Chapter 60
Wolf whistles to give me a heads-up. He tosses a box of staples my way and I grab them out of the air. He goes back to stapling down tar paper as I load my staple gun.
A chorus of loud thunks is all around me.
Down below, Kate calls out, “Lunch is ready, boys.”
She doesn’t have to call us twice. Wolf, Cole, Marshall, and I all scurry down the ladders to the welcome shade of the front porch.
The house is coming along well. Just a few weeks now and Kate will have her dream farm.
The fences are up. The barn has been built, and the baby goats have already arrived.
“It’s really looking like a house now,” she says as she rubs her hand over her husband’s glistening back.
Wolf grins as he lifts her up for a kiss. “Won’t be long now. We need to wrap this up before you get too far along. I won’t have you setting up house while you’re getting big.”
She ribs him with her elbow. “You make it sound like I’m destined to turn into a hippo.”
He grins. “It is my baby. You don’t think it will be a tiny thing, do you? Especially if it’s a boy.”
As he hugs his wife, I turn away. The more I watch them together, the more I miss having someone in my arms.
Walking to the end of the long porch, I let myself slip off to another time.
For a few seconds, I lose myself to the strongest of memories.
It’s late Summer. The horse’s back sways below us as we ride to our favorite spot.
Gina’s arms are tight around me, her ear pressed to my bare shoulder.
The lazy, late day sun is falling toward the ocean.
Not a care in the world. Even if it was just for a few hours. She was mine. I was hers.
I take a sip of fresh mango juice. It should be sweet, but bitter memories have me swallowing hard as it stings my throat.
I should reach out.
But I won’t.
She’s got the world at her feet.
I’ve got a roof that needs a sheet-metal covering under mine.
I wasn’t enough for her back then.
There’s no fucking reason to think I ever will be.
“Hey, you eating?”
I turn to find Kate smiling at me. “Yeah. I just needed a minute to cool off.”
“Come on, before everyone eats up the good stuff.”
I join her as we walk back toward the group. She knows something’s up. She’s too good to miss it.
“Why don’t you call her?”
“Nah. No need. Hell, she lives a million miles away.”
She rolls her eyes and pushes a finger into my arm. “You can live anywhere you like. But keep making excuses to yourself if you want.”
Marshall walks over, smug smile on his face and a big plate of food in his hand. “Speaking of excuses… Sorry, I just caught the last part of that, I wasn’t really eavesdropping. But my question is, when are you going to give me an answer about coming to work for Agile?”
Kate laughs, smacks me on the back. “How about now?”
I grumble, “Oh brother. Nothing like being put on the spot.”
They both look at me with their brows raised.
Sighing, I drop my head. I needed to do this a while ago, but for some reason, just couldn’t pull the trigger. It will be good for me. I need to get out of this place. Too many ghosty memories. “Okay. I give. I’m in.”
Marshall extends a hand. “Good. I’m damned glad you’re joining the team.
I need another guy around who’s not busy making babies.
Too much talk about baby names, and due dates, and scary shit like that.
I need someone who can throw back a beer and talk about something good like that new pistol I want to buy. ”
“Well, I’m your man then, because making babies would require a woman. Something I don’t have.”
And don’t need. I remind myself.
Thank you so much for reading Forbidden Knight