s going to see that job as the perfect opportunity to move forward in the way the girls are, without settling down with someone.
She’ll see the job as a new chapter in her life with the travel options to keep her busy, but she’ll still be able to touch base back here with them every now and then. Now that they are all married off, she’s going to take that stupid job.
“How do I not scare someone off who is already shaken?”
“You just need to talk to her, Hunter. You can’t expect a rabbit to approach a wolf. It just doesn’t happen that way.”
“She’s not that timid,” I counter.
“She is right now, which is more likely to cause her to bite back. So go talk… but with caution.” He pulls two more beers out from his small cooler and goes to hand me my second. I put up a hand to pass.
“I have somewhere to be in a little bit, better not drink another.” I stand and as I pass Harrison, I ruffle his hair. “When did you become the one to give life advice out of the two of us?”
He laughs, standing and putting an arm around my shoulders. “When I started caring about more than just this farm.”
And now, I sure as fuck do, too.