Chapter Fifteen #2
Travis nodded, sad that she had to go but understanding all the same. “I am an expert cuddler, but that can wait.” He sat up and kissed her shoulder before adjusting himself in his messy sweats. “Let me change real quick. I’ll walk you.”
Parker nodded and waited as he slipped into the bathroom.
As he was swapping his soiled sweats for a clean pair and a t-shirt, Travis caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
If he felt proud at making Parker look happy, she should feel the exact same way because the person staring back at him was the happiest looking motherfucker he’d seen in his life.
Travis couldn’t help but smile at this version of himself, knowing that as long as Parker was around, this guy likely would be here to stay as well.
****
All day Sunday was spent with Parker and Kit, running through the orchard and playing hide-and-seek like he used to with his brothers, playing tag like they still occasionally did, and taking them to a couple of the other farms for a little adventure.
It was also a way for Travis to subtly inquire to the farm owners about jobs they might have, of which there were none.
That news had been a little disheartening, but Travis knew that if it meant keeping Parker around, he would invent a job at the orchard.
She could be Vice President of Sitting on Your Ass All Day as far as he was concerned.
All he wanted was for her and Kit to be safe and happy.
Feeling protective of actual people he wasn’t related to was new to Travis, but he found himself liking it more and more as time went on.
Unfortunately, time passing also meant that it was Monday morning with more tourists coming to pick their own apples.
Travis had tried hiding out in the equipment shed, but his dad had found him and pushed him back outside.
“The four-wheelers don’t need your help, now go out there and get to it,” he’d said.
Travis knew his dad meant well, but he dreaded having to go back outside and deal with people.
Grumbling his discontent, Travis stopped short when he saw Parker crouched down with a group of kids.
One in particular looked familiar to him, and as he watched Kit beaming with pride at her mother who was explaining exactly how to pick an apple, he felt his ire evaporate entirely.
Stalking over slowly, Travis listened to Parker talk about being careful not to pull too hard and basically let the apple come to you before she went on to describe the type of apple they would be picking, going into detail about the ambrosias.
When she was finished, Parker walked the kids over to the group of more easily accessible dwarf trees and had them take turns picking the fruit.
As soon as the apples were in their hands, the kids rushed over to a spigot near the front of the orchard and washed off their apples.
The look of wonder and joy on their little faces when they took their first bite into the sweet fruit that tasted like a mix of pear, honey, and melon thawed Travis’s already warming heart as it kicked in his chest. This is what he should have been focusing on the whole time, the happiness people took from the orchard, not the disruption they brought to it.
Somewhere along the way, Travis had lost sight of the joy the process of simply picking your own fruit brought to others, instead focusing on how those who didn’t know any better were taking it away from him.
They would know better if someone bothered to show them, and suddenly that fictional job he’d been kicking around for Parker became much more real.
She was so good with people and would make a great educational tour guide for the orchard.
It was still something he needed to talk to his parents about, but he was certain they would see things as just as he did.
He had other ideas for the future as well, but those wouldn’t be as readily available just yet.
Walking over to Parker as she stood at the edge of the group of school children who were now gorging themselves on as many apples as they could, Travis pulled her into a side hug.
He wanted to kiss her but was mindful of the ever watchful eye of her daughter who was chatting happily with her classmates not ten feet away.
“Proud of you,” he told her, giving her shoulder a squeeze.
Parker looked up at him and smiled. “What for? Their teacher is the one keeping them in line, I’m just helping facilitate snack time.”
Travis shook his head as he grabbed onto her free hand.
“More than that, you know it.” He looked over at the group of kids again.
Travis didn’t suddenly not hate people, but maybe if he focused on how they started out and the inherent goodness that could be found if he looked hard enough, he might not be so quick to shy away from them either.
“You’re good with people, explaining all this stuff. Better than me, for sure.”
Parker nudged him with her shoulder. “You’re not so bad with people either. Especially the kids. Tell me you don’t have something fun planned for this group?”
Travis ducked his head shyly. While he did stay away from most tourists, when he did notice a class come in, he’d always pull out one of his go-to organized activities for them to do if their teacher was cool with it. “Might have,” he said, bumping her back. “Going to join us for capture the flag.”
Parker leaned back. “You’re really going to let these kids loose in that orchard of yours? That doesn’t sound like you at all.”
Travis scoffed. “Hell no,” he told her. “Playing on the side yard.” He smiled at her and brought her back toward him, wanting to feel her body against his every chance he could get. “Can’t expect me to change stripes all at once.”
Parker chuckled and kissed his cheek. “I don’t expect you to change them at all.
I like you the way you are.” As she walked off and joined Kit with the rest of the kids, Travis could only stand and stare after her, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky as to not only find someone who liked him for who he was, but who he liked just as much in return.